Her Story's portrayal of mental illness

[JohnnyTheWolf]

Offworld's Laura Hudson loved Her Story, but had some interesting criticisms of the way Her Story seems to portray dissociative identity disorder:

As is often the case, the roving squads of self-appointed authenticity monitors who patrol the imaginary borders of games have deemed Her Story "not a real game" for the usual reasons: because it's cerebral, it stars a woman, and anyone can play it. To make a game like that in the current climate is something of a refreshing, rebellious act; those "criticisms" are the precise reason the game feels so fresh and enjoyable, and are best read as unintended compliments.

But there are relevant criticisms worth raising about Her Story, especially around that way it depicts mental illness, a theme that becomes apparent only after you've collected enough video fragments to see the larger picture emerge. Perhaps the biggest red herring of the game is its name; Her Story sounds singular, and implies that we're looking at one woman, the same woman, in all of the videos. As we learn over time, this is almost certainly not true.

She's initially introduced to us as Hannah, the wife of the murder victim, Simon. In her initial interrogations, she seems quiet and cooperative. Other times, she's defensive, outgoing, even aggressive. That's because at least some of the time the person we see on screen is not Hannah at all, but an identical woman named Eve who was having an affair with Simon.

There are two theories you can arrive at to explain this: Either Hannah and Eve are twin sisters separated at birth through what I would describe as a highly unlikely series of events, or Hannah has Dissociative Identity Disorder—what is more popularly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, and Eve is not a separate person but another facet of her self.

Although the game remains intentionally ambiguous on the subject, the most persuasive evidence points to Dissociative Identity Disorder, and at the very least raises the specter of mental illness as the explanation for the killing. It's a conceit that transforms Her Story into a whodunit mystery where the real question isn't who committed the murder, but who she thought she was when it happened. When Hannah's carefully constructed alibi starts to fall apart and it looks like she's facing arrest, she looks at the interrogator and smiles: "Can you arrest someone who doesn't exist?"

I can't pretend that I played Her Story with no preconceptions, or that I've always fully understood the things I'm about to criticize the game for not understanding. My reaction was deeply colored and illuminated by a conversation I had about Her Story with former game developer and producer Courtney Stanton before I even picked it up. "Basically every media depiction I've ever seen of someone with a dissociative disorder—including Hannah and Eve—are wrong," Stanton told me. "And I know this, because I have the mental illness she's portrayed as having."

It's unclear whether Hannah is supposed to have dissociative identity disorder (DID)—where the barriers between different states of the mind are more developed—or dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS), the more broadly defined diagnosis that Stanton can speak to personally. Both disorders exist beneath the same umbrella of dissociation disorders, at varying levels of severity. All are widely misunderstood, both by Her Story and society at large.

On the surface, Stanton says some details about Hannah and Eve do ring true. "When we hear that Eve wears a wig—it's not uncommon for different parts to present differently. And she slips between the pronouns 'we' and 'I' really well. But when you get into the game's depiction of how they they supposedly work as a system, it feels very wrong."

Indeed, one of the primary reasons why "multiple personality disorder" was reclassified as "dissociative identity disorder" was to avoid the misconception that Her Story vigorously promotes: that alternative personalities, alters, or parts, as they are variously called, are entirely separate individuals, rather than just different manifestations of the same person. "Parts aren't fully separate people, nor are there usually only two of them, and they don't interact with each other that way," says Stanton. "It's certainly not two women trapped in one body, jealously competing over the affections of one man."

Most troublingly, Her Story is ultimately a game where an impliedly mentally ill person is portrayed as a murderer. Nor is Simon her only victim; it's also suggested that Eve poisoned and killed Hannah's parents in order to regain more control over their shared life. And it is Hannah as a whole—the woman with a dissociative disorder—who is responsible for bringing death and harm to so many of the people around her, primarily because of her mental illness.

