Telltale are Wasting Luke's Potential

One of my criticisms I had with Episode 3 was Luke. I know I may not like Luke, but I have to admit that Telltale sort of screwed him and put him on the sidelines this episode. I don't know why Telltale is having problems with giving Luke character development. Luke was completely useless this entire episode while Kenny shone like a star. They made Luke a big droopy mess while making Kenny look like a badass. Here's what I mean:

-Luke tracks down the group and arrives to Carver's camp to rescue them.
-Gets caught stealing food which leads to Kenny losing his eye and making Luke look like a Ben. Luke making a comeback and giving everyone hope only to fail epically over something petty as stealing food. He couldn't even be caught for something worth it and less embarrassing like saving Clementine's life from a walker, one of Carver's men, or something along those lines. Telltale, why did you even bring Luke back if he's going to do absolutely nothing, but screw things up in Episode 3!

-Luke takes the AK-47 from Carver and finally has the chance to end this nightmare.
-Cops out and Kenny takes care of it making him look even more of a badass while making Luke seem incompetent.

-Group fights through the hoard of walkers.
-Luke disappears...AGAIN

I'm under the impression that they want us to like Kenny more than Luke this episode. Telltale, you had a chance to make a 50/50 split choice with Kenny and Luke in Episode 5, but you ruined it. Did more people like Kenny than Luke in Episode 2? Sure, but it wasn't by a large margin and Telltale could have at least had Luke done something admirable to strengthen our attachment with him in Episode 3, but instead they made him useless and naive. If there's a Kenny or Luke choice now, Luke would get destroyed by Kenny. It would be one of those choices where most people wouldn't think twice about picking Kenny.

Good job Telltale by making your deuteragonist less likable than a lot of the other characters. Now you have only one more episode before the Kenny or Luke choice and guess what? Luke is missing again! Astounding work Telltale, you never cease to amaze me. Way to make this a difficult choice. Oh wait...it's not.
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Comments

  • Luke seems to be the Ben of season 2. Just older and less room for excuses.
  • This came off like a tantrum to me.
  • edited May 2014
    You summed up pretty much how I felt about Luke in Episode 3. I still like him, but I'm beginning to realise that he's starting to lose potential due to lack of character development, and he's being overshadowed by Kenny who is a well written character in his own right.

    Perhaps Telltale will eventually throw up their hands and kill off Luke and replace him with Kenny if they realise there's little chance to redeem Luke? Right now he's a waste of potential, and there's only two episodes left.
  • edited May 2014
    I prefered Luke more than Kenny in episode 2, even when he went missing I new he be back but to disapear again? Luke best have a good excuse.

    Telltale need to give Luke a epic scene to keep up .
  • edited May 2014
    I love Kenny way more than Luke, but this is just ridiculous how Telltale had seemed to just stop trying with Luke and had Kenny take over. I feel like in Episode 4 Luke is going to be the Nick of Episode 3 if you know what I mean.
    RichWalk23 posted: »

    You summed up pretty much how I felt about Luke in Episode 3. I still like him, but I'm beginning to realise that he's starting to lose pote

  • I agree. Hopefully they'll focus on Luke more in episode 4 to make it fair to Luke.
  • I'm a Luke fan and I kind of agree. The way they handled him in this episode was pretty disappointing and I'm not sure why they're taking so long to give him some significant development and focus. Especially if, as everyone is saying, the season culminates in some epic choice, it's really not much of a choice at all when you have one really well-developed character coming off a string of badass and emotional showcases vs. a character with a lot of potential they ended up not doing much with and wrote kind of unevenly when they did at all.

    This episode did a lot to turn my opinion of Kenny around and it will be one giant fail if they don't give Luke the same kind of chance in upcoming episodes. Seriously, if he is actually gone for a chunk of episode four, I'll be pretty pissed. It would just be so lazy and nonsensical.
  • I suppose it did. XD

    This came off like a tantrum to me.

