JRL's indepth, comedy, review of Season 2: The good, the bad, and the dead
*[Warning: this is insanely long and probably riddled with mistakes. Skip parts, go straight to the comments, hit the back button, or, bizarrely, read the whole thing. The choice is up to you. Press triangle, square, circle, or x to decide. Silence is a valid option, even though no one does that.]
[JRL will remember this]*
Let me start off by saying this. It was not season 1. It couldn't have been Season 1, because the Walking Dead is an always evolving game. I loved both seasons. And both have their own qualities, good and bad. So when I make comparisons; please do not think that I'm putting either down when doing so. Like it or not, season 1 is literally the only honest example you can hold it up against. So please, keep that in mind.
THE EPISODES
Episode 1 - All that remains (left over): I was positivity thrilled for the untold potentials season 1's cliff-hanger left us. Who were the silhouettes? Were there friendly? Were there dangerous? They were a hundred possibilities!... And it's Christa and Omid :P The most guessed and least interesting outcome. Okaaaaay... not the best start, but you could work with this. Omid's ripe for character building and Christa was one of season 1's best females. Surely we can work with this... And Omid is dead on minute two and Christa is gone on minute four :P Wow, well at least it's still believable... And now there is a 16 month timeskip! :P
All that remains was a poor start. We're nearly half way into the episode before we meet the actually people will spending the game with (I'll talk about that later), and they are all introduced as assholes. I really liked the Sam scene, as it did make for some good survival telling. And the twist with the 'bite' was understandable and the cabin group grew on me over time. But introducing them as they did made me hate them, and only made me want the option to leave. Making a bunch of adults lock a eleven year old girl up in the shed while she practically bleeds to death was not the way to make me excited for the new cast.
The only real choice comes at the end; when Nick (the guy who I originally kept calling Luke) and Pete (the only character who wasn't being a dick to a little girl) both needed my help because all the other adults were off doing god knows what. Through much thinking, I saved Nick for two reasons. One being the bite on Pete's leg, and two being me remembering his apology and kind words Pete said. The choice ends up affecting the next episode's first third, and rendered unimportant after that (beyond either hearing the dying words of a good man, or the pitying cries of a scared one (both are done nicely))
Episode 2 - A house divided (and then multiplied): After your time with Nick/Pete, Carlos leaves you alone with his daughter in the cabin. After the some moments with Sarah (who I will discuss more later on), they is a knock on the door. Your time with the mysterious man (who would have been more mysterious with everyone didn't say his name every two minutes last episode) plays perfectly; introducing an intimidating man who at the time, may or may not be the bad guy. Although he obviously was up to no good, his manner and points made me excited for more of him.
Five days later and across a bridge of dam quick actions, we meet another stranger. And then we say goodbye to him as Nick, who should have been with Luke and Clem in the first place, kills him in a misunderstanding. Looting his belongings, we go up to a Ski Lodge. Then, followed one of the best scenes of the season. Now, if you've read my username, one could make the guess that I might be either a Kenny fan or my name is Kenny (it's actually Julian-Rhys) But come on, even his biggest hater must admit that was great scene (of which I'll discuss more later).
His friends (Walter and Sarita) welcome us in a way that don't make me hate them, and have to deal with the issue of Nick and his trigger finger, along with a certain 400 days appearance (more on that later). Overall, this episode is fantastic from beginning to end. Choices are impactful; from the deciding which 'clic' to side with, to the potential death of two main characters. All while following the theme of 'family'.
Episode 3 - In harm's way (of dropping quality): After a 'ahem' poor Kenny moment, we are brought to Carver's camp; home to worthless cameos. I, of course, kept my hopes up on the interesting direction they had taken. Again, there were so many possibilities they could have made. So it was disappointing to see where they ended up. We're introduced to a lot of uninteresting characters, stop focusing on the main ones, and moved around as the plot requires it. It was truly here I began to see the ramifications of having Clem as the playable character.
Choices matter as much as they do in a Mario. No matter what you do; Reggie, Carver, Alvin (if there), and Carlos die, Kenny is beaten, Bonnie and Jane help you, and Clem is a shrunken adult doing everything for everyone while they jerk off. Highlights of this episode are scripted moments; such as anything with Carver, Kenny's memory of Duck, and walking through the herd. But the faults out weigh the pros, and In harm's way fades from memory. But hey, at least it can't get worse? Right? Right?!