Therein lies the biggest and most unexamined problem with what is otherwise an exceptional game. Mental illness has long been equated with violence and criminality in media and entertainment, where the "insane murderer" trope remains hugely popular. Too often, people with mental illness are the bogeymen we summon into horror stories, murder mysteries or anywhere else we need a one-dimensional bad guy wielding a knife.

The impact of these stereotypes on people with mental illness are significant. The strong social stigma means that those who disclose their diagnosis are often treated with fear, suspicion and disgust, in ways that can affect their employment, health care, relationships and safety. In a 2008 study by the Canadian Medical Association, 42 percent of respondents said they would stop socializing with a friend who was diagnosed with mental illness; 55 percent said they would not marry someone with mental illness, and 25 percent said they would be afraid simply to be around them.

The reality of mental illness is far more dangerous—not for those who happen to be around it, but those who suffer from it. Not only are people with mental illness unlikely to be perpetrators of violence; they're actually more likely to be on the receiving end. According to one government study, someone with severe mental illness is eleven times more likely to be a victim of violent crime than someone without it.

Yet again and again, mentally ill people appear in our entertainment as axe-wielding psychos whose primary reason for committing violence is quite simply that they're craaaazy. Their mental illness is designed to provoke fear or fascination; other times, as in the case of Her Story, it's the prop or device that sets up the M. Night Shyamalan-esque surprise twist ending. "The game felt like it was using Hannah's mental health to execute a pre-existing plot, instead of thinking about what a character with DID or DDNOS would actually be like and building a story from there," says Stanton.

Her Story spends a lot of time exploring what happens when two separate but inextricably connected parts of a whole come into conflict. This ends up being a far better description of the game itself, where the clever mechanics and the troubling narrative coexist inside the same creative body, and neither can truly escape the pull of the other. The reasons I loved the game—the reasons I kind of want to finish this review right now and go play it again—are tied inextricably to the reasons it left me feeling deeply uncomfortable, and the unexamined stereotypes at its core.

In all honesty, I'm not actually sure I would have noticed these failings in the game before talking to Stanton about it. It's easy not to notice problems when they're so familiar that they blend into the background, especially when they don't affect you directly. It's easy, too, to hear the small, selfish voice in your head that wonders if it wouldn't be easier not to know these things at all, to just let the pleasurable aspects of your entertainment wash over you unanalyzed.

And of course, it is easier. But this is how we get better, both as people who consume media and people who make it: We listen, we allow ourselves to feel uncomfortable, and we learn. We look the flaws of the things we enjoy directly in the eye, and know them for what they are. When I look at Her Story, I see one of the most compelling games I've played this year, and a game predicated on an idea that I find harmful, all wrapped up in one complicated package. It's still a package I'm glad I opened. But I know it for what it is: the sum of all its parts.

http://boingboing.net/2015/07/15/her-story-game.html

[AdrianChm]

I gotta say, the whole thing has been utterly fascinating. I thought I have seen every type of bias on the Internet, but I was wrong.

Again, happy to accept that Sam Barlow intended this to be a story about a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder. But in that case I'm afraid I think it's a badly written game that poorly handles its subject matter.

Unfortunately for you, then, Her Story might not be your cup of tea/coffee after all. Sam just said this in this latest piece from Polygon: http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/20/8906465/her-story-ending-sam-barlow :

He's aware of both fan theories about the game's ending, and yes, one of them might even be right.

"The interesting aspect to all of that is just they're all different angles on the same idea," Barlow said. "They're all dealing with a kind of duality ... I guess it's less important for me to define that. I'm probably unlikely to come out and express my opinion on that."

...meaning he is totally fine with the MPD hypothesis. I guess that makes him a "bad writer" and a "bigot".

I wonder if he just narrowed down the "solution" to two hypotheses here. Journalists often present parts of conversation as their own thoughts, so "one of them might even be right" might be Sam's words or the journalist's projection. Of course, it's entirely possible that not only Sam did not narrow anything down, but maybe there's even an explanation out there that no one has thought of.

