The Walking Dead’s latest episode “Amid the Ruins” is host to a few of the series’ finest—and most heartbreaking—moments. Despite the episode’s preoccupation with things in ruin (as its title suggests), the episode is equally concerned with building things up. Dialogue returns as the gameplay’s focus, which allows for some great moments of character development. The episode’s primary tension—which revolves around the crumbling ties of Clementine’s group—relentlessly drives the plot towards the climatic season finale. These traits are best understood in the context of the episodes that preceded “Amid the Ruins,” so this review heavily spoils the events of past episodes (though you’ll find no Episode 4 spoilers).
During the final moments of Episode 3, most players—myself included—opted to remove Sarita’s arm when they saw a zombie using her hand for rather literal finger food. “Amid the Ruins,” Season 2’s fourth episode, opens immediately after this choice. The sounds of Clem’s hatchet and Sarita’s screams darken the black title screen, and players regain control just in time to witness the consequences of their decision. I removed Sarita’s arm because I felt that it was her best chance at survival. The events and misunderstandings that followed made me wish that I’d attacked the zombie instead. Eventually, I mitigated my regret with the game’s “Rewind” feature, and I found that the alternative improved nothing. In a world like The Walking Dead’s, where mercy often flirts with violence, there are no “right” choices. It’s a hard-learned lesson—one that series veterans know well—and Telltale has never quite depicted it as eloquently as it’s portrayed here.
This opening sets the tone for the events that follow. Clashes in personality and paranoia run rampant throughout the episode, and Clementine may either attempt to remedy the growing rifts in her group or deepen them, depending on player’s actions. At times, navigating these conflicts may be as simple as providing commentary on whether or not an individual can be trusted. Other times, such choices weigh the value of an individual life against the welfare of the group. Players would be wise to tread carefully through choices like these. Doing what seems “right” for the group may, in fact, turn out to be the opposite, as indicated by the episode’s shocking cliffhanger.
All of these choices and interactions unfold amid the actual ruins of a Civil War museum—an apt backdrop for an episode so concerned with group morality. A statue at the museum’s entrance depicts one soldier carrying another injured soldier, and it proves to be a visual representation of the conflicts and choices therein. With Rebecca’s pregnancy and Sarah’s mental condition reaching critical states, “Amid the Ruins” challenges players to decide who is worth carrying. Though mercy often calls for the action that saves lives or helps the group survive, Episode 4 constantly draws this concept under question. Is it really “mercy” if saving a life only prolongs the inevitable? Is it “merciful” to protect one life if it puts both yourself and others at risk? By the episode’s end, players will have answered difficult questions such as these at unknown costs.
Jane—the tough girl with a plan—is a key player and focal point throughout these difficult decisions. Her backstory largely retreads the same territory as Molly from Season 1, but her interactions with Clem are nevertheless among the most satisfying of the season. The duo’s capers fluctuate between empowering badassery and charming discussions of sisterhood, though their blooming friendship is made bittersweet by the same inevitability haunting the group. Jane makes it clear from the early moments of the episode that she’ll have no luck with group loyalty, and this attitude makes her a role model for the practice of self-preservation over the good of the group. As much as I admired Jane’s adroit survival skills, her behavior during a pivotal moment of the episode reminded me that self-preservation can be just as injurious to others as acting in the name of a group’s interest.
Though this episode is proliferated by ruins—the ruin of friendships, of alliances, of ethics—it still manages to build towards what will most likely be a difficult and enthralling season finale. This episode left me terrified in the best possible way. The group is falling apart, just as Jane predicted, and it seems that Clementine’s penultimate decision will revolve around staying with the group or abandoning them in the name of self-preservation.
This review is based on a retail Steam code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher.
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