Plot hole

[Wolfie]

Just replaying Life is Strange season 1 where Chloe picks Max up in episode 1 after the Nathan fight.

Chloe says Max didn't call or TEXT her once during the last 5 years, when Max makes excuses Chloe says 'yeah right, like your laptop and phone were frozen in time'.

Can some fanboys try and explain away this glaring plot hole? Chloe and Max clearly text in LiS:BtS, so '5 years without a call or text' is patently wrong.

[Palatine Katinka]

Warren is also a year and a bit younger than Max, which makes it especially weird that he'd be in a school photo with Chloe.
I got the impression that Blackwell was supposed to be a regular school originally but at some point in LiS's development they switched it to being a one year prep school for specially gifted pupils which I think Max mentions early in her diary but everything else in the game pointed towards it just being a regular school. The school records they find reference multiple years of attendance and the other class members remember Rachel being at school with them the year before.
The only odd thing is why has Max turned up for the final year of a prestigious photography course and I believe that is where the concept of it being a single year thing was brought in, even though it didn't mesh with the rest of what was in the game.

[Doesnotcompute83]

Palatine Katinka eredeti hozzászólása:

Warren is also a year and a bit younger than Max, which makes it especially weird that he'd be in a school photo with Chloe.
I got the impression that Blackwell was supposed to be a regular school originally but at some point in LiS's development they switched it to being a one year prep school for specially gifted pupils which I think Max mentions early in her diary but everything else in the game pointed towards it just being a regular school. The school records they find reference multiple years of attendance and the other class members remember Rachel being at school with them the year before.
The only odd thing is why has Max turned up for the final year of a prestigious photography course and I believe that is where the concept of it being a single year thing was brought in, even though it didn't mesh with the rest of what was in the game.

I feel the same way - my theory on why they switched it (which I think I wrote somewhere on this discussion board) is because they aged everyone up due to possible controversials involving Dana and Kate. It would make more sense if Max was a sophomore in LIS because she is new to the school where her peers seems to have been there at least a year. By making everyone 18, it makes the characters adults rather than minors. As for changing the school to a one year private highschool, I think they did this because it wouldn't make much sense for Max to get a scholarship to attend a private school at grade 10 rather than grade 9 - I don't think there are scholarships to attend a college or private school during the middle of the grade level. By making it a highschool for seniors, it would make sense for her to get a scholarship for that if that makes sense.

[CZBGR Icepick]

Palatine Katinka eredeti hozzászólása:

Warren is also a year and a bit younger than Max, which makes it especially weird that he'd be in a school photo with Chloe.
I got the impression that Blackwell was supposed to be a regular school originally but at some point in LiS's development they switched it to being a one year prep school for specially gifted pupils which I think Max mentions early in her diary but everything else in the game pointed towards it just being a regular school. The school records they find reference multiple years of attendance and the other class members remember Rachel being at school with them the year before.
The only odd thing is why has Max turned up for the final year of a prestigious photography course and I believe that is where the concept of it being a single year thing was brought in, even though it didn't mesh with the rest of what was in the game.

I think the one year thing is something that is mainly misunderstood due to too many presumptions, chiefly the idea that all students were seniors. In 2013, the intake had only seniors left, for sure. It obviously isn't the case in the 2010 class year, as we still see Justin, Dana, Victoria, Drew and Evan. Samantha is one of the freshemen for sure.

Warren would have to have skipped a grade, going along with an accelerated program. In fact, there's hints that Blackwell offers an extended year after graduation.

[aritamartins98]

Ringo Starr eredeti hozzászólása:

Another plot hole, in Chloe's room when Max asks about Rachel she says they were 14 and 'best friends'. Chloe is 15 in LiS:BtS when she becomes friends with Rachel..

So many damn inconsistencies. Sucks.

actually Chloe is 16 in LIS:Bts, she was 19 in LIS

[Palatine Katinka]

CZBGR Icepick eredeti hozzászólása:

I think the one year thing is something that is mainly misunderstood due to too many presumptions, chiefly the idea that all students were seniors.

To be fair to the people making that assumption, Max's profile page in her journal says Blackwell is "a private school for 12th grade seniors" which does kind of give the impression it is only for that one year.

[Vashta Stampede]

Palatine Katinka eredeti hozzászólása:

CZBGR Icepick eredeti hozzászólása:

I think the one year thing is something that is mainly misunderstood due to too many presumptions, chiefly the idea that all students were seniors.

