[SPOILER] Question about Daniel for one of the endings

[Roxas]

For the parting ways ending, which is the one I got, it shows Daniel wearing an ankle brace in the house, what canon reason for this and what does it mean for his future

[mos4567]

I always (incorrectly) figured it was house arrest or something like that, especially given the way he seemed (IMO) to look longly out the window but that is actually NOT it... (Per the devs) (Also, as someone pointed out to me, that would be a really long time for something like that... so it wound't really fit / make sense.)

If I recall correctly (I might not) what the devs said in some interview was something about monitoring in case he went to Sean (I am looking around to see if I can find that interview to verify that source for you and reread exactly what they said because it has been a few years) but honestly even that answer seemed a bit off.

[mos4567]

Actually... I can't find the interview, so IDK, *sigh* maybe I am confusing my facts... or maybe I am just searching poorly... (Honestly either is possible)... All I am finding is fans debating it... so perhaps we actually don't have a canon reason for it or what it means for his future.

[Roxas]

Ahhh okay, I hope there was some interview or something from the devs clarifying that it was total house arrest or something, which it doesn't seem like based on the pictures of him with the car and stuff but then on the other hand why would he be inside while Stephen who's pretty old at this point is doing that yard work.

I've heard some people say it could be a power inhibitor of some kind that limits him from using his power in big capacities as he did at the border. Which honestly wouldn't be as bad since he shows he can still use it when he passes Claire the photos

I liked this ending though, hopefully, the connotations of the ankle brace arent too negative but overall everyone was pretty happy, especially since Sean wasn't alone either, I had him and Cassidy together in Mexico. The whole jail ending doesn't sit right with me since Sean was innocent

[mos4567]

The Jail ending didn't sit right with me either, especially the first time I played it and did so without breaking any laws.

Okay technically running with Daniel, in the beginning, may be unlawful but you have no control over that, also jumping on trains is not exactly legal but again no control over it, working on an illegal pot farm also probably breaks some laws but again no control over that... breaking out of the police station is for sure unlawful but yet again the player has no control over that.

But I did act responsible in everything I could control, I didn't steal anything, go along with the heist, hurt anyone, etc. I got so mad about that ending that I replayed it and broke every law I could figuring he goes to jail anyway and well that's actually the path you get to go to Mexico with Daniel.

Like I felt that if you were very careful there should have been an ending where maybe you get stopped at the end but Sean basically gets out with a slap on the wrist.

It seemed a little messed up that you seem to almost get rewarded for bad behavior by getting to remain with your brother and escape together.

I mean in short, if you actively break laws, the result is no jail, (Or bracelet for Daniel whatever that was) (Altho you do have to put up with an aggressive and somewhat scary version of Daniel) but if you play it as law-abiding as you can, you get a nice Daniel but either you go to jail or Daniel gets house arrest or something.

I also could not help but noticed you get almost punished if you are inconsistent.

What I mean is, if you play it morally (as possible) and then choose to try to escape (immoral), you get split up from Daniel and it's left unclear when or if you get to see your brother again vs getting to see him again on release.

Whereas if you play it immorally if you try to surrender you die (Surrendering is inconsistent with playing it immoral) but if you are consistent and go for it, you escape with Daniel.

[Roxas]

I totally get you, it seems like regardless of your decisions Sean and Daniel don't get a perfect ending, even in Mexico when they're together Daniel has to use his power to stop some thugs in their shop/house which doesn't seem like the perfect happy life they were hoping for, and happiness it isn't really seen in their facial expressions either, they're more just accepting of their reality rather than it being the dream they hoped for. And the only other options are them being separated either with Sean going to jail, living in Mexico without Daniel, or dying.

That's why I still feel like the parting ways ending where Sean is in Mexico, preferably with a partner (Cass/Finn), and Daniel being with their grandparents, even with the brace, is the best ending because they all seem happy, Sean + Partner in their photo to Daniel and Daniel through the photos of his life and even in the house talking to Karen on the phone.

