#i think jefferson morales is neat

[awkwardarmadildo]

thinking about spiderverse (both movies) because i always am and i just really like mister jefferson morales like especially when thinking about like the contrasts between him and gwens dad (i forgor his name and dont care enough to google it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pretty sure its like john or george or geo-/jeff or something basic like that) [other people who are much smarter/actually know what theyre talking about have probably discussed this/analyzed it/dissected it but i cant find any of it so this is just all my own (probably not that deep) thoughts on the subject {if anyone has made like a video essay about this i would eat that shit uppppp}]

both of them found a spiderperson standing over the corpse of someone that not only they held dear but more importantly (for this line of thought) someone their Kid held dear and like their reactions to the situation are very different in a way that makes me like jefferson even more

jefferson sees the Brand New, ROOKIE spiderman standing over the corpse of his BROTHER

gwens dad (gd from here on out) sees the Already Established, relatively prominent spiderwoman standing over the corpse of his daughters best friend

jefferson is dealing with a situation that is (at least i would say) inarguably Worse than gd's [not to compare trauma severity or anything, just saying theyre different Kinds of traumas here] and yet we Never see jefferson exhibit hostility in any comparable amount to that of gd's to gwen towards miles (this, i think, is because of what happens in the portal thing that i cant remember the name of at the end of itsv where miles saves jefferson But its applicable because gwen comparably saves her dad And Yet he is the way he is)

we actually see jefferson treating spidermiles in a similar way to how he would (presumably) treat Any kid around miles age in both the end of itsv and the beginning of atsv. treating spidermiles like a person rather than a threat or, worse, a murderer

gwens dad, however, cannot say the same

oki my brain has decided to perish so this is the end of my semi-critical thinking skills

wait actually i just wanna say i really love both rio and jefferson because they do try to be understanding and supportive of miles and are understandably frustrated when he doesnt confide in them/explain the things that he Should and also i really actually do like them reminding/trying to remind miles that yes he is in fact still a kid, fifteen (or sixteen? i cant remember, doesnt matter because yes sixteen also) is still a kid

⁽ˢᵖᵉᵃᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵒᶠ, ⁱ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᵗᵒ ʳᵃⁿᵗ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ʰᵒʷ ᵐᵘᶜʰ ⁱᵈ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵗᵒ ʰⁱᵗ ᵐⁱᵍᵘᵉˡ ᵒᵛᵉʳ ᵗʰᵉ ʰᵉᵃᵈ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵃ ˢᵗᵉᵉˡ {ⁿᵒᵗ ᵃˡᵘᵐⁱⁿᵘᵐ} ᶜʰᵃⁱʳ ʷʷᵉ ˢᵗʸˡᵉ. ᵗʰᵃᵗ ⁱˢ ᵃ ᵍʳᵒʷⁿ ᵃˢˢ ᵐᵃⁿ ᵃᵗ ˡᵉᵃˢᵗ ⁱⁿ ʰⁱˢ ᵗʰⁱʳᵗⁱᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᵉˢ ᵇᵉᵉᶠⁱⁿᵍ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵃ ᶜʰⁱˡᵈ﹖﹖﹖ ⁿᵒ. ⁱ ʷⁱˡˡ ᵗʰʳᵒʷ ʰⁱᵐ ⁱⁿᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒᶜᵉᵃⁿ. ᵐᵃⁿˢ ᵐʸ ᵒˡᵈᵉˢᵗ ᵇʳᵒᵗʰᵉʳˢ ᵃᵍᵉ ⁱᶠ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵒˡᵈᵉʳ ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᵉˢ ᵇᵉᵉᶠⁱⁿᵍ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᵃ ᵏⁱᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵃᵐᵉ ᵃᵍᵉ ᵃˢ ᵐʸ ˡⁱᵗᵗˡᵉ ˢⁱᵇˡⁱⁿᵍ﹖ ᶠᵃˡˢᵉ. ᵉˣᵉᶜᵘᵗⁱᵒⁿ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ. ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᵍᵘⁱˡˡᵒᵗⁱⁿᵉ ʷᵉ ᵍᵒ⁾

okay brain dead now im gonna go upeth my chucketh now hehehe ദ്ദി/ᐠ - ˕ -マ

[rbr-seb]

What I REALLY loved about Spiderverse that Miles's family just chooses to have their last name be from Rio's side. Without explanation.