The really interesting fragment is this:

"My notes and my current understanding is that there's a definitive version of the story that I have in my head," Barlow said. "Certainly of what happened prior to the various interviews; this was important as well because all of the detectives' dialogue was fully scripted as well.

"Obviously when you remove all the questions of the detectives — obviously there are a lot more questions — but for the detectives to be asking those questions and have their line of inquiry that would have to be quite well thought out."

I always felt the detectives were not given enough credit. At the moment, it's nothing more than a feeling, but it seemed to me they were leading Hannah rather than truly investigating and discovering things on the fly. I remember even considering they lied to her about what the lie detector communicated, just to get Eve to open up. Anyway, something to think about when I go through all the clips for the article.

[Murray]

Kind of annoying he ain't willing to say what his true story was, considering it can't actually be solved.

When I hear he had a definitive story in mind, I side with it being one person since the cues suggesting it are discreet but poignant, which is what a good writer should be doing.

Also got to keep in mind that since all you hear is her story you have nothing else to reference with for any sign of truth. Therefore, what she has to say is worth next to nothing really. Got to pay attention to her actions before considering any words.

The person Sarah talks to on the computer also only acknowledges that Sarah is looking at videos of her mother. One person.

[Dibs]

Publicado originalmente por AdrianChm:

FWIW, the only reason we (or at least some of us) keep digging into the game is that Barlow said a canon version exists. The foundation on which he plotted the alternatives. It's interesting to figure out what exactly was that foundation. Alas, after three weeks of digging, I am no closer to the answer, despite discovering dozens of details no one has even discussed yet anywhere.

I am with you on this one. There are so many details left to discuss. Playing Her Story has been like solving a good old physical puzzle. Discovering the pieces, trying to find their place and fit them together. There's still a few pieces left before I can see the whole picture and make sense of everything in Her Story. A few weeks ago, I started watching the clips in order while vigorously writing down everything I find interesting. Like you, I'm not done yet and I already have an overwhelming amount of notes...

Like the mirror game achievement you mentioned, I think the ending achievement with Sarah might be a clue. I got to thinking about this because of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter actually. I find both the choice of words and the icon itself very interesting. I've posted my thoughts on it in another thread. I'd be happy to repeat myself if you're interested.

Publicado originalmente por AdrianChm:

I always felt the detectives were not given enough credit. At the moment, it's nothing more than a feeling, but it seemed to me they were leading Hannah rather than truly investigating and discovering things on the fly. I remember even considering they lied to her about what the lie detector communicated, just to get Eve to open up. Anyway, something to think about when I go through all the clips for the article.

I agree! I read an interview with Sam Barlow done by Rock Paper Shotgun where he mentions this. "(...) it’s about fact gathering. Exposing contradictions and getting people to talk about stuff so that they slip up, which Phoenix Wright shows.

The performance aspect of being a detective isn’t hostile though, it’s about getting people to think you’re best friends. It’s slowly increasing the levels of intimacy through body language and the way you’re talking. It’s a huge lie where you’re trying to convince the person you’re talking to that this isn’t a formal process, that you’re not a member of the police playing a role, that you are in fact people sharing a conversation privately."
(http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/01/23/text-lies-and-videotape-her-story-interview/)

We see many examples of this in the game. Hannah/Eve even starts asking personal questions back at the detectives and they actually answer, showing her pictures of their kids and one detective even admits to adultery (which of course, may be a lie to get her talking). By doing this, the detectives give Hannah/Eve an opportunity to tell her true story.

In the same interview, Sam Barlow also talks about how he researched therapy for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and attended sessions with a psychiatrist. This means he has connections to people with knowledge about mental illnesses and possibly MPD/DID.

[AdrianChm]

I think the ending achievement with Sarah might be a clue. I got to thinking about this because of Ethan Carter actually. I find both the choice of words and the icon itself very interesting. I've posted my thoughts on it in another thread. I'd be happy to repeat myself if you're interested.