To be fair to the people making that assumption, Max's profile page in her journal says Blackwell is "a private school for 12th grade seniors" which does kind of give the impression it is only for that one year.

The Blackwell inconsistency bugged me at first, Max's journal entry and then later in episode 1 you find Chloe's 11th grade report card. Everything else I've seen points to it being a 4 year private school. I always assumed it a private school since Max was on scholarship. Since the only thing I saw that said it was a single year school was Max's journal, it seemed to me like that was an idea they dropped early on but forgot to edit that one entry.

Doesnotcompute83 eredeti hozzászólása:

However, reading the wikia, it was indeed a retcon since the only thing I recall from LIS is how the school didn't have a lot of funding and the weird LIS plothole that some of the characters have been at Blackwell longer than the other characters. Unless someone can point it out to me, I don't call episode 3 of LIS saying that Blackwell used to be a highschool with 4 grades lvls.

The whole notion of Chloe and Max being in the same grade is odd since Chloe was born a year earlier than Max.

I don't recall anything in episode 3, but Chloe's 11th grade report card and Alt Chloe's (presumably) 10th grade report card (it has a date, but no grade shown) point to it being a 4 year school. The dates on those report cards also point at a two year grade difference between Max and Chloe, which makes sense because Chloe was born before the beginning of the school year and Max after the next school year began. The fact that Rachel was still at Blackwell when she disappeared would imply she was a year behind Chloe, unlikely given her age but not impossible.

[CZBGR Icepick]

Bofadeese eredeti hozzászólása:

Palatine Katinka eredeti hozzászólása:

To be fair to the people making that assumption, Max's profile page in her journal says Blackwell is "a private school for 12th grade seniors" which does kind of give the impression it is only for that one year.

The Blackwell inconsistency bugged me at first, Max's journal entry and then later in episode 1 you find Chloe's 11th grade report card. Everything else I've seen points to it being a 4 year private school. I always assumed it a private school since Max was on scholarship. Since the only thing I saw that said it was a single year school was Max's journal, it seemed to me like that was an idea they dropped early on but forgot to edit that one entry.

Doesnotcompute83 eredeti hozzászólása:

However, reading the wikia, it was indeed a retcon since the only thing I recall from LIS is how the school didn't have a lot of funding and the weird LIS plothole that some of the characters have been at Blackwell longer than the other characters. Unless someone can point it out to me, I don't call episode 3 of LIS saying that Blackwell used to be a highschool with 4 grades lvls.

The whole notion of Chloe and Max being in the same grade is odd since Chloe was born a year earlier than Max.

I don't recall anything in episode 3, but Chloe's 11th grade report card and Alt Chloe's (presumably) 10th grade report card (it has a date, but no grade shown) point to it being a 4 year school. The dates on those report cards also point at a two year grade difference between Max and Chloe, which makes sense because Chloe was born before the beginning of the school year and Max after the next school year began. The fact that Rachel was still at Blackwell when she disappeared would imply she was a year behind Chloe, unlikely given her age but not impossible.

This.

It could be that by the time that Max moves to Blackwell, Blackwell's intake was restricted to seniors that year by changing the policy. For 2013, they'd only accept seniors. In 2010, that wasn't an issue, so I don't see what's so mysterious about it, except for why they may have decided to make the change. Blackwell clearly wasn't a senior-only school, at least in 2010.

[Doesnotcompute83]

CZBGR Icepick eredeti hozzászólása:

Bofadeese eredeti hozzászólása:

The Blackwell inconsistency bugged me at first, Max's journal entry and then later in episode 1 you find Chloe's 11th grade report card. Everything else I've seen points to it being a 4 year private school. I always assumed it a private school since Max was on scholarship. Since the only thing I saw that said it was a single year school was Max's journal, it seemed to me like that was an idea they dropped early on but forgot to edit that one entry.


I don't recall anything in episode 3, but Chloe's 11th grade report card and Alt Chloe's (presumably) 10th grade report card (it has a date, but no grade shown) point to it being a 4 year school. The dates on those report cards also point at a two year grade difference between Max and Chloe, which makes sense because Chloe was born before the beginning of the school year and Max after the next school year began. The fact that Rachel was still at Blackwell when she disappeared would imply she was a year behind Chloe, unlikely given her age but not impossible.

