Omid and Christa - ultimately pointless?

Now as somebody who liked Christa and didn't really mind Omid, I still question whether either needed to be introduced from a story perspective. On one hand, maybe we needed a breather after the whole emotional journey of Kenny's family dying. Both Christa and Omid provided this.

On the other hand, maybe it would have been more interesting to continuing to focus on the group as it was (Lee, Kenny, Chuck and Ben). Considering that Omid and Christa are both killed off pretty early in season 2 anyway why not just have Kenny take over straight from the ending of season 1 instead of "killing" him?

So what do you think. Christa and Omid good or bad additions to the game or not?

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Comments

  • edited August 2016

    I thought they were good additions. Besides me personally liking both characters, I thought they had a hinted future role as the "perfect parents". After Lee died, they would have made pretty good pair for watching over her. I thought that was their plan and that is what they went with, in a way.

  • I really liked Omid's upbeat personality and characteristics, and I'm guessing Christa has been there since the game was being developed. My guess is that they (or at least Christa) were introduced because the devs always planned on Lee dying, and Clementine needed a caretaker after that. Since the original writers left before S2 and hardly anything of their rough drafts were in All That Remains, chances are they weren't supposed to just end up useless.

  • edited August 2016

    My guess is that they (or at least Christa) were introduced because the devs always planned on Lee dying, and Clementine needed a caretaker after that. Since the original writers left before S2 and hardly anything of their rough drafts were in All That Remains, chances are they weren't supposed to just end up useless.

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    Suddenly, all the meh I had for the two of them feels like nothing.

    I really liked Omid's upbeat personality and characteristics, and I'm guessing Christa has been there since the game was being developed. My

  • Personally, I think they were both unneeded characters and would have preferred to have never met either.

    Christa, for me, was unlikable and a bit of a blank state of a character. She had no interesting motivations, personality or backstory, instead just opting to moan and whinge about things that had very little to do with her, such as the radio, and bloody Omid's damn injured leg, which he flippin' caused, himself anyway.

    As for Omid...well, let's just say when he died, I didn't shed any tears.

  • Yeah I thought a lot of people would find Christa unlikable because she comes across as a bit highly strung at times so to speak. This didn't bother me too much though, mainly because I found her intentions to be good.

    Another strange thing is Clementine's lack of emotions when they got seperated. She was with Christa longer than anyone and would likely never see her again. You could really feel the emotions when Lee died and when she says goodbye to Kenny and stays at Wellington. With Christa you don't really feel it.

    OneWayNoWay posted: »

    Personally, I think they were both unneeded characters and would have preferred to have never met either. Christa, for me, was unlikable

  • I don't care if they were pointless or not, I still liked their characters.

  • I think the premise was good, but the pacing was off. Episode 1 should have closed with Clementine and Christa's separation, not began with it. We needed to get more of a feel for their relationship and see them in some bonding moments. It would have gave Christa more character development and made her abrupt death/disappearance seem less of a plot device to show how "mature" Clementine has become. It also would have immersed us more emotionally in the story. I would have preferred to see Omid's death in a flashback.

  • In all fairness, Clementine got to say goodbye to Lee and Kenny.

    wdfan posted: »

    Yeah I thought a lot of people would find Christa unlikable because she comes across as a bit highly strung at times so to speak. This didn'

  • Shouldn't Clementine feel more heartbroken if she couldn't say goodbye?

    In all fairness, Clementine got to say goodbye to Lee and Kenny.

  • In theory yes, but her lack of emotion could have been situational. The dog bite, almost being shot, being threatened, pursued by Carver's group, etc. At the end of Season 1 she has two caretakers/protectors. At the end of Season 2 she has the protection of a community. She may have temporarily pushed aside her grief to focus on survival.

    Shouldn't Clementine feel more heartbroken if she couldn't say goodbye?

  • really bad additions! i always disliked christa, the only reason why they both exist its because the writers always planned on Lee dying and Clementine needed somebody.... anybody! who can take care of her after that, thats it! bad writing! when i played the season 1 finale, after lee got bitten, i choose that clementine should stay and leave with kenny! what was the point of that option if telltale wasnt even going to respect that!?

  • They were ultimately made irrelevant but I dont think they were pointless. Better a little Omid than none.

  • Better a little Omid than none.

    Is that a reference to his height?

    KCohere posted: »

    They were ultimately made irrelevant but I dont think they were pointless. Better a little Omid than none.

  • edited August 2016

    Not intentionally lol

    Better a little Omid than none. Is that a reference to his height?

  • Yeah I thought a lot of people would find Christa unlikable because she comes across as a bit highly strung at times so to speak. This didn't bother me too much though, mainly because I found her intentions to be good.

    As much as I disliked the character, I can't deny that she, technically, has good intentions and is all around, a decent gal. It's most evident towards the last episode of S1, where no matter your relationship with her, Christa (and Omid) will always choose to go with Lee to save Clem, which does show some loyalty on their part. It's just her character, overall, is a bit boring and forgetful. For me, at least.

