Poll: Tell me about YOUR Clementine
Hi friends!
We've been thinking a lot, here at Telltale, about how best to represent three seasons worth of choices in a single character in a way that's satisfying to you, the fans.
We have a lot of data from the save games; we know who our data says "Your Clementine Became...", but what I'd love to hear about is a little more of the Clementine you imagine your choices have led to. (Let me assure you that these are questions we ask ourselves as well; I'd rather check our answers against yours than assume our answers are the same.)
So if you don't mind, could you tell me a little about who you imagine YOUR Clementine to be at this point in her life?
What are her hopes?
What are her flaws?
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
Thank you kindly
Alyssa
Comments
My answers will probably be a bit on the short side, but I'll get this started:
Hmm, I'd guess she would hope to find a normal, down-to-earth group to settle in in the long run to fill the void left by Lee's death.
I suppose that she became a bit too hardened after the events of Season 1, and that she needs to be more vulnerable and down-to-earth instead of blocking off people and pushing them away. She needs to find it in her to let her guard down and let people in, within reason where it is appropriate, instead of being so jaded after Season 1.
My Clem would never kill another person without a good reason to. My Clem was taught by Lee to see the value in the lives of others. As Chuck said in Season 1, "Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls"
My Clem tries to be diplomatic within reason, so I suppose she would try to make sure her group stays together and cohesive (...within a reasonable amount that doesn't hurt suspension of disbelief - she is only a kid after all).
Besides kissing Gabe? Uhhhh, I'm not so good with this kind of thing but I'll try
I suppose she would either dream of days gone by and how she misses Lee and/or her parents, or maybe she'd be distressed over AJ's whereabouts.
What are her hopes? My Clementine hopes to find a community she can be a part of with good, trusting people who help each other. Wants to find those who are kind and trusting to strangers.
What are her flaws? Far too trusting. No matter what my Clem gives people chances and this doesn't always work in her favor. Arvo is a prime example of this. She'll always try to help others rather than focus on her own people, despite the risk it puts them in.
Is there any one thing she'd never do? Steal from others. Clementine knows that she isn't special and that her own wellfare shouldn't come before other survivors. And she'd only kill if she had to. Before ANF my Clem only killed to save lives. The stranger to save Lee, and Kenny to save Jane. One more thing is that I'd like to think she'd never let someone get hurt no matter how she felt about them. Compassion is important.
Is there any one thing she'd always do? Try to keep things light hearted. My Clem almost always had a smile on her face, whether she was being 1optimistic, playful, mischevous or outright sassy
What did your Clementine dream about last night? I want to say Gabe Please don't harass me Gabentine haters!
If not that then maybe happier times with the Cabin Group, Those were good people that gave her a chance.
So I like to think of my Clem as a very hopeful and bright survivor. Always do the right thing, no matter how hard it may be. Always show compassion and help others. No matter what she loses she always sees the best in people and shows trust. The best of her is her playful nature. That's how I see her anyway. I really like this discussion. Thanks for creating it!
My Clementine.
Wracked with personal guilt over surviving when so many people she has known and loved have died. She will always feel guilty for Lee and Omid..and the baby. Despite these flaws, she still has some faith in humanity...for every Carver..there are people like Lee. She understands that good people do bad thing...but doing bad things do not make them evil. No matter what Lilly and Kenny did....She still has a warm feeling for them...she even forgave Jane her trick. She hopes that Christa is alive out there and that she can find it in her heart to forgive Clem.
Clementine is the Mother AJ deserves...she would never abandon him...loves the lil Goofball and wants to do right by him.
Her flaws right now...even though she believes in the goodness of people...she takes a wait and see attitude. She can come off as being a little cold...she totally goes into a town hoping for the best..but really expecting the worst. She may not give someone a second chance, someone like Ben if they did not leave her and AJ alone...may die by her hand.
She would tell AJ about Lee...the best man she ever knew. She would teach AJ how to survive.
Last night Clem dreamed about her mom and dad and Lilly and Omid and Christa and Lee and AJ and Kenny and Jane and Luke and Sarah...eating a big Thanksgiving meal...they were all so happy. Kenny had a smile on his lips...and Lilly was not sad any more. And Lee was proud of her for caring for AJ. and Sarah was not scared any more. And Luke and Jane had a daughter. She had not felt that happy in years.
Wow... I gotta admit that I shed a tear... Damn...
I really don't recognise Clementine in ANF as being the same person from Season 2 honestly. They feel like two completely different characters to me so I don't really know how she would feel or act about anything. But assuming she's the Clementine that I know:
That everything works out and find somewhere she is comfortable. She's been around a lot, traveled with lots of people but she never seems to be able to settle down for long. I imagine something like Wellington with friends and family she cares about but without the place getting razed to the ground.