So even though they end up separated which is sad, they each are in the best scenario for themselves, and I'm sure that's a sacrifice they'd make for each other. In a way, I actually appreciate the nuance of them not having a perfect storybook ending because that's rarely how real life is, instead we just make the best of what we have. And that ending seems to be the best for both even though they end up separated and Daniel has the brace

They do penalize heavy on the inconsistency though which is slightly unfair but there's still a good balance. For example, I had Sean steal water at first and then the camp gear after being kidnapped and though I saw the microcosm impact of that with Daniel stealing from Brody, I still played the more "moral" route, especially in terms of violence and Daniel using his powers for bad, which thankfully resulted in Daniel making the moral choice at the end, I was honestly scared if I had taught him well enough to make that decision while i made the immoral decision to keep going. The "moral" decision for Sean would result in him going to jail for a murder he didn't even commit which is just unfair. So the "immoral" final decision for him was the only option for me

[mos4567]

I get your logic on your favorite ending, you are not wrong, but still, I just can't stand to see them ripped apart...

And that ending is harder to justify being okay with if you don't court Cass or Finn because Sean is just alone in Mexico... (I did not court either wanting to stay focused on Daniel (Not that it mattered))


Now... Okay,... Withhold harsh judgment here but I had a dark plot theory on the Parting ways ending that scares me... put on your tin foil hat and buckle up...

So... We know that in lone wolf, Six years later, Daniel visits Sean's memorial on the beach of Puerto Lobos just outside the un-renovated Diaz repair shop when an armed gang attacks him and he fends them off...

We know that in Blood Brothers, Six years later, Sean is threatened by gang members at the renovated Diaz repair shop before Daniel quickly blasts two of them away...

So we can assume an armed gang attacks at or near the Diaz repair shop at the six-year mark.

In parting ways, it is Six years later but we don't see what is happening to Sean right then because we are just seeing a letter he sent prior...

I have a bad feeling about what we are not seeing and why we don't see things from Sean's perspective.

[Roxas]

BRUHHHHHHHH, I didn't even realize that consistent thread of events between Mexico endings. That would definitely be SUPER dark and so so messed up lmao

I honestly hope that in the overall butterfly effect chain of events in the timeline, the gang members attacking only happens in a timeline where Daniel ends up in Mexico but doesn't if it's just Sean alone or Sean with a partner. But you're right, it does imply a pretty dark and grim fate for Sean which is beyond unfair and I hope isn't the case. That would be almost worse than him getting shot at the border honestly.

But on your point of having a partner in Mexico, I definitely agree. It's a must to have either Cass or Finn with you cause Sean being alone is pretty bad too.

Damn though that is a super dark theory i didn't even realize. Hopefully a world/timeline where the thugs show up is only in a reality where Daniel ends up in Puerto Lobos

[mos4567]

Agreed.

I agree that it is totally possible that their attack is the direct result of something Daniel does (such as stealing from them, embarrassing a gang member, etc.) or as the result of him simply being present... (such as in the news of his powers spreading and attracting the wrong sort of attention.)

It still troubles me that like in lone wolf, we don't get to see anything from Sean's perspective. I can't help but think, why is this? I can't seem to entirely shake that point from my mind when I think about parting ways.

That said, I think since this is the end of Daniel and Sean's journey, we are not going to get any more canon plot for them that provides solid answers and so the final answer is whatever we decide for ourselves. We can just decide that Sean lives and that no attack comes :)

I think DONTNOT probably wanted it that way... to leave some room for player interpretation and fan theories about the endings. To allow us to fill in the blanks according to our own beliefs (headcanon) and the details of our playthroughs

[Roxas]

Ngl that is a pretty interesting creative direction by the studio to leave that specific ending for Sean so vague in the sense that we never actually get to see him aside from the photo unlike all the other endings

