#Karen Reynolds

[arcadiabaytornado]

The way the Life Is Strange franchise portrays freedom is so, so, so, insane.

It's portrayed as the ultimate goal Chloe, Rachel, Karen, Sean, Steph, and possibly Alex strive for. Yet, it's also portrayed as a doomed ambition that you'll have to give up everything to reach.

Rachel loses her life in her search for freedom, and so does Chloe unless Max makes the ultimate payment of everything she and Chloe have ever held dear. Karen has to sacrifice her family to be free, and Steph has to sacrifice her bonds in Haven Springs. Alex has to sacrifice her dream of living a happy life in Haven with her brother to end up on the road, and Sean loses A: His life or B: His freedom or C: His brother or D: His safety in his pursuit of escaping into Mexico.

But despite what all is sacrificed, freedom is still portrayed as something beautiful. It's portrayed as Chloe and Max driving off into the sunset for more adventures. It's portrayed as Rachel and Chloe happily daydreaming about their future with no awareness of the horror yet to come. It's portrayed as Karen, Sean, and Daniel star-gazing and letting lanterns lose into the night sky. It's portrayed as Alex and Steph playing in a band in front of their adoring fans

But it's also portrayed as something destructive. It's the tornado that destroys a town so Chloe can leave. It's the wild fire that engulfs a town Rachel feels stuck in. It's the bullet wound that made Alex and/or Steph realize they didn't belong. It's the blood shed by a nine year old as Sean crosses over the border. It's the deep emotional scars Karen left behind when she up and left in the middle of the night.

Freedom is portrayed as this beautiful ultimate goal that ends up being a force of destruction in the lives of everyone who seeks it. It makes me think of this philosophical question: "Can you be truly free if you have something? And it makes me think of how the franchise answers "No. At least, you can't have everything." It's an interesting twist from how freedom is usually depicted in media, and the choice to make the downside of freedom destruction makes me brain go insane.

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

we've been cursed from the start, jesus didn't want us

(head in the wall, ethel cain)

[lifeisstrange-incorrectquotes]

Karen to Sean: You should get a girlfriend, son.

Esteban: Or boyfriend, he's bi.

[danieesketches]

Lanterns scene - Episode 5: Wolves - Life is Strange 2

[incorrectlis2]

Karen: Sean deserves a special birthday this year.

Daniel: If what he says in his diary is true then i’d say he needs it. A LOT.

Lyla: It’s true.

Karen: Wait, you read his diary?

Lyla: Uh.. well, yeah.

Daniel: What I can stomach.

Lyla: I just skim it to make sure he’s not on hard drugs.

Karen: Well what does it say?

Lyla: It says “i’m not on hard drugs”.

Karen: Huh.

Daniel: It’s pretty rough, but he thinks things will really turn around this year.

Chris: Yeah, he dubbed it “The Year of Diaz”.

Karen: Why is everyone reading his diary?!

Chris: It’s well-written!

Daniel: [shrugs] He’s better on page than in person.

[citadelrock]

"My feet are gonna fall off... just keep walking, Sean. You couldn't wait to get out on your own- now you are and it sucks. No way I'm gonna die out here. Just keep on walking."

Life Is Strange 2: Episode 4 "Faith"

[sniixnn]

daniel and karen

[lascivuscorvus]

I can't bring myself to hate Karen.

Sure, she's definitely NOT a good mom but the fact that she felt forced to be one in the first place? Trapped in a life she was supposed to enjoy? Yes, she was selfish by leaving her children behind. But they had a loving dad to take care of them and as far as she was concerned, they were taken care of.

She made a mistake by starting a family. But her options were either stay and try to play the role of a mother/wife that she HATED, most likely hurting her children even more, or cut them off. She really did try to do what was expected of her but in the end, she had to choose between living for herself and living for other people.

And she prioritized the former. She chose her own happiness instead of suffering all her life for other people's sake, something that's almost *expected* from women.

Was she a bad mom? Sure. Was she selfish? Absolutely. But she also feels real in a way not many other female characters in fiction are and I can't really condemn her

Thank you Life is Strange for creating such fleshed out, compex female characters

[mwilli213]

saved daniel from cult leader 😊

[thingsasbarcodes]

Life is Strange 2 Episode 5: Wolves

[dostimesnoah]

for the record, i can fly around the world, absorbing light. something's missing deep inside. The Light.

[arcadiabaytornado]

In an universe where Rachel lives I could see an adult version of her having a personality near identical to Karen Reynolds from LIS 2.

They have the same need for freedom that's so intense it becomes destructive. They're both creative. They're both strong willed. And they're prone to "accidentally" setting fires.

They have a lot of similarities, and I can't help but wonder if Chloe ever picked up on them during one of her visits to Away? I kind of hope not because if she did then I'm going to have to lay down.

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

Sean saying this about Karen and then an entire optional game mechanic being about Sean collecting trinkets is twisted and evil actually.

[diazcraft]

today marks the 4 year anniversary of the 5th and last episode of life is strange 2! i honestly think this is one of the most emotionally painful sections of the whole game ( and that’s saying a lot) but it’s so beautifully done. also i want to know what ending did you get your first playthough?

[sandwichsaver]

* LIFE IS STRANGE 2 SPOILERS *

I was revisiting LIS2, when I noticed something sweet. In one of Sean’s last sketchbook entries, the one of his mother, Daniel and himself, he draws both himself and Daniel as shorter than Karen. It definitely feels like he was happy to have a parent figure in their lives again and it’s a cute detail! He deserved to feel like a kid again, after everyone treated him like an adult.

[incorrectlis2]

Karen: Where have you been?

Sean: Just dealing with things way above my maturity level.