    Another strange thing is Clementine's lack of emotions when they got seperated. She was with Christa longer than anyone and would likely never see her again. You could really feel the emotions when Lee died and when she says goodbye to Kenny and stays at Wellington. With Christa you don't really feel it.

    Yeah, I mostly blame that on Telltale's writing. They never really developed Christa's character much, nor her relationship with Clem, so if they did show a scene of Clementine grieving for her possible death, it wouldn't really evoke much of an emotional response from the players, unlike with characters we've seen actually build a relationship with Clem, such as Lee and/or Kenny.

    wdfan posted: »

    Yeah I thought a lot of people would find Christa unlikable because she comes across as a bit highly strung at times so to speak. This didn'

  • You do realize that Lee and CLementine thought Kenny was dead at the end of season 1, right?

    Alex_L_P posted: »

    really bad additions! i always disliked christa, the only reason why they both exist its because the writers always planned on Lee dying and

  • No they not cuz
    For me as a kenny hater i will never leave clem with him
    So i think every one hate kenny agree with that christa and omid are a choice for us so we can keep her a way from him even if he didnt sacrafise him self in the end of the first season i not leave her with him

  • I didn't like them that much anyway. So yeah, they could've continued without them.

  • Well thinking like that, pretty much everyone in TWD is pointless since theyre gonna end up dead/missing looking at it in hindsight. Omid and Christa met the group on their worse day thus far and became a slight sense of relief with Omid's upbeat attitude and Christa's protective nature, making it very easy to trust these two. They had a stable relationship, which is nice to see and comforting in a world where couples are dying off left and right. As Lee mentioned it was nice to have a woman around for Clementine to talk to and he could bond with a guy that is easy to get along with. They helped wheather we liked them or not.

    Although we don't see it, we know for a fact Omid and Christa took care of Clementine for a good amount time in S2. They were also used as reminders that living in TWD can destroy the best of us and tragedy fell onto these two as an example of that.

  • Well thinking like that, pretty much everyone in TWD is pointless since theyre gonna end up dead/missing looking at it in hindsight.

    Such is fate.
    The point of the Walking Dead is to have us interact with and comes to care about characters that we know could die at any moment. That's why its up to the writers to make sure everyone feels alive and that we want to see them succeed.

    As Lee mentioned it was nice to have a woman around for Clementine to talk to and he could bond with a guy that is easy to get along with. They helped whether we liked them or not.

    And this right here justifies their existences.

    Although we don't see it, we know for a fact Omid and Christa took care of Clementine for a good amount time in S2. They were also used as reminders that living in TWD can destroy the best of us and tragedy fell onto these two as an example of that.

    I think most people take issue with the fact that, in their eyes, Omid and Christa didn't really amount to much in terms of character and onscreen impact. So, while there are plenty who mourn and regret their loss, others either don't give a hoot or outright sigh of relief.

    Dangit, and I was trying to be positive....

    DoubleJump posted: »

    Well thinking like that, pretty much everyone in TWD is pointless since theyre gonna end up dead/missing looking at it in hindsight. Omid an

  • If internet theories are to be believed then Chirsta would've replaced Rebecca with the whole pregnancy plot line. It's just a theory and I don't know the details, but hey; might be some truth to it.

  • Well, honestly that's called a Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Christa was a no-nonsense black woman who was due to go into labor at the beginning of Season 2 after hints that she may have been pregnant ever since Season 1. After a time skip, she has grown emotionally ragged from losing both Omid and presumably the baby because of Clementine's unlucky timing, yet tries to keep her existence a secret from a gang of bandits that surround her in the woods and cause her to be near-fatally separated from Clementine. After enduring on her own for a day, Clementine is found by two refugees who take her home to their Cabin, which is also home to a Mexican doctor, his sheltered daughter, a paranoid bastard, a nice and fat black guy, and his wife...a no-nonsense black woman who happens to be pregnant.

    Whether an ignorance coincidence or knowledgeably intentional, the basic similarity is bound to raise the eyebrow of several skeptical and possibly butthurt players.

    Joe_Momma posted: »

    If internet theories are to be believed then Chirsta would've replaced Rebecca with the whole pregnancy plot line. It's just a theory and I don't know the details, but hey; might be some truth to it.

  • I'm not sure if this will be an unpopular opinion or not, but I never truly cared for them as much as our original motor inn group. Even in season 2 I only slightly cared for Christa because she was the only connection to season 1 at first. Still though... they ended up being good people and Clem owes them her life.

  • I loved Omid and Christa and was very glad they were introduced. I wouldn't say they were pointless

  • They were pretty much useless. Sns.

  • yeah! i did! and that really pissed me off! puff....! all my choices never mattered!

    DabigRG posted: »

    You do realize that Lee and CLementine thought Kenny was dead at the end of season 1, right?

  • I would have preferred to see Omid's death in a flashback.

