Since the beginning, Telltale’s The Walking Dead has always been Clementine’s story. From her early stages as a young child under Lee’s care in season one to her current status as a budding young survivor in this fourth and final season, the entire series has largely hinged on her development in the aftermath of the apocalypse.
The first episode of this final season focuses a great deal on the parallels between Clementine and Lee, taking everything he taught her and preparing to pass it on to AJ, her own young ward (who we met in season 2). While the parallels between the two situations are similar, stark differences between Clementine and AJ’s childhoods make it a more intriguing and unpredictable dynamic than that of Clementine and Lee. The premiere sets the season up for an emotionally charged and powerful arc, but heavy exposition and character building make this a slow, gradual build.