Big Plot Hole *Spoliers*

[Seraphiel]

So, how did Isaac not know Nicole was dead?

If she kills herself in the initial recording then how is it realistic to expect that Isaac never bothered watched the full recording at any time in the long journey to the Ishimura for the repair mission?

Equally, how would Kendra know what was at the end of the recording?

Equally, if the team knew what was at the end of the recording (and Isaac somehow didn't) then why were they so blasé about going to the Ishimura in the first place?

[Chief]

he didn't have the full recording
kendra intentionally cut it
the team didn't know, kendra was the only one that did

[Chief]

don't call your misunderstandings a plot hole

[Dredwerkz]

!. He didn't watch it, or repressed the traumatic memory.

2. Same as 1.

3. She works for Earth Gov. She probably has clearance to intercept private comms.

4. When does any other team member say they have seen the whole video? Kendra has no reason to reveal she has seen it because that raises the question how she has seen it. Non of the other members of the team know anything about the Ishimura, and Kendra has impetus to NOT reveal she knows more than they do because it could compromise her mission.

[bigboy2k]

I thought it was that he didn't have the whole recording. Also, Kendra had another reason for going to the ship and probably needed Isaac to be clear headed to do her bidding, and not thinking of Nicole's death. That's why she kept the whole recording from him. At least that's what I think.

[Illuminia]

It's been many years, but for some reason I recall in the original - Kendra actually mentioning near the ending that the Nicole video wasn't complete; she knew it had been edited and did something to show him the "full" version.

I forget the details; but what I recall is Kendra KNEW the whole time, and knew the video Issac watches at the first was incomplete. I don't know if they were specifically targeting "Issac" by editing the video, or just editing ANY/ALL communications to hide signs of Marker's influence.

It's also possible Issac knew or suspected, and was repressing due to mental trauma (or the Marker's influence).

[Dredwerkz]

Originally posted by Illuminia:

It's been many years, but for some reason I recall in the original - Kendra actually mentioning near the ending that the Nicole video wasn't complete; she knew it had been edited and did something to show him the "full" version.

I forget the details; but what I recall is Kendra KNEW the whole time, and knew the video Issac watches at the first was incomplete. I don't know if they were specifically targeting "Issac" by editing the video, or just editing ANY/ALL communications to hide signs of Marker's influence.

It's also possible Issac knew or suspected, and was repressing due to mental trauma (or the Marker's influence).

I haven't been paying close enough attention to pick up on that detail. The next game I complete I will be listening a bit more carefully when Kendra tells him to watch the video, to see if what she says hints at her having edited it.

[Illuminia]

Originally posted by Dredwerkz:

Originally posted by Illuminia:

It's been many years, but for some reason I recall in the original - Kendra actually mentioning near the ending that the Nicole video wasn't complete; she knew it had been edited and did something to show him the "full" version.

I forget the details; but what I recall is Kendra KNEW the whole time, and knew the video Issac watches at the first was incomplete. I don't know if they were specifically targeting "Issac" by editing the video, or just editing ANY/ALL communications to hide signs of Marker's influence.

It's also possible Issac knew or suspected, and was repressing due to mental trauma (or the Marker's influence).

I haven't been paying close enough attention to pick up on that detail. The next game I complete I will be listening a bit more carefully when Kendra tells him to watch the video, to see if what she says hints at her having edited it.

I haven't reached that point in Remake myself but saw a streamer go through.... I don't think she implies the same thing in the Remake though.
What I recall was her saying "Watch it (Nicole video) again, to the end this time." ..... which strikes me as subtly different than the original.

Of course, the OG was a long time ago; maybe there was some nuance of it that I didn't catch back then..... but in any case; Kendra always knew the truth about Nicole all along.

One point in Remake, Issac talks about physically seeing Nicole alive - and Kendra is surprised, and replies something like ".... she's really a trooper, huh?"

[lieutenantkirtar]

Just rewatched Kendra's speech from both versions. In the reveal scene it doesn't sound like Kendra was withholding a portion of the video, just forcing Isaac to finish the video.

2008

I was starting to like you. Even if you are insane. What you don't believe me? Take a look at yourself, better yet take a look at the video from Nicole. And this time watch it right through to the end

2023

Let who go? Can't you see how delusional you are? I gave you a chance to come around, Isaac. But if you still won't see it... I'll help you, one last time. This time, watch to the end.

I would think they would be a lot more explicit in her speech telling Isaac she is adding the end of the video back instead of just forcing him to watch the entire thing. I can't say why Isaac either didn't watch the entire video or if he did watch it why he was able to so completely repress the memory of it prior to reaching the Ishimura.

