On the lifespan of TWD's characters.
This contains ep. 4 spoilers.
Am I the only one concerned that changing out so much of the cast kind of diminishes the emotional impact of losing those characters? I mean losing Chuck, as bad as it was, really couldn't compare to the scene where we lost Lilly or the death of Doug/Carley. To me, the fact that the lifespan of the characters keep getting shortened really hurts this aspect of TWD.
It also seems like the story is moving too fast. Look at for example the series. For half of the second season it's pretty much one TT episode, if even that. The fact that the story moves along so fast, killing off everyone and then instantly replacing them makes me at this point less interested in learning about new cast members.
That's my take, what's yours?
Am I the only one concerned that changing out so much of the cast kind of diminishes the emotional impact of losing those characters? I mean losing Chuck, as bad as it was, really couldn't compare to the scene where we lost Lilly or the death of Doug/Carley. To me, the fact that the lifespan of the characters keep getting shortened really hurts this aspect of TWD.
It also seems like the story is moving too fast. Look at for example the series. For half of the second season it's pretty much one TT episode, if even that. The fact that the story moves along so fast, killing off everyone and then instantly replacing them makes me at this point less interested in learning about new cast members.
That's my take, what's yours?
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Comments
Ever wondered why Doug/Carley pretty much didnt show up the whole Ep.2, except for maybe 5% of it? And why they gotta die almost right at the start of Ep.3?
Because it's less work. If they'd played any important role after the episodes they could die in, you'd simply have to program a lot more, you'd have more dialogue to write and record and so on for a character that won't even be in every playthrough and you'd have to consider and implement a lot more options/social interactions into the whole game.
So TTG chose the easy way to do this and either kill em right of the start of the next episode or let em play little to no role in the next.
I'm guessing Ben won't make it far in the final episode.
Of course I get this, but that doesn't really have anything to do with lifespan at all. What you state is difficulties with branching storylines (which wasn't really my main point although a valid one).
So I'd say they did a really good job making me care about the group newbies despite having hardly spent any time with them.
Again good points, but not really mine. My point was that the emotional impact of killing characters off is lessened when it happens 2-3 times an episode as opposed to 1 or maybe an episode without deaths just for character interaction. Maybe it's just me, but i'm much less interested in the series now than I was after episode 2, just because the story now seems to rush it's way towards a finish.
I agree Doug/Carley was badly done, but I had no such problem in this episode.
Same, I was hoping he would make it to the last episode. I'm happy we got the choice to kill Ben, though.
And this was, actually an episode with very FEW deaths. Brie and Chuck are unavoidable, while Molly's, Ben's and (possibly Omid, if you take Clem with you) are all completely optional. That goes from 4 (maybe 5) characters dying to just 2 depending on what you choose to do.
Omid is fine either way. Nothing happens to him if you take Clem with you.
Edit: Let's see character deathcount for each episode
EP1: 4-5 (Cop, Shawn, Chet*, Doug/Carley, Irene)
EP2: 8 (Larry, Mark, David Parker, Travis, Jolene, Andy, Danny, Brenda)
EP3: 3 (Katjaa, Duck, Doug/Carley)
EP4: 2-4 (Ben*, Charles, Molly*, Brie)
Oh. Well shucks, I wanted him to be able to bite it if Clem weren't there to save him. Still, thats 4 deaths down to 2 depending on what your mood.
Omid doesn't die if you take Clem with you, in case you're wondering about that.
EDIT: I'm slow.
lol I know. When he said that I kind of smiled since I could totally relate. What happened was sad but I didn't really feel anything since they were strangers compared to the drugstore group.
Chuck seemed pretty interesting so I was disappointed when he died. So much potential for development
The only thing that affected me was Clem crying and what happened to Lee.
This was a low forced death count episode, though, so it let people build up a little bit of caring.
I also agree it's a lot easier to make these episodes when optional characters die off instead of allowing the combinations and possibilities to grow.
With that in mind, that means there are no rules for episode 5. It doesn't have to tie in to a next episode. It can be a bloodbath or let everyone live, based on what the writers want to do, not based on how hard it is to keep all those options going.
I just think it would be nice to have an episode focusing more on the internal struggle within the group rather than struggle in the group appearing because the plot throws you all over the place.
At least, he didn't reanimate.
I agree and I think I said this before: Killing off characters, then re-stocking the group, then starting all over again might be great for shock value, but no effect wears off as fast. I'd rather have some more character development.
--A few TV series spoilers below here--
Also, like I said before, when it comes to killing people off, look at what they did with sophia in the series. A lot of development and a really good finish. I was really shocked at that point (partly because she wasn't dead in the comic and partly because they had spent so much time looking for her). Like I said, that is proper character development and because of that you're much more invested in what's happening.
But that said, it's not that I'm not invested in the story of the game, because it is really good, I just think it could be even better if the plot wasn't railroading the story every time there is a bit of character development happening.
You're just becoming a cold and calculating heartless person.
I'm not sure heartless is the phrase I would use. Brie had about as much screentime as Chuck and wasn't even a part of the group. That's what I'm talking about when I say 'short lifespan'
No, you weren't. I was genuinely upset to find him dead down in the sewer. He died because he saved Clem's life and he ends up dying alone in a sewer.:( As little time as we had with him, I grew to like the old guy. But that is the Walking Dead universe for you. You have to be prepared to lose people often and suddenly.