Especially given that since you are Sean in the game, you’re playing **his** story, so to not show him at all in a true cutscene format for that entire ending is pretty interesting thinking back in hindsight

But yeah since now it’s so far gone and there won’t ever be any further clarifications or continuations for these guys, like you said we can just consider Sean to have a happy and loved life in our own head canon and have his and his dad’s dream realized through Sean living in their house in Puerto Lobos

[dark.browser]

I actually wrote up a long explanation and defense for what I'm about to say. I can link it if you're curious for the long-winded version, but in short, just because it's the ending(s) described in the game, I don't have to accept that. I can substitute my own ending for it to suit my circumstances. Like you, I was as moral as possible and took great pains to commit as few crimes as possible. And with good legal representation (which I think Sean's grandparents would have helped with along with a gofundme from Lyla or something) he could have gotten many charges dismissed, there was a lack of evidence tying him to others, or Karen/Finn took responsibility for things. Of course, there's a few things they could still get you with, and a big theme of the game is racial injustice, but I still think for a first time offender and being a juvenile, and good legal defense, he could have gotten a MUCH lighter punishment. Probably more with community service and other social services like therapy.

So that's the ending I'm deciding for myself. In Episode 5, when Sean is telling the story of the Wolf Brothers, remember Daniel pipes in with his own details and says it's his own story too. By extension, it's all of ours. So I think the developers would agree with me that we can write our own endings to accept if we choose. I think my point still stands even without their blessing, but I'm just pointing out they probably would agree.

So yeah, I couldn't accept the endings exactly either and summarized what my own ending for them would be. This way they could actually continue living together with their grandparents and even get to visit Puerto Lobos when they want as kind of a vacation house later on.

[Roxas]

Първоначално публикувано от dark.browser:

I actually wrote up a long explanation and defense for what I'm about to say. I can link it if you're curious for the long-winded version, but in short, just because it's the ending(s) described in the game, I don't have to accept that. I can substitute my own ending for it to suit my circumstances. Like you, I was as moral as possible and took great pains to commit as few crimes as possible. And with good legal representation (which I think Sean's grandparents would have helped with along with a gofundme from Lyla or something) he could have gotten many charges dismissed, there was a lack of evidence tying him to others, or Karen/Finn took responsibility for things. Of course, there's a few things they could still get you with, and a big theme of the game is racial injustice, but I still think for a first time offender and being a juvenile, and good legal defense, he could have gotten a MUCH lighter punishment. Probably more with community service and other social services like therapy.

So that's the ending I'm deciding for myself. In Episode 5, when Sean is telling the story of the Wolf Brothers, remember Daniel pipes in with his own details and says it's his own story too. By extension, it's all of ours. So I think the developers would agree with me that we can write our own endings to accept if we choose. I think my point still stands even without their blessing, but I'm just pointing out they probably would agree.

So yeah, I couldn't accept the endings exactly either and summarized what my own ending for them would be. This way they could actually continue living together with their grandparents and even get to visit Puerto Lobos when they want as kind of a vacation house later on.

Hmm that is an interesting point but idk. All the endings are sad in one way or another, with none of them being the perfect happy ending for both Sean and Daniel together, even though after so much pain and struggle that’s what you’d hope for them so I get someone would wish for that or just to create your own headcanon ending.

But like you said at the crux, racial injustice is a strong component for everything that went down and Sean being accused of allegedly killing that cop (even though he didn’t), there’s no way that would get a light sentence, even being a juvenile or with the aid of his friends and loved ones.

But circling back to the point of creating your own canon ending in your head, it’s nice to consider but idk because then can’t you say that about anything? Any other game or movie that you don’t agree with the ending with so you make your own ending for. Though there’s nothing to say you “can’t”, if the creators had a certain ending or endings, whether it’s for LiS 2 or any game, or show, or movie; Whether we like the ending, what happened to the characters, etc that’s still the ending that the writers/creators intended so at some point we just gotta accept that. As much as we’d like it to be different