*SPOILERS* What happens at the end of Minisode 2?

[Doriona Elerlithe]

So, I'm kind of lost. Everything went ok up until the credits of minisode 2. Well, not really because there's still the Eva crossing the street and fading, while the real(?) Eva is driving the car. But maybe this is all connected. So what happens at the end? Why is Eva wearing the helmet?

• Were all the events of minisode 2 not real?
  
• Again, what's the deal with that Eva crossing the road?
  
• Why did Neil wear the helmet when everybody left the office?
  
• Who turned off the power switch manually? Generator said it was Neil. It obviously wasn't?
  
  I'm so confused. Could somebody shed some light please? I feel so dumb right now.
  
  Bonus Question: Anyone knows if there's going to be another minisode this year that could potentially sort everything out?

[Mr. Nobody]

It's all speculation at this point, but it seems pretty much confirmed that we are in someone's memories. The question is to what extent.

The most common theory is we are in Neil's memories and he is dying. The scene at the end of TtM with the painkillers seems to support this.

I personally believe all the events of TtM and the minisodes are real events, but we are possibly seeing memories of them like we did with Johnny. A memory within a memory situation.

The flash with Eva wearing the helmet is a glimpse of the "real" world where Eva is wearing a helmet to go into Neil's memories. The Eva we see crossing the road is the "real" Eva and the one in the car is a memory construct Eva. The generator saying Neil means there is either a "real" Neil running around or someone just used his name.

Below is my ridiculous theory based off a little evidence and a lot of speculation:

Neil was experimenting with going into his own memories, hence the hidden helmet and staying after work. He was trying to hide it because it's probably extremely dangerous and likely would get him fired. Something bad happened the night where Minisode 2 takes place (Eva catches him using the helmet and he possibly gets fired).

Distraught Neil subsequently went into his own memories after this event and shut off the generator himself such that memory construct Neil no longer gets caught by Eva.

In the real world, Neil is currently on his death bed and Eva is travelling through his memories trying to figure out what the hell is going on and why Neil has false memories.

To answer your last question. There are no plans on another minisode that I'm aware of, but Episode 2 Finding Paradise is set to release this year. It's likely to give us some more info on what's going on, but I wouldn't expect it to answer everything yet.

[Doriona Elerlithe]

I see. My concern is that, while all of what you speculate might be possible, it seems kind of awkward for them to create all of these events in the middle of minisode 2. I don't know if you get where I'm going with that. The first one, the one where as you say is pretty much confirmed, even though I don't like the thought of it, makes a bit more sense because what they're supposedly not telling us (yet?), have happened in between the games. And that kind of has a nicer flow to it. What do you think?

[Mr. Nobody]

Originally posted by Spike Spiegel:

I see. My concern is that, while all of what you speculate might be possible, it seems kind of awkward for them to create all of these events in the middle of minisode 2. I don't know if you get where I'm going with that. The first one, the one where as you say is pretty much confirmed, even though I don't like the thought of it, makes a bit more sense because what they're supposedly not telling us (yet?), have happened in between the games. And that kind of has a nicer flow to it. What do you think?

The first and second part don't really contradict each other. Not everythiing has to happen that night. My speculation is just a way to expand on simply saying "Eva is in dying Neil's memories."

Example Real Timeline:
1) Neil tests machine. Power does not get shut off, so the machine works and he discovers a way to alter his own memories.
2) Eva walks in on him when returning with her sister because Neil doesn't have to go to the basement to turn the generator back on.
3) Neil ends up getting fired after getting caught.
4)Some indefinite time in the future Neil uses his own machine to alters his memory by shutting off the generator.
5) Even further in the future, Neil is dying and Eva enters his memories to figure out what is going on. This is the flash of Eva we see after the credits. Essentially, we are seeing Neil's own altered memory through the eyes of Eva.

The main thing going against the above is it's too complicated.

A second and simpler (and more likely) explanation is Eva is changing Neil's memories to fulfill his dying wish. She shuts off the generator herself with Neil's credentials to prevent him from doing whatever he's doing with the machine, and creates the party to prevent him from going back to working on whatever he is doing. This explains the second Eva and the generator without adding the complication of Neil messing around with his own memories. That just leaves the question of what Neil IS doing with a bootleg helmet.

[FranticShooter]

Man i'm actually kinda Cheesed about this whole minisode ending. It was going so well and TtM was so heart warming and i loved every single bit. Then i found these and I played them and was like what. They ruined an amazing story in my opinion.

[Doriona Elerlithe]

Originally posted by Mr. Nobody:

Didn't want to quote you on anything, just wanted to directly reply to you. Yeah it makes a bit more sense to me now, but still what troubles me is if they actually squeezed events halfway through the minisode and didn't show us. Other than that hopefully there's going to be another that shows us exactly what happened.

[Doriona Elerlithe]

Originally posted by *PuzzleFreak*:

Man i'm actually kinda Cheesed about this whole minisode ending. It was going so well and TtM was so heart warming and i loved every single bit. Then i found these and I played them and was like what. They ruined an amazing story in my opinion.

I'd like to see it as a completely different story and I like the fact that it exists. Because, even though there were no loose ties in the original game's story, I'd like to see what's going on with these two and the minisodes kind of do that. The only thing remaining now is to tie all loose ends with these and create something like a complete second game.

[Mr. Nobody]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF5kvAdlgJU

I personally think it would fitting if after it's all said and done, the final game in the series focuses on Neil as the patient. It would allow all the loose ends form the Minisodes to be tied up, while all the individual games in the meantime can remain self contained like To the Moon.

[MaxRicardi]

I finished the minisode today. for me it was simpler and a little less sad.

Eva and Neil are very lonely, they probably like each other and never say it, so they both dream about being elsewhere.
the plot is just that we think we are seeing Neil's dream, but it's Eva's.

too simple? hahaha

[lolstillshane]

Originally posted by Mr. Nobody:

Eva catches him using the helmet and he possibly gets fired

He can't get caught because he locked his door.

[Hasekbowstome]

I started doing some looking to answer the same question. I don't know what happened at the end of Minisode 2 and I don't think there's a clear answer. The wikipedia entry for To The Moon says:

"However, the final cutscene flashes to an Eva using a memory rewrite machine alone at home, suggesting that the entire party at HQ was a false memory she wrote for herself."

But there's no citation for where that idea came from. I think the ideas mentioned above that we're in Neil's memories, being altered by Eva, makes a lot more sense than Eva writing fake memories for herself.

[Mr. Nobody]

^ Yeah. For some reason when Minisode 2 came out, everyone just seemed to assume we were in Eva's memories. I remember it never made any sense to me either which is why I made up that theory above.

It's been years since I played at this point though, so I'm not even sure I would believe my theory myself anymore.