Episode 4 - Amid the ruin's (made by poor writing): Oh no, dammit. I hoped I would skip past this episode. Oh well, just like Telltale, let's get this over with. After getting separated, you, Rebecca, and Jane make your way through the horde and head to the meet place. Then you and Jane go search for the missing others. Then you and Jane head back. Then you and Jane secure a gift shop. Then you and Jane retitle the game 'Walking with Jane.' Like a kid's cartoon trying to promote a new toy to sell you, Jane is shoved down our throat so hard I choke when I see her (I'll discuss her more later). Rebecca's pregnant, we don't really know Bonnie or Mike, Luke's still got no personality (more later ect), and they give 70% of screen time to HER!
I want to discuss more on Sarah and Nick treatment, and I will, but for the moment I'll mention the utter lack of dialogue change. You can be a total dick to anyone before or during this episode, and it will make no difference. Dialogue is always more or less the same, but this episode choices had no difference, and choices in previous episodes were made pointless. And I love Kenny, but even as his fan, I can admit his plotline this episode was near identical to that of Katjaa's; and only took up space that could been used making him grow or giving microphone to someone other than Jane.
The only silver lining is the baby. One nice moment that happens between the death of a teenage girl, and the death the baby's mother; killing off the series two best female characters in one swoop. Jane ditches, because she wasn't enough of a Molly ripoff yet, and the group take on (sigh) Russian gangsters, that ends in a shootout. After playing, I had given up any hope of 5 redeeming the mistakes made by Amid the ruin's. At this point, could they lift season out of it's downward spiral?
Episode 5 - No Going Back (Or is there?): No one dies! Yes, in a major shoot out with everyone out in the open, no one died. Not even Arvo copped a bullet; because realism! And Jane's back, because I was scared this episode WOULDN'T needlessly focus around her. Not a strong start, Telltale. I mean, you'll really have to... holy fuck...
From that point, the episode is pure awesomeness. Dare I even say, Walking Dead's finest hours. Development, suspense, betrayal, choices, feels! In one episode, they turned an uneven season straight. Although at this point I have only had the one play through, I was so impressed it made all the crap I had been through worth it. I apologise for not doing a more in-depth review, but I don't think I'm equipped to say more of it until I've replayed.
CHARACTERS (From appearance order)
Clem - (discuss more in general later on)
Luke - Luke was always such a Mary Sue. The game tries so hard to make you like him that they forget flaws make people interesting. I mentioned how I originally couldn’t bother differing him from Nick, but that changed by the end of episode 2. Because Luke grew on me you ask? No, because Nick did. After ep 2, Luke became to me an uninteresting version of a character standing right next to him. So when ep 3 and 4 muted and killed Nick (if alive), Luke actually began to piss me off for continuing to exist while a good character died.
It wasn’t until ep 5 he actually had some development and a slim shred of personality. And then he dies; like that stupid A-hole in the war movie that goes on about moving to paradise with a perfect girlfriend. Overall, I wanted Luke to be cool because he had second billing. But he was neither enough human nor interesting to be so. I know he has his fans, but good looks don’t warrant good character.
Pete - Necessary, but not over used. Unlike Mark, Brie, or Walter; Pete never felt like a redshirt. He dies early, but I still feel like I knew him. Best moment (and only) comes from talking to him about Nick, or for decision makers, his final night. Glad he was there.
Nick - (See Luke) Upon first glance, I predicted Nick to be the game’s new ‘jerk’. Then, I was pleasantly proven wrong. Nick had insecurities, regrets, baggage; all the things that make a character relatable. He was in Luke’s shadow in the game, but to me he shone brighter then Luke ever did. He made mistakes, but he owned to those mistakes. He was rude at times, but he was justified in his grief. Behind Sarah, he was my favourite Cabin survivor.
Which is why, Telltale, I ask why you thought he was so unimportant that he warranted moving him to the background in Ep 3 and an offscreen death in 4?! Granted, he became a determined character in ep 2. But keeping Ben alive gave him two awesome scenes (Morgue and standing up to Kenny) and a nice death scene; and Alvin played a good part in 3 if spared. I’m not saying he should have taken centre stage, but you still could have rewarded the players who kept him alive (which majority did). Still kill him as the story needs it, but at least respect his contribution while doing so.