She's too stubborn/maybe a bit too hopeful. Clementine has always been someone who hasn't given up (in S1 she wouldn't let go of the idea of seeing her parents again, in S2 she would not have given up on anyone in the group because it's not in her nature. She will defend Ben in Crawford even though everyone wants him gone for example). It's a weakness but it's something that I really admire about her character.
Kill someone with no remorse. Treat people like disposable garbage. She'd probably be very wary but nowhere near to the extent she was in ANF.
This is a tough one. She would always do what she considers to be the 'right thing' but I'm not really sure what the 'right thing' would be. I'll default to what I said earlier in that she would never give up on someone.
I suppose she dreams of better times that give her reasons to keep going.
My Clementine:
To find a good group she can trust and a good community where she feels safe and welcomed. That and raising AJ the best and safest way she can.
She's definitely too stubborn, easily trusts others, and too cautious. Yes you should always be on guard, but she shouldn't be raising a gun to someone's head if they looked at her the wrong way after helping her.
Much like what everyone else is saying; killing without remorse. She should have a very good reason for killing someone like they tried to kill her or they tried to kill her friends. Shooting someone over bullets doesn't justify her actions.
She'd always never give up on somebody she trusts/loves. Even when that somebody is in a crisis, she'd always believe in them to make it through everything.
Other than rejecting Gabe countless times, she dreamt about everyone she's ever loved or trusted like Lee, Kenny, Luke, Her parents...she dreamt about living with them in a safe community where they could live a good life.
I dunno, find people she trusts or survive on her own forever along with AJ? I can't tell.
She doesn't have girls of her age to be friends with.
Be in love with a boy of her age.
Save everyone she owes to.
She dreamt about everyone she has been with through this whole timeline.
Just a reminder, criticism is entirely fine but let's keep the discussion constructive. Jokes such as "Clementine's flaw is that she is in ANF" don't keep discussion constructive, especially in the context of a thread made directly by a staff member trying to feel out fan feedback.
What are her hopes?
That we, as humanity, can rebuild peacefully.
What are her flaws?
After spending about a year with Kenny, she probably is a little more aggressive when protecting her family and will do anything for her family.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Betray a loyal person who has had your back.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Always make sure that others were safe before making sure about herself.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
How thankful she is for Lee, Kenny, and everybody else for helping her and how she needs to do the same for AJ.
What are her hopes? My Clem just want's to be happy and to be a part of something special.
What are her flaws? Not trusting many people, I know people say don't trust anyone, they do have a point but sometimes you need to trust people but Clem has had a really hard time trusting people like David and Ava but you know what, If It wasn't for ANF AJ and Clem might have died.
Is there any one thing she'd never do? no matter how hard things get she will never give up, she will get herself back up again and move forward.
Is there any one thing she'd always do? she will always look out for AJ and she be here for him no matter what.
What did your Clem dream about last night? she dreams of being with her babysitter, playing games and stuff like that.
Hmmm... Definitely had to think on this for a minute. Season 2 was unique, whereas in Season 1 I generally played Lee the way I would have reacted to situations, I found myself thinking back to those situations in Season 2, and how Clem would have taken note of the way I/Lee conducted myself/himself and how things unfolded.
What are her hopes?
Finding a stable community, akin to what I imagine life must have been like a little bit between the first two episodes of S1, when things must have been a bit more civil and there was generally still some hope amongst them.
What are her flaws?
Too trusting. Not to say she isn't guarded or cautious in dealing with others, but she'd like to see the best in the people she does know for far too long. She was broken hearted by the way events played out with Bonnie, Mike, and Arvo, having bonded with the first two only to see them betray the group and her other friends.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Kill unnecessarily. She watched the St John brothers be spared, even after what they'd done, because killing them in the situation we had them in would have us questioning how different we are.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Support and fight for the people she cares about. Clem knows everyone set out looking for her when she was abducted. Omid and Christa were there to take her in when she thought everything was gone. That Christa yelled for her to get away when she was held at gunpoint by bandits. Luke risking and ultimately losing his life to get the Walker off Clem after they both fell through the ice. She'd always make the decision she did on the frozen lake when in that situation, so many people have been willing to or have sacrificed their lives fighting for her, and now she's capable of risking hers and saving others.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
Home. In her backyard, watching AJ, enjoying a beautiful afternoon. She knows who's in her house. Everyone she's lost, the friends and loved ones she's said goodbye to. She doesn't go in, because she knows they'll always be there, she's just enjoying a sunny day as AJ plays the way she did when she was young.
What are her hopes?
She hopes being able to be happy, her thinking about surviving sometimes isnt enough, though she tries to keep enduring it. She hopes she can see AJ again. That's one of the main reasons she keeps living on, apart from making Lee proud of her and happy whenever he is. She dreams of a world without deaths, or where zombies doesnt exist.
What are her flaws?
