#duck night

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

YOOOO WHAT WOULD BE LILLY'S REACTION TO SEEING DUCK AGAIN? I wonder if she'd hate him because his dad killed her dad. I bet Duck would bring it up a lot to rub it in her face.

...OH NO

DUCK WOULD BE SUCH A LITTLE SHIT TO LILLY

Like, Lilly was all “Clementine...? Is that really you??” because Clementine was such a sweet little child who, yeah, had connections to Lee and depending on your choices, Lilly could really hate Lee but she still had that soft spot for Clem. 

Oh the other hand, I bet Lilly found Duck ANNOYING when he was a kid and yeah, that’s KENNY’S kid so that makes it 10x worse. 

Lilly would go “Lee and Kenny aren’t with you...? So they’re dead.” then if Lee helped Kenny, “Good. After what they did to my father, they got what they deserved.” or if you helped Lilly, “Lee was a good man, but Kenny... I’m glad he got what he deserved after what he did.”

Either way, Duck’s gotta quack and piss Lilly off. 

Hell, just like how Clem reminds Lilly of Lee, Duck would probably remind her of Kenny. 

OH SHIT

WAIT

Skipping ahead, if you didn’t let AJ shoot Lilly and we got an actual honest to god throw down with Lilly AND DUCK HAS TO OPTION TO BASH HER HEAD IN WITH THAT SALT LICK??

I’m into it, someone write or draw this. 

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Duck deserved none of that. His dad didn't appreciate him until ZOMBIES WERE REAL and then he got bit and had to feel like death until he ACTUALLY DIED. That being said, it was an alright part of the story that was written semi-decently.

“ His dad didn't appreciate him until ZOMBIES WERE REAL “ y’know what, that’s totally true, isn’t it? 

Kenny says something about never being home because he was always out at sea and that he really enjoyed that time away... for a man who’s always “FAMILY” it seems like he didn’t... well, to say he didn’t care is harsh and untrue, but maybe he just got annoyed easily being at home and really liked making the money he was doing what he was doing. 

Then, of course, the walkers come and suddenly there’s a very possible chance that his wife and child could get killed super quickly and easily. And I always noticed how Duck seemed to be more close with Katjaa? In a way? I don’t know how to explain it, but it would make sense if Kenny was gone a lot. 

But yeah, Duck didn’t deserve that shit. I get why they did it because it was powerful and heartbreaking to watch Duck slowly die in his mother’s arms, was Kenny’s absolute denial of the whole thing, then to know that there’s no way to prevent Katjaa from taking her own life before having to shoot Duck yourself, make Kenny do it, or leave him to turn.

It always gets me whenever I replay s1 so I’d agree that it’s well written. 

Though, a part of me always wished that maybe Katjaa had gotten bit instead and then we’d have Duck understanding that she’s bit but not totally comprehending that she’s going to die on top of Kenny’s denial. Then we’d get to see a child lose his mother and be stuck with a grief-stricken father. 

It’d be an interesting alternate route to explore. 

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

If Duck made is to TFS do you think he would've had a crush on anyone there?

Hmmmmmmmm..... I don’t know!

Let’s see if we can play matchmaker. 

First of all, cross out AJ, Willy, and Tenn because obviously. And Clementine since I think most of us are in agreement about the remaining friends/brother-sister relationship. Also, Violet because, again, obviously. 

Marlon: Yeah, I don’t think so. Then again, Duck would be the type of person to unironically think Marlon had the most badass, majestic hair he’s ever seen so maybe that could spark some, eh... romance?

Brody: Hm, nah. I’m not feeling it there, either. 

Louis: Louis is already with Clem, m’kay? And Duck ain’t no homewrecker. 

Aasim: I don’t think they’d be each other’s type, honestly. 

Ruby: Hmmm.... I feel like Ruby would remind Duck of Katjaa, in a way. With Ruby being the designated nurse of the school paired with her motherly nature... wait, but then with her accent and short temper, she might start to remind him of his dad, too... Ruby would be a mixture of Duck’s parents and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing... they do say that a lot of people fall in love with someone like that... Huh.

Omar: Nah.

Mitch: Alright, this may be... something? I think Mitch and Duck would get along alright and Duck would think he’s pretty cool but as far as romance goes...? I don’t think I feel it here, either. Though that could be my jamich soul talking so...

Yeah, I don’t know guys. I don’t know if Duck would really find romance at Ericson.... what do you think? 

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Violentine 🤝 Clouis agreeing that Duck would be Clem’s good childhood friends to not interrupt their ship. (I agree completely. I love Violet to much to acknowledge Duck as a ship. Though I do love them as friends.)

Yeah, I think they’d be better off as friends. 

I love the idea of Duck being the #1 clouis/violentine supporter, though. 

Duck and Louis would’ve gotten along and became bros, no questions asked, and when it comes to Violet, Duck would be like “She scares the shit out of me but, like, in a good way.” 

He’d think that Louis/Violet make Clementine happy and they’d throw down their lives to protect her. What more could he ask for? 

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I won't lie Duck definitely wasnt my favorite character but I also cant say I hated him. He was a little kid, so I guess I gave him a pass for being annoying, not to mention its not exactly his fault he was a bit of a liability. Kenny and Katja coddled him so much, which is definitely understandable since thats their baby boy; but I really wish he knew how to use a gun PROPERLY. Duck had the potential to be a good survivor to Season 4 character especially if he stuck w Clem. He deserved better😤

I completely agree with you. 