Rebecca - Christa 2.0. At first, I noted how they got rid of a pregnant Christa so early only to replace her instantly with anger. But by ep 1, I not only realised it was for the better, but supported it. Rebecca was what Christa should have been in season 1, a woman scared for the safety of her baby while still fighting strong. Although aggressive to Clem in ep 1, she was the most understandable of them. When she eventually apologises and befriends you, it only makes her more relatable. In the end, protecting her seemed more vital than anyone else.
By ep 3, she is in the custody of her potential baby daddy. Even with a diminished screen time, she was still one of the ep’s best. And the same can be said for ep 4. Her death, while a sad sight, was necessary to the plot and realistic. On the whole, Rebecca might just be the most consistent person in the series; never being lessened by bad writing, having moments seeming out of character, or wasted.
Alvin - Meh. Overly forgettable in the whole of the series excluding his death/s. Good enough character, but not as focal as certain others. Really, his character existed for Rebecca’s benefit, perhaps just another body to add to the death tally. Nevertheless, I liked him; and glad he was there.
Carlos - Like Alvin, he was never overly important and existed for the sake of another character (Sarah). Maybe he could have been more, but I don’t think anyone expected him to take the mantle of second or third billing. His death was predictable, but needed (see Sarah).
Sarah - Oh Sarah, you scamp. You wanted a friend, and the game gave you Clem. Sure, maybe season 1 Clem could have given you the support I wanted to see you have. But unfortunately, you’re dealing with playable Clem. Sure the game gives you the option to be descent to her, but not her friend. In the eyes of the writers, Sarah was a burden. A disruption. Something to hate. But never a friend.
Now it’s a never directly said, but it is heavily implied Sarah has some anxiety-based disorder. I found this interesting, because I cannot think of another character of her type existing in another zombie story (yet alone non-zombie). So I was excited for how her character could develop, and how it would develop onto Clem. But even after Carlos dies, the thing I thought that would trigger her strongest moments, the game up and kills her! In my first play though, I refused to slap her because of the horror of it. So Clem and Luke let her get ripped apart. Or alternatively, she gets ripped apart ten minutes later in a moment of stupidity. Like Nick, there was no respect for her contribution to the story. While the story went in a direction that would have made it hard to hold her, they still could have given her a proper send-off.
Carver - To those who read the comics, not many would disagree the Governor saga was one its highest points. A good villain can make a story. And besides a few 1 episode characters (the St.Johns, Save-lots, the Stranger), a villain was the one thing season 1 was missing. And Carver (as I said earlier), was beautifully introduced. Ep 2 gave lead way what I thought would be one of season 2 breakout plots
So needless to say, ep 3 was a huge disappointed. Like the long-dead Crawford, William Carver wanted strength. He had Carlos slap Sarah to toughen him, he killed Reggie because he was weak, he beat Kenny because he surrendered, and he spared all of them after they failed escape attempt because he admired their determination. Carver was a brilliant character, and while I’ll grant Nick and Sarah had to die for the sake of the story; Carver could have been so much more.
Kenny - (See down below)
Walter (and Matthew) - Walter was a rare gem. A positive person who smiled as he gave anyway supplies. Someone who treated Clem like a child without degrading her. A homosexual man who wasn’t defined as being homosexual. And for all these reasons, his death did not shock me. His presence was nice while it lasted (especially his scene with Nick), but was just so obvious he wouldn’t survive long enough to see the credits.
Sarita - Who? Roadkill would call her character flat. I kept hoping her character would be built up. But no. She dies; Kenny’s sad; Kenny gets better; everyone moves on. A complete waste of space.
Bonnie (who, yes, counts) - Bonnie was my favourite playable character in 400 days. Her reappearance was something I was quite happy to see. And the twist of her being a part of Carver’s gang was a good way to bring her in. Of ep 2 and 3, she was a strong addition. The first two episodes had been trying to force a brother/sister thing with Luke, but Bonnie actually felt like a sister to Clem.
But ep 4 decided Bonnie wasn’t good enough to be Clem’s surrogate sister and tried the same forced relationship they were doing with Luke except with Jane. After that, Bonnie joins Mike in becoming an extra. Very disappointing, to say the least. And in the ep 5 I played (Keep in mind my one play through) she dies and is forgotten instantly. A really shame, but ep 5 as a whole made me forgive.