If you hurt someone she truly loves, she won't consider letting you go. And she will sure of that. She wants to save everyone, even when she knows they won't make it, like with Luke in the lake or Sarah in the deck. She doesn't wanna see anyone suffer, because it reminds her of her own suffering.
Is there one thing she would never do?
She would never give up about someone she loves, like her parents, Lee, or AJ. Even if it means her death.
Is there one thing she will always do?
Remember her past actions. Sometimes dwelling on them, and sometimes for retrospection. And looking for a safe place for AJ.
What did she dream about last night?
She had a weird dream. First she was on her parents's house, and she it was a normal day for 8-year-old her. But then, the next moment, she was on a white place, and Lee called for her. She ran, and then heard AJ crying. She ran in the it her direction, and then Sarah was asking her to teach her how to use a gun, or she would die. Everyone started asking her to save them. Christa for her baby and Omid, Pete about Nick, Lily about Larry, Kenny about Duck. She woke up when she heard her parents saying "Clemyyyyy"
She didn't feel well.
What are her hopes?
To have a sense of belongingness, both for her and AJ so she could finally rest easy knowing that some people look out for them and will provide their needs to live out their lives the way they're meant to be.
What are her flaws?
She is too kind hearted and trustful(if you get on her good side), this is a flaw because it can be exploited.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Give up or screw over someone who has been loyal or trusting to her all the way because of some petty reason.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Put her life on the line for the people she truly cares about
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
She was at a baseball game with her dad and surprisingly enough, Javi along with Gabe and Mariana, was sitting beside them and Clem's dad asked for an autograph. Javi gladly gave and autograph and Clem's dad asked if he could teach Clem how to play baseball.
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Hopes: I would want my Clementine to hold onto the hope that there are some good people left and that she should help them survive. I want my Clementine to hope that she will find a happy family that she can be happy with (I would like it if she stayed with the Garcias they are nice people)
Flaws: I think my Clementines flaws would be that she is too nice and too good of a person. She may be too generous and she may help people despite the futility of helping them. I think that she may be taken advantage of and she may give away too much supplies as she wants to be a nice caring person to other survivors.
One thing she would never do: She would never give up. She will not throw in the towel and because the going is tough. She would never give up on people. I might cheat and give two things she would never do. She would never kill anyone unless it is necessary and she would attempt to resolve a situation without having to pull the trigger.
One thing she would always do: Be nice to those she meets and fight to help them survive. And to do the right thing in tough situations.
What did Clementine dream about last night: I feel like she had a dream of all the people that fought to keep her alive encouraging her to never give up and to fight for the hope of being able to eventually live a normal life someday.I think that she looks back on those who she encountered that sadly passed away and she would honor them by living her life for them (Lee,Kenny and others)
Amazing! your clementine sounds awesome
Your Clementine sounds like a really nice caring character
Your Clementine sounds awesome!
Thanks, that's nice to hear
When you say Clem would never give up, do you count the choice where you either give up to save Carlos or go find Luke and Kenny?
Hmm.. thats a tough one. I went after Kenny and convinced him to give up to save Alvin.
What are her hopes?
Her hope is to belong somewhere again. She’s tired of drifting from place to place, and just wants someplace safe enough to call home. She wants to be with people she can trust without being betrayed or hurt, and to be part of a family again—just to have something resembling her old life before everything went to shit. She hopes she can go to school again one day and make friends and learn, but without any boring homework. She likes to think she could become a history teacher like Lee, or train to be a doctor like her mom.
She doesn’t want to be afraid to sleep at night, to wake more than once reaching for her knife or gun from thinking she heard walkers, or some wild animal, or somebody else that might cause trouble. She longs for the day the undead aren’t around anymore, and for the day people aren’t such ruthless bastards to where so she doesn’t have to take another life, and keep struggling with her faith in humanity, and in herself. She wants to be the person Lee and her parents would be proud of and lead by their examples, but doubts herself even though she tries not to.
She wants AJ to be safe, to see him grow up strong and brave, but happy most of all. She wishes to be there for him whenever he needs her, and to teach AJ all sorts of things outside of survival, like how to read, about history, and how to fish. She wants to sing to him those songs her dad used to sing off the radio, but Clementine can’t remember all the words, or even all the names of the songs; she kept meaning to look them up in some music book somewhere, or ask somebody trustworthy that did remember the lyrics, and now she regrets not doing so after having AJ taken away, and so badly wants to make that right to him. She wants to be able to tell AJ about Rebecca and Alvin when he’s older, and all the good people she’s known. She hopes AJ will still remember her when she does find him, because that’s the thing that keeps her up at night the most.
What are her flaws?