To be honest, Duck isn’t exactly on my top 10 list, either, but I recognize that he was a kid, what happened to him wasn’t his fault, and that he deserved better than the death he got. He, like so many of the characters in this series, had to potential to turn into a wonderful, interesting character if given the chance. 

We have Clementine throughout the four games, and it would’ve been cool to see Duck remain at her side through all of it, but I understand that they wanted Clementine to be the sole face of the games, the ONE character that you know and come back to see. They know that we love her, but they also know that characters like Duck or Ben or Sarah were disliked by a huge percentage of the fanbase and it would’ve been too risky to keep them alive to give them the development they deserved. 

They brought Kenny back because he was a fan favorite and Lilly because... I dunno, she’s an antagonistic bitch who made a great [albeit lacking a certain depth and had wasted potential herself] villain, but Duck does fit into either of those categories. He fits into the “Let’s try and make the audience feel bad and cry by making them watch a child get bit and die and further along Kenny’s character development” category. 

All in all, Duck deserved better. 

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I've seen some "sarah lives to s4" and "ben lives to s4" stuff going around, but I'd really like to see how Duck would go through the events for seasons 2-4, and even the events of season 1 that he didn't live to see. Would he have stopped Clem from going to the stranger? Would he have gone with her? What about when Omid dies? Or when everyone gets taken to Carver's camp? OR REUNITING WITH KENNY IN SEASON 2!!!! I didnt realize I needed this until I typed this ask but oh my GOD

It’s definitely curious to think about. 

I can see Clementine still getting taken by the stranger and telling Duck not to tattle on her, but then he does anyway because now she’s gone and he realizes that he screwed up in letting trick him into thinking it’s okay that she’s talking to some weirdo who totally has her parents and just wants to help. 

I think he’d come clean about everything the Stranger has told her that he promised he wouldn’t tell Lee, which could’ve been super useful to the group since then we wouldn’t have to deal with the “Vernon took Clem!” bullshit fake-out that we all knew wasn’t the case and go straight to trying to find the Marsh house. 

But then you gotta think about how this totally changes what happens to Kenny. If Duck were alive, I honestly don’t think he would’ve even considered sacrificing himself to try and save Ben. Nope, as soon as it’s clear Ben isn’t getting outta there, Kenny’s probably like, “Welp, guess we better shoot him like Old Yeller” while Ben’s all D: and Lee’s like “Ken ffs-” 

So Kenny would’ve had to “die” some other way, some way quick or something, like getting separated from them in a horde of walkers. Then Duck’s parentless and that’s a whole other ballgame of pain weighing on him. 

When Lee goes to get Clem, Duck would obviously stay with Christa and Omid until they found Clem later on which then leads to s2. 

Duck totally would’ve loved Omid, like c’mon. Those two would’ve been such dorks together while Clem and Christa just rolls their eyes and smile, so losing Omid would’ve hurt Duck just as much as it hurt the others. 

And then being reunited with Kenny...... oof. Can you imagine the big reveal with Duck and Clementine staring up at Kenny and the tears and the sobbing of “Duck! Ken Jr, my boy!” and “Dad! You’re alive! Dad!” and “We thought you were dead!” 

Like, just cut my heart out already, yeesh. 

And while on the subject of s2, how do you think Duck and Sarah would’ve gotten along? I’m torn between Sarah being like “TWO new friends??” and “Ew boy” when it comes to Duck hahaha

Also, Sarita??? New mommy??? Hell, I bet Duck would be like “Uh... no” when Sarita says that she and Kenny are together haha

Anyway, as for Carver’s camp, I don’t think Duck would’ve been made to do the type of shit Clem did to get everyone out safe, mostly because at this point Kenny’s gone into full over-protective mode and that might get him into even more trouble. Not that he wasn’t overprotective of Clementine, but he was willing to be separated from her to do what they needed to do and I don’t know if he’d be willing to let Duck out of his sight at that point. 

There’s a lot to cover when it comes to this idea I’m realizing haha Just like how there’s so many things that change when you think about Ben or Omid surviving to this point, a shit ton of things change when you throw Duck in there. 

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I feel like they made Duck annoying on purpose but like. Some kids are really like that so it was nice to have like a 8 year old be, well, an 8 year old. He likes comics and dinosaurs and Batman and tractors! I rlly wish he had lived though, maybe make hin a determinate death if you dont get to him, Clem and Katjaa in time.

That’s a very good point!

As someone who works with kids, I can tell you with confidence that Duck reminds me of several of the kids I work with daily. 

I also think they might’ve done it because the main focus was always on Clementine, which is why she had more depth than he did because we never really got to talk to him and know more about his interests aside from that outer later of comic books and batman and whatnot. 

One thing that always struck my interest is what Kenny mentions at the beginning of ep3 about how Duck was asking about Shaun, showing that it’s still something that’s on his mind and how it affected him. 

And it makes sense that they didn’t focus on him. Unlike in s4, the adults + Clementine are the main focus. If Duck were in s4 at the age he is in s1, he would’ve totally been a Willy character, someone who is childish and can potentially be “annoying” but has that depth to him as the episodes go on.

Also, the child writing in s4 is just overall better than s1 because it’s not like Clementine has this deep, dark depth to her either. She has more than Duck, but she’s still a child that Lee has to protect rather than her being independent and growing as a character like in s2. Does that make sense? I don’t really know how to explain it haha

ANYWAY! Back on track, I agree that Duck being considered annoying in s1 is totally realistic to how children act because, shocking, children can be so damn annoying. 

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Dodging or quacking?

Both. 

Quacking while he dodges. 

It’s a sight to see.