Marlon and Clem, more alike than you think
After playing the episode 1 of season 4 I noticed a couple of things about Marlon that reminded of Clem and not in a good way. Obviously what Marlon did was wrong but if you really think about it Clem kinda did the same things in the previous season. First off Marlon accidentally kills someone and then lies about it to save his own skin. In season 3 Clementine also accidentally kills someone, Eli the man that sold her "faulty bullets" by pointing a gun at his head and pulling the trigger. What does she do after that? She tries convince Javier to lie for her to cover up her crime and if you choose not to do that...... She scolds you, she feels no guilt about it and makes you feel guilty for not doing this for her, at least Marlon showed some guilt for what he did...... Clementine never does. Also Marlon gave up the girls to as he puts it save the group. He was willing to do something bad for the greater good. Clementine does something similar in season 3. When she asks Dr Lingard where AJ is he asks her to kill him because he doesn't want to live any longer. Clementine doesn't even hesitate and if you choose not to kill Lingard Javier explains that Lingard isn't in his right mind and it is wrong of her to do this. Despite this Clementine still insists on killing him despite what Javier says...... All that matters is AJs safety, no matter the cost.... even if it means killing a man who might not truly want to die. Heck she's willing to kill someone just for revenge, in season 3 when the group finds the warehouse filled with stolen goods from the raided communities David attempts to enter but he can't open the door. Javier goes to open it but Clementine points her gun at him and even fires a warning shot at and tells him not to let that 'baby killer' in, even though David never killed AJ she just thinks he did and that's enough to let him get torn apart by walkers in clems eyes. Marlon did bad things, there's no doubt about that...... But so has Clem....... To hate Marlon....... means hating Clem...... They're both kids who have done bad things to survive in a cruel unkind world. Is Marlon irredeemable for what he did?....... is Clem?........ Marlon gave away two girls to save his group. Clem was willing to kill a man who was suicidal despite being told he wasn't thinking clearly and probably didn't want this, something which was proven to be true later...... Marlon was wiling to kill Clem to save himself. Clem was wiling to kill a man out of revenge. Both of them lied to protect themselves, so they wouldn't get in trouble. In the end both of them have done wrong but in a world like this can you really survive without giving up your values.......
Just my two cents
Comments
Admittedly, I did find my Temperaments list seemingly had them with the same blend.
Good assessment, even though you chose not to provide us with paragraphs to make it easier for us to read.
Whatever took place at the Ranch changed Clem dramatically from the S3 Clem we came to know. I believe after she found AJ, that light we use to see in her in S1 and S2 that Ava asked her to hold onto, returned. She isn't the brat deadset on revenge that S3 made her out to be anymore, so you can't really say she's like Marlon. Clem took care of business in her pursuit for AJ, Marlon was too afraid to do the same for Tenn's sisters, no matter how people try to justify it and compare them.
One difference is that Clem did not betray her friends, or sell people out for her own ends. Also while Marlon did not intend to kill Brody he did mean hit her, he lashed out in anger, Clem tried to intimidate a guy and pulled the trigger on a bullet she didn't think would fire. Both are bad choices, but Clem's was a mistake and Marlon resorted to violence. For me the ultimate wrongs in this world are, Harming Children, Rape, and Betraying your friends.