She tries to do a lot on her own, sometimes too much, to the point she won’t ask for help. Her need to be independent and survive by herself, and not be shown incapable around the other adults that might belittle her, sometimes it blindsides her from knowing when it would be smarter to team up in a situation, rather than going it alone. Maybe she thinks she’s doing it to protect them, or it’s her own stubbornness playing into her actions [or a mixture of the two] but Clementine still doesn’t have enough years of wisdom or experience to work off of—despite how much she’s grown and matured in such harsh times. Sometimes her memory of Lee can be her greatest strength and weakness, because she often relies too much on what he would do, rather than what she should do.
Although she can be very wary of strangers and often times can tell if somebody is or isn’t a good person, if they work their words right and with enough time convincing her they're not the latter, she’s susceptible to being manipulated. Despite trying to guard herself from such things and being careful, it still winds up happening and she hates herself for it. She tries to be made of stone, but she gets lonely and craves social interactions, longs for friendship and trust in others, and that need can easily get taken advantage of.
Is there any one thing she’d never do?
I don’t care how lonely you are, have some standards girl! Or I’m shipping you off to the nunnery!
Seriousness, I can’t imagine her abandoning good people in trouble, especially if she feels she can help them. She would never leave somebody for dead unless she absolutely had no other choice, such as needing to focus on the safety of others she cares about, or when there's nothing she can do to help said a person in peril. It also wouldn’t be in her to kill someone for her own enjoyment, but avenging someone's death would be a different matter.
Is there any one thing she’d always do?
Although situations can be difficult and not always black and white, she’d always try and do the right thing morally, rather than follow rules of the law. Even with everything that’s happened and being tested time and again, she’d still cling to humanity and look out for those she cares about, even if it means getting into trouble in the process. She’s not afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and to support and guide those that need it.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
She dreamt she was inside this empty room with no doors. It was rundown, like some room from an abandoned house, with the walls and floor bare and all the windows were boarded up. It’d looked like dawn or dusk outside, but the walkers were out there, hammering on the wood trying to get in. Clem had tried to find something to use as a weapon, but nothing had been at hand, and she’d started panicking because she was trapped and the boards on the windows weren’t holding.
Then there was this old fireplace in there she hadn’t noticed before; it was kind of like the one her parents used to have in their bedroom, but all blackened from soot. Inside the fireplace there were these piles of charred broken bones like somebody had burned and crushed them. From those cluster of bones, she’d heard this static, and a voice calling; Clementine recognized it as her mother.
On some subconscious level Clementine was aware it was a dream, but she hadn’t seen her mom alive in years, and just being able to hear her voice again made her forget all about the walkers. She couldn’t stop herself from digging through the bones and ash in the fireplace fast enough, almost having felt like she'd been digging through into the ground from how much was there, but it paid off. She'd found her old walkie-talkie inside the remains, and it was at that point Clementine got to speak with her mother.
Her mom expressed confusion in trying to reach her, and asked Clementine how she was doing. Diana sounded in a good mood, like everything was fine and no time had passed at all, and it kind of threw Clementine off, because everything wasn’t okay, and she just missed both her parents so much. Clem told her that, and her mom had said that they missed her too, and thought about her everyday. This’d caused Clementine to get upset and she’d started crying, confessing she didn't want to do this anymore and wanted to come home, as if her parents would actually be there waiting. But her mom had brushed it off, reminding her she was a big girl now, and still had lots of things to do.
During that point, this tiny orange yellowy butterfly had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and it'd landed on the top of the walkie talkie, crawling down onto Clem's hand when she had voiced uncertainty in herself. But her mom put such doubts to rest by telling Clementine to look at how far she’d come and how proud she should be of herself, just like her mom was of her. It was like Diana talked to her as if she was a little homesick kid who’d gone off on a school trip or summer camp, instead of the true reality of things.
By then the dream was beginning to break down, with the room succumbing to darkness to where Clementine couldn’t hear or see the walkers at the windows anymore. The walkie talkie in her hand had started developing cracks in its casing, while the tiny little butterfly seemed almost illuminated in the dark from where it’d perched itself on her hand, fanning its wings at her.
The final words she’d heard from her mother, was her telling Clementine things would be just fine, and asking her to promise she was going to do her very best, but the rest was drowned out by static, that'd grown so loud it was almost unbearable. That lonely little butterfly of orange and yellow was the last thing Clementine saw, before it's wings withered like old dried leaves, and its remains blew away into embers.
What are her hopes?
She doesnt really have many hopes at this point, I guess I can say survive? there isnt really much to hope for when there is nothing you can achieve except surviving, I guess I would say that she hopes she can keep surviving without seriously doing some fucked up shit
What are her flaws?