Jeff was just like you know what's really cool? Rio's last name. Welp that's my last name now too.

[docgold13]

Since Marvel is recently pushing Carnage to be a Miles Morales villain, I had this idea that Miles’ father Jefferson Davis was the cop who caught and arrested Cletus Kasady back when he was serial killing. What do you think?

That’s a neat idea. I must admit I find Carnage to be one of Marvel’s least interesting, most derivative villains. But I’m in favor of anything that ups Jefferson Davis’ profile in the MU.

In the early years of the original Spider-Man comic, Lee and Ditko just threw new villains in issue after issue. Some stuck… Doc Ock, Green Goblin; sone didn’t pan out… Looter, Tinkerer.

I’d do the same… just throw new foes into the mix and see what works. That way Miles can end up with a rogues gallery all his own rather than continuously borrowing from preexisting Spider-Foes.

[erigold13261]

Adding on to that last NSR x Spiderverse ask with the powers and whatnots:

Maybe Miles' invisibility powers come from the Morales side of his family (aka his mom) and the color/spray paint powers come from the Jefferson side of his family (aka his dad and uncle)

Ties in nicely with his whole arc of being the best of them all and how family is what makes Miles strong

also concept: (totally not canon at all) Eve and Pav being distant relatives, hence the powerful mind powers both have

... Pav with the "Diva's realm" powers? Eve's whole theme with that is something akin to Hindu Mythology and Pav has white tusks on his mask that represent Ganesha! Ganesha is the four-armed, elephant-headed god of removing obstacles and bringing in good luck, something Pavitr is definitely good at

Oh neat! That would be a good idea! I was honestly thinking of Miles having only paint powers that he uses to look invisible, think like Randall from Monsters Inc.

Honestly, what if that was still the case. Like, Miles' maternal family can turn invisible but he can't. He only got his paint powers from his paternal side, but he learned how to "turn invisible" through camouflage to try and make his mom happy. The whole family thinks he has invisibility powers, but in reality he only has the paint powers.

That would kinda relate back to his OG story as Spiderman, having to lie to his parents. Though instead of lying to keep them safe, he's lying to keep them happy. Plus in both situations he's lying so they will keep loving him.

It's also plays into the opposite roles I feel of which parent he is lying for the most. Like in the OG, I think Miles is more willing to come out as Spiderman to his mom since she seems a lot more accepting of Miles overall and also isn't a cop that is hunting down Spiderman. In this AU though, his father would be the one he would come out to of not having invisibility powers because he is afraid to upset his mom and just doesn't know how to tell her.

Onto Pav and Eve now! I do personally like the idea of Pav being like a cousin to Eve (and by extension Remi). I'm of the opinion that Eve got her powers from her mom, and since Remi is born from Eve's dad that means he doesn't have any powers and that Pav would be from Eve's maternal side of the family.

Imagine how siked (psyched?) Pav would be to learn that not only one of his cousins, but two of them, are famous music artists! He would be so happy to learn that just because it is cool. He wouldn't try to get any clout from it, he doesn't seem like that kind of guy, but you better believe he would be very proud of them.

Which also brings into question what exactly this NSR x Spiderverse AU really is lol. Is it an AU where the Spiderverse people take over the roles of the NSR cast, or is it the Spiderverse people are just in the NSR universe as well (then there's also the NSR cast being Spider people, but that's not related to this ask lol).

In the first case, Pav would not be related to Eve because Eve would not exist in this AU. While in the second case it would work because, well, Eve is there. It really just depends on what AU people want to talk about because I can see the appeal in both versions! I actually really like the idea of both casts in the NSR universe with some Spider people elements, but having the Spiderpeople take over the roles of the NSR cast is also a really good idea!

