What do you think of Michael Ark's (Vitali (ep 5) and Arvo's VA) interpretation of Arvo's actions?
dojo32161
Moderator
Michael Ark did an interview recently (December 3rd) with this website (Michael Ark Interview) (credit to @PalomaRuso for showing me the interview) and in it, he came up with a plausible idea about Arvo's shooting of Clementine.
My goal, as an actor, is to justify the character’s actions. In Arvo's case, I didn't have to persuade myself too much. When the only thing that is left for you in this world is your sister, and she gets taken away, so does your hope in that everything is going to be okay. Having said that, Arvo aims for the shoulder when he fires a rifle. This tells me that not everything is completely hopeless, and there is still a chance of redemption for him.
So my question is, do you believe Arvo purposefully aimed for the shoulder? Or do you think he was aiming to kill?
Personally I'm unsure of this idea, even though I like Arvo, I'm unsure if he really was aiming for the shoulder, however it is a very plausible idea. I just don't have too much context on Arvo's character to come up with a solid answer, though I'm leaning more towards Michael's theory as it does seem like it could be it, as Arvo is really close to Clem and he has to have some experience with a gun, as he was toting a pistol when we first met him. However, it could still be that he aimed to kill, as it is a heat of the moment shot.
I should also take into account when he shoots Clementine if she screams for help. That one is most likely purposeful as he doesn't want to get caught.
Comments
I'm pretty sure he purposefully aimed at the shoulder, since he did have all that time to aim :P
I honestly don't care, it could have killed her and I won't forgive that.
Yeah, no way was that a, ok I don't like you, but I don't want to kill you, just want to hurt you really bad, shot. If he got her in the arm or leg then I could say that. But that close to her heart? That was a shoot to kill, shot.
Na, I think Arvo's just a really shitty shot and is not comfortable holding a weapon. When we first meet him in Amid the Ruins, yes he has a gun, but he's nervous when he is holding it, shaking like a chihuahua. You see in No Going Back, at least three times, this glare that Arvo gives Clem, that, to me, looks like the look of someone who wants to kill you. So to me, he probably was aiming to kill her in the chest (fitting since that's where his sister was shot) but missed and got her shoulder.
I didn't think Arvo really aimed.. He more just pointed the gun and fired.. But he did wait til Clem lowered her gun which is why, if given the option, he dies on sight in S3. Sorry if this put's a VA out of work, but YOU SHOT CLEM YOU BASTARD!
I hope this means that he'll return in Season 3 as someone who's looking for redemption.
Shooting a little girl is still an extremely manipulative thing for the writers to do, hence why I actually don't hate Arvo - I refuse to be suckered into fanboying Kenny/hating him because it feels so artificial. Just like Sarah's death was, or Kenny being angry over Sarita no matter what, or Nick...
Personally, I doubt Arvo was intentionally aiming at the shoulder. He was shooting to kill, otherwise why would he pull the trigger in the first place? He's just not good with guns and ended up wounding Clem instead of actually killing her.
no one can accurately aim and hit the shoulder while hipfiring at that distance and that time of the night. Maybe Solid Snake can but not that failed abortion that is Arvo.
When has Telltale ever relied on accurate gun mechanics? (As shown in episode 2 when all of Carver's group fire from the hip and manage to hit walkers from a great distance with their AK's).
He was aiming to kill. Why would he even shoot her in the first place? He probably screwed any chances with staying with Mike and Bonnie when he did that.
I've actually wondered what his thoughts on the general public's reaction to Arvo is. I mean hell, he's got a subreddit dedicated to hating his character.
Sometimes I feel bad for him, because he really did a great job voicing him; lots of emotion in his lines, and I feel his performance isn't fully recognized by people at times. Fair enough, that's more on the writers than it is on him, but he did the best with what he got.
On topic: I don't think he was aiming to kill, but not necessarily aiming for the shoulder either. I think he was just aiming for a spot he believed was non-lethal: one that'd put you to the ground and do some damage, but not outright kill you either. I like to think he had his own struggle going on in that moment, where part of him wanted to get revenge for his sister, and the moral part of him that was holding those urges back.
Ultimately, he decided to take a shot where he could get some revenge on the person he perceives as having took his sister, while not stooping to the same level, at least in his own mind. As in, maybe he doesn't believe in eye for an eye, but isn't past taking a finger for an eye, so-to-speak. He wanted to leave a permanent mark on Clementine, a way for her to never forget the pain she caused both him and his sister.
Pretty much all actors I've seen in TWD show who play antagonist characters claim they don't see their characters as villains so I can image it is the same for voice actors in the game as well. I'm not surprised he thinks this of Arvo.
