About Cullen's sexuality, I'm of two minds about that. Yes, at his age, it would be very surprising to learn that he was a virgin... if he had not had the past that he had. Even if he was not raised by the Chantry the way Alistair was, he is a templar. They begin training somewhere around 15, if Keran is to be believed. It would also make sense, given that it is similar to historical knighthood, and that's about the time when boys were squired. Most boys are capable of having sex at that age, but contrary to what they would have you believe, most haven't done it yet. After that, there was a noticeable lack of opportunity. Cullen seems to have taken the templar injunction against fraternization very seriously. He would not have pursued a relationship with a mage or with a fellow templar, nor does he seem the type to nip over to the Spoiled Princess for a pint and a handful of bum. He strikes me as the kind of man whose friends would pool their money, lure him to Denerim with promises of some armor exhibition, and then lock him in a room with a prostitute. Assuming that his head didn't explode, he would probably return to his post with a deep suspicion about any future field trips. In Kirkwall, it didn't seem to me as if he would have many (or any) friends. Fellow templars with more chronological seniority would resent him. Fellow templars with less would be intimidated by his position. The chief of police's friends are often his immediate subordinates, but Cullen's immediate subordinate was Karras. I don't see them getting on, let alone cruising the city for babes. He does seem to have *some* social interaction with Thrask, at least in Act 3 when he tells Hawke that he defended Meredith when Thrask said she was mad, but their relationship seems to have been adversarial. Also, just about every templar in the Gallows knows more about Meredith's affairs than Cullen does. Maybe this is an illusion and he simply knows more than he says, but he doesn't seem to have the gift of deception. He seems to have taken "detachment" a little too far. That, and he seems genuinely lonely and kinda shy. He is outspoken enough when he is wearing his game face, defending his fellow templars, but when he becomes agitated and visibly uncomfortable when talking about personal experiences. I can understand him not wanting to talk about his past in Ferelden, but he seems to take it pretty far. His aloofness makes him seem unapproachable.
I'm all for the idea of encountering him in the midst of a crisis of faith, but I really hope they don't play the alcoholism card again. A person can be conflicted without crawling into a bottle. That said, I would rather encounter him as a bitter and resentful drunk than see another character like Oghren. Alcoholism isn't a joke, and habitual alcoholics aren't funny. It's a disease. It's like making fun of people suffering from cerebral palsy. I know, people do mock the disabled, but it makes me angry. I was on a rescue squad for ten years. The amount of shaming that goes on - even by rescue squad members who should know better - is disturbing. Yes, some illnesses are self-inflicted, but everyone makes mistakes. If insensitivity was carcinogenic, there would not be enough oncologists in the world to treat them.
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That said, maybe I wouldn't mind if they did make Cullen into a wandering drunk if they portrayed his condition sympathetically. It just seems as if the guy has enough addiction issues without adding one more.
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