The ending that went RIGHT IN THE FEELS, I can't even...
Clementine looked away as Kenny stabbed Jane after a hard-fought battle between the two. Both Clem and Kenny heard baby AJ's noise and after finding out that he's still alive, the three went on to Wellington. Kenny decided to leave them both there so they can be allowed inside the compound. As the gate closes, Clementine watched Kenny walked away and into the sunset. END.
Until know, this ending really shot me right in the feels. I was fortunate enough not to go near any spoilers, which in turn made me absorb the impact of the ending much more. This may not be considered the "good" ending, as some would say, but a big part of me thinks that this ending is the right one. My hand was shaking as I was about to make the decision, but in the end, I felt that Kenny already fulfilled his purpose, which is to protect Clem and baby AJ.
Also, here are the reasons why I ended up "allowing" Kenny to stab Jane in the final sequence of their fight:
When Kenny went out of the car to get some diesel and Clem stayed, Jane was saying she couldn't take it anymore with Kenny and even persuading Clem to take off without him.
In reference to 1, when Jane motioned to Kenny that baby AJ is "dead", which prompted Kenny to go outside and look, she approached Clem saying, "trust me on this one." Right there and then, I had the idea that this was all part of Jane's plan to lure Kenny out and just to prove a point.
Jane kept on convincing Clem that Kenny is dangerous and unstable that he might even kill someone close to him. However, during their fight, Jane was no different as she tries to do the same. If she really just wanted to prove a point, which is already a bad idea given their situation, she could have told Kenny that AJ is still alive. The perfect chance was when we have the option for Clem to stand between them, right before the stabbing part.
Clem already knew how Kenny acts during "heat-of-the-moment" situations. He lashes out very harsh words, which he do not actually mean. During the exchange of foul words between Kenny and Jane inside the car and right after they hit a sudden stop, he even bothered to ask Jane if she's alright.
I only see Kenny as the person that Clem can trust. Their history together implies that they won't even attempt to stab each other's backs. I gotta admit I wasn't expecting Mike and Bonnie to pull off something like that, when they tried to take off with the car.
SIDE NOTE: I don't get why Bonnie was mad at Clem if you choose to back-up Luke instead to going near him. Clearly, shooting the walkers gives Luke a better chance of survival, instead of going near him which will even trigger the ice to crack faster.
With that said, I'm just happy that TellTale decided to show five different endings, which is something we didn't get from Season 1. At least our choices will actually matter. I can easily switch the ending to the one where Clem backed out of Wellington and decided to go with Kenny. The "alone" ending is kinda interesting as well.
Looking forward to Season 3.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
Comments
You already listed most of my thought here, buddy. I really enjoyed the episode, and the use of multiple endings was a very smart move. I'm looking forward to Season 3 as well, though I would like for TTG to improve in a few areas.
Specifically, I hope the writing in Season 3 is neater, more consistent, and less rushed. For example, I could do without every episode having a lazy, shocking death. I also would like to see Season 2's ending affecting the entirety of Season 3, rather than just the first few minutes. In other words, I'd like to see our choices make a bigger difference in how the story plays out.
Also, for the love of Peter Joseph Randall, make the episodes longer. I've been replaying Season 1 again, and I find myself having to take several breaks during these episodes - A New Day and Starving For Help each took me almost two days to finish. I finished every Season 2 episode in one short sitting.
Longer episodes mean more character development, more engrossing gameplay, and a much more memorable experience. More bang for your buck, as it were.
Thanks again for the awesome game.
Yeah I noticed that too. Season 2 is kinda shorter than Season 1. I don't really mind waiting for a couple of months if it meant good writing for the episodes.
The deaths of Nick (in EP 4), Sarah and Luke are somewhat products of lazy writing. Especially with Luke, I didn't feel much about it after seeing the reactions of the others. Nobody even cried. I mean, I know some people would think that they are already accustomed to the sudden deaths of people around, but c'mon! This is Luke, someone who just had his birthday last night, someone who helped them escaped Carver, someone who saved Clem in the woods . Ya know, all that stuff?
I wouldn't mind waiting either. I'd rather have 5 brilliant, neatly written episodes released every 4 months than mediocre, inconsistent episodes released every 2 months.
I also agree that Luke's death was terrible. I didn't take to him immediately, but by the end of In Harm's Way I began to grow fond of him. His birthday around the campfire in No Going Back was very heartwarming, as was that entire scene. But his death was embarrassingly clumsy. I understand that for that amazing finale to happen, Clem had to be alone with Jane and Kenny. But you didn't have to kill Luke in a such a cartoonish way to make that so. I would have much preferred him getting separated from the group somehow, and then returning in Season 3.
And his death was just pathetic. It was handled very sloppily and if they really had to kill him off, it could have been handled in a much better way. Very disappointed in TTG for that one.