The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 5: 'No Going Back' | Review

Sometimes There Just Isn’t the Right Answer

“Sometimes you have to hurt others to protect the people you care about,” but what happens when you have to hurt the people you care about to protect the lives of others? It’s never easy choosing between tough decisions, nor is it easy to sacrifice the things you care about most.

Many hearts were broken and tears were shed at the end of Season One, but if there’s one thing to be said about Season Two, it’s that not every ending will be the same and it all depends on your final choices. The ending can go five ways, and the question is, how will it all end for your Clementine? Will she be the loyal friend, the true survivor or the follower? It all depends on you.

As the snow falls and the temperature drops, Clementine and the survivors from the shootout — along with a returning face — continue their journey to safe haven, Wellington, but the journey won’t be easy. The snow will prove to be difficult, the injured will struggle, and with the group and the baby running low on food and supplies, they will face dangerous obstacles in order to survive. But will it all be for nothing?

The finale will test your loyalties, your selflessness, your survival and your friendships. Risks have to be taken and who you trust most is a question only you can answer and for you to decide. And just when the group need to stick together most, certain characters will test each other to prove points and leadership that won’t end well.

Not everyone will survive, not everyone is as trustworthy as you think they are, and be prepared to say goodbye to not only the end of another amazing season, but also to a few beloved characters, possibly your favourites.

Some Day

‘No Going Back’ means just that. It’s an episode that will leave you feeling all kinds of emotions, from relief, to happiness, to feeling sad, annoyed, frustrated, shocked, indecisive and sad again. It’s a rollercoaster within itself with its ups and many downs, one that you have the control of deciding where and how it ends.

Like ‘Amid the Ruins’, Episode 5 is well balanced in terms of dialogue, choices and action, with only a short section of exploring. The storyline remains on point, though it can drastically change in the last final moments when you are pushed into one of the toughest choices yet. It stays true to its theme of survivalism and makes you to think about Clementine’s best interest and who will keep her safe, even if it is herself.

We see a lot more character development from each of the surviving characters, as well as a brief moment of joy around a campfire — a moment you can appreciate — and also a face from the past that will make you smile. In saying that, embrace the happy moments while you can because it won’t only be the ice that breaks and it won’t only be the snow that falls.

Reflection

The season finale is another eventful and emotional episode that will test your trust, reliability and morality. The choices you make can affect the storyline and dialogues, as well as relationships, and replaying the episode and changing certain choices will slightly alter your gameplay.

One of its drawbacks is that none of the choices you made in ‘Amid the Ruins’ come into play resulting in no consequences or rewards, meaning whether you chose to steal the medicine from Arvo or let him keep them, doesn’t affect anything at all — it would have made the episode more interesting if it did. Another drawback was the stupidity from the group in one segment. Being in an apocalypse and in the middle of the snow, you’d think you would take the safest path in order to survive, right? Nope. It was the biggest facepalm moment and a sad one, too.

The endings will cause discussion and a lot of debate as there are five, but keep in mind that it is your playthrough and your Clementine — you have the option to decide what is best for her. As far as the endings go — without going into spoilers — I will have my say on each of the three outcomes.

'Til the End

If chosen, Ending A is quite powerful, emotive and actually feels like an ending as it concludes Clementine and the determinate character’s journey to safe haven, whereas Ending B’s outcome seems more like the end of an episode rather than a Season Finale — it felt quite weak compared to Ending A. As for Ending C, it wasn’t only an ending to the season, but a beginning as it mirrors the start of Clementine’s path, only this time without guidance where she becomes the protector instead of the protected. It’s all a matter of preference and taking a side in the end.

Each ending will cater for most players, though the ‘big’ decision should have been between two favourable/dominant characters which would have made it even more difficult to decide and made the showdown even more intense.

Overall, Episode 5, ‘No Going Back’ wrapped up the season quite nicely. It’s engaging, eventful and the action scenes will leave you on edge. Although there are still a few remaining unanswered questions left to you to decide on, it concludes the story of certain characters as well as the story overall, depending on which ending you get.

So, who will you become? Who will you choose, and which path will you take? The end is near, and with the group heading toward a cold, icy path, the final choice is sure to leave you with a chill. “Sometimes there just isn’t the right answer,” and it’s true, but it’s for to you to decide. After all, there’s no going back.

4.3/5 – 8.8/10

Another awesome and sad episode overall. I'm happy with the ending I got.

Approved!