While I still consider her a "good" person, survival still comes first, I dont know if this can be designated as a flaw per say, but she will help people if possible, but her and her own comes first, every time, everyone she has ever know except Javi has pretty much died, she had to leave her father figure behind, and she shot her "Uncle" (Kenny) in an instinctive decision that seemed right for what she knew at the time, so while she still has a heart, its shattered and torn, and she will do anything to protect the ones she love, but in the end, she still doesnt know what her choice would be if it came down to her or a loved one, if you asked her 4 years ago, she would sacrifice herself to save Kenny or Lee in a heartbeat, but things change, and the world isnt what it used to be...
She also tries not to get attached to people (although that is sometimes impossible such as with AJ or to some extent Javier) which I guess is a flaw, since survival in numbers is key, but after seeing multiple groups fall apart from the inside, she has learned that she can only trust herself (maybe a bit too much, she should learn to put her trust in others some more)
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
No matter how much trouble she is in, she wouldnt take from people who needs more than her, she is not above taking from people who have plenty, (such as medicine in The New Frontier), but she would never put other people at risk if she is better off than them, but taking from communities who are better of than her if she is in dire need, sometimes good people have to do bad things...
She would also never forgive people like Jane, people who put her against people she loves, Jane forced her into a bad situation, and without knowledge of what really happened, Clementine shot Kenny, but after learning the truth, she left Jane without a second thought, and has never forgiven her, betrayal is never forgiven
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Give people a chance, unless she has seen them do bad shit, she will give them a chance, she will try not to get too attached, since alliances are often temporary, but she will try to become part of a group when advantagious to do so, or if she can help the group without too much sacrifice on her part
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
She currently has no safe place to be, and no one to watch her back, so she doesnt sleep much, but what sleep she did get, she dreamt about Christa and Molly, the two people she knew that might still be alive (at least, of the people she would want to see... Jane might also be alive), Christa and Molly are currently the only people alive that she would place her unwavering trust in, so she dreams about them alot, she also had a short vision of Lee back when he was alive, but she doesnt dream much about him anymore, he is gone
I need to stop reading this thread before I'm gonna be depressed...
"What are her hopes?"
For me, my Clementine just hopes to find AJ and doing the right thing.
"What are her flaws?"
Hmm... Maybe she's not too excepting? She always wants to be a loner (excluding AJ), and being a loner in the world she lives in is not always the best choice.
"Is there any one thing she'd never do?"
Kill someone. Even her enemies. In my opinion, if you kill people, you can end up being a psychopath, just like characters such as Badger or Negan--I don't want her to have satisfaction from killing one of her enemies.
"Is there any one thing she'd always do?"
Spare people.
"What did your Clementine dream about last night?"
About the world going back to normal, and if it never does, there's some community where her, AJ, (and maybe some new friends?) can live happily ever after at.
What are her hopes?
To stay alive.
What are her flaws?
She is afraid of death, mostly due to everything and everyone around her dying.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Kill someone or cause death and feel absolutely no remorse over it. She will kill to keep herself safe, but not without showing some kind of guilt for taking life.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Make sure she has the upper hand before acting. Think now shoot later.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
Scavenging for food with Duck somewhere in the city.
What are her hopes?
To find AJ and maybe reunite with friends that were lost or left along the way Like Christa and Molly.
What are her flaws?
My Clem s very emotional and while she tries to forgive people after an incident has happened ((forgiving Mike and Bonnie would be something that my version of Clem would do if they wanted forgiveness which Bonnie seemed like she did seeing as she regretted it in my game.)) but in the heat of the moment she would do whatever she can to stop someone from hurting them unless its a member of her group betraying her to which she d fail to pull the trigger. She s also very trusting which is both a flaw and a quality much like Pete and Walter.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Betray a friend or leave them behind.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Protect her group and try her best to pull her weight even if her group views her only as a child.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
a nightmare where she relives the night where Mike and Bonnie betray her and Arvo shoots her and she wakes up as Bonnie s asking her for forgiveness and that she did not mean it.
I known this is very different from how she s like in ANF but that s just how i viewed her during seasons 1 and 2.
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What are her hopes?
To make it back to Richmond with AJ alive and in one piece.
To find more kids her age who know how to survive.
What are her fears?
That her parents would be disappointed or even horrified at what she's become.
That AJ has died at the Mccaroll Ranch.
That she will die bitten and alone.
What are her flaws?
Too trusting and eager to meet new survivors and people her age
Overcompensates for the above flaw by trying her best to seem cold and aloof
Naive to an extent
Is there any one thing she'd never (or would never want) to do?
She'd never want to kill an innocent man in cold blood
She'd never want to give up AJ due to her own inability to care for him
She'd never join a bandit camp.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Everything she can to protect those she loves
Remember the sacrifices her fellow survivors and caregivers gave to protect her well being
Support and provide for communities struggling and in need
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
She dreamed about being at the same campfire where Bonnie, Luke Mike, Kenny and Jane shared their stories, only this time Lee, Kenny, Christa, Omid and her parents were the ones gathered around the fire. They shared their stories and talked highly of Clementine and care for AJ. They told her how proud they all were of her and how they knew she'd make a great caregiver for AJ.
