the choices made by Bioware and the writers over it. Whether it be the general
dislike for the ending or the feel a style of storytelling was changed for ME3.
Having read through some of the posts and articles going
around, beating the game, and reading into the comics but not the novels as of
yet, I've come up with my own theories in support of why the endings work as
they stand. This is also taking into account, partially, the Indoctrination
theory.
Why does Jokers
and the Normandy crew leave Shepard?
Simply put when you assault the beam as part of the
Hammer force, I believe that Shepard gets separated at some point during the
rush from the other two members of the squad. A giant Reaper laser vaporizing people and
causing mass explosions is usually a good way to get some chaos going. Either
the team mates are inhibited from going further because of the attack or debris
thrown or they simply hold back and see Shepard take a hit is still the
mystery. In either case I feel they see the rest of Hammer get wiped out and
possibly Shepard, assume the worst, insert dramatic dialogue, and call for a pickup
with the bad news. Events unfold, the Normandy crew leaves the battle when the
Crucible fires and the rest is in the endings.
The Starchild, what is he/it?
I believe the Starchild is the mind of the Citadel itself
given form. Why the child that gets killed though? Shepard is obviously torn
the entire story of ME3 over the death of the child, having a survivors guilt.
No matter what choice was made the child still dies and it weighs heavily on
Shepard. I feel the Citadel knows this, perhaps through some level of Reaper
tech or even something picked up with the Illusive Man trying to pass on Indoctrination,
and gives form to itself. Something that Shepard can comprehend, much like the
Legion VI mission where all the Quarians still had suits. Shepard can not
comprehend something that is not known to him/her and his/her mind replaces
that lack of knowledge with something tangible, something that is familiar and
known. Hence the Starchild. A tangible, known form chosen by the weight of
choice, helplessness, or even a child like sentiment.
The Startchild sentiment:
Perhaps the Starchild not only represents something
tangible for Shepard but something else as well. Perhaps the child like form of
the Starchild is a reflection on the childish thought behind the Reapers. If
you ask me, it's a pretty childish thought behind the idea of the Reapers. To
prevent the destruction and control over the dominate organic life they must be
harvested. Only to have it happen again and again, to prevent something that
may not ever happen. That's a pretty large God-complex thought in my book and I
would think considered childish by many. So perhaps the Starchild form is not
only a subconscious projection but it also has a literal idea behind it.
The Indoctrination Theory:
I don't totally agree with this Theory that all of
Shepards actions, or the majority of them, are by Reaper control. I believe
Shepard experiences a 'slow burn' Indoctrination by the Illusive Man when he
attempts control over Shepard and Anderson. For those of you that are not
familiar with The Illusive Man, Jack Harper, he experiences a 'slow burn'
Indoctrination in the 'Evolution' comic mini-series. His partner during the
First Contact war touches an Indoctrination Device, Harper (Illusive Man) pulls
him off and experiences a surge of energy as well. While his partner takes the
brunt and full effect, Harper is left with the iconic blue eyes. Just like
Saren, who experiences a similar incident later on. The effect is not immediate
and hard hitting, instead it comes off as an obsession. And obsession that
turns into a skewed thought pattern of the Reapers being right. Saren all out
allies himself but Illusive Man instead agrees with the Reapers ideology and
attempts to control them in order to carry out their ideology. What Saren and
Illusive Man experience is more like a clawing at the mind and a whisper,
rather than something breaking in and taking control right away. They can still think for themselves but they
are driven towards an ultimate end.
I believe this is what Shepard experiences when the
choices are presented. I think Shepard has the Illusive Mans influence upon
him/her and why the control option is Paragon and why the destruction option is
Renegade. The choices are not changed but rather the perception of the choices
is. Why else would Anderson be viewed in a Renegade option and Illusive Man in
Paragon? So the question becomes not why the choices are different but why the
view of the choices is different. The Indoctrination experience is the Slow
Burn with the Illusive Man influencing Shepard since the Indoctrination was
originating from him and not the Reapers or their devices directly. And it only
occurred on the Citadel, not prior to the Citadel.
Shepards Choice:
The Paragon/Renegade options are quite obvious but what
about the third option, an option that was never really present until the end
of the series. Why is the third choice green and why is it there? Taking into
account my previous thoughts on the Illusive Man Slow Burn Indoctrination I
believe the third choice is Shepards 'True' choice. Not saying it's the 'right'
choice but rather the choice that is presented to Shepard after the Slow Burn
Indoctrination and hasn't had time to be influenced. The view and perception on
it has not been skewed, it is seen at face value. It's a blend of the Renegade
and Paragon, hence why most people call it the 'Neutral Choice'. It removes the
reapers from the picture, they have no mission or purpose if they are part
organic and the organics are part synthetic. It erases them from the formula
and makes them no longer have meaning or purpose. In a way it controls them by
taking away their mission and meaning but in another way it also destroys what
they are. Destruction cannot be face value all the time in the breakdown of
something physical, it can mean the destruction of ideology, meaning, and
purpose.
The Relay Explosions and the Adam/Eve (Joker/Edi) Theory:
As seen from the cinemas of earth when the Crucible fires
the energy itself (assuming good ending with devices to
filter/control/compensate for the energy) is not destructive. It influences the
Reapers but spares the forces on the ground and presumably in orbit. I believe
the energy released is more of Shepards Influence being spread around the
universe then more 'traditional' forms of energy. Perhaps it's more of a visual
spectrum broadcast than anything else.
When the energy is transferred to the relays and the
relays overload the Crucible energy picks up force from the relay destruction. Perhaps one reason the Normandy is taken down.
Or it could have been damaged in battle or been pushed past the FTL safety
threshold and started breaking up until the shockwave took it down.
With that being said even if the Relays explode with the
force/size of a Supernova, one killed 100,000 Batarians in Arrival. It didn't
wipe out the system so life does survive. Life would survive even if all the
relays blow up. Life does not poof out of existence like some argue. So the
Adam/Eve ,or Joker/Edi theory as I call it, doesn't stack up.
I think that covers up everything I wanted to share for
the most part. Again, these are my opinions and theories. I understand why
people would want a more cohesive ending but, presumably, with additions to the
story planned along with the Extended Cut things will fall into place more. As
it stands though with reading the side stories and some thought beyond face
value I think the endings work. They might not be perfect but they work in my
mind.
Modifié par PsychoTabby, 14 avril 2012 - 02:29 .
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