This.

It could be that by the time that Max moves to Blackwell, Blackwell's intake was restricted to seniors that year by changing the policy. For 2013, they'd only accept seniors. In 2010, that wasn't an issue, so I don't see what's so mysterious about it, except for why they may have decided to make the change. Blackwell clearly wasn't a senior-only school, at least in 2010.

They pretty much explain it in BTS by way of new paper articles and pencils being a premium.

I am not saying it is a mystery, but I felt the school records in LIS contradicted itself with the dialogue in the same game. BTS addresses this issue by putting a side story in the game about Blackwell needing funds. Because of that, I am sure Blackwell becomes a senior only school as a budget cut.

[CZBGR Icepick]

Doesnotcompute83 eredeti hozzászólása:

I am not saying it is a mystery, but I felt the school records in LIS contradicted itself with the dialogue in the same game. BTS addresses this issue by putting a side story in the game about Blackwell needing funds. Because of that, I am sure Blackwell becomes a senior only school as a budget cut.

In the Alternate timeline, the only budget cut I'm aware of was for handicapped accessibility, which Wells turned away Chloe. The school doesn't have a budget issue, per se. It's just grossly disproportionate due to the way that the Prescott money subsidizes other things.

[Palatine Katinka]

I guess the school become senior year only could also be seen as a reflection of the dying state of Arcadia Bay, as more people are moving away and there isn't enough of a new generation to fill classes.

[Brewski]

They admited to the fact that they didn't understand how US schools worked and they kinda messed that up in season 1. I think they've basically retconned it as a private boarding school, and Max transferred there for her senior year specifically to attend Jefferson's program. A lot of elite private schools will also have locals attending, and even provide scholorship programs for those who can't afford to attend due to their economic condition.

It works, and only requires a little retconning.

[Doesnotcompute83]

CZBGR Icepick eredeti hozzászólása:

Doesnotcompute83 eredeti hozzászólása:

I am not saying it is a mystery, but I felt the school records in LIS contradicted itself with the dialogue in the same game. BTS addresses this issue by putting a side story in the game about Blackwell needing funds. Because of that, I am sure Blackwell becomes a senior only school as a budget cut.

In the Alternate timeline, the only budget cut I'm aware of was for handicapped accessibility, which Wells turned away Chloe. The school doesn't have a budget issue, per se. It's just grossly disproportionate due to the way that the Prescott money subsidizes other things.

When I say budget cuts, it is in reference to BTS since there is clearly a subplot of Blackwell needing more funds, then the notes and dialogue about a pencil fund and the newspaper about Wells increasing tuition because to add more funds to the school.

I wouldn't be surprised if this subplot exists in the game to explain Blackwell being a senior only school.

This makes sense since my high school was converted to a K-12 school and the nearby elementary and middle schools closed down some years after I graduated due to a lack of funds.

[mjc0961]

If anyone ever needed an example of trying too hard, here one is.

[CZBGR Icepick]

Doesnotcompute83 eredeti hozzászólása:

When I say budget cuts, it is in reference to BTS since there is clearly a subplot of Blackwell needing more funds, then the notes and dialogue about a pencil fund and the newspaper about Wells increasing tuition because to add more funds to the school.

I wouldn't be surprised if this subplot exists in the game to explain Blackwell being a senior only school.

This makes sense since my high school was converted to a K-12 school and the nearby elementary and middle schools closed down some years after I graduated due to a lack of funds.

Like I said, when they got Prescott money, it was actually subsidized for specific things. They didn't have enough to spread it around, so the funds were disproportionate. However, that doesn't make sense to have a policy change. Consolidating the student body centralizes the tuition to increase funds for said budget. It doesn't make much business sense to remove a resource in order to improve the school's financial health by removing the rest of the student body. They could have changed it, if they did, for other reasons.

Although when Max said it was a high school for seniors, does she really mean it was "senior only", or was she referring to the way that the school caters to seniors (such as an extended senior program)? Because I have a high school nearby that's referred to as a Junior-Senior high school, but the population consists of a regular student body: all freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. A "senior high school" doesnt always mean it's restricted so that it only has senior programs. It's just there in name only.

