Here's some of what I have been thinking about regarding Garrus after the DLC came out. Sorry if somebody else already brought this up but I haven't been on in like four hundred years and I don't really want to to burrow through four hundred pages of new stuff to see if somebody may have mentioned this. This will be a MONSTROUS wall o' text. Sorry.
LotSB Spoilers!!!Does anybody else think Garrus may not have quit Spectre training or C-Sec? He never expressly says "I quit." He always phrases it like "it didn't work out" or "I couldn't really help" or "nobody was willing to take risks." (Post ME1 I meant.) What the crap does that mean? It could mean "I got sick of the inaction and decided I could do more elsewhere so I quit and went to Omega." It could also mean "I wouldn't shut up about the Reapers. I wouldn't shut up about Shepard and just follow orders and the official types didn't like me so they booted me because I wouldn't cooperate. Then I just kind of ended up on Omega." His sister says he "lost" his C-Sec job. Now that could just be what he told his family or maybe he told his family nothing because he knew they wouldn't approve and so they just filled in some blanks on their own. It's obvious they don't know about Omega. I guess that email has to be really vague because it is possible Shep never recruited Garrus. I never thought of that. In that case, the C-Sec job that Garrus "lost" must be the one in ME1 because that's the only one that makes sense in everybody's game. This is all really interesting to me.
Anyway, this isn't proof that Garrus "lost" his position, but there is nothing in the game presently contradicting that either. Also, Garrus lists "my work at C-Sec" in the same list of "things that went wrong" as he does with Sidonis. His work at C-Sec is as big a disappointment as Sidonis? He thinks of Sidonis as a kind of personal failure and by extension his whole expedition on Omega as a failure. He even says "nothing I did even put a dent in this." Leaving C-Sec seems like one of the things he was most sure about, even paragon Garrus. But what if his leaving wasn't entirely his own fault? I could see how he might regard that as a kind of failure and I could also see why it would make him very angry. ME2 Garrus is two things: disappointed that he can't make a difference and very angry at the obstacles that mess up his plans to that end. Granted he could also see quitting his position that way as that will disappoint his father and it means he devoted a good part of his life and energy to something that didn't make him happy or make a large difference. What it doesn't account for as much is his anger. I think that is something he really wants to do. He wants to make a difference in some dramatic, lasting way that isn't abstract. And not being able to makes him miserable.
Add to this the problem that he does his best work under Shepard but he is actually good leadership material himself. He wants to lead but whenever he tries something goes wrong, something he couldn't help or foresee. It made me feel kind of parasitic. I mean, Garrus deserves to not be overshadowed. On the other hand, he's in a really dark place and needs help and Shep can help him. But Shep is also such a strong personality that she can't help but smother him. Even Liara expressed frustration about that in LotSB. I think part of the reason she doesn't come back is because she doesn't want to be the sort who is cowering behind crates while Shep is fighting the krogan battlemaster. Being the Shadow Broker is something that she can do that Shep couldn't. She's smart and sensible and wants to prove that independently of Shep.
I think Garrus wants that too but add the problem that his skills are kind of similar to Shep's: leading and shooting. What can he do that Shep couldn't potentially do better? And whenever he tries, it always falls through somehow. Shep was also like a mentor to him so failing isn't just a reflection on him. It almost becomes a reflection on Shepard. This is compounded by the way turians think. Shepard seemed to think that Garrus was up to the task, and Garrus thinks he failed. I can see his reluctance to admit that to Shepard for multiple reasons. I always thought his explanation for his time on Omega was a large bit of bravado on his part. His desire to prove himself capable and independent is warring with his honesty, his guilt, and his turian tendency to own up to his mistakes. "I gave them hope!" as an assertive declaration followed by him hanging his head and saying "and now they are dead. Shows what I know." "My manager at C-Sec would be impressed" followed by "not that I can questions your judgement after getting my own squad killed."
I think this may be why he doesn't tell Shep about his family either. A) he doesn't want to burden the mission.
he wants to handle it on his own without needing Shepard. "I can pay" as he keeps insisting to his sister. And he can handle it. His second email proves that he did. This is another interesting thing about Garrus. He doesn't tell people his problems because he doesn't want to burden them, but I think it's also because he wants to handle it himself. He is tired of people always bailing him out. I can understand that.
Isn't that a nice horrible conundrum for people romancing him? By helping him you stifle his independence and growth. By not helping him, he is unlikely to get to a state where he is stable enough to go out and live up to his potential. Once you have helped him, you are tied to him and he will not want to leave you. But if he doesn't leave, he won't make a difference on his own steam and probably won't be happy. Add to that a bunch of problems about him not wanting to disappoint Shepard and various turian cultural and familial things. Garrus is heartbreaking. I mean, I knew the guy had it rough, but something about this DLC just really made it sink in. It puts all new meaning in Kelly's statement that "There's something about him. I just want to hold him close and whisper 'everything will be all right.'" That's precisely what Garrus needs and it's also exactly what he doesn't need. It simultaneously the best and worse thing for him. One thing is for sure. Garrus has TONS of storytelling potential. If that mess above doesn't get straightened out in ME3 in some way I will be disappointed. You can't open a can of worms like that and then do nothing with it.
Thoughts?
Modifié par Ragabul the Ontarah, 14 septembre 2010 - 02:51 .
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