Troy - An asshole created to be an asshole. Henchmen characters are only ever given multiple traits if important to the story. But since he wasn’t, it’s completely understandable the game has him as ‘guy you’re supposed to hate.’ I’ll say his good for what he was, and happy they didn’t make him more.
Reggie - Well I’ve made a 32 itemed list on why Reggie is the game’s breakout character and now I will read said… oops, he died while I was writing that. I guess he was less of a character and more of a moving prop. Oh well.
Mike - Oh, this guy. He seems interesting. I can’t wait until we get to know him. … … Still waiting… A problem season 2 had was a lot of characters were either undeveloped or pushed to the background. This guy was both. Like a lot of others, he had the makings to be cool member of the team. But sadly what development he gets is saved for ep 5, before quickly saying goodbye.
Jane - Ugh! I knew from the moment they did there cryptic introduction of her that she would be the new ‘badass’ character. Let’s get something straight. These people, are not interesting. I actually quit the Walking Dead tv show partly because I was sick of Daryl Dixon. Killing stuff does not equal compelling drama. But there try to make it up by giving her some development. Unfortunately, it’s all of Molly’s development. You remember Molly right? The ‘badass’ character of season 1. Well, she’s back and stealing everyone’s screen time!
The worst thing about her is Telltale never gives you the option to disagree with her. Her attitude of ‘abandon the weak’ was something I strongly differed with, but the game gives you no option to say that. You can call Kenny a crazy asshole, say Nick’s a dick, and treat Sarah like a toddler; but you’re not even allowed to dispute Jane when she says ‘desert people who need you.’ Ep 5 redeemed her character a little by not forcing her on you as much, but I still refused to save her from Kenny after she ‘killed’ Alvin Jr (more on that- you guessed it- later). And considering the ending I got, I do not regret it in the slightest.
Arvo - One could argue Arvo is season 2’s Ben. A poor kid without any friends who gets a lot of shit from Kenny and the group that he, frankly, kind of deserves. Even though he himself is harmless, Amid the ruins climax is caused by him. Along Luke and Bonnie’s (potential) death. I liked him because he was unique and his mannerisms, but I did not cuddle him like I image a lot of players did.
Alvin Jr - Baby.
ISSUES AND TISSUES (points)
16 month timeskip - I’m sorry, 16 months is way too long of a time jump. Keep in mind, the events of season 2 happen in a little over a fortnight. Season 1 was maybe four months. So to have a 16 month gap is utter bullshit. If she had spent that much time with Christa, they wouldn’t even remember Lee and Omid. Look at everything that happened in season 2. Clem should have so many different experiences in her head to make her a completely different person. And how are her and Christa not with more people? Two people could not survived that long in the woods without the mass extinction of zombies.
Christa - While I’m still talking about Christa, I feel I should bring up her lack of reappearance. And how it was actually a good thing. As I just mention, that 16 month timeskip is ridiculous. So bringing her back would have only been a constant reminder that these two should know every single detail about each other. And with Kenny’s return in A house divided, she wasn’t really needed for a comeback.
Plus, I personally feel there isn’t enough lose ends in the walking dead. Lilly, Molly, and a lot of 400 days side characters are the only people with unconfirmed fates. And I like that! Not knowing what became of a character leaves them up in the air for viewer interpretation. I wish a lot more characters were left without definitive answers (such as Chuck or Vernon). It makes excitement for their potential return.
The Cabin survivors - What was the point of them? I’m sorry, I argued with myself against putting this up, but I’ve got to do. What was the point of introducing 7 brand new characters and setting up they qualities and relationships; only to have one person from their group left with you in Ep 5. Yes, Kenny Bonnie and Jane couldn’t have all been there at the start of the game. I get that. But what was the point of starting the season with what would later be revealed to be a filler plotline. They was a mass falling out in ep 3 of season 1 too, but the originally group still had a presence as Chuck, Christa, and Omid joined the fold. With season 2 however, it just feels like a game of musically chairs that got rid of players instead of chairs.
