Ok this is going to be a long post, so don't necksnap me…
I cannot argue that some things where done well and gave you a feeling of satisfaction. I enjoyed the first conversation with Thane at the hospital, the interrupt was a nice thing to add and so were some lines. I was proud and amazed by the Kai Leng fight. It was proved once more to me that Thane really is a BAMF, strong and dedicated despite his illness and all the sorrows he went through in his life.
I cannot say that the death scene was awful and didn't do service to the character. It did. But I'm not viewing this from the perspective of NON-ROMANCED Thane. In case of NON-ROMANCED Thane I find this ending satisfying. Him taking his last stand, giving it all before his life ends. And despite everything that could be, his last wish is for you. Tis’ all right and well IF you DIDN'T ROMANCE him.
But from the perspective of ROMANCED Thane, all you get is a feeling of emptiness and despair. Here are the reasons why I feel so:
1. Opposition. The end of ME2 and the romance scene between Shepard and Thane showed us an inner conflict between overseeing death and a will to live. Life itself suddenly held a greater meaning for Thane. He was no longer alone. It was as if his view on life was suddenly filled with light, hopeful. He was given a chance for a life once more. In ME3 his words seem to prove the opposite. He is again prepared to die, having no responsibilities, no burdens, he is content with the life he had. Could this really be the same Thane who we romanced? Doesn't all his words in ME3 contradict the very core of his romance plot in ME2? I would say they do. And I would say they don't – for SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T ROMANCE HIM. For such people his words make sense. They're exactly what they know of Thane and expect of him to say.
But this doesn't apply nor make sense for people WHO ROMANCED him.
2. Lack of choice. People are complaining about the endings, about how things didn't turn out as they expected. We could say the same but with one huge difference. WE HAD NO CHOICE. WE were GIVEN NO DECISION. All of our reins were pulled out of our hands and passed to someone else who made a decision for us.
His death is something I never argued about. I accepted the fact that some believe and think his death, his last fight for greater good that would end with his death would be something great. A good end of life. Something that would do Thane justice. I never wanted that choice to be taken away from them. Even for those who romanced him and believed the same.
But were we WHO ROMANCED him and believed in something else; in prolonging his life somehow, in giving him a chance to live again etc., even given a choice to be understood? Did others even try to see why we believe in something different then they do? Did they admitted that we also deserve and are allowed to chose a different outcome other then his death? Some did but many probably didn’t.
I would ask those now a simple question. Are you willing to trade your LI’s story with ours? Would you like to swap places?
Would you like to see be stripped of choice like us, stripped of choice that you had?
Because it is clear as a day that all other LI’s, except Jacob ( who survives but, yeah), can survive. In the rest of the cases the reins are in the hands of the player, you just need to indicate where you
wish to go. Miranda can survive if you warn her, Tali can life if you establish peace or side with quarians etc.
In the end of the game, despite the ending, you know your LI’s are out there. You know they are alive. You know you had a chance to save them.
But we? We can only take some console in knowing that Kai payed for what he did and that Thane ( in the world of mass effect) is finally home. What happens to our Shepards in such case… well luckily we have a choice to decide and our imagination to keep busy.
I never denied that his death shouldn’t be an option. All I hoped is that there was an OPTION. Not NO OPTION AT ALL.
3. Failed paramour. There’s a date, there’s emotions, there’s all that needs to be to make it romantic. True if you romanced someone who was deemed worthy. In their case it was true love, something your Shepard would admit, pouring her/his heart out, letting the chosen LI know how they feel. But not in our case. We were treated as if ME2 romance meant almost nothing. A contrived illusion of love that ended feeling like I’ve only given Thane some “good” times before the end. No necessarily a bad thing but a terribly failed attempt in case you knew your Shepard actually had feelings, deep feelings for Thane.
Everything seemed cold and stoic. No concern, no tears, nothing. Many things Shepard said seemed in the character - for someone who DIDN’T ROMANCE Thane. But for us who did we probably didn’t have any words to describe our distraught, anger, surprise and I could go on till the end of day. I know I had to stop and stare for a long time when Thane falls to the ground, sending Shepard after Leng while all Shepard could muster was : “Is it bad?”
The worse part is as if Thane’s love for Shepard was there, present, but from perspective of my Shepard it seemed as if he was nothing but a booty call. Someone to be with while it lasts. No worries, no concerns. At least not such as we could all see in subtle animations and feel through voice acting in LoTSB. That was such a small part but it made me feel like something maters, like he truly matters as a character, as a person.
Again I will say that the death scene and the stoic, partly affected look on her face make sense for someone who DIDN’T ROMANCE HIM. It makes sense for them that Shepard acts as she/he does.
But for those of us who DID ROMANCE HIM it is all but easy to grasp the reason behind her attitude, words and actions. Unless BioWare believed that we would fall for his looks and not the true beauty that made us love him: his personality no matter how flawed that BioWare ( Mr. L'Etoile) so beautifully portrayed in ME2. In such case (if he was meant to be just a fling) I can understand Shepard attitude. But if this hold truth then this is not my Shepard.
4. Defending the crowd. There’s comments floating around, people saying that we who romanced him knew what is at stake. That it was never a question of “IF” but “WHEN”. I would accept that IF there weren’t hints thrown at our feet through LotSB files, through Cerberus news and even through BioWare’s facebook; who doesn’t remember their “movement” Cure for Thane or who doesn’t remember the Cure Thane Banner by Hana.
It seems all was just a cruel game BioWare decided to play. While in truth they had no idea what they’re doing.
Due to the cure I would like to say the following; we didn’t nor wished to get a cure that would magically make it all better. From what I could gather was only a wish that his life be somehow prolonged, a wish that we could have a choice to decide his fate.
Would it be so outstretched to make him go through a transplant, testing on him some prototype cure that would give him more time? Would it be so bad to have THIS CHOICE GIVEN AS WELL as his impending DEATH scene?
If anyone would like to trade with us, you’re more then welcomed, but assuming by the reaction Miranda fans (romanced Miranda) had when they believed she couldn’t be saved…. I think we can all come to the same conclusion.
Modifié par Aello89, 09 mars 2012 - 03:04 .
Guest_Squeegee83_*
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I'm not trying to downplay it - I'm glad he tried to make a stand and was doing something honorable. He tried to save Salarians during his recruitment mission in ME2, so it's not out of character for him to throw himself in the middle of a battle and protect someone. One of the few reasons why I liked the prayer was because he wanted to make sure (male or female) Shepard is forgiven - protecting her as best as he can on his deathbed. Again, do I think the scenes do the romance justice? No. If Thane and Shepard were friends, I think they played out fine.
*hug*
:sick:
