254: These Characters Had the BEST Arc

0:01 [SPEAKER_03]: Specters, I am late on my sound effects. [SPEAKER_03]: Welcome into another week of the Mass Effect Lourkest. [SPEAKER_03]: I am solo hosting this week, so I do not have my wonderful co-host, Genesis with me, but I am joined by several of our amazing patrons. [SPEAKER_03]: Why don't we go around and say hello, Magister, how are you doing?

0:29 [SPEAKER_02]: doing all right. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not sure if it's the lighting or the angle, but I feel like I got somester business going on with my eyes. [SPEAKER_02]: Try to figure that out right now. [SPEAKER_03]: You look ominous. [SPEAKER_03]: You look like you're about to drop a hard truth on us.

0:41 [SPEAKER_03]: So yes, there we go. [SPEAKER_03]: I can't wait to hear what it is. [SPEAKER_03]: And we got Astrobo as well. [SPEAKER_03]: Astrobo, how are you doing? [SPEAKER_04]: Hey, do a great happy to be here for the, you know, my second month. [SPEAKER_04]: So, uh, [SPEAKER_03]: I know me just kind of from an hour now thinking I was late for the show, but wake up you're late for school, you're late for school day, and it was drinks and red true bud, how are you doing?

1:15 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm doing good and long ass week of work, but good it's the weekend. [SPEAKER_03]: I see Hank Hill over your shoulder. [SPEAKER_03]: He's got a cardboard cut out of Hank Hill. [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I found that on Facebook Marketplaces. [SPEAKER_05]: I just have a [SPEAKER_03]: And he ran in my room and staring over your shoulder.

1:34 [SPEAKER_03]: I'll tell you what. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, this is not the king of the hill, Lorcast, although I'm sure there is one. [SPEAKER_03]: This is the Mass Effect, Lorcast, and tonight, our patrons have decided that we're going to talk about drum roll, please. [SPEAKER_03]: And I don't have this sound effect.

1:53 [SPEAKER_03]: We are going to be talking about [SPEAKER_03]: I think people probably know which one I'm going to choose, maybe you don't. [SPEAKER_03]: Guess you're going to find out, but I am more interested in finding out who our patrons believe had the best arc in the entire series. [SPEAKER_03]: So I'm thinking, we've got four of you here.

2:17 [SPEAKER_03]: Why don't we go ahead and do this? [SPEAKER_03]: The first half of this episode, we're going to talk about which character we, which squadmate [SPEAKER_03]: And then in the second half, why don't we try to pick some more obscure characters who are not squadmates and talk about which one of them had the best darks since on average they're going to have less screen time.

2:42 [SPEAKER_03]: So more fair to compare apples to apples. [SPEAKER_03]: But all right, does [SPEAKER_03]: Show of hands is also like a really great tool for an audio primary platform. [SPEAKER_03]: I recognize that retrobot has raised his hand, so he volunteers as tribute, retrobot, who which squad mate do you believe had the best dark and why is it actually?

3:10 [SPEAKER_05]: Well, I don't think it's actually, I personally, I'd stay jacked because of how much he changes from Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3 because of Mass Effect 2. [SPEAKER_05]: She is user-self. [SPEAKER_05]: It's really involves in how she views herself, because in Mass Effect 2, she just sees herself as a weapon, she is more of a kill everybody, she doesn't trust anybody, then he come back and see her in Mass Effect 3 and she's a teacher, she's teaching like ex-generation if you should have buy addicts, had to use their powers, all that.

3:41 [SPEAKER_03]: And she grows a lot of hair. [SPEAKER_03]: Very quickly, my dad. [SPEAKER_03]: She grows like years worth of hair in a matter of months, so physical transformation too. [SPEAKER_03]: I prefer Jack with the hair, but I think I like her both. [SPEAKER_05]: Well, this is the thing that the biotics have like an increased metabolism or something, so maybe a girl hair faster as well.

4:05 [SPEAKER_03]: That would be like a worthless superpower wouldn't it? [SPEAKER_03]: Grow hair and fingernails faster. [SPEAKER_03]: Yes. [SPEAKER_03]: Watch. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, so Jack has the best character arc in your opinion, even despite the fact that she wasn't in Mass Effect 1. [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I'd say so, just because she wasn't in Mass Effect 1, like sure you don't get to see her for as long as some of the other characters.

4:36 [SPEAKER_05]: And you were only a seeer for a couple of side missions in Mass Effect 3. [SPEAKER_05]: But still just comparing her to how she is at the end of Mass Effect 3 compared to when you first meet her at the prison or whatever. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, I'm gonna throw you all a curve ball and instead of opening this up to hear everyone else's thoughts on Jack I'm going to move to the next person because I want to hear their best character And then the next person and the next person and then I'm gonna try and get you guys to argue So I'm gonna break the fourth wall here and I'm gonna feel like a network pendant So I'm gonna pick on you day who has the best character arc and why is it Ashley?

5:21 [SPEAKER_06]: It isn't actually, but it is someone for Mass Effect 1. [SPEAKER_06]: I think Rex has the best arc in the other gates. [SPEAKER_06]: First of all, he goes through someone who just absolutely is done with his people. [SPEAKER_06]: He wants nothing to do with them, and it's just fatalistic to a key.

5:36 [SPEAKER_06]: He's given up on ever seeing them. [SPEAKER_06]: He'll pull themselves out of them, but to someone who basically spearheads their own revolution. [SPEAKER_03]: back to greatness, to give them hope again, quote, I don't have any stories. [SPEAKER_03]: Yes, you do, Rex. [SPEAKER_03]: You have so many fucking stories.

5:56 [SPEAKER_06]: Absolutely. [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, I'm well thing being betrayed by his father that actually that just absolutely black pills and entirely on the program race being anything other than [SPEAKER_03]: and then proceeds to give you stories. [SPEAKER_03]: That's cool. [SPEAKER_03]: Including one with the, a sorry who people believe might be Arya, right?

6:26 [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, simple. [SPEAKER_06]: I don't remember what name he gives additionally, but it could be you can be less defined of writing. [SPEAKER_06]: Then you know, Arya was a thing yet when it was written. [SPEAKER_06]: So yeah. [SPEAKER_06]: No. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, who knows. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, let's go to Magistar, Magistar, who which character or rather which squadmate do you believe has the best arc in the Mass Fexeries?

6:50 [SPEAKER_02]: Um, for me, it would definitely have to be, well, I have one in mind, but I'm not going to go that route. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm sorry. [SPEAKER_03]: And why is it actually? [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, definitely not actually. [SPEAKER_02]: Definitely not. [SPEAKER_02]: No, she's she's setting for up seven to the time.

7:04 [SPEAKER_02]: My for my victim. [SPEAKER_02]: So, um, but anyways, the character for my choice is more than solace, because just yes, we get him in math but do, but his overall story when you dive into his Lord everything from going from someone who was part of the board to re-up the genophage to becoming [SPEAKER_02]: Basically the father of the new era of the births of Crogans, children being named after him, giving his life in order to save them, especially with the beginning when you first find them in the warms or something, not the warms, but in the war and like section in the Omega, [SPEAKER_02]: doing what he can basically running away but seeing time still doing what he can to help people and people in the area and then going to help his or whether it's stop his protege from doing what he believes in the bombination and if you're willing at Shepherd to take said research and to flip it on his head in order to help it truly help the crowgan of people that

8:23 [SPEAKER_02]: Aubrey will be you that I'm a villain, but still he goes on his way to help them, massive growth, massive character arc in my opinion. [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, and he's also a major, um, salarian. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you mentioned his presence in the words. [SPEAKER_03]: I do feel like it's all too easily for gotten that Morton gave up a pretty cushy position and in both in social status and in [SPEAKER_03]: to go to a mega.

8:55 [SPEAKER_03]: So, you know, it's not like he didn't have anything to begin with, he had a lot and he gave it up. [SPEAKER_03]: But sacrifice is kind of his thing. [SPEAKER_03]: So, all right, moving forward, Astrobo, who do you believe has the best character arc and why is it actually? [SPEAKER_04]: Um, okay.

9:14 [SPEAKER_04]: Let's see. [SPEAKER_04]: So two of my top choices are still on on my list here. [SPEAKER_04]: So, um, oh, wait. [SPEAKER_03]: Your top choice was taken though. [SPEAKER_04]: Oh, no, no, no. [SPEAKER_04]: It's still on here. [SPEAKER_04]: Oh, yeah. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I cut through this list together the last minute.

9:27 [SPEAKER_04]: Um, I'm in a, I'm going to say Tally here. [SPEAKER_04]: Um, you know, I could have said garrison to because, I mean, that's everybody's favorite. [SPEAKER_04]: Um, and I like garrison's arc too, but I think Tally's, um, is more complete. [SPEAKER_04]: And it has a full like start to finish art where, you know, it's, you see your, uh, you see your grow up really and, and kind of step into that role that she almost kind of didn't really want, but realized it was a necessity and it was, it was her calling in a way.

10:01 [SPEAKER_04]: And I just, I think it works. [SPEAKER_04]: I think it works great. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, all right. [SPEAKER_03]: So we've got Talley. [SPEAKER_03]: We've got Rex. [SPEAKER_03]: We've got Jack and we've got Morton. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, let me see here, you know what, I want to ask why is why is Rex any better than Morton in terms of a character arc and I get it that Rex had three games to develop where his Morton had two, but I actually believe that that might count against Rex in this scenario because I think maybe Rex [SPEAKER_03]: had more time on screen, and yet did not fulfill as much redemptive development that Morton did.

10:53 [SPEAKER_06]: It's not necessarily, I'd say they have. [SPEAKER_06]: Ed Rex has a bit more on screen because he's only in two, maybe 15 minutes total, because that's why we totally, just wanted to three or four. [SPEAKER_06]: It's a phrase that's a phrase, well, I think it's part of the major part of the story.

11:11 [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know, this is a really hard question. [SPEAKER_06]: Says the non-confergational guy. [SPEAKER_06]: You know, he's being so, so, like, cynical and overly done with your own people to seeing them, [SPEAKER_06]: back to their former glory, but a new glory when it isn't so distant, so bent on killing everything.

11:41 [SPEAKER_06]: I don't know something about that speaks to me on a personal level as someone who's just been really cynical a lot about things and it's, I don't know, looking for something to hopefully be better. [SPEAKER_06]: So I think Rex's redemption of not only himself but of his people is really important.

12:06 [SPEAKER_03]: So that's an interesting point you make there that his redemption not just of himself, but he works to redeem his people. [SPEAKER_03]: Whereas Morton's is very [SPEAKER_03]: I don't want to say self-centered because of course his work benefits literally the entire crowding race, but it's more about himself, you know, had to be me, someone else might have gotten it wrong.

12:30 [SPEAKER_03]: He does it because he feels a certain level of guilt because he was involved in the [SPEAKER_03]: So, Magistrate, how do you feel about that? [SPEAKER_03]: The difference in intentions and motivations, perhaps making wrecks a more pure character arc, if you can say that. [SPEAKER_03]: A cynical guy who gives up a lot and puts his life in harm's way countless times, not just for himself, but to lead his people to a better place.

12:59 [SPEAKER_03]: Whereas Morton's is kind of going and taking white out to parts of his history if we want to call it that. [SPEAKER_02]: I've viewed more, because for me, Rex was more of the snowball that helped Shepherd help steer toward the right direction and game momentum and kept going. [SPEAKER_02]: Whereas, Morton was a lot more like to dive into more Christian base, thank you.

13:29 [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_02]: when someone is asking to be redeemed, it's needs to be a true change of heart. [SPEAKER_02]: And that makes the journey of someone's redemption that much more beautiful. [SPEAKER_02]: And the option when you choose a reticate route for more than when you're staying there in a horrible route that you are a sinner yourself, if you go that route.

14:04 [SPEAKER_02]: The fact that he literally yells, I made a mistake. [SPEAKER_02]: The fact that he truly believes was all of his heart that what was done and not have been done. [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm trying not only to make up for my sins, but for the sins of my people, as well as to help redeem and kill the people of the Crogon that I've seen beautiful things come out of.

14:32 [SPEAKER_02]: So, whereas Rex, yes, I respect Rex, and I'm glad most people make sure that you don't get shot by Ashley, or Kated, or any of them. [SPEAKER_02]: But same time, in my opinion, Morton is the one who's going out there, and truly redeem his arc that's having a bigger arch to me, and we'll be remembered in the annals of history.

14:57 [SPEAKER_03]: All right, I think that's a fair argument as well. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, let's go over to Astrobone Retrobot. [SPEAKER_03]: And I want to know Retrobot. [SPEAKER_03]: Why does Jack have a better arc than Tally who Astrobot rightly pointed out is a very complete arc from this naive kind of quarry and on her pilgrimage.

15:25 [SPEAKER_03]: but then ultimately becomes a reluctant hero for her people. [SPEAKER_05]: She'll like with Ali and Rex, like they haven't art because it serves a purpose for the game. [SPEAKER_05]: Like the completion of their art, he's used his tie to into one of the priorities in Mass Effect 3. [SPEAKER_05]: Then coming to this art is just, oh, we need to search it out on this planet and we'll search it out on that planet.

15:54 [SPEAKER_05]: Or as Jack, like as long as you don't sleep with her on your initial name with her doesn't die in the student side of Houston, don't go off and become a better person on her own. [SPEAKER_05]: It concurred to the other characters where a lot of how they improve is by stepper having like basically direct control over their lives and how they're like, this is how I view things so they start seeing stuff the same way.

16:20 [SPEAKER_05]: And what's like Rex, Rex to just strip die in Mass Effect 1, that is replace. [SPEAKER_05]: You can still get, you can still negotiate peace with the crowding in Mass Effect 3, you know, Rex and I they're like, actually can just strip, screw them in the back of the head. [SPEAKER_05]: Mass Effect 1, he just gets the place.

16:39 [SPEAKER_03]: Alright, so Jack being irreplaceable, but you know, I think there's another possibility that happens to Jack, and that is if she doesn't make it, she becomes a phantom, and Mass Effect 3, which is not, not like heartwarming, but Astrobot, Tally obviously has three games to develop. [SPEAKER_03]: uh... whereas jack has to so there's an interesting dynamic again uh... and yet jack is barely in massific three [SPEAKER_03]: So, how do you feel when it comes to Tally's own arc, being a better arc, because I think Redtraba was hinting at it here a little bit, that Jack has a moral compass that is immovable.

17:30 [SPEAKER_03]: Whereas Tally's is a little bit more malleable, and at worst during her trial, I mean, she just wants you to lie for her, and for nothing more than her family's pride. [SPEAKER_03]: so how would you respond to that? [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I think on the buy-on-large, I have the back tally's arc here by saying that everyone loves the meaningful tragedy and her arc is full of a really, you know, between her father's death and the potential ends to the, you know, the [SPEAKER_04]: you know there's a lot of ways that her arc can really go go south now when you just talk about you know lying to the to the courts i think that's part of her arc in of itself because it it reveals some really deep seated

18:27 [SPEAKER_04]: issues that really depth, you know, really bring depth to their character and, you know, it's not just so much as it's just static, you know, she's there's more things going on beneath the surface. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, so I get where you're saying that she's a more complex character than Jack is and and I know that's not I know what Redtrabot is probably thinking over there, which is that Like it's easy to say that if you've never romance Jack and kind of broken through that hard shell, right?

19:04 [SPEAKER_05]: It is, then at that point, like if you don't romance her, you don't know a lot about her. [SPEAKER_05]: When you really don't romance her, she's still gonna do her fun. [SPEAKER_05]: It's not like dependent on you making certain choices on this planet, and that planet. [SPEAKER_05]: It's like as long as you don't sleep over her initially, and she doesn't die there in the suit's admission.

19:27 [SPEAKER_03]: Okay. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I do want to point out that Jack's morality is highly shapeable by shepherd during her loyalty mission, that you can really encourage her to just go ahead and pull to trigger or spare him. [SPEAKER_03]: And I'm not sure. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know dialogue wise how much that changes in Mass Effect 3, but it is a key decision from shepherd.

19:53 [SPEAKER_03]: Astrobot, what do you want to say? [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I was going to say I was going to go on the record as to say that I actually really do like Jack's arc as well. [SPEAKER_04]: That's not a, I'm not sliding that arc at all, but I, I just, I think overall the, the potential for not only the potential for tragedy, but the way that her character deepens so much during that, the middle portion of that arc is is really, really great.

20:24 [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, we're getting to the end of the first half. [SPEAKER_03]: I want to talk about which squadmate I think has the best arc. [SPEAKER_03]: And personally, for me, I think I think it might be Dr. Choc was no kidding. [SPEAKER_03]: I think it might be ED. [SPEAKER_03]: I really love ED's arc.

20:50 [SPEAKER_03]: And because she holds a mirror [SPEAKER_03]: And gets us to examine our own humanity and our own hypocrisy that we have in different standards of behavior and things like that and what does it mean to be human and to be alive is to be alive to be human or is to be human to be alive and and those kinds of deep philosophical questions that she's asking from a place of genuine innocence and curiosity.

21:21 [SPEAKER_03]: And I really enjoyed that kind of reflection that the game pulls in, and it feels like a really apt intersection of sci-fi and philosophy. [SPEAKER_03]: So, I would argue that 80 has the best arc because she really only develops over the course of one game and that's Mass Effect 3, you know Mass Effect 2, she's there but she's just kind of the ship's computer and that's about it.

21:55 [SPEAKER_03]: Um, she doesn't develop that much in my opinion. [SPEAKER_03]: You hear her cracks some jokes, you know, here and there, um, but I would argue that the majority of it is is in massfic three and how poignant and powerful it is with such little screen time. [SPEAKER_03]: Um, so that is what I would argue, but I want to open this up for free comment from every one of you.

22:18 [SPEAKER_03]: Because I'm sure some of you have been sitting on some comments that you wanted to make. [SPEAKER_03]: Can be about any of this squadmates that we just talked about. [SPEAKER_03]: Just go ahead and chime in whenever you don't have to raise your hand, raising the hand, things. [SPEAKER_03]: Not great on podcast form.

22:32 [SPEAKER_03]: So, if you don't, I'm going to pull a teacher. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, if you don't chime in, I'm going to pick on you. [SPEAKER_03]: I'll do it. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, I'm gonna draw straws over here. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't actually have any straws. [SPEAKER_03]: Uh, day. [SPEAKER_03]: What are you thinking about?

22:56 [SPEAKER_06]: I'm thinking about how you make such complaints in how we're so correct. [SPEAKER_06]: Uh, let's know, uh, this is a hard part about this. [SPEAKER_06]: Is that we all picture really good answers in that group? [SPEAKER_03]: trying to make everyone another bus now working for me because no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

23:36 [SPEAKER_06]: learning, just learning what it is to be a human, or to be an AI in a human world, or do I actually, am I alive or whatnot? [SPEAKER_06]: I love stories like that. [SPEAKER_06]: To go back to Magician's point, I love Gordon's own self redemption as a foil to erect this, like more external for attention of his people.

23:58 [SPEAKER_06]: I think it's a really good [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, that's my support. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's a good comparison between Morton and Rex, because both of the stories kind of accentuate and compliment each other about how there are multiple different kinds of displays of heroism, you know, that being a hero doesn't have to look like brute strength, and being a hero doesn't have to look like being this smartest person in the room.

24:31 [SPEAKER_03]: It can be their one, but yeah, reminds me of like a quote from Hercules, I think it was like the true measure of a man is the strength of his heart. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, something like that. [SPEAKER_03]: It was ripped torn as Zeus. [SPEAKER_03]: That says it, I think. [SPEAKER_03]: Anyway, don't quote me on that.

24:50 [SPEAKER_03]: Crazy. [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe if, yeah, it was crazy, but the 9th. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, they should have made Mel Gibson one of the gods, too. [SPEAKER_03]: Why not? [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: I want to open this up for some more comments. [SPEAKER_03]: For whoever wants to chime in, either about Morton or Rex or E.D.

