Clearing up some of the timeline and possible inconsistencies

[SuperNotMatt]

I keep seeing people mention parts of the timeline that don't seem to make sense at first, so I figured I'd just make a thread here to help clear up some issues. I don't claim to be 100% correct and these are just my interpretations.

THAR BE SPOILERS AHEAD, OBVIOUSLY.

About the general timeline: The whole episode takes place on that day (you know the one) shortly after William leaves to pick up Joyce. It takes place in the unaltered timeline where Max doesn't know that William is going to die. Therefore, Farewell takes place on the first occurence of this day, and not when Max returns to this day from the future. If that makes sense. Timetravel lol.

The ending sequence is three days later. I didn't think Max left so soon after William's death, but an exact timeline is never given in either LiS or BtS, so it all checks out.

About Max worrying that Joyce will hear the firecrackers: Max and Chloe had been in Chloe's room for a while, and William's trip to pick up Joyce shouldn't have taken very long. Max was assuming that William and Joyce had gotten back already and they just hadn't noticed. Chloe even comments a little later that her parents should be back by now.

About Max and Chloe wearing different clothes: If you inspect the clothing pile in Chloe's room, Max comments on how they spent some time trying on clothes instead of sorting through the pile for donation.

There are some possible inconsistencies between Farewell and Episode 3 of LiS regarding the exact layout of the downstairs and the objects lying around, but most of them can be explained by Max and Chloe moving things around. And even then, some minor object inconsistencies are fine for the sake of telling a good story, which Deck Nine definitely have.

Is there anything else anyone noticed?

[ƉɅNƩSĦɅƉƳ]

I think it sums up pretty good!

[Riddler]

Yeah, thanks for explaining this to me in the other thread. When you know, they changed their clothes, it all makes sense.

Originally posted by pbnjpeg:

The ending sequence is three days later. I didn't think Max left so soon after William's death, but an exact timeline is never given in either LiS or BtS, so it all checks out.

I always assumed that Williams death and Max's moving to Seatlle both are close together in the timeline. It better explain Max's and Chloe's behaviour in BTS and LIS.

[ƉɅNƩSĦɅƉƳ]

Originally posted by Riddler:

Yeah, thanks for explaining this to me in the other thread. When you know, they changed their clothes, it all makes sense.

Originally posted by pbnjpeg:

The ending sequence is three days later. I didn't think Max left so soon after William's death, but an exact timeline is never given in either LiS or BtS, so it all checks out.

I always assumed that Williams death and Max's moving to Seatlle both are close together in the timeline. It better explain Max's and Chloe's behaviour in BTS and LIS.

It sure does! But what kind of parents just leaves and makes her daughter leave her only friend in such a bad time? That was really awful to watch.. :(

[Luke]

I can't remember if the back of the house is at all painted in LiS? I thought it was partially painted, so I surmised while outside that it wasn't *that day*, and felt more certain when I realised they were in different clothes (although good point, they did mention dressing up). The photo of them in the kitchen should have tipped me off, but I think I really just didn't want it to be that day...

Regardless of any inconsistencies, I loved it.

[ƉɅNƩSĦɅƉƳ]

Originally posted by Luke:

I can't remember if the back of the house is at all painted in LiS? I thought it was partially painted, so I surmised while outside that it wasn't *that day*, and felt more certain when I realised they were in different clothes (although good point, they did mention dressing up). The photo of them in the kitchen should have tipped me off, but I think I really just didn't want it to be that day...

Regardless of any inconsistencies, I loved it.

I recall it as it was half painted. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[SuperNotMatt]

Originally posted by DaneShady:

Originally posted by Luke:

I can't remember if the back of the house is at all painted in LiS? I thought it was partially painted, so I surmised while outside that it wasn't *that day*, and felt more certain when I realised they were in different clothes (although good point, they did mention dressing up). The photo of them in the kitchen should have tipped me off, but I think I really just didn't want it to be that day...

Regardless of any inconsistencies, I loved it.

I recall it as it was half painted. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The front of the house was partially painted in LiS and BtS and it's completely painted in the alternate timeline, since William was alive to finish it.

The back of the house was partially painted in LiS episode 1, but you never get a chance to see the backyard in the either the flashback timeline or in BtS to see how much progress had been made.

But really, the back of the house should be half painted in Farewell unless the devs are trying to imply that someone else tried to finish it at some point after William's death but gave up. Possibly Chloe?

So that's not definitely an inconsistency, but it is kind of fishy. It would have been simpler to just have the back of the house half painted in Farewell.

[Luke]

Originally posted by pbnjpeg:

But really, the back of the house should be half painted in Farewell unless the devs are trying to imply that someone else tried to finish it at some point after William's death but gave up. Possibly Chloe?

So that's not definitely an inconsistency, but it is kind of fishy. It would have been simpler to just have the back of the house half painted in Farewell.

Now that I think about it, there's the email on William's computer suggesting that his brother is planning to come and help. I could see that perhaps he decides to still come and do it to try and help out Joyce in some way. So I think I'm OK with it (although I agree it would have been simpler just to have it in the same state as in LiS episode 1).

[SuperNotMatt]

Originally posted by Luke:

Now that I think about it, there's the email on William's computer suggesting that his brother is planning to come and help. I could see that perhaps he decides to still come and do it to try and help out Joyce in some way. So I think I'm OK with it (although I agree it would have been simpler just to have it in the same state as in LiS episode 1).

Hmm, good find. I'll have to read that email more closely when I replay Farewell later tonight, because that point definitely went over my head on my first playthrough. I'm not sure if I love or hate Deck Nine for creating "inconsistencies" and then hiding solutions to them in the game, but it definitely rewards your attention.

[Luke]

Originally posted by pbnjpeg:

I'm not sure if I love or hate Deck Nine for creating "inconsistencies" and then hiding solutions to them in the game, but it definitely rewards your attention.

I agree with your comment in another thread that the way they've done it (especially with the clothes) works fairly well. I wouldn't want to have twigged straight away that William was going to die that day; having it dawn on you later ("I thought they'd be back by now...") works quite nicely.