[Also, kinda off topic, but not really. Would having Eve and Pav related be problematic at all? It kinda feels like it might be going into the territory where people ask "you are of _____ race so are you related to ____ of same race?" Which isn't a good thing. Asking legitimately since I don't know if this is actually a problem or if I am just overthinking this way too much].

[vo-kopen]

…okay that’s neat, but there is an actual different answer, in the comics at least. Movie might be different, but in the comics, I believe it’s that his father wanted Miles to not be tied to the name Davis, given Uncle Aaron as well as his father’s past. (I think they used to commit crimes together? It’s been awhile since I read the old stuff)

Also, recently when his parents renewed their vows, his dad took the last name Morales. Namely because he was a black guy with the name Jefferson Davis (same name as the president of the confederacy) and that needed changing both in universe and out.

[jeffersonuggs]

Why you shouldn't “stan” thomas jefferson

1.  The racism of Jefferson

i. racism

ii. slavery

2. Jefferson behind closed doors

i. His wife and his legitimate children

ii. Sally Hemings and their children

(t/w: racism, slavery, d//ath, s3xualisation of minors, r@pe, child abuse, s3xual assault)

1. i. (racism)

To begin with, most of us already know that Thomas Jefferson was racist, but to what extent? Jefferson admitted his abhorrence of Black people, he said that he found their “wooly hair” and physiques to be repugnant. Moreover, he believed that Black people were slow, lazy, oversexed, less capable than whites of reasoning, and on the whole an inferior race. He further claimed that Black people perspired more and urinated less than whites, required less sleep, were more tolerant of heat but less of cold, and were less disciplined and reflective. Blacks, he went on, were artistically and intellectually inferior to whites, “more ardent” sexually, and physically less attractive. Furthermore, it seemed that, as Phocion (Alexander Hamilton)  claimed, Jefferson had an obsession with “preserving the beauty” of the white race, despite the rampant sexual exploitation of female slaves on southern plantations.

1. ii. (slavery)

The barbarity of slavery can not be hidden, even if the slaveowner treated them decently. Its existence ultimately depended on the use -or the threat of the use- of force. Many people believe that Monticello operated on carefully calibrated violence, whilst others claim that the slaves were not treated badly according to the standards of that time. We should not ignore the fact that Jefferson apprehended runaway slaves, tolerated the flogging of his chattel, sometimes ordered whippings and perhaps worst of all contributed to the slave trade by buying and selling slaves, fully aware of the sometimes irreparable damage it had on the families. Jefferson’s opinions on slavery constantly contradict each other. On the one hand he denounced slavery as a “moral evil”, an abomination to both races and he wished to abolish it through gradual emancipation. On the other hand, he was one of the strongest slaveowners of his time, owning approx. 600 slaves, he contributed to the slave trade and was extremely racist even for his time.  2. i. (his wife and his legitimate children)

Thomas Jefferson and Martha Wayles got married in 1772, after 15 months of courting each other. Martha was an extremely important part in Jefferson’s life (in his memoirs he conveys the impression that his life began the day of his marriage.) Unfortunately, not much is known about her, due to the fact that Jefferson, after her death in 1782, burned all his letters with her. It is easy to spot Jefferson’s disturbing behaviour towards his young daughters in his letters to them. Below I have three examples of Jefferson being manipulative and, in a way, sexualizing his two young daughters. 

“Remember too as a constant charge not to go out without your bonnet because it will make you very ugly and then we should not love you so much.”

-From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson, 20 September 1785

Mary (or Polly) Jefferson at the time was 7 years old and I think it is important to note that prostitutes frequently forwent the custom of wearing bonnets and shawls in public. Essentially, Jefferson called his 7 year old daughter ugly in order for her not to be perceived as a prostitute.

“The acquirements which I hope you will make under the tutors I have provided for you will render you more worthy of my love, and if they cannot increase it they will prevent it’s diminution.”

-From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson, 28 November 1783

Martha (or Patsy) Jefferson was 11 years old in 1783. Here we can see Jefferson telling his daughter that if she doesn’t do well in her classes her father will not love her anymore, something, I personally find, unacceptable to say to a child who lost her mother a year prior.