25:11 [SPEAKER_03]: Or Tally or Jack, whatever you've got to say. [SPEAKER_03]: And I will pick on you, so you better chime in. [SPEAKER_04]: I'll just go ahead and say it, I don't think it was possible to have a bad decision here. [SPEAKER_04]: Not really, at least, you know, everybody's got their strengths and weaknesses and things about their arcs that are great, so just, but I agree with you, Dave, we all pick, I think everybody here really hit the nail on the head and pick some great characters.

25:47 [SPEAKER_03]: who doesn't have a good arc. [SPEAKER_03]: And it's zi-ed. [SPEAKER_03]: He doesn't learn a goddamn thing. [SPEAKER_03]: There's no change in him at all. [SPEAKER_03]: And I get it. [SPEAKER_03]: He's like, you've been setting his ways. [SPEAKER_06]: He's like a cool uncle that you kind of like, kind of hate him because he's, you know, like he's walked around and you were baby, but he's like, he should be here every now and then.

26:09 [SPEAKER_06]: Rage is a hell of an anesthetic. [SPEAKER_04]: I will counter your take there a little bit because if you let, if you decide to save the factory workers during his loyalty mission and it and he gets away and you have the Paragon point you can basically tell him like, we need to be a team, is it for not, if you try to do this on your own, then it's not going to work and he does kind of listen.

26:42 [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, that's a fair point. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you can, you can kind of coach him and tell him to let it go. [SPEAKER_03]: Uh, it's not an arc. [SPEAKER_03]: That's a speed ball. [SPEAKER_03]: That's true. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, all right, fair. [SPEAKER_03]: But maybe that in and of itself is a statement, right, but not everyone is going to change.

27:03 [SPEAKER_03]: or not everyone's going to change so drastically. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, some time and the game was pretty good at reminding us that every turn that sometimes no matter what you do, things are the way they are. [SPEAKER_03]: And, you know, pairing that with the power of choice made both sides even more powerful.

27:24 [SPEAKER_03]: Trying to think about who else does, you know, who, so because they were in the same DLC, I feel obligated to bring her up, [SPEAKER_03]: Kasumi had an amazing arc for not being part of the base game all that much in Mass Effect, too. [SPEAKER_03]: I people and for those of you who are listening to silence, you're wondering what's going on, they're nodding, I promise they're agreeing with me.

27:53 [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if Day is, maybe he's shaking has said vigorously, no. [SPEAKER_06]: No, I am internally agreeing, because I look, this is me so much. [SPEAKER_06]: I love her DLC. [SPEAKER_06]: I love particularly. [SPEAKER_06]: I love the music and that DLC. [SPEAKER_06]: I had no reason knowing that hard for the $5 DLC.

28:10 [SPEAKER_03]: I love everything about that DLC, except for his Donovan Hawks accent. [SPEAKER_06]: One piece, you definitely shoot for South African that as you can tell, don't worry. [SPEAKER_06]: Palooja. [SPEAKER_04]: I don't know what it is, but I already have a little bit of a hot take that she might actually have.

28:31 [SPEAKER_04]: It for pure entertainment value, one of the best loyalty missions, I think. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh yeah, yeah, that felt very high production value, if that makes sense. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know how else to put it, like if that were a Hollywood film, I would call it a high production value.

28:47 [SPEAKER_03]: It just felt like grand, didn't it? [SPEAKER_03]: So I loved her DLC and I loved how, like, [SPEAKER_03]: Man, they really stuck the knife in under the ribs with her memories of KG and the gray box didn't they? [SPEAKER_03]: And I liked how they turned morality on its head to present it to you and say, well, you know, is Paragon telling her to keep it?

29:12 [SPEAKER_03]: to keep the gray box or is Paragon telling her to move on, you know, which or is that renegade and and or ultimately doesn't matter which one is Paragon or renegade or is Paragon always going to be the quote unquote right move is sometimes renegade going to be. [SPEAKER_03]: you know. [SPEAKER_03]: So it wasn't just the light side and dark side that the Paragon renegade system evolved from.

29:36 [SPEAKER_03]: So, all right, I'm thinking about any other character, any of the squadmates that I just did not think that they had a very good arc and go ahead and amazing. [SPEAKER_06]: Jacob Taylor, come on, give it up and [SPEAKER_06]: We love him. [SPEAKER_06]: We do. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_06]: We love him.

29:58 [SPEAKER_02]: We love Jacob Taylor. [SPEAKER_02]: Doesn't change. [SPEAKER_02]: That's part of it. [SPEAKER_02]: Even a little bit. [SPEAKER_02]: He loves. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean fireworks. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: I think we all agree on that. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think I can think of any other squadmates who just didn't have very good arcs.

30:20 [SPEAKER_03]: Legion had an amazing arc. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think you can get much better than legions. [SPEAKER_03]: Lyara, I'm not like the biggest Lyara stand, but I think she had a good arc. [SPEAKER_03]: Job. [SPEAKER_03]: Jobic? [SPEAKER_03]: I really wanted him to get his revenge. [SPEAKER_03]: like they're at the end.

30:44 [SPEAKER_03]: And in essence, he did, but I so wanted him to go on the citadel with me after the final run. [SPEAKER_03]: And interact with the intelligence that slaughtered all of his people, you know, to be able to face the, uh, the, I don't know, the embodiment, [SPEAKER_03]: of your purpose, because Javik was the avatar of vengeance, so to be able to face that your purpose standing right in front of you.

