Thoughts on: The Walking Dead Season 2 - Episode Two.

Oh Clementine, the troubles you've faced. In a world where danger and disaster lingers around every corner, it's no surprise you've been forced to grow up quicker than you'd like. The world in which you now live is no longer willing to let you simply be a young girl, you're faced with death everywhere you turn and must face up to your fears daily, just to stay alive.

That's what makes Telltale's The Walking Dead so special, portraying a world that never feels safe, filled with a populace that are complex and as troubled as Clementine is, struggling to cope with the world as it is after the zombie outbreak. The zombies have always felt like the background to the Walking Dead, thanks to the superbly written relationships between survivors and the choices you make, episode two of the second season highlights this quality throughout. After a somewhat slow first episode, the second season feels like it's matching the high quality storytelling found in the first season with a gripping episode two: A House Divided.

Without going into too much story detail, the tale of episode two continues Clementines time spent with the new group of survivors she meets previously. However we find out a great deal more about the group and their troubles, helping you feel truly invested in each and everyone of them. It's the biggest concern I had for season two, would Telltale be able to recapture the same love that players had for the characters of season one with this new group of survivors? Thankfully, at least in my regard, they do just that with episode two. In fact it's impressive the quality of investment put into episode two's numerous personal moment when the overall story arch continues as well as it does. While some episodes of The Walking Dead can feel like they don't add a great deal to the overarching story, episode two does a great job of getting this season on track and in some captivating ways.

It's clear Telltale have an idea of how they want the character of Clementine to turn out, whereas in season one she was this venerable little girl who must be protected and sheltered from all the dangers the world possessed, in season two she's becoming a strong and even trustworthy eleven year old who is more out to prove herself to everyone that she is no longer that scared and frightening kid. Depending on the choices you make in key story points, or even in the general dialogue between characters, Clementine feels like shes really developing as a character as captivating and fun to portray as Lee from season one. This is really emphasised by the introduction of Sarah, daughter of Carlos who she meets in episode one. Whereas Sarah is sheltered and protected by her father, Clementine sees the world for what it is and while Sarah isn't oblivious to their troubles, she comes across as a lot more innocent and inexperienced when compared against Clem. On the other hand it's as if Clementine as lost that child like sense of being that Sarah still possesses, playfully playing with items she discovers abandoned around the house.

The writing in episode two is a real high point for the season so far, helped by the early character developments made in the first episode. Season two looks set to go in some fascinating directions and it's somewhat comforting that this second season looks to have found a direction to head in. Characters are developed and I've found myself invested in the troubled tales of their pasts, caring about who survives and where their troubles might take us next. It's the real power of Telltale Game's The Walking Dead that remains as engrossing as it did in season one and it's only helped by the fact that this second episode of the second season is one of the best Telltale have produced.