  • Don't get me wrong, I would choose Kenny because Kenny all the way, but I at least want Luke to have a fighting chance. I'm not that much of a fanboy that I want my character to be more important than every other character. I just want Luke to have some character development, that's all.
    lotrabc posted: »

    I'm a Luke fan and I kind of agree. The way they handled him in this episode was pretty disappointing and I'm not sure why they're taking so

  • You should change the title to Luke Rant.
  • I got a better title.
    Swindler posted: »

    You should change the title to Luke Rant.

  • XD

    I got a better title.

  • Lol naw I'm just kidding.
    Swindler posted: »

    XD

  • Come on man you can't blame luke for that food situation since the guy was most likely starved being hungry makes you irrational they already foreshadowed luke makes bad decisions somees in episode 2
  • Yeah, understandable. Everything is better when the world of the game is populated by well-crafted characters you can care about. I've always thought Kenny's character was well-done, layered, and really human even when he was getting on my nerves, and I'm just confused and bummed that they're dropping the ball with Luke's character like this.

    I don't want to pick him just to pick him at the end of the day, if there's not enough to back it up, it's like what's the point.

    Don't get me wrong, I would choose Kenny because Kenny all the way, but I at least want Luke to have a fighting chance. I'm not that much of

  • Well Luke didn't ditch the group, he could have easily.
  • Luke was too busy sleeping to do anything.
  • I'm not blaming Luke, I'm blaming Telltale.

    Come on man you can't blame luke for that food situation since the guy was most likely starved being hungry makes you irrational they already foreshadowed luke makes bad decisions somees in episode 2

  • Wasn't really talking to you more about in general

    I'm not blaming Luke, I'm blaming Telltale.

  • Luke was so tired from sleeping. It all makes sense now!
    Itchy_Tasty posted: »

    Luke was too busy sleeping to do anything.

  • edited May 2014
    I hope it doesn't become a running gag that involves Luke running away at the end of every episode.
    Order 66 posted: »

    I prefered Luke more than Kenny in episode 2, even when he went missing I new he be back but to disapear again? Luke best have a good excuse. Telltale need to give Luke a epic scene to keep up .

  • I like where they're heading with his character, actually. Luke is presented as desperately wanting to be a leader but just... not being very good at it. He's human, he makes mistakes and has flaws. This is good writing, here.

    Kenny's the one who got the brunt of bad writing, IMO. He was way too big a character and stole the spotlight from less developed characters. I was happy to see his return but now the fact that they're rehashing him so much just seems unfair. If anyone should have bashed Carver's face in, it should have been Rebecca. And she's stone cold, I bet she would have done it, too.
  • From not sleeping.....

    Luke was so tired from sleeping. It all makes sense now!

  • That's an interesting point of view on the situation (I mean that in a good way).
    skoothz posted: »

    I like where they're heading with his character, actually. Luke is presented as desperately wanting to be a leader but just... not being ver

  • edited May 2014
    Hurrah. I've noticed a few people are upset with TTG for "ruining" Luke's character in Episode 3, but in my personal opinion they improved on him. Wouldn't be realistic if the guy didn't have his fair share of flaws. I don't want Luke to necessarily be the perfect hero or turn into a Gary Stu capable of doing anything, and Episode 3 established that yes, he does have his flaws, such as being overly pacifistic to the point of being unwilling to shoot Carver who would clearly continue to cause trouble for the group, and suggesting to leave people behind in their escape.

    I also agree with you on Kenny. I don't like how they're reworking his character this season—he's too much of a hero. It's too easy to side with him, whereas in Season 1 he was always making controversial decisions that the player either completely agreed or disagreed with. You either hated him or you loved him. That dynamic is no longer present in Season 2, at least for me.
    I really loved Kenny in Season 1 for how amazingly well-written he was, but I feel like his Season 2 appearance just falls flat in comparison.
    skoothz posted: »

    I like where they're heading with his character, actually. Luke is presented as desperately wanting to be a leader but just... not being ver

  • Oh, sorry.