Please do. I assume you mean "The Reflection: Sarah has logged off and crossed the road"? Earlier, SB says "Log off and meet me over the road", so yeah, she does so and meets with SB for some unknown reason. The choice of "the road" is peculiar but not sure what Sam was going after here.

The achievement's image is just a program's exit icon in a way, although seen on the computer screen that reflects Sarah's face. Interesting what else you're seeing here, metaphorically.

SB is surely Sam Barlow, if he wanted it to be someone else, he'd just rename the character to avoid any confusion. Although confusion is a part of the experience :)

As for the last sentence of Eve's final interview, I find it fascinating that the ending of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter uses the same key word in the last sentence of its story :).

[Dibs]

Publicado originalmente por AdrianChm:

Please do. I assume you mean "The Reflection: Sarah has logged off and crossed the road"? Earlier, SB says "Log off and meet me over the road", so yeah, she does so and meets with SB for some unknown reason. The choice of "the road" is peculiar but not sure what Sam was going after here.

The achievement's image is just a program's exit icon in a way, although seen on the computer screen that reflects Sarah's face. Interesting what else you're seeing here, metaphorically.

Yes, I'm talking about "The Reflection: Sarah has logged off and crossed the road". The game doesn't conclude anything, but you sort of "finish" the game when you leave the computer as Sarah and get that achievement. So I kept wondering if maybe the achievement could be a hint to Sam Barlow's canon ending.

I might be reading too much into this, but please bear with me. Sarah is used to tell Hannah's story in the game, so why not mirror that in the achievement? We know that Hannah wanted to call her firstborn girl Sarah. Sarah even has her hair tied up like Hannah. In this case, Sarah can be a reflection or representation of Hannah and therefore the meaning of the text and icon could be transferred onto Hannah.

I wonder about the choice of "the road" too. It seems so out of place, at least in the achievement. I mean, like you said earlier - things are rarely accidental in stories like this. I probably shouldn't question everything, but I assume Sarah and SB where in the same building, so why choose to meet across the road? Going through the transcript, crossing the road comes up in a crucial part of Her Story, namely when Hannah and Eve meet for the first time.

[Interview 7 - EVE] "I grew up looking out of my window and seeing her across the road. I thought it was like a reflection in a mirror. She was me."

"I had read her diary at that point and I knew she wasn't my real mother. So I burned the diary that day and I left. Walked out and across the street."

When Eve crosses the street, it's the start of their story - Hannah and Eve together. Regarding the achievement, maybe crossing the street is also used to symbolise the ending? In the last interview, Eve clearly states that Hannah is gone and she's never coming back. The knock code she taps is "BYD HANNAN", probably meaning "Bye Hannah". Where did she go? I refuse to believe she just ran away. I support the MPD theory and if Hannah is gone, it means she has stopped existing in a way. If they share the same body, Hannah would have to mentally "log off", to exit their mind in a way. The achievement text works in combination with the image. Inside Sarah's head, there's an open door with an exit sign above it. It could be accidental, but I hope it's not.

If this is true, the use of "crossed the road" actually makes sense to me. You know the joke, "why did the chicken cross the road?". The answer is "to get to the other side". It's clearly an anti-joke, but could have a deeper meaning to it. At least literally, like the double meaning in the joke about the ketchup and "catch up". A chicken trying to cross the road is basically suicide. "The other side" or "crossed over" is often used as metaphors for death.

If the achievement has anything to do with Hannah's fate, I believe she is dead. She has "logged off" and "crossed the road" to the other side. Perhaps even by choice, because the icon is an open door. You can choose whether to exit or not.

I have this story in my head that Hannah let go to save the baby, because the two personalities couldn't co-exist. I don't think Hannah could get rid of Eve, even if she wanted. She talks about how she once tried to drown Eve, somehow I think it was her own reflection she saw in the water.