Thank you for doing this poll!
I like this thread. I nice seeing some community fun and idea exploration to the constant I-hate/love-x-season-because-blah-reasons threads. So let's see what I come up with here.
What are her hopes?
Of course Clementine hope to find AJ. Like anyone else, she hopes for this apocalypse to end. More importantly though, my Clementine hope to find a family. The constant cycle of finding someone she connects with to only have them die and/or disappear has worn her soul weary. She doesn't care if it is a small or large group of people. She just wants a group she can love unconditionally, laugh often, share and gain wisdom, and trust with her life. The constant task of looking over her shoulder has grown old and stale. She wants and needs something stable for once in her life.
If my Clem could come out of the game world, step into our reality, and open up her deepest thoughts to us, she would ask us what it is like being human. She has forgotten the feeling of being someone, a person, a human being. That feeling has been absent for so long, she can't miss what if feel like because she doesn't remember what it feels like. This desire to know what being human and alive is a hope that goes hand in hand with Clem's hope for finding a family of her own. If you don't know how to be human, you don't know what to look for in a family. A family can't exist if each member doesn't know what it is like being human.
What are her flaws?
Clementine's main flaw is fear. She's fearful but not of the typical things. Clementine can look evil people in the eye. The thought of not finding food or water the next day doesn't scare her. As she learned when the apocalypse first began, walkers are dumb and she is smart. However, Clementine's personal daemons haunt her every second of every day. She is fearful of her reflection. Clem actually hasn't looked at her own reflection since she lost AJ. Whenever she sees her own reflection, she purposely avoids making eye contact with herself. She can't stand to see the person she has become.
This fear of her personal daemons is the reason why she is cold and distant. The thought of opening up to someone frightens her. She doesn't want the crack in the door to her most personal thoughts and desires to be an opportunity for the darkness in her to come on out. The problem is that Clementine has to open that door if she is ever going to receive what she desires and hopes for: family. What's even worse is that she knows her cycle of coldness is making things worse. When she's hurt, she builds another wall. That wall pushed more on her inner most self, both the good and the bad. That inner self pushes harder and harder the more she builds up her wall. Clem knows at some point the wall will break and everything will come spilling out. Due to her constant pain in the past, she just cycles and cycles hoping she can hold that breaking point until her death. What she fails to realize is that cycling the wall to her heart is her biggest and strongest inner daemon.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Clem in not afraid to kill someone. However, she'd never take a child from their parent or vise versa. That kind of bond hit too close to home with her losing her parents. She also still blames herself a bit for Lee's death which ruined her new parental relationship. That's why she was forgiving to Nick since her lost his mother, hurt to see Sarah lose her father, relieved to see Alvin's face in AJ, vengeful when Javier lost Mariana since she could see the parental relationship between them, and understanding when Gabe said he wanted to go with his father. It would take a gun tot he head for Clem to ruin that kind of bond, but even that isn't a guarantee.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Despite her coldness, Clem will always give someone a chance. Your ideas and thoughts and ideas maybe a stark contrast to her own, but she is more that willing to give someone a chance to explain themselves and/or show their worth. In an unforgiving world, Clementine knows the priceless value of a change and opportunity. For every chance she received from somebody, she returns the favor to someone else.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
Clementine dreamed about her home in Georgia. She was in her room, purple and bold from floor to ceiling. She was younger again. The curls from her hair covered half her face. But why was she in her swimsuit and sandals? She called out in the house but no one was home. She then... floated out of bed. It was a grace that seemed somewhat familiar. As she made down the hall, she checked her parents room. No one was there. The guest room was also empty. Closets, laundry, bathroom, all empty. She made her way downstairs. As she turn to the back of the house, she saw light cutting through the tiny cracks between the sliding blinds that lead to the deck. Slowly she made her way over. A breeze was felt. The door was open. "Mom? Dad?" The responding voice seemed so familiar. "We're outside, honey." She walked through the blinds and into the light before her. "Surprise!" It was a surprise birthday party for her, similar to her 8 year-old party. Everyone was there. Both her parents stood on the side beaming with joy. All her friends from the neighborhood were there. Uncle Frank was behind her parents taking pictures. As she looked in excitement, she noticed more people than normal. All her relatives were there. Old teachers where also present. Lee... yes Lee was there by the pool. Kenny was a happy soul riding a inner tube in the pool with the rest of his family. The entire Motor Inn group was present and happy. The Cabin group also showed up and were joking amongst each other. She saw what looked to be Nick's mom. The Garcias was together again along with Mariana. Everyone Clem had ever met was there to give her a happy birthday. That feeling... she almost felt something. Like some sort of feeling deep down on the inside... something she hasn't felt in quite some time. Just when she may have remembered that feeling, she wakes.
the dream part was pretty good.