    Wasn't really talking to you more about in general

  • Really? Luke was a better man than Kenny this episode. Kenny's becoming too regardless of his actions and how they will affect others besides himself and those he immediately cares about, and hell, he doesn't exactly put a lot of thought towards that either. Especially at the end when he brutally beats Carver to death.. god, Kenny's becoming another Carver.
  • edited May 2014
    Interesting point of views in this thread. I do agree that they should keep Luke' s character realistic, but they still could let him have a better storyline. The problem is that Telltales did the "Luke or Kenny" decision way too early and now everyone thinks that 'this two' need comparison. I think that both have potential, but that only Kenny got the opportunity to fully show his. We still do not know anything really personal about Luke or what he has gone through since all this started - with Kenny, however, we know almost anything important. I hope that episode three was aimed for Kenny to shine! Episode four is then 'hopefully' aimed for Luke and going to give him the important moments he needs for his potential to rise and shine. :)
  • Amen brother.

    Interesting point of views in this thread. I do agree that they should keep Luke' s character realistic, but they still could let him have a

  • >Kenny's becoming another Carver.

    That would be an interesting development for his character. I've always seen Carver as a sort of foil to Kenny since they have similar motivations (family first and foremost, wanting to take leadership) and even a few shared traits (both have immense determination, can be brutal, family-oriented, no patience for people who disagree with them, choleric) but entirely different ways of making decisions (Carver is calculating and strategic whereas Kenny is impulsive and brash) so I thought it was fitting for Kenny to be the one to kill him, but what if he ends up becoming just like Carver himself in the end?

    I'm probably just grasping at straws here and I doubt it'll happen, but the idea is definitely interesting to me.
    Jexx21 posted: »

    Really? Luke was a better man than Kenny this episode. Kenny's becoming too regardless of his actions and how they will affect others beside

  • You can't compete with Epic Mustache!!! hahaha

    Actually I didn't bother with the fact that Luke has been overshadowed by Kenny. we had enough time and interactions with Luke in episode 2. Luke is more rational than Kenny, who is extremely emotional, but that does not make him a "weaker" character. he just deals with things differently in my opinion.

    but yeah..the fact that he disappeared for the second time is something strange and suspicious...

    I love Kenny way more than Luke, but this is just ridiculous how Telltale had seemed to just stop trying with Luke and had Kenny take over. I feel like in Episode 4 Luke is going to be the Nick of Episode 3 if you know what I mean.

  • edited May 2014
    Rylee obviously he's tired from sleeping. I mean, who gets tired from sleep deprivation?

    Luke was so tired from sleeping. It all makes sense now!

  • As a Luke fan i have to admit, when the choice comes between these two, i choose Kenny. Just *cough*Telltale*cough* ruined that brother sister thing what i saw past 2 episodes.
  • Because that definitely makes sense.

    Rylee obviously he's tired from sleeping. I mean, who gets tired from sleep deprivation?

  • They clearly had Kenny vs Luke ideas since the beginning but it looks like it all was scrapped after they saw how almost everyone would choose Kenny no matter what. After Kenny's absolute badassery and Luke's utter failure in episode 3 i don't think anyone will ever choose Luke over Kenny if it came down to a really huge choice between the two in episode 4 or in the finale.
  • Luke hasn't caused that many to die. His count is the same as Clem's practically... but no one ever blames her. I don't blame her for anything bad she's caused but for that reason we shouldn't justify the mistakes she has made then turn around and hate on Luke who's no different.
    KeiraOasis posted: »

    Luke seems to be the Ben of season 2. Just older and less room for excuses.

  • I agree there. If they keep doing like that to Luke's character, Luke will probably end up like Ben did.
    Kenny was kind of a badass but for me he could also caused big problem, for ex. he lost his eye, and Luke might felt he got blamed for it.
  • How do you know that they scraped the idea?

    They clearly had Kenny vs Luke ideas since the beginning but it looks like it all was scrapped after they saw how almost everyone would choo

  • I'm the biggest Luke fan I know, and I agree with you. They could have used him WAY more, I thought LUKE saved Clem from the walker, not Troy! The new guy who wrote this in my opinion didn't understand Luke's character very well!
  • edited May 2014
    I know, right? I mean Telltale could have at least had Luke get caught saving Clementine because he cares for her, but instead they made Luke get caught stealing food.

    I'm the biggest Luke fan I know, and I agree with you. They could have used him WAY more, I thought LUKE saved Clem from the walker, not Troy! The new guy who wrote this in my opinion didn't understand Luke's character very well!

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