Publicado originalmente por AdrianChm:

As for the last sentence of Eve's final interview, I find it fascinating that the ending of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter uses the same key word in the last sentence of its story :).

Indeed! Like Her Story, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a mystery to me. I think both games share this onion-like structure. There are so many layers to peel away before getting to the core and still, I believe a lot will be open for interpretation. I've kept my notes on The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and I intend to continue digging! I love the feeling that I am the one solving the mystery, uncovering the truth. All the clues are there, but not the answer. By trusting the players abilities and curiosity, you can create magic moments of discovery and realisation.

[Dode]

Dibs, those are some really interesting thoughts. Thank you for sharing them.

As an aside, you just caused me to buy The Vanishing of Ethan Carter ;)

[AdrianChm]

If the achievement has anything to do with Hannah's fate, I believe she is dead. She has "logged off" and "crossed the road" to the other side. Perhaps even by choice, because the icon is an open door. You can choose whether to exit or not.

Very interesting indeed.

I agree on the conclusion. With the MPD filter applied, Hannah is, indeed, gone. It's not just what Eve says but it's also the whole change in behavior and appearance. You asked a very good question: did Eve "win" over Hannah, or did Hannah let Eve take over? I think in a way it's both. Eve always was the extravert one that tried to "get out", while Hannah was, well, guilty of murder. It made sense for Hannah to sacrifice herself for the good of Sarah.

Going even further, we might now know what SB meant by "why your mother did what she did". One interpretation would be: "why your mother committed a virtual suicide".

I am getting close to having a coherent MPD story for my article. I can explain the bruise and I can explain the tattoo in a way that does not scream "biased mental gymnastics". I'm still unsure about a) the fingerprints and b) Oxford, though. Both fit "twins" or "genius psychopath" much better atm than "MPD".

[Dibs]

Publicado originalmente por Dode:

Dibs, those are some really interesting thoughts. Thank you for sharing them.

As an aside, you just caused me to buy The Vanishing of Ethan Carter ;)

Thank you :) I've spent a lot of time on this, so I really appreciate the kind words. Awesome, I hope you enjoy it :)

Publicado originalmente por AdrianChm:

Going even further, we might now know what SB meant by "why your mother did what she did". One interpretation would be: "why your mother committed a virtual suicide".

Yes, it's an important question to ask. Why doesn't Sarah know why her mother did what she did? It means that nobody has ever told her, probably because the truth is so complicated that nobody could or would explain why it happened.

In my opinion, this fits well with the MPD theory. Imagine trying to explain that your mother killed your father out of jealousy, because he cheated on her with herself? Jealousy/adultery is Hannah's motive, but to outsiders the other woman doesn't exist.

Publicado originalmente por AdrianChm:

I am getting close to having a coherent MPD story for my article. I can explain the bruise and I can explain the tattoo in a way that does not scream "biased mental gymnastics". I'm still unsure about a) the fingerprints and b) Oxford, though. Both fit "twins" or "genius psychopath" much better atm than "MPD".

I have an idea about the fingerprints. It's Hannah in the interview where they ask her about the fingerprints. To summarise the important events: The police found fingerprints. They ask who's been in the house. Then, from what I understand, they ask her about the bedroom, how she cleans it and how often. She says "a week or so ago, it would have been the Saturday before my birthday?" It's implied that unknown fingerprints were found in the bedroom and that hairs from a wig was found in the bed. Later they ask her if Simon was having an affair. "Simon wasn't seeing another woman." Now we get to the interesting part! The police asks about Hannah's sex life.

Interview 4:
- "No! I have never been unfaithful. I’ve never cheated on Simon."
- "No! You’re talking to the wrong person if you think I'm some kind of slut. If you think I'm the kind of person that would have had sex with all those guys."

Why did the police accuse Hannah of having sex with other guys while married to Simon? Where did they pull those names from? This happens before the police questions Eve about her sex life.

