2nd season ending - my interpretation - Kenny vs Jane and The Dream
There I wrote a lot what I think 3rd season should be like. http://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/82106/we-are-here-finally-at-the-road-fork-season-summary-review-and-few-words-fo
Then I extend protagonists case - http://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/82651/in-3rd-season-will-we-play-as-christa-spoilers
Now it is time to write about another thing I mention in 1st link - 2nd season ending.
At the end of 2nd season we had to decide about Kenny and Jane. But real decision is about Clem.
1st part - The right choice
(1st part is based on my thoughts and on what Duckar wrote at polygamia.pl (comments - it is in Polish - http://polygamia.pl/Polygamia/1,96455,16545854,The_Walking_Dead__Sezon_2___porozmawiajmy_o_wyborach.html?bo=1 )
Kenny is fighting with Jane because of AJ. He is angry, everything what is inside him is going to get out of him split second. He lost his son. He lost his wife and every since he tried to find something he could live for - Lee and Clem and his hope for a boat (since they have lost it, he was ready to commit suicide - for Ben or Christa). But then, somehow, he stayed alive. For what? He finally found Sarita, but before her there had been nothing. Maybe Clem? Maybe not? But he was still alive. Sarita made him a better person for a while but he was already lost. He was dead inside. When he lost Sarita too, Clem tried to help him. He focused on AJ, but still - dead inside. While Jane came back without AJ he exploded. He was ready to kill her because of his own vision of that world - living only for imaginary purpose. If Clem would do what Jane did - he could kill her.
Jane is fighting with Kenny to show Clem what he had became. But it was Jane vision. She lost her sister and every since she was trying to live without other people, people who (like her sister) could not pull oneself together, people who could put her in situation like her sister did. She was laidback. But then Clem appeared - someone who was doing right things to stay alive - a player. Jane was so alone inside, so she needed Clem only to not be alone anymore, to not be afraid of losing someone. For that she forced Clem to chose between her or Kenny. She left a baby alone, she put herself in a danger, she was ready to kill Kenny. She did that to not being alone... She was already dead inside.
At this point Kenny = Jane. Two people so afraid of being alone, without a purpose in life, that they were ready to kill. That makes them dead inside. For Clem there was not right choice.
(end of 1st part)
2nd part - The Dream
C: Lee?
L: It was just a bad dream, sweet pea...
Clem was shot. We do not know what is going on, but we are at the RV with Lee. Is she dead? Dying? Why did TTG brought us there? Why not to the 1st season final or other scene?
Death or being a zombie.
L:... What was it about? Duck?
C: He is bit...
L: We do not know how that works yet. Maybe it is like a cold.
C: He is going to die. I know it.
Duck was bitten. He is going to die. Kenny knew it. Nothing can stops that. This is where Kennys life started to crumble. TTG wanted us to remind ourselves about Duck and our decision - kill him or let Kenny to do it. It just had to be done - better to be dead then become a zombie! What if Clem is dying? Is that really so bad to her, to stay with Lee, not alone?
Sadness
C: Lee
L: ?
C: Why did Lilly do that to Carley (or Doug)?
L: I do not know. She was sad, Clem. That can make people angry sometimes.
Lilly lost her father and she was afraid of that she will lose rest of group. She was ready to do anything to not be alone - she killed Carley because of that. At this point she is like Kenny and Jane. Kenny killed Jane, Jane killed Kenny (even worst - force Clem to do that). This sadness is because of being alone.
Where yesterday meets days to come
L: Clem, people do not always make sense.
C: How come?
L: Cause bad things happen to everyone. And it is hard keep being yourself after they do.
L: Do you think we should have let Lilly stay?
C: Maybe.
L: It was hard thing to do. But what if she would done something to hurt you?
And here we are - where Kenny and Jane will hurt Clem in few minutes, just because being afraid of being alone. Will you leave them? Will you go through that world alone? Are you afraid of being alone? Lilly was - did you leave her?
Alive inside
L: I do not know if we did the right thing.
C: How can you tell?
L: Well, it is not like a math, Clem. Sometime there just is not a right answer.
C: I hate math.
L: Me too, sweet pea. Yeah, but a part of growing up is doing what best for people you care about... even if sometimes that means hurting someone else.
C: I do not want to hurt anyone.
L: It is not that easy.
C: I am scared, Lee?
L: What can I tell you to make it better?
C: That I will not have to hurt anyone.
Clem could ask Lee 3 things but only after 2 of those we get an outcome. If you asked Lee to tell you that she will not have to hurt anyone, game will skip to line - Everything gonna be alright.
There is Clem and her protector, a man who will do anything to save her, to make her better, not being afraid, not being sad, not being alone. But there was one thing he could not do for her. TTG is trying to remind ourselves about 1st season ending. What did you do? Did you pull a trigger? Did you walk away? Why?
I decided to pull the trigger. To free Lee from his weight, to not let him become one of those things, to stop him from being a part of The Walking Dead world. I did that for him.
Duckar (man from 1st part) decided not to pull the trigger. He decided not to lead to a situation in which Clem would be forced to kill her friend. To situation in which she would started being a part of that world, where life has different value.
How many people did Clem kill so far? To a Kenny vs Jane fight moment - zero or one or two (that is why it was so important for me to kill kidnapper). Here we are - she will have to kill Kenny and stop his journey to darkness, to sadness, to being dead inside /or/ not kill him - letting him to kill Jane and try to turn him out of this path. What did you do? Why? - This question puts some value in what we do. Everything is meaningless as long as we do not put some in it.
Here it is - where credits song (that which was with us in 1st season and which is titled Alive Inside) has bigger meaning. Is Clem alive inside or she is just a zombie?
Bravo and thanks TTG for that ending.