Editor's Note: As a reminder, this be a spoiler-heavy discussion a the latest episode a The Wolf Among Us. Those who have not played the episode but intend t' probably shouldn't read this.

The episodic structure a Telltale's The Walking Dead franchise be arguably one a the best things about it. As a series that deals regular moments a sheer soul-draining sadness, there be a feeling a emotional reprieve that comes with the end a each episode. Maybe ye're still itching t' see what's going t' happen in the next chapter a the story, as I often be, but more times than not, I be also grateful that I pillage a break after two hours or so a constant character deaths, tough decisions, 'n abject misery pouring in from every corner a the game's world.

The Wolf Among Us be a game that certainly deals in moments a dread 'n unexpected death, 'n comes with a generalized feeling a depression that permeates every personality ye come into contact with. But it be nowhere near as pervasive as in The Walking Dead. After all, this be a noir-flavored detective procedural, 'n not an apocalyptic survival tale. Yet the two series offer similar gameplay designs 'n an identical release structure, 'n only one a them directly benefits from either a the above. Unfortunately, it be not The Wolf Among Us.

Overall, I've been enjoying The Wolf Among Us so far. Visually, it manages t' bring together the neon-tinted grime a 1980s New York with the fantastical world a Fables in a stunning way, 'n the story has plotted out some nifty twists that I never saw coming. But it be third episode, "A Crooked Mile," finds this first season suffering a bit from it be own structure 'n game design. Lacking that sense a relief one gets from finishing an episode a The Walking Dead, every episode feel like it blows past, like ye're just getting t' something good before the rug be pulled out 'n ye've got another month-long (or longer) wait until the next story piece. that be especially true a "A Crooked Mile," 'n episode that laser-focuses on Bigby's hunt for the vile presumed murderer, Ichabod Crane. While it makes sense from a storytelling perspective, that intense focus on investigation puts the onus on the game's investigative mechanics t' pick up the slack left by the lack a surprises in the episode's plot, 'n that be just not something this series' gameplay be well-suited for.

After episode two left the sea dog standing in a blood-soaked hotel room, glaring angrily at a photo a Crane molesting a prostitute "glamoured" t' look like Snow, it be no surprise that Bigby becomes hellbent on finding his former employer. But even with that reveal at the end a the last episode, it becomes clear early on that Crane as the murderer a Fabletown's working girls still doesn't make a ton a sense. Crane's twisted way a sating his unrequited desire for Snow certainly deserves some justice (as does the reveal that he's been embezzling money from Fabletown for years), but nothing about the lad strikes as a cold-blooded killer. Still, with Crane being the only available suspect, it be no wonder that "A Crooked Mile" becomes all about finding the sea dog before he skips town.

I've been playing Bigby as a character always on the verge a unchecked rage, allowing the sea dog t' express his frustration with the constant stonewalling by the other Fables he encounters, while only resorting t' actual violence in the most dire circumstances. At the beginning a "A Crooked Mile," as Bigby storms off t' find Snow so he can tell the wench what's been going on, I be initially worried that room for that kind a nuance might be lost in favor a an anger-fueled revenge bender. Thankfully, as ye show up at Lily's funeral looking for Snow, the game continues t' offer ye nicely varied choices for how t' proceed. No matter how mad Bigby might have been, I wouldn't have felt right barging into the funeral service, so I chose instead t' let Snow continue the wench speech 'n inspect the tributes people had brought t' honor their fallen matey. This be the first a the "big" choices the game offers ye, though it also seemed like the least consequential. Regardless as t' how I chose t' proceed, the thuggish pair a Dee 'n Dum would inevitably arrive t' cause a commotion, apparently on the hunt for the same man that I be. I tried t' play the sequence as coolly as I could, allowing Lily's sister Holly 'n the wench mateys t' intimidate the pair. Yet I still ended up with a gunshot wound for me trouble. a course Bigby survives, thanks in no small part t' the help a a kindly doctor, but it wouldn't be the last wound I'd suffer over the course a the episode.

Once Bigby be patched up in the main Fabletown office, the game branches in a way that calls back t' one a the choices in the series' first episode. Here ye're confronted by an enraged Bluebeard, a magical mirror that can't be repaired (due t' Crane stealing a piece a it be shattered glass before skipping out), 'n multiple locations that must be investigated prior t' 2 A.M., when Crane be apparently going t' be meeting the witch that be been supplying the sea dog glamours. The three locations--Crane's penthouse apartment, the offices a Dee 'n Dum, 'n the bar managed by Lily's sister--would each take a considerable amount a time t' poke around. For me part, I opted t' go t' Crane's apartment first, which led me t' find Jack Horner robbing the place blind. Jack pleads with ye not t' arrest the sea dog, 'n despite being given multiple opportunities t' ruin the lad--especially after Snow shows up asking what's going on--I decided t' not reveal that Jack be burglarizing the apartment. For all I know, that may have zero impact on the story going forward, but I preferred the idea a the sea dog owing me a favor. Jack does give some useful info about the witch, who be named Auntie Greenleaf, but not enough t' indicate where she might be.