“But be you from the moment you rise till you go to bed as cleanly and properly dressed as at the hours of dinner or tea. A lady who has been seen as a sloven or slut in the morning, will never efface the impression she then made with all the dress and pageantry she can afterwards involve herself in. Nothing is so disgusting to our sex as a want of cleanliness and delicacy in yours. I hope therefore the moment you rise from bed, your first work will be to dress yourself in such a stile as that you may be seen by any gentleman without his being able to discover a pin amiss, or any other circumstance of neatness wanting.”

-From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson, 22 December 1783

In this letter we can again see Jefferson’s weird obsession with his daughters dressing in a way to please the opposite gender. I personally find the sexualization of his two daughters in that way unsettling. Some could say that his intention was to protect them, but that clearly is not the case in the third letter where he is basically giving his 11 year old daughter tips on how to be more appealing to the male gender.

2. ii. (Sally Hemings and their children)

There was an incredibly unequal power dynamic in Jefferson’s and Sally’s relationship, seeing as Jefferson was 30 years older than her and she first went to Monticello when she was 3 years old. Jefferson sailed to France in 1784 and chose Sally Hemings (age 11 at the time) and her brother James to accompany him. Sally was 16 when she got pregnant with Jefferson’s first of at least seven children. Some people argue that Sally loved Jefferson because she chose to return to Monticello with him, considering she was free due to French law, although I believe that Sally was ‘manipulated’ into returning with him. He promised “extraordinary privileges” for her and her children and that they will be freed at the age of 21.

Their relationship becomes even more weird if we take into account the fact that Sally was his wife’s half sister.

“It was her duty, all her life which I can remember, up to the time of father’s death, to take care of his chamber and wardrobe, look after us children and do such light work as sewing.”

-Madison Hemings

Sally Hemings was never legally emancipated but she was granted her freedom by Martha (Patsy) Jefferson after Jefferson’s death in 1826.

There are different opinions on the nature of Jefferson’s and Sally’s relationship. Some have concluded that Sally had more agency than might be imagined, while others suggest that any connection of this type is a form of sexual assault. Personally, I believe that, it's safe to assume that it was sexual assault if we take into account ownership, age, consent, and dramatically unequal power between masters and enslaved women.

The recognised members of the Jefferson family have denied his paternity of Hemings’s children.

-

-

(sources: monticello.org, Jefferson and Hamilton: The rivalry that forged a nation by John E. Ferling, Alexander Hamilton biography by Ron Chernow, founders.archives.gov)

[logicalbookthief]

Now that Outsiders is over, a moment of silence for the Team characters arcs we could’ve had:

Stephanie Brown was abducted by the Reach and rescued by the Team last season. Does she feel survivor’s guilt over kids who weren’t? Her father is the Gotham villain, Cluemaster. Could he be involved in trafficking, and maybe that’s why she became a vigilante in this universe? Did she struggle to be acknowledged by Batman, like in the comics, or was she recruited to join the Team by someone else?

Speaking of villain parents, which YJ loves, why not touch on the fact that Lady Shiva – the Light’s new handler – is Cass Cain’s biological mother? Cass was raised to be a weapon used like the Light’s using her mom, yet she defied her upbringing and chose to be a hero instead. Hello, Megan! Parallels to Artemis and Kaldur. And you know what would’ve been the most symbolic, most amazing gesture to cement this journey??? Babs handing down the Batgirl mantle.

Speaking of hero legacies, how is it that in a show brimming with ‘em, nobody acknowledged on-screen that Cissie King-Jones became a hero after being inspired by Artemis way back when? Her arc in the comics could easily be adapted for this season’s drama: she once came VERY close to killing the person responsible for her friend’s death, which affects her so deeply she retires Arrowette. So what if in the show, this friend was a metahuman, killed/maimed by traffickers, and Cissie decides that jailing them isn’t enough, if it’ll just keep happening to other kids? This would force her, her teammates and her mentors to confront a moral quandary that would divide quite a few.