Personally I thought the whole reason he shot her was for shock value, and to make Kenny look good. Come on. His reason for shooting her was so weak it could have been solved through talking to him, and the writers practically went out of their way to make sure Arvo had no characterization or chance to make a connection with the player so they'd be even angrier when he shot her. (Provided that they were nice to him, funny how we have all these chances to defend him but none to talk to him.) Clementine got up like it was nothing a few hours later and had no consequences other than getting to see dream-Lee, and I can't recall even having an emotional reaction to her getting shot. Unless rolling my eyes and sighing deeply counts, then maybe.
If getting revenge on them was the only thing he wanted, he would have tried to shoot Kenny, Clem, and Jane in their sleep. Getting away was probably more important to him than that. I don't think he was aiming to kill, he just saw a chance to hurt her and took it, no matter how badly-thought out it was. It feels like a heat of the moment thing. His face afterwards reminded me of Lilly's expression after killing Carley/Doug, except we don't know for sure if Arvo feels remorse because he ran off.
It'd be interesting to see if the guilt is eating away at him though, especially if Mike or Bonnie tells him the real reason Clem shot Natasha. But I doubt Telltale would bother, after seeing how he was portrayed in the finale it feels as if they've already given up on Arvo. I'll just have to add him to the list of characters with failed potential, because I can already guess where this is going. I bet he'll show up in S3 for the sole purpose of allowing Clem to get revenge, or whatever. Just wait. My eyeballs will have rolled out of my head by then.
...I have never thought about that before. I think I really like that theory.
Or Christa gut-shotting Michelle in the blink of an eye, and Nick firing semi-automatically from a bolt-action rifle in Episode 1 (lol).
Or Carlos getting an accurate headshot with a pistol one-handed while running back to the lodge
Also, credit to @PalomaRuso for providing the interview, which s/he displayed on their thread.
http://www.telltalegames.com/community/discussion/87621/twd-s2-interview-michael-ark-arvo
He doesnt seem like a killer so I buy it. Its like in the moment, he pulled back.
I remember Michael Madsen describing Carver as "not a bad guy."
Too bad that was never apparent in Carver's actual portrayal. Even during his one-on-one moments with Clem, he's a super-villain.
Arvo is s3 protagonist, of course
Well if Arvo wanted to aim to kill, he would've gone for the head. That said, shooting a little kid in the shoulder is still pretty bad and it's so easily he could've screwed that aim up and missed and hit somewhere fatal.
I feel bad for Arvo being held captive like that and beaten up by Kenny, I probably would be scared out of my mind if that happened to me in those situations....but I still think he better sleep wiith one eye open -.- nobody gets away with shooting the Clementine!
I can't imagine what Troy's voice actor said of his character.
Of the three of them, Arvo was portrayed the most sympathetically, at least in Amid the Ruins.
TT just made his character easy to be hated (and killed with the cold blood), which probably leads to some seemingly easy moral decision in the next season.
Well, Carver's portrayal was well-written, complicated and nicely balanced to me, but it's just my opinion.
[Compassion]
You and 100% of players shot Arvo
And not a single fuck was given that day.
But Arvo is Harry Potter! You can't shoot a wizard, you silly muggle.
Um, you can count me out of your 100%.
Yeah count me out of it too, I'm not sure if I could kill Arvo. Although I hope Clem gets the chance to slap him at least XD
Yeah, i'm with you guys. It would be a shame to shoot him, when you could skin him alive and then soak in lemon juice.
I didn't think Carver was too bad a character, I just wanted him to survive longer so we could find out more about him. (Like who George was and etc.) I thought he should have had more development idk.
Story about George and Carver's past is all that Bill needs. Fingers crossed for DLC including this topic.
He actually said they were some unused scenes that originally made Troy much worse.
I like that idea, I like it a lot.
Was he aiming down the sight? Was he a 100% accurate? Nope. hip fire.
ahhahahahahhaa.
Arvo: "I thought you were dead."
Clementine: shoots Arvo
Clementine: "He deserved it."
Remember that Telltale doesn't use accurate gun mechanics, as Carver, Bonnie, Troy and Johnny all fire from the hip with AK's in episode 2 and manage to hit perfect head shots against walkers.
I was trained to shoot people.
I believe maybe his finger slipped, or he wanted her dead. You don't purposely shoot someone in the shoulder, I wouldn't risk shooting someone there, its very close to Center Mass. If he wasn't aiming to kill he would of aimed for her leg. Hopefully he doesn't hit the femoral artery but there you go.
I gave you a like, because of your dedication to Arvo. Keep up the fight, public opinion will change!
Count me too, i like the little booger.
He was an entertaining villain. Just a very rotten human being.