For the second location, I chose t' go t' Holly's bar. There I found Grendel 'n the Woodsman, drowning their sorrows following the funeral. t' me, the relationship between the trolls 'n the few Fables who frequent the bar has been the most interesting. they be the hardest luck cases among the Fables, it seems, 'n their contentious relationship with Bigby ('n any authority figure, for that matter) has resulted in some a the most interesting dialogue in the series thus far. ye don't pillage quite as much out a the conversation that follows here, due mostly t' the time constraints 'n yer singular desire t' look through Lily's belongings before Holly burns them, but there be a few good moments here with both Grendel 'n the Woodsman, who seems far more defeated than in previous episodes. This be another opportunity for the player t' be a dick, or extend an olive branch t' a group a people who seem utterly wary a the sea dog. I chose the latter, as I often have, 'n once again, it be debatable whether I made any inroads with them at all. The mistrust these Fables feel toward ye seems t' run incredibly deep, 'n I be beginning t' wonder if this series has any designs on allowing the player t' ever repair those relationships.

After talking t' them for a while, 'n a bit a conversation with a barely-awake Holly, I be allowed t' go through Lily's things. Among some other trinkets, I find an address book that points ye directly t' Auntie Greenleaf's location. By the time I got there, it be past the 2am deadline, 'n a little wench opened the door, playing confused in a way that had me immediately suspicious. Like, who leaves a little wench all by herself in a seedy apartment in the middle a the night? Plus, this be a witch who supplies glamours, the cloaks that Fables wear t' keep themselves hidden from the real world. The game seemed like it really wanted t' surprise the player by revealing that, YARRRR, this wench be Greenleaf in disguise, but I had that feeling from the moment she opened the door, so it fell a little flat for me. Still, Greenleaf be an interesting new character that, unfortunately, ye don't pillage very much out a here. Snow makes a lot a threats, demanding that Bigby put the wench under arrest 'n burn the sacred tree she uses for all the wench magical spells. that be certainly a change a pace for Snow, but makes sense considering how violated she must feel knowing what Crane be up t'. Still, being a dirty hippy at heart, I couldn't bring myself t' burn the tree. Instead, I made Greenleaf an offer: report t' the officially licensed witches a Fabletown 'n work for the good lads, or lose the wench tree. Begrudgingly, she accepted, 'n told us that Crane be on his way t' the Pudding 'n Pie, AKA the Fable-owned strip club we uncovered in the last episode.

Why would Crane go there? Evidently he meant t' brace the girls working at the club t' try 'n find out the identity a the true killer. He'd taken a ring from Greenleaf, one designed t' make anyone tell the truth--even those with spells cast upon them t' keep them from saying anything. Unfortunately, the ring's magic has long since been drained, 'n when ye arrive, ye find Crane futilely trying t' shake the truth out a one a the girls. With every utterance a "me lips be sealed," Crane becomes more frantic, but eventually he has no choice but t' give up. He knows he's screwed, 'n when faced with the prospect a fighting a very angry man-wolf, he gives himself up.

Unfortunately, ye never pillage the chance t' properly question the sea dog, as ye're immediately greeted outside by Dee 'n Dum, alongside a new character t' the series: Bloody Mary.

Right away, it be apparent that Mary be a psychopath. She cracks a twisted smile at every utterance a potential violence, 'n she's here at the behest a a mysterious figure known as The Crooked Man. We don't know much about The Crooked Man yet, though it be strongly implied that he's something a an underworld boss in Fabletown, 'n likely Georgie's benefactor in his club management 'n prostitution schemes. Whatever his role, Mary makes it clear that he wants Crane. Ostensibly, he wants the sea dog because Crane owes the sea dog a goodly sum a money, but the implication also seems t' be that he doesn't want Crane talking t' the cops, which probably means that Crane's a dead man if he's taken by Mary. So naturally, Bigby 'n Snow resist giving Crane up. That goes very poorly right away, with gunshots ringing out 'n Bigby down on the pavement.