31:15 [SPEAKER_03]: and I would have loved to have seen that conversation at least, or what Javik did. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think I have to second guess that he would have chosen destroy. [SPEAKER_03]: Everyone agrees there. [SPEAKER_03]: But yes, Yukon and Chad here brings up a good point. [SPEAKER_03]: Watching Javik retreat into the ship at the beam rubbed against every conversation he'd ever had with you.

31:38 [SPEAKER_03]: And that is true. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, he would not turn back. [SPEAKER_03]: There's literally nothing for him to lose, so yeah, especially if you had to watch those memories from the shard. [SPEAKER_04]: Oh my god I feel like Javik deserves so much more than to be a dlc character Especially like he should have been more than a dlc character and his arc deserve so much more attention than I got and it was still pretty good day one day one dlc By the way [SPEAKER_03]: Like, wow, guys, they made that DLC very quickly.

32:16 [SPEAKER_02]: Like, imagine if he would have found his pod in like the shadow worker's base on in my spec too, and then have been like two folds, and they would have had him back then. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, or imagine, you know, that that point in my spec two where you get the extra weapon class or weapon specialization, if instead of that, [SPEAKER_03]: when you were analyzing the biological makeup of a collector, the pod cracked open, and it was traffic, and he hadn't been turned yet.

32:47 [SPEAKER_03]: That would have been a sick reveal. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, it still was at the time revealing that the collectors were the proteins. [SPEAKER_03]: So, yeah, I feel like Javics kind of got slided. [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe a little bit. [SPEAKER_03]: Um, I would have loved to have seen more of him, but that takes us to the middle of the show.

33:08 [SPEAKER_03]: Let's go and we will read any reviews. [SPEAKER_03]: I've got some announcements and we'll get back to the rest of it because I want to hear which non-squadmates you guys believe had the best dark. [SPEAKER_03]: Alright, well, here we go. [SPEAKER_01]: After time adrift among open stars, a long tide of light and through shows of dust, I will return to where I began.

33:32 [SPEAKER_00]: Celery and reproduction different, very little sex drive. [SPEAKER_00]: If intended to try human, we'll try you. [SPEAKER_00]: Out, my pain grease. [SPEAKER_03]: Alright, here we are in the middle of the show, and this is the part where we read out your five-star reviews. [SPEAKER_03]: We don't have any new ones since the last time that I checked, and I'm looking again right now.

33:51 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, no new ones there, but I will read out some of the comments that we're left on our most recent Spotify episode. [SPEAKER_03]: What we hate about Mass Effect, that episode. [SPEAKER_03]: So I see here that grant two weeks ago, [SPEAKER_03]: writes only thing that comes to mind that I hate in Mass Effect 1, we essentially had infinite ammo because of the overheat mechanic, but in 2 and 3 they replaced one of the best features with Thermal Clips.

34:19 [SPEAKER_03]: Fuck Thermal Clips, give me my infinite ammo back, much love guys. [SPEAKER_03]: Grant at one point in my life I would have tended to agree with you. [SPEAKER_03]: I have come around and seen the other side now and I do think that thermal clips sped up the gameplay a lot. [SPEAKER_03]: So, uh, in terms of the in-game lore explanation, I agree with you kind of a shitty retcon, uh, but in terms of gameplay quality, I think it really increased the combat, uh, there.

34:49 [SPEAKER_03]: Um, and we've got another one here from Cameron Mason, who writes, hey guys, a little bit newer to the show, but this is my favorite podcast on the Citadel. [SPEAKER_03]: I've been trying to catch up on every episode, what's going through and listening, uh, was going through and listening to the last videos on races, you guys did a long time ago, specifically the Yag and Vorcia episode.

35:10 [SPEAKER_03]: And I thought it would be badass if they made a mission to recruit the Yag to fight the [SPEAKER_03]: What makes sense if they made it, one of the hardest missions in the game, too. [SPEAKER_03]: What do you guys think? [SPEAKER_03]: Recruit the Yag to fight the Reapers. [SPEAKER_03]: I feel like would have been a really interesting kind of test of shepherd's diplomatic skill with a race that seems hell bent on just domination.

35:35 [SPEAKER_03]: I guess you could pitch it to the Yag that like, hey, if the Reapers win, you're not going to be able to dominate fucking anybody. [SPEAKER_03]: So you might want to fight them. [SPEAKER_03]: So you might have been able to convince them that way, but thank you Cameron. [SPEAKER_03]: I appreciate that.

35:50 [SPEAKER_03]: All right, and let's shout out any new patrons we got. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to check right now. [SPEAKER_03]: And yes, Mr. TJ Bridges, thank you for signing up on the Patreon. [SPEAKER_03]: And of course, we have our five star or five star to your five patrons, well, can you tell I'm a little bit tired.

36:09 [SPEAKER_03]: I'm a little bit sleep deprived. [SPEAKER_03]: We have our to your five patrons that we like to shout out every week. [SPEAKER_03]: And those are [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, that can't be right. [SPEAKER_03]: Sorry, I'm looking at my Patreon right now, and I'm like, okay, I clicked a wrong button.