    Uh...isn't that what basically happens?

    I think the premise was good, but the pacing was off. Episode 1 should have closed with Clementine and Christa's separation, not began with

  • Of course! Omid is my favorite character ;-;

  • They haven't done anything yet no, and obviously Omid isn't doing anything now. But Omid's character to me seemed like a backstory for Christa that we just happened to see unfold. Remember, Christa is not dead. We didn't see her die. And judging by the fact that she was going to Wellington, I think there is a strong possibility that we'll meet up with her again. If she does, then it gives a much grander purpose to both her and Omid's characters.

  • No, Omid and Christa were not useless at all.

    At the point that we meet them, the group has dwindled down to Lee and Clem, Ben, Kenny, and Chuck. Ben and Kenny ate both pretty polarizing characters and their worst sides have just been exposed to the player (Ben actually being the one to sell us out to the bandits and not taking responsibility for it sooner which cost Carley/Doug their lives, and Kenny being violently depressed after the loss of his family). We barely know Chuck outside of him giving us some tough advice.

    Omid and Christa were definitely needed to bring some balance and neutrality to the group for the remainder of the game. Omid seems immediately trustworthy and lighthearted, while Christa is harsh but has good intentions, remaining fairly loyal and adding another woman to the cast to relate to clem. Their presence brings some fresh air to a tense group dynamic. I'm sure players who didn't like Ben or Kenny would have found the majority of the game after this point to be near intolerable, especially if Ben dies in Crawford and Lee has to put up with Kenny's "we might have to put you down" speech in the attic without Christa or Omid to mediate it. They are characters we can generally confide in if we want to complain about another character.

    They also do help move the plot forward. Before, the only motive we have to go to Crawford was fuel and a battery for the boat, which is hard to justify risking lives over no matter how bad Kenny wants his boat. With the added incentive of Omid's life-threatening leg injury, we have a time-sensitive reason to go, and with Christa's full support. Their involvement also helps the drama of "now there's too many people and we can't all fit in the boat" which gives additional meaning to Ben's final scenes in Crawford.

    Yes, they do also serve their obvious purpose as caretakers. They are an option for Lee to pass clem over to while be is dying, and they will take care of her no matter what. They are responsible for bringing clem this far into the beginning of season 2. It's also implied Christa had shown her some life-saving skills, such as stitching.

    Omid's death was a pretty poignant beginning of the season, in my opinion. His name means Hope (which makes it pretty interesting for him to have come into season 1 when he did, when the game was at it's lowest point), and honestly I don't think the writers forgot this fact when killing him off. It was a necessary statement to make, as much as I loved Omid.

    I don't think Telltale utilized Christa to the fullest during season 2 by a long shot. She gives us the initial idea to go to Wellington (which I honored) and contributed to the bleak tone that season 2 gave off, but otherwise I think she could have been involved in Clem's plot more, even just as an emotional reminder for Clem.

  • Huh, I never thought of them to quite that level before. You've made a great observation there!

    LoseMyHome posted: »

    No, Omid and Christa were not useless at all. At the point that we meet them, the group has dwindled down to Lee and Clem, Ben, Kenny, an

  • edited September 2016

    I've given my opinion on Omid's death before and my view has not changed since I first saw it happen. It wasn't the right way to go about it and ultimately just came across as a cheap emotional hit to begin the season.

    As for Christa... well... I wouldn't give up on her just yet. I was in the middle for a while as to whether or not she's alive and if she was, that we would ever see her again. But, a few days ago, Mara Junot, the VA for Christa responded to a question of whether she will be making a return in season 3. Take a look at the response:

    So, it's not even a question of whether she got shot or not? huh Mara? HUH? ;)

    Admittedly, she could just be having fun with it, but it's interesting nonetheless.

  • Her profile pic is taunting me.

    I've given my opinion on Omid's death before and my view has not changed since I first saw it happen. It wasn't the right way to go about it

  • Err... how?

    DabigRG posted: »

    Her profile pic is taunting me.

  • Look at her expression in context with the comment...:wink:

    Err... how?

  • Ahh, now I think she is having fun with it, thanks for opening my eyes XD

    DabigRG posted: »

    Look at her expression in context with the comment...

  • On the contrary, every character in the game was proven something about them.

    Omid and Christa were decent characters, each with their strengths and flaws. They contributed much in my eyes.

  • edited September 2016

    Omid heavily contributed for me on the count of him making me laugh my ass off a lot.

  • I'd imagine Telltale knows better than to crush their remaining piece of realism by bringing Christa back. This cannot happen. She was heading toward the Michigan area, not the Virginia area.

    I've given my opinion on Omid's death before and my view has not changed since I first saw it happen. It wasn't the right way to go about it

  • She was heading toward the Michigan area, not the Virginia area.

    So was Clementine.

    https://twitter.com/MaraJunot/status/777988338166882304 I'd imagine Telltale knows better than to crush their remaining piece of r

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