If they expanded on the Virgil & Jefferson relationship even just a little more (instead of the weird Jefferson/Jace affair) we could’ve had a neat arc for Virgil, too. His mentor, the main reason he joined the Team, abandons him because he can’t cope with guilt over failing the girl he killed; yet in doing so, he basically fails the mentee he was responsible for. Of course Virgil would be eager to join the Outsiders – a team of metakids, operating by their own means and specifically not tied to any mentors – if he’s feeling hurt, and more than a bit cheated. It would make a reconciliation with Jefferson more meaningful if these feelings were explored, or lead to Virgil having a moment of growth/realization of his own, maybe about being his own hero with his own legacy on the world?

Cassie was the greenhorn last season, and now, she’d be the most experienced member of the Team. Show us her being M’gann’s go-to, her right hand! Show her being a mentor, especially to younger/newer/less confidant members, like Steph and Traci! Show us a friendship with Cissie, which was a major point in the comics! And while I don’t particularly ship them, if the Anti-Light arc is going to ruin an apparently otherwise healthy 2-yr relationship, SHOW us Cassie reacting to this! Show her being angry, show her venting to her mom, show her loving the openness of the Outsiders because she’s sick of secrets and lies!!

Traci should’ve at least had a few scenes of being mentored by Zatanna, since it’s outright stated she’s not in full control of her powers. And in the comics, I’m pretty sure Traci’s father objects to her magic for fear she’ll be killed, which is totally a parallel to Zatanna, and also fits right into the themes of parental concern! ALSO, while she and Jaime are fine as a couple (but again, it could use a lot more development) why not hint at her canon sexuality? Heck, show her EXPLICITLY questioning her sexuality! What does it hurt to have her freaking out over meeting Queen Perdita just as much as Gar because ohmygod, she’s so regal and gorgeous! Have her watch a clip of Infinity Inc on the news and be like, “wow, she’s amazing” when one of the girls (coughNatashaIronscough) is on-screen, etc. Just, acknowledge her attraction to women!

Speaking of Jaime, couldn’t we have gotten a glimpse – throwaway lines, a scene or two – of his life, after everything that happened to with the Reach? Let him be excited about college, given that 2 years ago, he was afraid of becoming a pawn in the apocalypse and couldn’t even focus on school! Let us see how scared he is when they find that Reach ship, his panic, his oh please no, not again. Let him audibly enjoy being an Outsider, since the last time he had public exposure, he was on mode and now he has total agency in choosing what side he’s on.

I don’t mean to Bart Allen fan on main, but imo, he remains one of the most underutilized characters. This is a kid born into the worst case scenario outcome for metahumans. Is he noticing any horrifying similarities to the enslavement/exploitation of metas in his time? Let us see his worry, his desperation, his determination not to lose his family again, especially after Joan dies. Give us a flashback, a conversation, something along the lines of “you think this is bad? It can be so much worse, if we don’t do something about it now” that makes the heroes realize how much is riding on this. (And with how much flak the Anti-Light got for its deception and ends justify the means tactics...we’re really not going to acknowledge that was Bart’s story last season? That was his entire mission??)

I’m glad we got to see Eduardo as much as we did this season, but him and the Meta Human Youth Center were still criminally underused! The Youth Center was one of this season’s best ideas, and it really should’ve been the heart of it, given how much metahuman trafficking – and by extension, the degree to which kids with these abilities are manipulated or used by both sides, heroes and villains – was the focus of this season. Ed provides such a nice contrast to other members of the Team/Outsiders, too. This is a kid with no mentor, no legacy. He was just a victim of trafficking and manipulation himself who decided, “no, you know what? I’m going to fight this, any way I can.” I think that’s really where he gives inspiration and hope to other trafficked kids, this idea that you don’t need to have a hero affiliation to do right, or stand up and fight.

Speaking of former Runaways, Roy was?? Featured in like one episode, really? I mean, I’m glad he’s doing well from what we’ve seen! But it would’ve been cool to learn what he’s doing, if he’s not on the Team or part of the Outsiders (which. The Outsiders seems exactly like it would’ve been his type of gig, but whatever). Is he retired? Does he work exclusively with Ollie while they repair their relationship? Does he live with him and Dinah and his adopted siblings, Connor Hawke and Sin Lance? Or, how about, instead of the grossly forced UST between Artemis and Will, I present to you: Roy and Jim move in to help Will raise Lian, and we get sitcom-esque shenanigans of her, her dad, and her two uncles. I’ll call it-Three Harpers and a Baby.