Honestly, I'm a huge fan of Jane. My Clementine would grow up to be a lot like her - resourceful, independent, and smart. However, my Clem would be less of a loner and way too careful to have unprotected sex. Yeesh. Couldn't Jane have taken a few birth control pills (three or four should have done the trick) and tried to induce an abortion? Sigh. That would have been the smart thing to do.
What are her hopes?
~~~ As others have said, to live amongst people without constantly fearing for her safety. To have something like normalcy pre-apocalypse.
What are her flaws?
~~~ My Clem is not naïve! After encountering so many horrible people, my Clem is very jaded and finds it difficult to trust people. Even people who initially seem good can turn out to be awful, for example Kenny or Bonnie. She is slow to warm up to people and is aloof. She definitely expects the worst of people.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
~~~ She never intentionally puts other people's lives at risk or (cheating a bit) behaves like Joan or the St. Johns. She doesn't value her comfort above other people's lives or well-being.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
~~~ She would contribute positively to any group she happened to be a part of, and work to keep them safe. However, like Jane, she would disassociate herself from any group if she thought that being with them would put her life at risk.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
~~~Waking up in a clean, comfortable bed to the smell of bacon cooking and the sounds of people teasing each other and laughter. These are not the people she knows have died, but maybe a few people who may still be alive (like Christa and Javier) and some people she has yet to meet.
Thanks. I was kind of bummed out we didn't get any dream sequences with Clem in ANF. The way they did the hallucinations in Michonne made it seem like they could pull off some emotional dream sequences in the future. Maybe this final season will have some.
It would be cool if in the beginning you were able to fill out a journal as Clem allowing us to give our thoughts on everything that's happend. For example you could confess your thoughts about characters like Christa, Kenny, and Jane.
Okay, first of all, sorry if this posted more than once. I had a "invalid CSRF token" message when I tried to post. I fixed it by simply logging out and then back in. Just in case anyone else needed to know!
What are her hopes?
To find a safe place for her and AJ and stay there for as long as possible. She believes in safety in numbers, not being a jaded and bitter survivor like Jane. To keep her humanity and to believe in the good in people. To keep AJ safe. To keep Lee's and Kenny's legacy alive, Lee may be dead and Kenny may be missing (I had the stay at Wellington ending) but that doesn't mean their spirit needs to die, too.
What are her flaws?
Maybe being too nice to people. She had a bad feeling about Jane from the beginning, but she continued to be civil to her until the very end when Jane tried to kill Kenny and hiding a newborn infant in a freezing truck in a blizzard with walkers roaming around. Clem very much wanted to tell Jane off for leaving the group, but even then she continued to try to be civil. She stood up for Arvo even though she did felt hate for him. Trying to be sneaky, but it doesn't tend to work very well. For example, she tried to make Carver think she was on his side (even though she's definitely not), but that didn't mean anything in the end. Also not forgiving people when maybe (and that's a BIG maybe) she should like she didn't forgive Nick for almost killing her. Being too nice and sometimes not forgiving people may seem contradictory, but hey, my Clem's a complex character. Basically she needs to show off her righteous anger a little bit more and stop being such a doormat to people she finds highly suspicious.
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Steal from people. She will always remember that it was the group's (and determinately Lee's) decision to steal from The Stranger's car which killed his wife and daughter which caused him to go after the group which got Lee killed and Kenny lost (and let's be real, they could've at least waited 10 minutes first. I bet The Stranger and his wife would've given some supplies to them, especially once he sees the two young children, Duck and Clem, being a father of two young children himself). It's also the reason why she didn't steal from Arvo. She knows she's not more important or more special than any other survivor. However, she did """steal""" the medicine from The New Frontier to try to save AJ, but she didn't consider it stealing because that was her group at the time. It's different when you don't know the people and the struggles they faced because they probably had it worse and whatever supplies you stole was probably their first sign of hope in the longest time... and then you just come and steal that away? Cruel and inhumane... and that's not what Clementine is or wants to be. When it comes to stealing from the cabin group... well, they locked her up in a shed with a gaping dog bite on her arm and basically waited for her bleed out... Push kinda came to shove. She did feel bad about it, but she quickly got over it. She would've died if she didn't, as far as she was concerned. She didn't want Lee's death to be in vain (and Kenny's, but obviously she didn't know he was still alive at that time).
Also leaving friends behind (like Sarah...) is a big one. She said it herself in season 1-- "We don't leave friends behind!" I know I said I had the stay at Wellington ending, but that's different because Kenny himself was begging Clem to stay for her and AJ's safety. She desperately wanted to stay with Kenny, an adult she knew since the beginning and Lee's friend, but she knew Lee would've wanted her to choose safety... and so she did with great sorrow and pain.
