Rose Colored Glasses?
The general consensus I see in a lot of places is that the first episode of season 1 was much better than season 2 episode 1. I thought that at first, but the more I look back on the first season, the more I question whether that's true.
I remember the first episode of season 1 kind of dragging for me. Whereas this one was a little too fast for my liking, Season 1 episode 1 was too slow. It also felt ridiculously longer and not necessarily in a good way. I spent the rest of the season wondering why episode 1 felt so long. I definitely enjoyed myself during Season 2 Episode 1 more than the first time I played season one. Then again, I'm attached to the game much more than I was back then.
As for emotion, I think Season 2 has Season 1 beat for the first episode. Though to be fair, we know and care about Clementine already so it had built in emotion.
I just don't think there's such a huge difference between the two episodes. Both have their flaws but both come out about equal to me in terms of writing and enjoyability. It's always expected that the first will be the best the end and the nostalgia factor colors people's view a lot. What do you all think?
Comments
I liked ep1 of TWD over TWD2. the people in the drug store where interesting and fun to talk too and i was very happy to see Glenn and hershel in there
Season 1 better because Lee.
Season 1 better because Lee.
I'm tired of seeing people say Lee is a better character then Clem. Without Clem, Lee probably wouldn't have survived beyond the first episode, and Clem wouldn't have survived either.
So I would say they are both equally important. Neither is really better then the other.
I thought season one's first episode was a perfect beginning, and I feel that season two's first episode is a perfect continuation to the story.
I loved both but I do see the flaws in both too. I just don't think the first episode of season 1 was miles and miles better like some people claim.
I have some issues with game mechanics but that's a different animal. I'm talking writing. Right now, I'm much more excited to see what happens next than I was during the first episode of season one!
lee is better then clem, clem is cute but in no way is she better then lee.
For me season 1 EP 1 was better because I liked or hated the characters a lot more than season 2. There was more time to get to know them.
Well, that's your opinion.
I got mine and I remember enjoying s1e1 a lot much more than I enjoyed this first episode of the new season.
"I'm tired of people having different tastes than me"
I preferred by far playing as Lee, not my problem if it 'tires' you, nothing personal...
lol what are you talking about? I was talking about people who think that Lee was a more important or better character then Clem, which simply isn't true.
Memory is not to be trusted. People remember the first season. But I doubt many can correctly remember the feeling after the first episode alone.
I have no opinion either way. I enjoyed both first episodes and am looking forward to the next. It's only after the end of this season I will judge. As long as it doesn't get totally ridiculous on the way.
Our group's character development was indeed stronger in TWD S1E1. Perhaps spending some more minutes as young Clem in the introduction, speaking more with Christa after the unexpected time jump or getting to know the new cast a bit more would have made this episode better in my book.
A longer introduction sequence with Clem finding the pair, and even a more or less hopeful conversation around a fire in the outskirts of Savannah before arriving at Gil's would have made Omid's death all the more touching. Plus, symmetry for that depressing camp scene later on with Christa.
Christa, if dead, was a wasted opportunity. Imagine all the resentment she may hold (conscious or not) towards Clem. Her gun was the weapon that killed her husband and potentially caused her baby to die (If it died). She cares about her, but is bitter at the same time. This can be explored further in the season, possibly.
Finally, the new group. Again, I think their introduction was done nicely. Where is the followup to that? She survives the shed and ends on more or less friendly terms with most of the survivors and we're supposed to make a decision that will potentially affect the group's dynamic without knowing who these people really are.
I liked the episode, but it feels... incomplete.
I can understand why you didn't get to know the group, Most of the group doesn't trust Clem, this is mentioned many times throughout the episode, In fact the only one who actually says that they trust Clem is Pete.
This is a totally different situation then in S1 E1 where you met the group in the drug store.
I think that this particular point has been planned consciously so. At that point in the story Clem is not supposed to know much about the new characters. That feels certainly different than the first season where at the end of the first episode you knew the characters way better. But again season 2 is not just a repeat of season 1. And that's a good thing.
It is incomplete. About 80% are yet to come.
Yes, I specifically stated that it is my opinion.
I kind of like the alienation from the new group. We already did the quick integration into a group thing in season one and the variety is pretty cool. In season one, after we met Kenny and family, we were a group that joined up with another group after a few hiccups. In this season, we're a lone little girl who through a series of unfortunate events ends up in a group that doesn't really want her there and at the same time we don't necessarily want to be there either.
I think it's a different dynamic and we really are basically "listening through a door" to figure out what a new group is really all about. Sure you want to know the characters well right off the bat but Telltale seemed to realize that it wasn't quite realistic in this scenario. Remember, in the first season people were more accommodating because the zombie apocalypse had just happened. Now everyone is understandably more cynical and suspicious and that it reflects in the game is good writing. Lee would have probably gotten a horrible reception if we'd been playing as him. He probably would have been shot right away.
However, an issue I have is how cruel and suspicious they are towards Clementine. I understand being careful and cynical, but this is still just a little girl. It doesn't read quite believable to me.
Great post, I do believe that the group is supposed to be mysterious, in that you're not supposed to get to know them yet, and I don't know why people keep comparing this to S1 E1 because group-wise it's 2 totally different situations.
I definitely liked the characters in Season 1 Episode 1 better than Season 2 Episode 1, but I like the pacing of Season 2 much better so far, though it was a bit too quick in places.
I think we do need some time to just walk around and talk to people, get to know them. That's the only real thing I wished we had in Season 2 Episode 1.
I'd have to say that S1E1 WAS better, now that I think about it. You had ample opportunities to interact with the characters, learn a bit about them, decide who you liked, didn't like, and who you were siding with. S2E1 lacked an important part of any introduction, which Season 1 had down pat: learning who the characters were! We hardly got to talk to any of them, not in the way we got to know Kenny, Lilly, Carley, and others in S1E1. I liked the first episode of Season 2, but I hope the Cabin Survivors are more fleshed out in the next Episode.
The only thing I think was missing in TWD2 E1 was the lack of one of those "I can stroll around and talk to people" moment which every single episode in TWD1 had, all your dialogues are forced and that's not really cool, I like to take my time and just talk to people, get to know them and even explore the very limited area I'm in (probably my RPG side catching up to me, trying to find hidden potions or what not aha).
That being said I don't think it was a bad episode, all the opposite actually. It may not look like it but I think there already were a lot of important choices done, compared to the first Episode of TWD1 where the only choice that really mattered was wether you saved Doug or Carley.
Think about it, did you help Christa ? If yes maybe you actually made things worse by making the bandits panic, if not maybe you'll find her later on imprisonned or something. Did you take the watch ? If yes maybe at a time everyone is wary of each other it will do you no good, if no then maybe you won't be able to do something (we all saw what even just a ridiculous sparkplug could do in S1). Who did you save ? What consequences can it have ?
You can't judge ANYTHING with just 1 episode, that's something I learned with S1 because when I completed the 1st episode I wasn't impressed, when I bought the rest and played it one go I was litteraly blown away.
Just you wait, have faith in TTG, up until now they gave us no reason to doubt them (aside from the "soon" thing repeated ad nauseam).