[narrative-prospector]

Life is Strange: Before the Storm Game Review (7.5 / 10)

**SPOILER ALERT** (If you’d like to avoid spoilers, but still receive my input on the game, the Intro and Final Thoughts will always remain spoiler free.)

Intro:

I was recently speaking with a friend who described herself as “anti-video game.” When I asked her about it, she responded with the common belief that she found them a waste of time. In a market dominated by MOBAs and Battle Royales, I decided to make my case for video games from the narrative side of things, asking her if she had heard of (the original) Life is Strange game. She hadn’t, but immediately wanted to know why it was any different, why it wasn’t a waste of time, and how it changed / impacted me for the better.

I explained to her that Life is Strange reminded me of the great struggles each and every person faces. It shed light on the everyday ways, big and small, that I could help make burdens lighter for others. It reminded me that every choice in life matters, and not only did it show me ways to love, but it inspired me to love better, to cherish every beautiful moment, and to be grateful for every person whose life touches mine, or at the very least not to take their presence for granted. Needless to say, after our conversation, she was very interested in playing the game.

This power to change me is what made the first Life is Strange so great, and additionally what made me so eager jump into the 2017 prequel series, Life is Strange: Before the Storm. However, from its early stages, developer Deck Nine made it clear that Before the Storm would be a different game, and after playing it, I found that indeed it was. In some ways it surprised and thrilled me, and in other ways it returned to that same nostalgia I missed from the original game. There were, of course, also some elements of the game I would have done differently. I’ll give my thoughts on the game below, focusing mostly on its narrative elements, and as always leave a summarized TLDR (spoiler free!) version in the Final Thoughts section. Thanks for giving me a read, and here’s to making and playing the best games possible!

What Worked:

Effectively chronicles the evolution of Chloe. Before the Storm (BTS) takes the player through key events of Chloe’s past, which made her into the familiar blue haired punk from the original Life is Strange (LIS 1). It explores flashbacks and dream sequences of her father’s death and Max’s departure, all while showcasing other significant moments of Chloe’s formation: David’s moving in, her expulsion from Blackwell, and, of course, the relationship with Rachel Amber, powerful enough to break her by its ending. Every step along the way of Chloe’s path seems appropriate and motivated, and it’s fascinating to witness the moments that make Chloe who she is when you meet her in LIS 1. It’s well done, and something I really enjoyed.

Equally satisfying paths of friendship and romance. Just like in the original game, BTS unapologetically allows the relationship between its strong female protagonists to take a romantic turn. However, in an even braver move, the game also allows the player to have them remain friends, sending the story down a path no less developed or fulfilling. In a world where saying "we're just friends" is a strategy for rejecting unwanted lovers and the friend zone is something to be dreaded (speaking from personal experience are we?), this series continues to advocate for emotional intimacy in friendships, inspiring us to go deeper, love better and in a more supportive way, reminding us how life-giving (and often under appreciated) our friendships can be. This was a thematic thread I was hoping to see expanded upon from the LIS I, and once again, Deck Nine didn't disappoint.

Beautifully interwoven symbols & motifs. Pay close attention to anything related to ravens, fire, eyes, or lying. These all start small, but build powerfully and are visited throughout, tying the story together. The game also revisits images from LIS 1: the doe, storm, totem pole, squirrels, etc. drawing parallels between the games through these symbols (Chloe’s raven to Max’s doe - the storm to the wildfire). And while Max left her mark on the world through her photography, Chloe prefers a more literal approach. Her graffiti pen tags (along with her outfit selections) allow the player to further interact with these symbols, in addition to making fun collectibles to hunt down. It was really neat to notice these little details which the writers and designers crafted with care, and it definitely added to the impact of the story.