The return of Kenny - Oh boy. Let me start off by saying that I strongly disagreed with people who said Kenny lived in season 1. So his return, while something I secretly wanted, made me feel like an idiot. That said, I was right. The Kenny in this season is not the same Kenny as he was in season 1. Like how Clem became the new Lee, Kenny involved into a different character. A character I call, ‘season 1 nostalgia.’
Yes, Kenny in this season is still the character I love from season 1. But I don’t love him for the same reason. I love him because in a season without the same protagonist, new characters, and a fresh direction; he was the last remnant of the thing that made me buy the game in the first place. One of season 1’s highlight characters and only memory of the Lee days. Back in the flesh. So forgive me when I say him returning was one of season 2’s best decisions.
Kenny’s crazy new attitude - So, from the moment they reintroduced him, something seemed different about The Walking Dead’s best redneck. It seems having everyone you know and love killed before you DOESN’T help you become more mentally stable. So now, everyone talks to you about how unstable Kenny is. How broken Kenny is. How close Kenny is from putting on makeup and fighting Batman. And not once is there the option to tell them to shut up.
Kenny has lost it. As his fan, I will completely agree Kenny is dysfunctional. But it’s not like he is just some guy who woke up one day and cut up his neighbourhood. You can only lose so many people before you begin to question why you shouldn’t be a little more passionate with the limited time you have left (and just so you know, I’m speaking from personal experience).
But more than that, what Kenny has become is healthy. You think Jane remembering how she left her sister to die with a shrug of the shoulder is normal? Or Luke giving zero shits about his best friend Nick dying is something a strong person does? Grief is necessary in life. And if anything, nothing he does is crazy. He mistakenly called you ‘Duck,’ once! He killed a man, who almost beat him to death! He was sad, WHEN HIS GIRLFRIEND DIED! Jane said Kenny was a bomb waiting to happen. In my play though, he practically sacrifices himself for you and Alvin Jr to get into Wellington. Does that sound like something a bomb would do?
400 days - This still pisses me off. I loved 400 days, and I was intrigued how your decisions (which were promised to matter) applied to season 2. What did we get? 10 second cameos. Yes, your time with Vince, Wyatt, Shel, and Russel is rewarded with potential guest appearances shorter than Alvin Jr. Bonnie, the only one that affects the season 2 story, is the same character no matter whether you flirt/reject/kill/have lobster claws with Leland and Dee. In fact, with season 2 over, 400 days is nothing more than an introduction to a character who draws the short straw in season 2.
Why are we in such a rush to leave? - Carver is bad. Being held prisoner is bad. Slave labour is bad. All this we know. Is, food, bad? Are, medical supplies, bad? Walls that protect you from Walkers are… bad? While it was a dire situation, I cannot understand why they needed to leave THAT SECOND. Are you telling me the Cabin group planned their escape the same afternoon they left? At least wait like a week; after Carver has smoothed to your presence, before discussing options.
Also, major thing. Why do you think it’s a good idea to escape with a woman practically crowning? Or without stocking up on any supplies? “But Luke came-” Don’t get started on Luke’s reappearance. He broke into the camp starving and wounded EXPECTING TO SAVE EVERYONE?! Newsflash, any plan that centres on an eleven year old leading the charge is a dumb plan (more on that later). Videogame characters make dumb decisions. But in a game where I make the choices, staying is a decision I would have liked to make (and considering all that happens after the break out, it would have been a smart decision).
Carver’s camp of innocent, now-dead, people - While we’re on the subject, why not? So in James Bond movies, we are never expected to care about the minions being gunned down because they’re bad guys. That’s fine. So besides Carver, Troy, Travia, and 400 days cameos; we know zero camp members who don’t leave with us. Excuse me for a second, but are you telling me all of Carver’s residents are asshole? All of them?! This isn’t Crawford; where kids are killed on sight and women are given shirt hanger abortions. There would have been kids and descent people; and we just executed them all without even slight guilt. Season 1 Clem would have bitten off Lee’s ear for doing that.
Baby on board - Tasteful. That is all I can say on that scene. In what is otherwise weakest episode of the series, the birth of Alvin Jr is otherwise a little glimmer of hope in a dismal world. His ‘born dead’ moment was a little gas that made me realise I actually care for this infant. And in ep 5 I wanted this baby to be safe, just like Clem in season 1. What’s the point of living if you don’t have hope (something Jane never saw)? I thought that hope was Clem or Sarah, but it was really Alvin Jr. It’s a shame we never really got to see Rebecca as a mother, but we saw something better. For the first moment all season, we saw Kenny care about something again and not portrayed as ‘broken.’
