Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The Walking Dead: The Final Season

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As some may be familiar with by now, and as covered on our industry wrap up a bit earlier, Telltale games spectacularly and unexpectedly imploded last year, shuttering the studio and leaving the fate of The Walking Dead series that put them on the map originally in question. It took many by surprise, not the least of which were the developers themselves. In the initial fallout, it was unclear if the series would be finished at all. Two episodes had released prior to the closure, but the future after that was unclear. After a period of uncertainty, Skybound Games (who were creative directors on previous seasons) stepped in to assist and provide an outlet for the core team to finish the latter two episodes.

While we may never quite know the details and what the exact situation was at the studio during its dying days, in its wake there were various accounts floating around from those who did have a front row seat to provide some insight. Based on what emerged from some of that, I argue the final parts of their flagship title can be said to contain some interesting possible parallels to the real-life conditions surrounding its creation.

So, what follows is perhaps emblematic of my patented brand of over-thinking/analyzing (which is my job anyway) but I did notice some striking similarities in many of the interactions and situations in the swansong season to what might very well have actually been happening behind the scenes during and after Telltale’s downfall. Obviously it’s helpful if you’ve played the final season to its conclusion or are least familiar with the main characters and overall story, but even if not, I shall attempt to lay out a broad overview and then make my case. Spoilers ahoy:

The setup for the final season is: Clementine (the original child protagonist, now teenager) and her adopted-by-default (i.e. zombies ate his parents) sidekick/son AJ (age 6 or 7) are trying to find a home and some semblance of safety in the walker-infested world, all while simply struggling to survive day-to-day. Clem is attempting to impart some semblance of a moral code to AJ on top of this via player decisions and discussions with him. During an early bog standard escape sequence in episode 1, the two of them end up stumbling upon a secluded former ‘school for troubled youth’ which is now being operated as a sort of bastion in the wastes by said youth.  

After some perfunctory introductions and the obligatory friendly/mistrustful dichotomy, there is the meandering ‘relationship building’ that inevitably comes along with encountering a new group throughout episode 2. Following that, Chandler’s Law is invoked: raiders show up, kill a character or two, and kidnap some others (one being a possible love interest character.) The remainder of the episode more or less entails the kids squabbling among themselves about how best to go about the rescue mission, with the player as Clem offering her expertise and advice on the details. Eventually a plan is hatched and the stage is set for the daring attempt in the next episode.

Now we arrive at the elements that sparked this think piece. Because of the timing of when episodes 3 and 4 were produced, I argue they encapsulate the possible mindset and mood of the handful of developers, programmers, artists and writers who were thrown the lifeline by Skybound after Telltale’s demise to complete them, which are reflected in the action and setpieces of the story. Clem and co.’s plan is to lead a large herd of walkers to use as cover, sneak onto the raider base (which so happens to be a battered but functional ship sitting in the nearby harbor) and rig it with homemade explosives to cause a big enough ruckus to free their friends.

During the course of the assault however, the team is found, captured, and threatened with conscription into the raider forces. All seems lost and their dreams of a successful reunion are crushed. Clem of course manages a breakout just as the bombs go off, everything goes to hell, and episode 3 culminates with the sabotaged ship exploding and capsizing in the waters, while everyone scatters in the chaos. This moment is the closest mirror in my estimation to the team’s experience. The major characters are left desperately trying to escape a burning, sinking ship, wondering about the fate of their compatriots as well as their own immediate survival. All of this to me is clearly a not-so-subtle metaphor for the studio as it collapsed, and the sense of upheaval its abrupt closure surely must have imparted.   

Episode 4 opens directly in the aftermath, as on the shoreline beyond the ship, the horde of walkers waits to devour Clem and AJ and anyone else caught in its path. This could reasonably be said to represent the mass of fans who clamored for the finish they felt they (mostly) deserved, and/or the scary prospect of having to now find work in an industry notorious for mistreating its employees for the developers. Trapped between a rock and hard place, the duo narrowly manage to evade both perils, only to be confronted with a surviving bandit who proceeds to almost chop off Clem’s leg, slowing their escape down significantly and causing her to (finally) get bitten as she hoists AJ to safety while fleeing.

Battered and in double mortal danger, it looks as if Clem is about to finally succumb to the harsh world she strived so hard and sacrificed so much for to endure to this point. She tells AJ to leave her behind (or optionally shoot her) and to continue to live and survive for her. We then cut to the school, see the surviving kids prospering, and are now controlling AJ as the PC. We wander around the yard, check in with some of them, and are just about ready to accept the fact that Clem’s gone and AJ must continue without her guidance.

Until moments later, when Clem appears alive and well, sporting crutches and an amputated limb. AJ and her sit down together and share a moment of relief about the newfound stability and ostensible permanent home they’ve found. The series ends on a cautious note of hope, with the slow roll reveal of Clem having survived the ordeal and settling into her new position as de factor leader of the school, while AJ embraces his budding maturity, adding a touch of sweet to the bitterness that preceded it. Much like how Skybound swooped in at the eleventh hour and enabled at least some of the Telltale survivors to finish the project, saving it from the fate of going quietly (and undignified) into the night.

As I stated earlier, whether any of the above aspects were intentional, and to what degree, is certainly up for debate and interpretation. But I maintain that if art is indeed in some manner a reflection of the circumstances of its creation, then the examples above serve to provide a sort of conduit, in my perception, to the attitude and experience of the artists who produced it during a time of unease in their lives. In any case, I found it fascinating upon ruminating on it after finishing the final episode, and felt compelled to convey the observation. But for anyone out there who has also played and completed the final season, what do you think? Drop some thoughts and comments if you are so moved. In the meantime, I will remain on the lookout for instances to apply my eager over-analysis to in the coming games on the horizon.        

-Scott Thurlow