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This brief analysis of “The Walking Dead: Season Two” will cover episode three, “In Harm’s Way,” while keeping spoilers to a minimum (which will be incredibly difficult). Oddly enough, to do this I’ll be speaking specifically about Clementine and Carver, the main protagonist and antagonist respectively; although this episode seemed to dwell more on the entire group than just those two characters.
Players are finally given the chance to understand Carver’s way of thinking when he calls up Clementine to have a chat in his office. Carver believes that those who cannot contribute to a group are better off dead in this world that’s gone to hell. He values true leadership above all, and although Carver is aware that his actions are pretty messed up, he genuinely believes that they are the right decisions a leader should make in order to ultimately protect everyone in a group.While speaking to Clementine, Carver says, “Killing one in order to save many is part of survival. It’s one of the tough decisions that a weaker person couldn’t make. It’s why it falls to people like us to lead them to safety.”
It sounds like a very utilitarian kind of standpoint. Carver’s words hold a certain level of truth, but his actions lack empathy. However, maybe empathy isn’t the best quality to have in a world of the undead. But if there is anything that Clementine’s group can agree on, it’s that the group would rather take their chances outside with the walkers than inside with their leader, Carver. That itself is a sign of a terrible leader.
One interesting element about this episode is how Carver views Clementine. He sees incredible potential in the 11-year-old and believes she can become a great leader—whatever Carver considers to be a leader, anyways. He even compliments her by saying that he believes she was raised correctly and admits that she’s grown to be tough. Despite Clementine’s obvious feelings of hatred towards Carver, Carver constantly shows signs of interest in the kind of woman Clementine will grow up to be, especially in his last scene of the episode.
Now let’s take a short trip down memory lane and recall the first season of Telltale’s “The Walking Dead.” Lee taught Clementine to become more independent and it’s in this episode that Clementine’s character development truly shines brighter than any other episode, by far. Regardless of the choices you make in this episode, there are many changes to take note of that the old Clementine would have never shown. Our more matured Clementine now has a say in just about every group decision. She independently takes action during the most extreme situations, and kills walkers all by herself, despite the difficulty for her. She also has developed a more realistic view of the world she lives in, all while maintaining her humanity. Although children are often looked down upon during the zombie apocalypse (because in a sense they are a nuisance), Clementine has continuously proven to be a valuable asset to the group, in spite of being a child.
And the ending… my god, the ending to this episode gave me goose bumps. The statistics showed that most players “took drastic action” during the episode’s final decision. For Clementine to be solely making the final decision, at the spur of the moment, highlights just how far Clementine has come. From the scared little girl hiding in a treehouse, to someone willing to do what very few men in the world would have the heart to do, Clementine proves she can take drastic action to save someone’s life.
“In Harm’s Way” emphasizes the differences between the group members’ distinct personalities (more than just Clementine and Carver). The writers accomplish this by demonstrating how unique personality traits can directly influence the situations characters experience. For example, Sarah’s oblivious personality causes her to speak and interrupt Carver while he is giving a speech. Carver then becomes angry and commands Carlos, Sarah’s father, to discipline his daughter by smacking her across the face. Carver’s oppression accentuates his followers’ characteristics. No matter how you cut it, Carver makes sure that your group is disciplined as he sees fit. As a by-product, the episode highlights the unification of a once-uncooperative group because of the trials they must endure.
I personally believe “In Harm’s Way” was the most intense episode of the series, despite sacrificing player action for more dialogue. Telltale played with their strength, storytelling, and really did an amazing job delivering this dark episode. I cannot wait to see what the next episode has in store for us.
One interesting element about this episode is how Carver views Clementine. He sees incredible potential in the 11-year-old and believes she can become a great leader—whatever Carver considers to be a leader, anyways. He even compliments her by saying that he believes she was raised correctly and admits that she’s grown to be tough. Despite Clementine’s obvious feelings of hatred towards Carver, Carver constantly shows signs of interest in the kind of woman Clementine will grow up to be, especially in his last scene of the episode.
Now let’s take a short trip down memory lane and recall the first season of Telltale’s “The Walking Dead.” Lee taught Clementine to become more independent and it’s in this episode that Clementine’s character development truly shines brighter than any other episode, by far. Regardless of the choices you make in this episode, there are many changes to take note of that the old Clementine would have never shown. Our more matured Clementine now has a say in just about every group decision. She independently takes action during the most extreme situations, and kills walkers all by herself, despite the difficulty for her. She also has developed a more realistic view of the world she lives in, all while maintaining her humanity. Although children are often looked down upon during the zombie apocalypse (because in a sense they are a nuisance), Clementine has continuously proven to be a valuable asset to the group, in spite of being a child.
And the ending… my god, the ending to this episode gave me goose bumps. The statistics showed that most players “took drastic action” during the episode’s final decision. For Clementine to be solely making the final decision, at the spur of the moment, highlights just how far Clementine has come. From the scared little girl hiding in a treehouse, to someone willing to do what very few men in the world would have the heart to do, Clementine proves she can take drastic action to save someone’s life.
“In Harm’s Way” emphasizes the differences between the group members’ distinct personalities (more than just Clementine and Carver). The writers accomplish this by demonstrating how unique personality traits can directly influence the situations characters experience. For example, Sarah’s oblivious personality causes her to speak and interrupt Carver while he is giving a speech. Carver then becomes angry and commands Carlos, Sarah’s father, to discipline his daughter by smacking her across the face. Carver’s oppression accentuates his followers’ characteristics. No matter how you cut it, Carver makes sure that your group is disciplined as he sees fit. As a by-product, the episode highlights the unification of a once-uncooperative group because of the trials they must endure.
I personally believe “In Harm’s Way” was the most intense episode of the series, despite sacrificing player action for more dialogue. Telltale played with their strength, storytelling, and really did an amazing job delivering this dark episode. I cannot wait to see what the next episode has in store for us.
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