Although, I must quickly add my disappointment at the lack of mentioning WTF happened to Christa's baby. Clem can act like doesn't even know what a baby is, when really, it only makes sense she would have delivered Omid Jr. If that isn't the case, they still could have mentioned it in some form (i.e. "my friend Christa gave birth a while back. This guy named Nate delivered him between being awesome") I don't like awkward dialogue needlessly filling in the audience, but it seemed like the perfect time.
Kenny or Luke - For three episodes, the game had a very ‘who do you side with’ way of doing things between Kenny and Luke. In a way, I saw it akin to the ‘Kenny or Lilly’ options from season 1; later replaced with ‘Kenny or Christa’ in a smaller respect. I know what you’re thinking. “So now you’re going to rip on this!” No, actually, I say it’s really good. Those moments were my favourite, as they were in season 1. From reading this, you can guess Luke isn’t my favourite character. But even with my own gripes, he still wanted what was best for everybody. Same with Kenny. And having two people argue on which way of protecting the group is better makes for interesting dialogue. And in the end, I sided not to one of them but which alternative I felt was smarter. Congratulations where congratulations are due.
Mike and Arvo (and Bonnie I’m told)’s betrayal - Loved it. Up to that point, I wondered why they didn’t bother offing Mike in the shootout. At long last, they have him do something; and regretfully, it is something I would have thought of doing too. At that point, they were goners. The group was too big for the food they have; the shelter was crap; and both Kenny’s idea of ‘Wellington’ and Jane’s of returning to ‘howls’ were little thought out. I saw where Mike was coming from; while still making me hate him for it. And that, is good writing.
Bluebe- Lee’s heart-warming return - Back in season 1, episode 3, Lee had a nightmare of a dead Clementine on the night the group began to crack. And now, season 2, episode 5, Clem has a dream of a living Lee on the night the group shattered. Funny that. It’s a cheesy moment, but not without it’s feels. And despite a dead Doug/Carley, a bitten Duck, and an abandoned/unhinged Lilly, it was a peaceful.
But sentimental value isn’t all this scene is for (in my opinion). Listen close to he’s words. The wisdom he put’s onto you before you sleep in his arms. I can’t quote it word for word, but from what I got, he told me to take care of those I care for. That things will get better. And as long as I remember that, I’ll be fine. I noted the appearance of Kenny at the wheel as he spoke, and let that guide me for the foreshadowing ahead.
(also, I finally discovered the meaning behind Duck “don’t tell Clemintine.” Not vital, but brilliant nevertheless)
Kenny vs Jane - After the adults bicker up front, you are separated after a near collusion. Then, came the season finale I neither realised I wanted. Since early ep 4, Jane’s feeling towards the baby had been made clear. Her words of how ‘four men died to save one’ in her old group convinced me that if faced with a similar decision, she would walk away. And when Kenny returned with a fire in his eyes, I truly thought Alvin Jr was dead.
Maybe she didn’t stab the baby, but given the atmosphere and lack of cries (also, I still dispute her finding car again in that storm without bumping into you), I honestly thought the baby was dead. And it was her fault. So right then, I wanted nothing more than to see Kenny murder Jane. I almost laughed when it gave me the option to save her. A lot of characters died poorly this season, but hers didn’t just feel right. It felt justified.
Do I regret what I did after I heard Alvin Jr from the car? No. No. A million times, no. She wanted to trick me against Kenny. She wanted me to think Kenny was the bad guy. And why? Because she didn’t like him?! Kenny has been protecting Clem since the ski lodge; and Alvin Jr since he was born. Despite everything this season wanted me to think; Kenny would never hurt Clem or anyone without proper cause (i.e. people responsible for the death of a baby). What Jane did was wrong. And her death is on her own hands. I’m guessing, since I have yet to replay, Jane used a baby corpse or something. At which point, if there is the same option to shoot her as they was for Kenny, I’ll take it. What she did is worse than murder. It's making a child murder for you because you don't like a guy. She claimed Kenny would turn into Carver. But I don’t think even Carver would have sank as low as she did.