Also she'd never get with Gabe or people like him. She may be pro-group and staying together, but that doesn't mean she can't have standards. Family may be important to her, but that doesn't mean she has to get with anyone romantically at all. AJ is her family and that's good enough for her until she finds a good group she can consider family as well. Romance just isn't on her mind. Protecting AJ and survival is.
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
Keep Kenny's hat with her. She cares a lot about her friend and she'll give the hat to AJ just like he wanted.
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
Mostly nothing, depression tends to cause that (speaking from experience here...). When she does dream it'll be filled with extreme guilt and people blaming her for stuff she's done (with good reasons or not). Like Lee blaming her for running off with The Stranger/talking with him at all on the radio, Kenny blaming her for Sarita, Christa and Omid blaming her for Omid's death, Rebecca blaming her for not trying harder to keep AJ with her, Chuck blaming her for getting herself trapped by the walkers, Arvo blaming her for shooting the zombified Natasha, etc.... Maybe the occasional nightmare of her being a walker and then eating AJ. This one would be caused because she ate a piece of Mark (I chose the wrong dialogue option, okay? I didn't mean for it to happen). Maybe another nightmare of her seeing Lee with her walker parents near The Marsh House.
What are her hopes?
What are her flaws?
Is there any one thing she'd never do?
Is there any one thing she'd always do?
What did your Clementine dream about last night?
I'm not sure if these were the right questions to ask, but I hope my answers'll help.
Aside from the pre-determined hope of finding AJ you've given her over the course of ANF? [place giggle here] I'm not trying to be sassy or anything, but I hope you realize that for some of us players it's very hard to comprehend Clementine's obsession over finding him, put ourselves in her shoes, feel what she feels, since you've given us little to no reason to care for this baby, and even if you had, I still don't think I'd want my 14-year-old Clem taking care of a baby anyway. But it is, however, a hope of hers, and as much as I can comprehend it fully, I will try to express how I picture My Clementine feels about it.
She wants to find AJ. She wants to see how he's faring. See if he's safe. She liked and bonded with people who fought for him. She herself fought for him. And that meant something. So for the past two years, she's been keeping him safe in the wilderness. However, Clementine didn't picture herself with him for life. She always strived to find a place for AJ to be safe, though eventually, without her. Clementine herself has other goals, other dreams, and hopes. But she felt she owed AJ, and the people who fought for him that. So that's been her primary goal for the past few years, and still is since she is still not assured he is in a safe place.
I guess choosing to go with Ava in Ties That Bind - Part Two is a good representative of this mindset. She saw the so called "The New Frontier" as an opportunity to finally find a good place for AJ. So she joined to see if it was a fit place to leave AJ in, and, should it be, eventually leave by her own terms.
Of course, Above The Law's flashback makes this mindset being logical harder. She is expelled from TNF and they demand AJ is kept there. Although that would mean his safety, she wants him to go with her, which goes against this supposed goal of leaving AJ in a safe environment without her, eventually. The only reasonable explanation for this would be Clementine not believing TNF was not a safe place for AJ. And I'm not sure My Clementine would be as stupid as to believe that were true. That a highly sick and dependent AJ being with her alone in the wilderness was better than him being in a community. She does make up for it later on in From The Gallows when she says "No one survives by doing what their hearts say. They survive by doing what their brain says. If that was his best chance to live - I get it.", which does make up for it.
(I also wanted to say that that was by far the best Clementine line of the season. Truly filled my heart with pride. It truly felt like the girl I shaped for two Seasons was finally being shown on screen).
Finally choosing, as Javier, to tell Clem "He's happy? Leave him be." by the end of From The Gallows also fits perfectly with this mindset.
I have talked with other fans, and I believe some at least share this same feeling. We don't necessarily feel attached or want AJ perpetually in Clem's life as her responsibility. Leaving him in a group a long time ago would've been preferable.
You may not feel attached to AJ, but the way Clementine is written, she clearly is. It makes sense that you wouldn't want Clementine to be responsible for bringing up AJ, especially by herself. We saw the risk of that for her in the scenario where she lost her finger. However, that does NOT seem to be where Clementine is in ANF. She refers to herself as his MOTHER. I agree with you that this is strange, and undesirable.
I don't agree with you that her primary concern re AJ is that he is with a group/family that can keep him safe. Part of who Clementine is is pre-determined by the writers. She loves her little goofball and wants to continue the relationship that they had. She resented the hell out of David for taking AJ away from her and she did not think he had improved the situation for AJ. It is possible for her to admit that what David did might not have been a bad thing but I don't really see her wanting to go out into the world and exploring sans her connection to AJ.
I'd also like Clementine to get to be... not a carefree teenager because that's not possible in this world... something that is not a teenage mom, especially to a kid she didn't give birth to.