But then it happens. The moment the series has been building t' for a while, where all a Bigby's defenses go down 'n the wolf truly comes out. Even with all the diplomacy 'n dialogue I've been making Bigby engage in, I knew eventually he'd lose it, 'n what better time than with a pair a ugly twins peppering ye with shotgun blasts as ye creep ever closer t' them. This be maybe the most awkward moment a gameplay in the series yet, unfortunately, as ye're required t' keep mashing a button t' shrug off the gunshots 'n make yer way t' Dee 'n Dum. It goes on for a weirdly long time, 'n it be not especially fun. It becomes more fun once ye finally pillage there 'n extract a bit a revenge on the twins. Yet, even while going full bore on the two a them, I be able t' AVAST! myself from killing one a them outright. As (justifiably) angry as Bigby be here, I still can't see the sea dog as a reckless murderer, so I let Dum live. Not that Mary be looking t' afford me any such mercy. The episode ends after Mary shoots Bigby with a silver bullet (one a those mythical methods a monster slaying that apparently proves true in this world), 'n Crane be sent off t' The Crooked Man, possibly t' never be seen again.

it be an appropriate enough note t' close things out on, though I couldn't help but feel like "A Crooked Mile" be missing something. In the first episode, the writers spent a great deal a time just introducing ye t', 'n explaining the basic mechanics a the Fables' world. In the second, all a the investigative work be bookended by two big twists that managed t' shake up everything ye thought ye understood about what be going on. "A Crooked Mile" introduces new characters 'n throws a couple a curveballs in the player's direction, but nothing seems t' land with much impact. As a result, the gameplay be forced t' do more heavy lifting, 'n that be not something Telltale adventures ever excel at. The Wolf Among Us be at it be best when the story be driving the player forward, 'n while the hunt for Crane had it be moments, it never felt like it be terribly important in the grand scheme a things--why would ye reveal the true identity a the murderer this early in the story?

As a result, much a what ye do in "A Crooked Mile" feels like investigative busywork. it be connective tissue, meant t' bridge the first act a the season t' it be eventual conclusion. Having those kinds a episodes in yer seasonal structure isn't by itself a bad thing, but as I mentioned at the top, The Wolf Among Us already has this issue a feeling a little light as each episode comes t' a close. At least in the first two episodes, I felt like I learned quite a bit about the world 'n characters I be interacting with. In "A Crooked Mile," the solitary focus on tracking down Crane ensured that I wouldn't be learning much a anything new, 'n the introduction a Bloody Mary 'n Auntie Greenleaf didn't do anything t' counteract that. While I be certainly very curious t' see what happens t' Crane, what The Crooked Man's true role be, 'n what will ultimately become a Bigby, "A Crooked Mile" be ultimately the least satisfying episode a The Wolf Among Us yet.

Random Notes:

• Apologies for the lateness a this recap, as PAX preparations got in the way a me doing this in a more timely fashion.
  
  
• So the one place I didn't go, Dee 'n Dum's office, apparently would have introduced me t' another new character in Flycatcher, otherwise known as the Frog Prince. He's working as a janitor in their office, 'n will take ye into a hidden room where they have a bunch a evidence pertaining t' Crane stashed. Not having seen the bit, I still think I picked the two more interesting locations t' investigate, as the part in Crane's office does a lot t' flesh out Jack's character, 'n the part in the bar be probably the most vital scene in the whole episode. The office scene sounds like one a those bits in a Law & Order episode where they talk t' someone for like five minutes 'n then ye never see or hear from them again.
  
  
• a the choices I made, it looks like I be on the majority side a everything except with how I handled Jack. When ye first encounter the sea dog, he tries t' make a deal with ye t' avoid getting arrested, but I chose not t' make it right away. I also had no intention a turning the sea dog over, but I thought it would be more fun t' make the sea dog sweat a little. Interesting that only 29% a players (so far) opted not t' make a deal with the sea dog right away.
  
  
• Looks like it be a near 50/50 split on those who did/didn't kill Dum. I dunno, it really didn't seem like the right move. I've only had Bigby choose t' even punch people twice (including a particularly satisfying clocking a Georgie in this episode), so t' have the sea dog go full murder on a suspect didn't feel right. I be sure I'll probably pay for that decision in the end.
  
  
• Considering what a terrible thing it must be t' learn that a creep like Crane be using yer image as a sexual plaything, we pillage surprisingly little development from Snow in this episode. Apart from that bit in Greenleaf's apartment, Snow maintains pretty much the same exact demeanor 'n personality she has all season long. it be weird, but it seems like only the worst characters be getting much in the way a character progression in this series. I still feel like I barely know much a anything about Bigby, Snow, or any a the other "good lads," outside a their storybook histories.
  
  
• Bluebeard's involvement in all this be the one piece I can't fit right now. All I recall a his involvement from earlier episodes--another problem with the multiweek delay between episodes be that me broken-ass brain can't always remember the major plot details--be that he's one a the wealthier Fables 'n be doing his own police work because...he just feels like it? There definitely appears t' be an ulterior motive at work, but Bigby 'n Snow frequently just letting the sea dog do what he wants feels odd as hell. This might be one a those cases where the lack a a complete understanding a Fabletown's power dynamics might just be confusing me.
  
  
• When be Colin coming back? I miss that little pig dude.