A nostalgic return to Arcadia Bay. The contrast of new adventures unfolding in familiar locations was a really neat element of the prequel series. The game provides the player with plenty of moments to simply take in their surroundings alongside a killer soundtrack (more on that later), and I definitely took advantage of it, especially in Chloe’s room, Frank’s RV, the junkyard, and all over Blackwell. It was so evocative just to see these places again, and interesting to get Chloe’s reflections on them. Like Chloe, these places also evolve as her backstory plays out (e.g. junkyard hangout room, Chloe’s truck) providing the player with a deeper understanding of the LIS 1 world’s origins.

The soundtrack. Deck Nine placed their game’s music in different hands than Dontnod, but ones no less apt. Daughter did an amazing job creating haunting, emotional, nostalgic, atmospheric songs to accompany Chloe’s journey, both diegetic (like Skip’s song) and not. The game also features other singles like Speedy Ortiz’s “No Below,” which perfectly capture what Chloe’s going through at this point in her life. It’s a soundtrack I simply had to purchase after playing through the game, and when I’m out and about and the songs come up on shuffle, I’m immediately taken back. I almost start expecting to see objects highlighted in white as I look at them.

Morally and philosophically thought provoking themes. Of course, like LIS 1, the game explores friendship, love, care, and trust, but overall, the central question the game asks is: Is it better to protect someone you love with a lie, or honor them with the truth? Whether or not lying, or concealing the truth, is always wrong is a very interesting question, and it’s one I’ve thought a lot about (I’m actually working on a theology essay about it - but that’s another blog). And, while it’s a question other games have explored (I’m looking at you, The Last of Us) the game provides a unique take on the question by having the player answer it with his/her final choice, ending the game with a more philosophical but significantly less dramatic choice than LIS 1, but nonetheless thought provoking in its own right.

What Got in the Way:

Chloe resists player shaping too much, much more than Max. With Max, I felt like her power of time control was in my hands. I could wield it for mischief, exact my justice as judge, jury, and executioner, or show mercy and love. Also, this power combined with the game’s mechanic of allowing you to restart from any point in the story made it easier to play Max right, ensuring that her story played out the way you wanted it to. Naturally, without Max’s time powers, Chloe’s decisions weigh more and are harder to undo. While this choice was intentional on behalf of the studio, rather than teaching me something about Chloe or life, I just wound up Googling the results of the choices more often or regretting not doing so as I’m smashing buttons, desperately trying to skip cut-scenes after loading a previous save. Basically, reversing your choices is way too tedious. Before you make a choice, get ready to live with it.

Too many unconnected dots between BTS and the original game. While BTS uncovers much of LIS 1’s backstory, it still leaves many questions unanswered. For example, what kind of relationship did Rachel have with Frank? Or, how did Rachel first become involved with Nathan’s photography experiment gone-wrong? These were things I was expecting to understand before the game’s end, and I was surprised to see the credits roll first. If it were up to me, I would have gone through all of that and ended the game just after the start of LIS 1, when Chloe reunites with Max.

Humanizes the villains until there’s no one left to hate. Almost. At one point or another in the game, Chloe comes up against Drew, David, Principal Wells, Nathan, Mr. Prescott, Mr. Amber, Sheldon, and Damon as adversaries. With the exception of Damon, who is this game’s Mr. Jefferson (the creepy bad guy who’s evil to be evil) the game attempts to generate sympathy for nearly every antagonist. For example, Drew’s only a mean drug dealer because he’s trying to financially support his little brother and dad. David really cares about Chloe and Joyce, but he lost his best friend in the army. Wells is just trying to protect the school, Nathan was bullied into his perversions, Mr. Prescott loves Rachel too much and is trying to protect her, etc. Sheldon’s genuinely a creep but if you give him what he deserves and tell Damon he’s a snitch, you have to read his desperate texts begging for Mercy. 

I actually think the game did a great job humanizing certain characters (David, Drew, Mr. Amber), but I think it was confusing to try to arouse sympathy in the player for Nathan, for example, before his commits his terrible crime. What really put me over the edge was finding a letter in the hospital from Nathan’s dad where he offers to anonymously cover Mikey’s hospital costs. We see him bullying his son, he’s supposed to be the reason Nathan turns to his evil ways, and yet we’re supposed to believe deep down he’s really a good guy? 