36:26 [SPEAKER_03]: Here we go. [SPEAKER_03]: Retrobot Superfly 440, Ed Boy, Kira C, Lieutenant Tussino, William, and day and night star. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's night. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I'm right. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm reading that correctly. [SPEAKER_03]: Nightstar. [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you all for your continued support of the show.

36:41 [SPEAKER_03]: Seriously, you guys make this possible five and a half years in or no five years and four months in. [SPEAKER_03]: But who is counting? [SPEAKER_03]: All right, and I did say some announcements, I feel like I owe all of you an explanation as to why I am so behind on publishing episodes.

37:00 [SPEAKER_03]: I understand it. [SPEAKER_03]: I recognize it. [SPEAKER_03]: If you've been waiting for the new episode and you're like, what the hell is going on? [SPEAKER_03]: Like is this show still on the air? [SPEAKER_03]: Yes, it is on the air. [SPEAKER_03]: No, it's not going to be canceled any time soon.

37:12 [SPEAKER_03]: Uh, but man am I. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm struggling to keep up with workloads and other obligations in life and Sleep it like the siren song of sleep calls to me every moment of the day and so I promise I am going to be uploading these episodes this weekend that we're recording this it's the last weekend in July [SPEAKER_03]: And in fact, it's my birthday today, so that will be my birthday gift to everybody to get my shit together.

37:47 [SPEAKER_03]: That's what my birthday gift to you guys will be. [SPEAKER_03]: So all right, thank you all for your excessive patience with this aging millennial over here. [SPEAKER_03]: And I promise to be a better podcast host. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, with that, let's get back to the rest of the show.

38:05 [SPEAKER_01]: After time, a drift among open stars, a long tide of light and through shows of dust, I will return to where I began. [SPEAKER_00]: Celery and reproduction different, very little sex drive. [SPEAKER_00]: If intended to try human, we'll try you. [SPEAKER_00]: Ow, my pain grease. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, we're back.

38:21 [SPEAKER_03]: Second half, and now we're going to be talking about the people who are not our squadmates, and which one of them had the best start. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to pick on Astrobo, first, Astrobo, who, which non-squad mate had the best character arc, and why was it Jolede? [SPEAKER_04]: let's see, let's see, Melissa here.

38:45 [SPEAKER_04]: I am going to go with our favorite Big Bad from the beginning, Mr. Seren Arturius. [SPEAKER_04]: I loved his arc. [SPEAKER_04]: I really did. [SPEAKER_04]: The way he kind of begins as this like, you know, classic Big Bad and you just kind of slowly start to see the cracks. [SPEAKER_04]: in the logic happened throughout the first game.

39:10 [SPEAKER_04]: And you know, by the end, if you really play your cards right, you can really tear the walls down and see what's really going on. [SPEAKER_04]: And I just, I think it's super awesome. [SPEAKER_04]: And it kind of subverted expectations for the first game. [SPEAKER_04]: And it just, just, just, just the comments.

39:27 [SPEAKER_03]: Did you read the comics that Seren was a part of or Mass Effect Revelation? [SPEAKER_03]: Any of the lore basically that happened before Mass [SPEAKER_04]: Not at first, um, but I did a little bit later on and I just think it makes it even better, you know, um, and we're not going to let's go on beforehand.

39:45 [SPEAKER_03]: It does because Shepherd, understandably has a limited point of view on Seren. [SPEAKER_03]: But like us as the player having like read those things, we can understand completely where Anderson is coming from, with Seren. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think it makes Anderson even more sympathetic character because man, can you imagine if that were you?

40:07 [SPEAKER_03]: And this guy like fucked you out of the best job in the galaxy. [SPEAKER_03]: And also is like a sociopath and a terrible person who you know is gonna continue killing people. [SPEAKER_03]: And simultaneously made you look crazy to the council. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, and I think that's why his arc is so good is because it changes the way we see other characters arcs too.

40:32 [SPEAKER_04]: Once we see the whole thing, we go back and we play through it again, or read the comics again, or whatever it may be, and it really changes the way [SPEAKER_04]: that we interpret their interactions. [SPEAKER_04]: So he so pivotal to everything that happens early on, and, you know, it's great.

40:51 [SPEAKER_03]: Right on. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: So for this half of the episode, I will change the format a little bit. [SPEAKER_03]: I like to keep you all on your toes. [SPEAKER_03]: So I'm going to open this up for comment on Seren, specifically Seren's character arc. [SPEAKER_03]: and I want to hear from you guys chime in on whether or not you think Seren has a good character arc, you know, do you agree?

41:11 [SPEAKER_03]: Do you disagree? [SPEAKER_03]: And why or why not? [SPEAKER_02]: The Seren, you're able to talk down as a paragon. [SPEAKER_02]: I think has the biggest character arc out there because the fact that he's able to put it all aside, realize his own hubris and take himself out of [SPEAKER_02]: After he realizes he's being controlled, I think that's major character gross from the serenity read in the comics and in the books as well.

41:44 [SPEAKER_03]: right on yeah and then thanks for making that distinction specifically if you can pass those speech checks at the end of mass vector one because if you can't then I guess you really never you don't ever get to see who the real seren is arguably because who knows how long he's been indoctrinated.