What if the fingerprints they found in the bedroom belonged to several different men? It seems the house, at least the bedroom, was searched at least a week after the murder. Hannah already admitted she hadn't cleaned for at least a week. With Simon gone, Eve was free to be herself in the house. Since they found hairs from her wig in the bed (that's where I assume they found them based on the full transcript), I suspect Eve took the opportunity to invite some of her guy friends around. We already know she likes "bad boys". If the bedroom hadn't been cleaned for a while, the fingerprints could belong to Eve's lovers. What do you think?

Can you explain the problem with Oxford?

*Edit: changed some statements about the timeline which I was unsure of + realised I messed up the video numbers, so removed them

[AdrianChm]

I need to give it some thought but this explanation is very promising. It even nicely works with our recent discussion on the detectives being more than drones, and on focusing - as Sam said it himself - on what happens between the interviews.

With Oxford (Eve D526-D535)... First thing is that they ask Eve is about the speeding ticket, then they talk about Simon faking a conference in Oxford. We cannot be sure those two things are connected but it is quite likely (i.e. that Eve was speeding to get to Oxford asap).

So... Hannah - or was it Eve, as she is the bad driver? - was in a rush to get somewhere and got the ticket, and also Simon lied about a conference in Oxford (there was no conference, also whenever there was a conference he went with Eric, etc.). Then Eve (most likely) lies in the interview that she - as Hannah - simply had a sex weekend with Simon.

If this was twins we could explain the whole thing as Simon and Eve having a sex weekend, and Hannah checking on Simon after e.g. learning from Eric that there was no conference.

If this was a genius psychopath hypothesis then we could have Simon having an affair with someone (or just wanting to get away from his wife for a while) and Hannah rushing to check up on him after after e.g. learning from Eric that there was no conference.

Hmmm... Which I guess could be an explanation for the MPD too. So: tired Eric just gets away for the weekend, trying to find some peace and quiet, but Hannah (or Eve) feels like a betrayed princess when she learns that no, there is not conference in Oxford. She rushes to Oxford and hijacks Simon's weekend.

Note this:

EVE D530: You must be desperate for leads if you're getting hung up over six month old speeding tickets.

EVE D531: There was a conference. Something to do with double glazing. In Oxford?

EVE D532: Are you sure? What would he be doing in Oxford if there was no conference? I remember calling him. He said it was boring and spent most of the time in the bar.

EVE D533: And the hotel said he was there?

EVE D534: OK. You got me. I'll confess. We were there. It was a dirty weekend. Simon was going to expense it, pretend it was a business trip. I used a made up name. We stayed at the hotel. Had room service. Didn't leave the room. It had a great view of the river and you could hear the church bells. Like you said it was very romantic.

I am not sure what's the question to D534, after Eve asks the question in D533. Probably "Yes, they did, they said he was there. They said a woman looking like you was there too."? But when did the detectives mention "romantic", where does it fit? And more importantly, what's the question to D531? Eve's reply is pretty odd.

EDIT: Actually, we cannot even be sure she hijacked the weekend. She claims to have been there in that hotel, but: a) we don't know if the detectives said, as the reply to D533, "Yes, he was there" or "Yes, and they saw you too", b) Hannah/Eve claiming to have used a fake name and never leaving the room suggests that maybe she actually lied about meeting with Simon there.

[花火jumpscare]

One potential Twins-based explanation for the weekend is that Simon went with Hannah, and it never got mentioned to Eve as it was during their time apart. So she doesn't actually know what happened and tries to cover as best she can because she's supposed to be Hannah right now. Then she "admits" to it when she's caught in her lie because it fits what they've already revealed to her. I'm not completely sold on it, and I'd have to rewatch to confirm but my recollection is it's workable.

[Murray]

How would a genius psychopath theory be distinguishable from a MPD theory?

[AdrianChm]

Good question.

