The Alone Ending: A Death Sentence
A lot of people think the Alone ending (not the Wellington alone ending, but the one where Clementine goes through a herd with just AJ) is the best because they dislike both Jane and Kenny, but if you know anything at all about babies, it's a death sentence for AJ.
Babies need to eat. A LOT. After getting the car started, Kenny claims they've only got one day's worth of formula left for AJ--but go with him or Jane, there's a nine day trek between the fight and getting to Wellington/Howe's. Unless they just coincidentally happened to find more baby formula between then, or Kenny/Jane just started miraculously breastfeeding, AJ would have been dead with three days tops. There's a reason infant mortality has always been high throughout history, and continues to be rampant in areas without modern, sanitary hospitals. Babies are incredibly fragile. The fact AJ made it to full term and was born alive under those conditions is a miracle in and of itself.
((Slightly off-topic rant: the fact Rebecca was even menstruating is equally amazing, and the same goes for Christa to an umpteenth degree because at least Bec had the comfort of Howe's for the first few months--generally, when a person is malnourished and under major physical and emotional stress, their body will shut down menstruation first to conserve energy. That's why people with anorexia tend to stop getting their periods, because of how much their bodies are taxed and how little nutrition they're getting. So take that into consideration if you ever plan on writing post apocalyptic fiction. BUT I DIGRESS.))
It's ridiculous to conceive AJ would have made it in those nine days on one day's worth of formula--but at least it ended with a sure guarantee he would get more. Howe's definitely had formula, Wellington undoubtedly formula, and Edith probably made sure there was some when she gave them those two supply bags. But when Clementine goes through that herd of walkers, toting nothing but a blood-smeared AJ and a hatchet?
She's an eleven year old girl. Say what you want about her being "mature for her age" or "smarter than all the adults." She's still eleven. And likely suffering from some major trauma--isolation with nothing but a very demanding newborn baby isn't going to help her. Is it possible that just beyond the herd, there's a group of survivors ready to help her? Maybe. But Clementine just murdered Kenny, and either abandoned Jane or watched Kenny murder her. And this is after watching everyone she trusted either die or turn their backs on her. If someone reaches out to her, she's not going to be capable of trusting them because at this point she probably thinks they'll either die or betray her eventually.
And this is a problem, because when Clementine thought AJ died, the trauma on her face is evident. She starts whimpering, "Not again, not again" likely because of whatever she witnessed happening to Christa's baby. If she takes the Alone ending, she's probably going to go through that all over again. For real.
And then she really will be alone.
Knowing Telltale, it won't actually be a death sentence. They have to come back for Season 3, in whichever way it's done, and Telltale is going to do another Kenny asspull to explain however the two of them coincidentally end up where they do. But I just want to point out that, realistically, this is the worst possible ending you could have for both AJ and Clementine.
Comments
Realistically speaking yes, AJ is completely screwed in the alone ending.
But TellTale will just tie in all the ending and everything will be okay for AJ.
Well 2nd season was full of stupid mistakes and miracles.
Yeah, I got the Alone ending and this was my first thought. When it says "nine days later" and it was still just Clem and AJ in the middle of nowhere, I'm pretty sure I shouted "Bullshit!" at my TV. Still, I would have at least been a bit more okay with it if we knew where the fuck Clem was headed. Is she going to Wellington? Back to Howes? Mexico? Where? The fact that it doesn't give us any indication (or god forbid choice) makes me think that she's just wandering around aimlessly with no goal or plan. And that is NOT my Clementine.
Babies communicate by crying and need constant care and attention. The alone ending is a death sentence like you said because after caring for my baby nephew, I can't buy into the fact an 11 year old girl could keep the both of them alive in that world. It doesn't matter how good Clem is with AJ, he'll cry because sticking out your tongue realistically won't make an newborn hush up if he's hungry or needs his diaper change, and he won't care or understand her to be quiet if walkers are around to hear him.
Also the alone ending only mostly functions as an ending if both Jane and Kenny are dead and Clem is left with no other choice but to be with AJ by herself, because letting a kid walk off with a baby in a zombie apocalypse [at least for Kenny's reasoning] just didn't work for me. But maybe I just view it like that since all I see is a girl and baby going to their deaths, because that's how it'll end up in the long run if Clem doesn't find another group.
I agree about the 'Alone' ending being the most bleakest and dangerous out of all endings, which is why I chose to stay with Jane after the Kenny vs Jane conflict.
As much as I did not care for her after the Sarah controversy in Episode 4, I stuck by her due to needing a well-abled survivor to help return to Howe and care for AJ.
As for AJ surviving for this long, I see his survival less of a miracle and more of a 'plot's armour' when it comes to his role in Episode 5, since not once do we see the baby being fed any formula, let alone see any carried by the group. And lets not mention about how AJ survived the blizzard when all he had to wear were towels wrapped around him.
I can live with that.
Clementine´s hat has superpowers. They´ll be fine.
Me and AJ just need to stay with Kenny and will be okay.
Alone ending is my least favorite of the endings and is no doubt the most dangerous to the baby. Unless there's the possibility of Randy and his family being some group of cannibals or something. I never really fully trusted them.
Indeed, or wellington being involved in some kind of civil war like a worse version of what happened between Luke and Carver before season 2.
Truth be told, we do not know which of the endings is worst for the baby and clem, and we won't until season 3.
I thought this was confirmed?
...
Seriously though, AJ is fucked in the alone ending.
Clem and AJ walking in the hord at the end
S3 EP1 begin
AJ crying
Clem: Jesus are you f*cking kidding me AJ!
We do see Clem holding a bottle once so we know he was eating, we just never saw that part.
I do completely agree that this is the worst and most unrealistic ending. First because neither Kenny or Jane would just let her walk off alone with the baby, and two because the baby would be crying way more than he does in the game and he needs constant care that I can't imagine how Clem provided alone for 9 days. It just seemed like something to make Clementine look cool or more likely parallel Lee protecting Clem through the herd when they got out of the Marsh house.
Can't really remember that part. When did it happen?
If I remeber the timing correctly, It was when Kenny was outside fixing the truck and Jane and Clem were inside with the baby. She was about to feed him but asked Jane If she wanted to hold him. I distinctly remember Her having a half full bottle in her hand.
I don't see any reason to not trust them yet, especially not the kid lol
Ah, that.
I must have forgot about it because of the lack of scenes where AJ was being cared for, aside from what you told me.
To be honest, none of the '9-days-later' skips make sense because it's already been established that Clem is out of food. This is just poor writing.
As is the whole illogical nature of Clem covering herself and a baby in zombie guts and not expecting the baby to start crying.
I don't trust anyone. Randy just kinda rubbed me the wrong way.