[Seraphiel]

Originally posted by Mister chief:

he didn't have the full recording
kendra intentionally cut it
the team didn't know, kendra was the only one that did

No she didn't.

1. That is never stated;
2. If she did then her "this time, watch to the end" wouldn't make sense.

It only makes sense if Isaac for some inexplicable reason didn't watch the full video from his girlfriend. The implication of "this time" from Kendra is clear that he could have watched it to the end "other times".

Even if you were correct, then that isn't explained in the plot and so is, by definition, a plot hole.

Originally posted by Dredwerkz:

1. He didn't watch it, or repressed the traumatic memory.

That explanation doesn't work as (a) why would he not watch it? (the implication in the opening scene is that he has watched the video multiple times by that point) and (b) that's not how repressed memory works.

[Nathan]

It's heavily implied that Isaac never simply watched the video to the end, it goes on and gets worse and Isaac just couldn't bear to watch it to the end because something about it made him suspect the worst but also not want to face it, instead looking for an excuse to get there to see her for himself asap.
If you do the sidequest and see the last video communication between Isaac & Nicole before he got that last last message, you'll also know a bit more about his psychological state, because He called Nicole after his mother had killed herself and his father, and he lashed out at Nicole blaming her for clearing his mother as being better, and Nicole understandably under heavy stress and probably some other friction from before since Isaac had pressured Nicole to go to the Ishimura, anyway Nicole gets angry at this and hangs up on Isaac, and Isaac felt already then that he was losing her as well, so with the suicide message he just couldn't take it, couldn't face it, stopped before just making it final, in a way, Isaac was already a bit broken, living in denial after his mothers death and having distanced himself from Nicole who now seemed to also send her final message to him.

Kendra is a spy, she hacked his messages, already knew what had happened, she kept it to herself because it was tactical to do so, Hammond was clueless about everything.
Kendra never edited the message unless some peripheral lore states so (I haven't read any comics or watched all the animes or whatever).

None of this is drastically different from how it was laid out in 2008 originally, but the remake does flesh stuff out more if you read some logs and pursue the side quest and the writing is a bit more nuanced.

[Illuminia]

Originally posted by Seraphiel:

Originally posted by Mister chief:

he didn't have the full recording
kendra intentionally cut it
the team didn't know, kendra was the only one that did

No she didn't.

1. That is never stated;
2. If she did then her "this time, watch to the end" wouldn't make sense.

.

I dug into this a bit, and it seems that a lot of other people came to similar conclusions, even though you are correct - it isn't explicitly stated in either game, apparently.

In the original, Kendra fiddles with a computer terminal in hand/on arm just before saying "Watch it again... this time to the end" line. (implying she makes some sort of change; but that is all).

From posts I found about the Remake, when she does something similar people say it shows a "Rig Link Override" text on screen, indicating that she is definitely doing something ; which we can only guess is (probably) related to the video.
( Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/DeadSpace/comments/10qlsii/can_we_talk_about_nicoles_recording_spoilers/ )

I'll be curious when i reach that point in the Remake to watch it more closely myself.

So yes - you are correct that it is never stated that Kendra herself edited the video.
Maybe she wasn't the one that edited it. ... but she is at least aware of the edited content, and had some sort of access to the original.

[Nathan]

Originally posted by Illuminia:

From posts I found about the Remake, when she does something similar people say it shows a "Rig Link Override" text on screen, indicating that she is definitely doing something ; which we can only guess is (probably) related to the video.

I took it that the "rig link override" was to put the video to simply play and remove the option from Isaac to manually turn it off like he had been doing constantly.

[Explodium]

Dead Space 2 established that Isaac always knew Nicole was dead. He just refused to watch the whole thing and was in denial.

"...and when you got my final transmission, you couldn't bear to watch to the end. You knew what had happened, yet you went looking for me anyway."

[Xymnala]

It is very heavily implied that he knew all along but was in flat-out psychosis and denial in the Remake as well, especially by some of the things he says which seem to be very odd in the situation. "She's a doctor, you know she'll do the smart thing." and then Isaac replying in a very off-hand and subdued way with "She always does . . . " but there are more examples if you listen closely whenever Nicole is mentioned.

[Noma]

Having played Silent Hill 2 before Dead Space, nothing about this seemed like a plot hole. Both the main characters are afflicted with trauma and repress the traumatic memories, memories which are partly (or entirely) resulting from their own actions.

Silent Hill 2 is often hailed as having the best story out of every video games ever made. Nobody cries about some plot hole. Dead Space use similar narrative devices to express the fact that Isaac is a bit loco in the head, either from the inhibition of his own trauma or from the Marker's influence.