It's possible, due to Blackwell's special nature as a private school, that it has advanced courses which place students on a senior level, regardless of their actual grade level. In all respects, they may still offer grade appropriate courses. I imagine the school operates as a pre-college institution. This makes sense to David's reaction when he mentioned PC colleges, not that Blackwell is a college, but it was a school that specializing in preparing students for the needs of colleges. The fact that they also may add an extended program, may mean that the extended years give college credits to certain students taking those courses. Not a bad situation.

[Doesnotcompute83]

CZBGR Icepick eredeti hozzászólása:

Doesnotcompute83 eredeti hozzászólása:

When I say budget cuts, it is in reference to BTS since there is clearly a subplot of Blackwell needing more funds, then the notes and dialogue about a pencil fund and the newspaper about Wells increasing tuition because to add more funds to the school.

I wouldn't be surprised if this subplot exists in the game to explain Blackwell being a senior only school.

This makes sense since my high school was converted to a K-12 school and the nearby elementary and middle schools closed down some years after I graduated due to a lack of funds.

Like I said, when they got Prescott money, it was actually subsidized for specific things. They didn't have enough to spread it around, so the funds were disproportionate. However, that doesn't make sense to have a policy change. Consolidating the student body centralizes the tuition to increase funds for said budget. It doesn't make much business sense to remove a resource in order to improve the school's financial health by removing the rest of the student body. They could have changed it, if they did, for other reasons.

Although when Max said it was a high school for seniors, does she really mean it was "senior only", or was she referring to the way that the school caters to seniors (such as an extended senior program)? Because I have a high school nearby that's referred to as a Junior-Senior high school, but the population consists of a regular student body: all freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. A "senior high school" doesnt always mean it's restricted so that it only has senior programs. It's just there in name only.

It's possible, due to Blackwell's special nature as a private school, that it has advanced courses which place students on a senior level, regardless of their actual grade level. In all respects, they may still offer grade appropriate courses. I imagine the school operates as a pre-college institution. This makes sense to David's reaction when he mentioned PC colleges, not that Blackwell is a college, but it was a school that specializing in preparing students for the needs of colleges. The fact that they also may add an extended program, may mean that the extended years give college credits to certain students taking those courses. Not a bad situation.

In Max's journal, she wrote that Blackwell Academy is for seniors as in just seniors rather than a high school placing students of any grade level in the senior level in the original game. From the wikia:

If words could dance this would be a rave. Even though I've never been to one. But who cares because I GOT INTO BLACKWELL ACADEMY, a unique and famous private school for seniors! NO KIDS ALLOWED

Just by going with the "No kids allowed" comment, Max is implying that the school is for 12th grades only as a decent amount of 12th grades are 18 - it is true that there are seniors who are 17 as I was one. Even Warren is under 18.

The problem, like someone here had wrote, is that Dontnod didn't really understand the American school system when they made LIS so the HS being senior only comes off as odd. As for it not making sense to remove half the students from Blackwell Academy, maybe there will be a newspaper clipping in a future episode that says a lot of parents pulled out their children from Blackwell due to the tuition increase, causing the school to focus on changing to a senior only high school.

Moreover, the removal of the other grades is probably done by the Prescott to put all funding towards the grade and interests that Sean is in (photography and drama.). Because it seems like Sean Prescott loves the arts, perhaps the reallocations of funds are needed to lure Jefferson to Blackwell; to make sure S. Prescott gets the best education, they hired Jefferson to tutor Sean and to pay for the technology found in the Dark Room. It would certainly explain the disproportional amount of funds at Blackwell and why the drama club, despite being under the arts category, is not well-funded; there is a collection box for school supplies, signs of pencils being scarce, and Rachel's costume being tattered. This would also be the reason why the school became a senior only school.

My theory is that because the tuition hike and people at the docks losing their jobs after the Prescott purchased it, a lot of the students such as Drew and his sibling were pulled out of Blackwell, causing the school to lose even more money. To cut cost without sacrificing Sean Prescott's future, the other grade levels (there were probably not a lot of students from the other graders after the tuition increase) removed so that the funds can be focused on the Photography program. Is Wasrren in the same grade in BTS episode 1? If not, maybe because his parents pay a lot to Blackwell, he skips a grade.

In regards to Blackwell transitioning from a traditional 4 year private high school, oneof the developers pretty much confirms (by replying to a thread I made the Friday before) that Blackwell Academy will evolve into a senior only high school through hints from LIS. http://steamcommunity.com/app/554620/discussions/0/1474221865186668712/