I get the point. Real people aren’t black and white, good and evil, it’s always more complicated than that. Still, I would draw a distinction between understanding why someone is evil and actually feeling bad for them, and instead of cheapening his power as a threat, I would have left Mr. Prescott among the Darth Sidiouses of Before the Storm.

Initially jarring change of voice actors. It just so happens that I began playing Guerrilla Games’ Horizon: Zero Dawn as I started BTS, so I felt like Chloe pulled a Scooby-Doo: The Movie and transported her soul into Aloy’s body, (Ashly Burch voices Chloe in the original game and the protagonist of Horizon: Zero Dawn - quite excellently, in fact) but the change in voice actors shook me up at first. Though it seems like Deck Nine made an effort to get most of the original voice actors, you’ll notice the new voices for David and Chloe. This seems to be the result of a SAG-AFTRA strike, so it wasn’t really under anyone’s control, but still, it would have been nice to have the same actor for the game’s main character. Took me about an episode to get over it and used to it.

Ends on a sour note. Chloe’s relationship with Rachel made Before the Storm one of the most beautiful stories I’d experienced, and it almost ends on a nostalgic note, panning through photographs that capture their memories together. Instead, the game ends in that infamous dark room where Rachel is drugged and photographed before her murder, with Chloe’s missed calls blowing up her phone. This immediately ripped me from the warm, reflective feeling I experienced over Chloe and Rachel and instead brought back the rage and disgust I had for Nathan and Mr. Jefferson. Whether by ending the game when Chloe meets Max (as I’ve suggested earlier), or ending it on Chloe’s last moments with Rachel, maybe even allowing them to exchange some touching (final - as the player knows it) words, I would’ve ended the game in the mood it so effectively created where I felt both sad to let Rachel go, and grateful for the mark she made on Chloe. Ending it on that final scene seemed like a missed opportunity.

Final Thoughts: (Rating: 7.5/10)

For players who’ve never experienced Life is Strange before, I’d recommend starting with the original series. For those who enjoyed the game, Before the Storm is a definite should-play. It’s worth it for the return to Arcadia Bay’s landscapes and characters alone, but you’ll also discover what Blackwell looked like before Max, who the mysterious Rachel Amber really was, why nearly everyone adored her, and what transformed Chloe from Max’s pirate-obsessed childhood best friend into the blue-haired girl waving a gun around in the girl’s bathroom. However, if you’re expecting it to be too much like the first game, you may be disappointed. To get the most out of it, I’d recommend trying to step into Chloe’s shoes and playing the character as true to herself as possible, rather than trying to shape her choices according to your own preferences. Allow yourself to act impulsively, make mistakes, and brace for the consequences. Undoing Chloe’s actions proves a lot more tedious than those of the time-traveling Max, so try to do it right the first time. Oh, and don’t expect too many answers. You’ll get plenty of great ones, but just like the native spirits of the raven and doe, they have to leave some mysteries unsolved. In the words of Rachel Amber, “life needs a little mystery,”  and after all, it’s mystery that makes life strange. 

[theboringbarbarian]

High Five of Power

More Legends of Tomorrow stuff. This time Firestorm: equal parts Martin Stein and Jefferson Jackson. The show gives the two of them this neat little "High-Five of Power" that sounds corny but actually looks pretty cool on screen. Stein is another of my favorites on the show. While he can come across as a stuffy, arrogant, intellectual he has a strong moral center that is tempered by experience and a rational, analytical mind. 

Jax took me a little longer to warm up to but I think over the course of two seasons his character has really developed well, from "Tag Along Kid" to valued team member. He's the ship's mechanic, as well as the physical half of Firestorm. Strong willed and blunt but very team oriented he's the perfect counterpart to Stein.

 The Firestorm costume is hard to draw and anyway they only wear it when they are fused. So I put them in slightly unoriginal street clothes. I went mostly from memory and while I think I got Stein right, Jax looks a little 1950's "Aw Shucks!" to me. It seems like he only had the ear stud in one promotional image but I added it to try and counter that.