#j does lis2

[thingsarentgood]

I don't think it's an accident that Sean kept running into lgbt+ people on the road, especially other men.

I think people see Life Is Strange 2 as a game primarily dealing with racism on the social level, but Sean's experience as a bisexual boy is just as important, even if it isn't touched on as much. The first sign we see of Sean doing some introspection on his sexuality is in episode 3. So depending on if Sean kisses Finn, we can guess that Lyla doesn't know Sean is bi based on his reaction. Meaning his journey to realizing he was bi may have started on the road around the time he met the gutter punks or right around the time the boys set off initially.

While episode 3 seems like the first time Sean acknowledges his attraction to boys, episode 4 really brought that confirmation out. During the talk with Jacob– Sean seems more firm in his stance (if you romanced Finn). By going as far as including himself in the group of people the church's rhetoric would not accept. He also has a moment to "come out" to his father during the dream sequence which means it was something he felt he had to get off of his chest.

Finally in episode 5 Sean has a few really good conversation with the gay couple living at Away, Arthur and Stanley. There's even mention in the journal of Sean finding them inspiring. That positive example of an older mlm couple in Sean's life seems really impactful. That and the little moment when Sean can tell Daniel that he kissed Finn all add little stepping stones in the Sean's self discovery.

[thingsarentgood]

I feel like life is Strange 2 calls the player's bluff because in the original game you had the option to change your mind at the last second. To disregard everything up till that final moment and pull out if you had doubts about your decision. But from the moment you start playing the 2nd game, your path is being set. From the 1st decisions you make, there is a direct influence on the end and you can't change that. Something as small as stealing a choco crisp bar could be the catalyst to start Daniel down the low morality path. And if you played episodes as they came out, there was no hindsight. It was hard to tell what you were doing right and what you were doing wrong / what was rubbing off on Daniel till the end. I think that it serves as a really interesting portrayal of raising someone in real life, because you never know what will happen to them until it's already happened and there's no take backs.

[thingsarentgood]

Finn gang rise up.

[thingsarentgood]

Everytime Finn calls Sean sweetheart or darling

[thingsarentgood]

Life is Strange 2: a game focused on rich characters, diverse locations, poignant themes and interesting conversation starters.

The tag: the same picture of Max and Chloe 50 times.

[thingsarentgood]

It's interesting that people say Life is Strange 2 is unfocused or all over the place narratively when there is a very straightforward goal (to get to puerto lobos) and themes of brotherhood/overcoming racial bias. While on the other hand, Life Is Strange 1 was a little shiftless until the mystery aspect came in and they had way more they tried to address (Classim? R*pe culture? Gun violence? Love/sexuality? Creepy men in positions of power? Mental Illness? Time powers? Suic*de? The impacts of religious upbringing? And hints at time paradoxes near the end?)

There was so much they tried to make points on in the first game but the second game gets flack for trying to make a commentary on how racsim can split a family. Somehow though the second game gets called too much? I can't help but feel like a lot of the negativity comes from the topics of 2 hitting a little close to home and that makes some people uncomfortable.

[thingsarentgood]

Each ending makes sense narratively in its own way.

Redemption follows the theme of Sean giving up his happiness for Daniel. Blood Brothers leans more into the idea of family first, even at the expense of others. Parting Ways calls out the boy's dependence on each other by separating them. And Lone Wolf confronts Daniel's reckless behavior by giving him the ultimate consequence for his actions.

Therefore they all work depending on how you choose to see and play Daniel/your relationship to him.

[thingsarentgood]

So Brett, the Diaz family's racist neighbor, seemed to know a little bit about whatever was up with Lyla since he made a comment about the "loonybin" (which could be a hint that she's been hospitalized for mental health issues before since it can also happen in episode 2). There's also implications that the nieghbors are nosy in general. That leads me to wonder about the scene where Brett called Daniel an ableist slur. I'm curious if he just being spiteful or if he was crudely referencing something we don't know about Daniel like he did with Lyla? Like if Daniel had some kind of learning disability and it became somewhat public. That would potentially explain his distaste for school/homework and explain why he was being bullied.