Clem as the playable character - Last point, I swear. I saved this one for last, because I feel it is the biggest, most important item I wanted to discuss. First off, I did suspect Clementine to become the season 2 protagonist after S1Ep5. Although, I did hope I was wrong. For a reason that would end up being confirmed.
Lee was an amazing character. I consider him one of video games greatest protagonists (between Crash Bandicoot and the L shaped block from Tetris). But despite his greatest, being playable meant one thing for him that no other character from The Walking Dead game had. His personality, morals, and choices, are not his own. One person can have Lee refuse to kill cannibals while another has him drop a kid down a bell tower for the crime of being ‘a fuck-up.’ And neither person would be incorrect. Because the dialogue you made reflected those decisions and there is no definitive Lee persona.
So why did this make me not want Clem to playable? Because she was already a character with a persona. She may have grown up, but her personality is now what the player wants it to be. And once again, there is definitive. So to me, making her playable actually killed the Clem from season 1. Because now, she is anybody who’s playing her. That’s why I tried to make decision based on season 1 Clem would do. But in the end, my own opinions overruled what I believe the eight year old sweet pea would have done. And Clem became a vessel for me.
One thing I didn’t anticipate on that annoyed me to hell (and few other players to say the least), was turning her into a mini adult. True, in an apocalypse you grow up or you die. But why the fuck are these people treating you like you’ve got super powers?! The abled bodied adults sit down while an eleven year old does the work. And then they unload their problems and thoughts of others onto her instead of people they actually know who are sitting right next to them! At least Lee was an actual adult, so when he was given big tasks it was justified. But even Craver’s camp has you work harder than anyone else we come across. This problem may have been unavoidable, but it pissed me off majorly.
By now you’ve guessed I was unimpressed with playable Clem. And that is true. But in the big picture of things, I’ll say it worked out for the best. Yeah, she was a completely different tiny power house, but I’m glad the season 2 story was her story. What was the alternative? Someone else finds her and repeat season 1 beat to beat? Clem is rendered to 400 days styled cameo in someone else story? She’s scrapped completely? Just like with Lee, some moments felt out of your hands. But a great story was still told, and I’m glad it was with someone we already knew.
OVERALL
It wasn’t perfect. There were good moments and bad. Does the good outweigh the bad? I say yes. Perhaps season 1 was more consistent in its quality; but for some reason I still can’t say with a full heart that it was superior. After I’ve replayed and thought, I’ll more than likely have my answer; but for this moment I say season 2 to me is a worthy successor to the game I fell in love with. While I’m unsure for its future, I will continue high hopes and a steady eye. Until then, I will make like the Clem, Kenny, and Alvin Jr of my play though. Walking away into the sunset with an uncertain future ahead and love in my heart.
Did you enjoy this review? If so, give me some feedback. I was thinking doing something similar for The Wolf Among Us. I would love to hear your thoughts below. Keep in mind, I respect opinions and cherish anyone who (politely) disagrees with mine. Anything from choices you made, characters you loved/hated and why, or things I didn’t leave an opinion on that you'd like to discuss. Thanks for reading, and keep on walking.
Comments
bump
Very well thought out a balanced review and I agree with most of it.
I'd add and say Kenny was more of a weakness of the season as a whole as he overshadowed everyone else ( a simaler problem to Jane).
i feel more cliffhanger after finishing the whole season 2 it's like... there's somethings missing.... or lacking... well for season 1 i feel more okay... even tho how many times i played season 1 gives me a more heartbreaking impact than season 2 well except for sarah's death i almost cry and that's the reason i don't feel like holding the baby..
Hey, check out my new top 5 list of the most screwed over characters in the Walking Dead!
http://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/91221/the-top-5-most-screwed-over-characters-of-the-walking-dead?new=1
Enjoyed reading it, but Sarah and Rebecca weren't the strongest female chatacters. And Nick wasn't interesting. I saw him as the Ben of season 2 and I told him that while we were trapped in the shed. 'I knew someone needs like you. He was always screwing things up'...and then he shoots Matthew when he was asked to stay behind. I'm glad they did nothing with him. I told Luke that I try to avoid people like him.
I do agree that you should've been allowed to disagree with jane, but I never thought about until now; probably b/c I usually agreed with Jane.
And you should've been allowed to not like the baby.