Remember that there are shades of GP possible, though. A fragment of my article: And the “Liar” is about Eve as a genius psychopath, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ with the police. This one also includes a slightly milder version, that Eve is just an obsessively jealous, pathological story-teller, a princess betrayed – and she just tries to avoid penalty for the murder of her husband. I keep both under the single “genius psychopath” umbrella.

More importantly, the focus, I guess, would not be on Eve/Hannah contradictions and lies, but on Hannah/Hannah, Eve/Eve ones. Which makes it all muddy and is just one of the reasons why I don't think it's a better hypothesis than the MPD.

The true distinguishing element would be the sub-genre tropes, though. Who the criminal is intellectually and socially, the cat and mouse with the police, the triumph, etc. I don't see any traces of such approach in the game. Which either means that we should dismiss the GP, or that Hannah is the best GP in the history of GPs :)

[Dibs]

Ok, so Oxford. I agree that the speeding ticket and Oxford is probably related, but maybe not in the way you mentioned. At this point, I believe the police suspects adultery to be the murder motive. The police try to use the ticket and Simon's trip to Oxford as evidence of their theory.

Before questioning her about the ticket and Oxford, the police press on about sex and affairs again. In this interview, the police are very focused on finding out whether Simon or Hannah had been cheating. Hannah/Eve denies it. I think the police shows her the speeding ticket, because they believe it could be evidence of Hannah having an affair.

Interview 5:
- "Well I don't know. I probably had to pop out and get something. That’s why I was speeding. And that wouldn’t have been noted on my time sheet. But I really can't remember back to February. "

- "You must be desperate for leads if you're getting hung up over six month old speeding tickets."

I believe the police finds it suspicious that Hannah left work, seemingly in a hurry, without noting anything on her timesheet. I think their theory is that: Hannah left work to secretly meet up with her lover.

When the police are done asking about the ticket, they move on to Simon's conference in Oxford. The police know he's been to Oxford and that the conference was a lie. The police are still focused on finding evidence of adultery, and that's why I think they mention the word "romantic". When Eve confesses she was the one with Simon, she says "Like you said it was very romantic". This means that the police must have described either the trip, the city or the hotel as romantic earlier in the interview, probably to convince her that Simon was there with another woman.

*Edit: realised I've messed up the exact video numbers, so removed them

[AdrianChm]

Yes, as I said earlier, "We cannot be sure those two things are connected". I did add "but it is quite likely", though. I just felt odd to me they would question her just about something as trivial as the speeding ticket and leaving work. But with your explanation I can see how we could disconnect the ticket and Oxford.

EDIT: And yes, they are trying various things here. The police, I mean. This line of questioning is after they asked Hannah for "invoices", etc. (EVE D122). They tracked it all and made a list of things that looked odd to them.

EDIT2: Note how the ticket supports the MPD and such. The police found the charge for the ticket and investigated. But they never ask about the car, i.e. we can safely assume it's Hannah's car. Meanwhile, Eve is living separately from Hannah and Simon. She claims to have the keys to the car - that in itself is odd, but ok - but what, Eve is using her twin's car when the twin is at work? Sounds odd, and against the separation. Unless of course there are no twins. Obviously, nothing definitive, though.

[Dibs]

Oh, I'm glad you said it that way earlier. It inspired me to think of ways they could be connected, and just before I went to sleep last night, I got that idea. The events might not be directly connected, but the reason for asking about them may be the same.

Yes! I completely agree with you on the ticket and how it supports MPD. If we're dealing with twins, it's indeed very strange that Eve would've had access to Hannah's car at that time.

Have you seen the four images from the Thematic Apperception Test? They're on one of the Her Story's profile backgrounds on Steam: full size image . I'm not entirely sure which title belongs to which image, but the four titles are:
- Apprehension Sketch
- Irrelevant Sketch
- Relevant Sketch
- Guilt or Remorse Sketch

They could be listed chronologically or according to the picture. I don't know what to make of it, but I found it interesting to connect her stories to the pictures and possible image titles/descriptions.