42:03 [SPEAKER_03]: granted, if you read Mass Effect Revelation, it's before he met Sovereign. [SPEAKER_03]: So there is an argument that he was already an asshole, but it's just an argument of how much of an asshole was he. [SPEAKER_03]: So, but you can see at the end of Mass Effect One with that speech check that he does have some humanity for lack there of a better term, hidden deep under all of that indoctrination.

42:27 [SPEAKER_03]: All right, any other comments on Seren? [SPEAKER_03]: Retrobot or day? [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I'd say he's probably, in my opinion, he's the best, like, bad guy in A, the Mass Effect games. [SPEAKER_05]: Because you have him, he has, like, a clear motivation, he starts seeing a different side to whom, he becomes moreward indoctrinated, so as a parent's changes, so that's always cool.

42:49 [SPEAKER_05]: Compared to, like, oh, Mass Effect 2, main bad guy is, like, a head collector or whatever his name was, you see, for, like, one cut scene because the creators, low key for [SPEAKER_05]: That was even in charge. [SPEAKER_03]: That is literally true. [SPEAKER_03]: Yes, they did. [SPEAKER_03]: They forgot to put in a bit of that guy to the end Mass Effect 3.

43:11 [SPEAKER_05]: It's just like yeah, it's just all the reapers Like yeah, it's just all the reapers then you see it like it's like a few reapers. [SPEAKER_05]: You see it just get destroyed Make it look like nothing like that giant reaper love ice it [SPEAKER_03]: on the chocca, all right, well, what about Tim about the loose of man, Timmy boy?

43:30 [SPEAKER_05]: Hey, Tim, Tim is a good, yeah, he's a good bad guy, but he's just always feel like kind of a secondary, like bad guy in games. [SPEAKER_05]: He's there, he's pulling strings, but he's not like a priori concern a lot of the time. [SPEAKER_03]: He's not as important as he thinks he is. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, like he's like yeah, I shepherd I hate you and you know, like I don't think about you at all Yeah, I wish I wish um, but unfortunately the elusive man is more influential than that So all right, let's open it up a little bit farther about the elusive man and Kate well actually I should say [SPEAKER_03]: Does anyone here think that the elusive man was the best non-squadmate character arc?

44:26 [SPEAKER_02]: Depends the depends if the in-oxination theory is true or not? [SPEAKER_03]: Hmm, okay, so if it is true, then he doesn't have the best character arc. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, okay, it's not a burrow, he's a figment of a shepherd's imagination. [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, I hadn't heard that stipulation in the indoctrination theory.

44:49 [SPEAKER_03]: I guess I heard a different permutation of the indoctrination theory that basically the looseman is real and basically everything is real up until that moment aboard the Citadel at the end of Mass Effect 3. [SPEAKER_03]: So maybe that part, that elusive man isn't real. [SPEAKER_03]: But I guess if you're saying that that one isn't real, then he doesn't actually have that good of an arc.

45:13 [SPEAKER_02]: because it basically just stops at him coping. [SPEAKER_02]: Let's say the Shepherd didn't listen to him in Master Act 2. [SPEAKER_02]: Like there's a couple moments in Master Act 3 where you're like talking with him, but I'm a majority of the interaction that you see as him, all character growths would have been in too.

45:32 [SPEAKER_03]: okay all right um okay so we've talked about sarin a little bit um magister who do you who do you think has the best character arc of all of the non-squadmates the other side of the coin of sarin captain Anderson of course yep i believe with him just i mean going up [SPEAKER_02]: if you dive into his lore and reading the stories, soldier, soldier who's fighting hard, who's always going hard on the paint, sort of one where he lost having his wife and kid was him, and then if he has to get, I'm blanking on that for a moment, but I know his wife for fiance, left him, and then just constant.

46:18 [SPEAKER_02]: tragedy, he's truly the pirate hero of it all, but then still pushing through, going to become a specter and in Seren Rose's day, going to become one of the counselors and everything, but eventually getting to the point where he realizes that's not for him, and yet still being the mentor, [SPEAKER_02]: to the soldiers who are out there like shepherd and caden and Ashley.

46:47 [SPEAKER_02]: And to the point where eventually he ends up giving his, um, giving his life for the most part, staying on Earth and still being that hero, even until the very end, also depending on me, um, the induction agent [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, he does stay there and he does so much behind the scenes that Shepherd is just not aware of, you know, and he does a lot of the things that he does not because it's going to gain him any recognition, or if it does gain him recognition, it'll be the bad kind because of creating political shitstorms.

47:28 [SPEAKER_03]: But he does these things because he has this moral compass that is just [SPEAKER_03]: you know he knows right from wrong he knows uh what selfless sacrifice means he knows uh what it means to act honorably arguably Anderson is like a knight like it's like a knight in like knight with k and k in i g h g in mass effect uh or a paladin maybe you know who you know who he kind of reminds me of to make a game of thrones reference he reminds me of [SPEAKER_03]: uh... the uh... older knight who kind of took off the gold the gold cloak uh... when he saw the kingdom falling into corruption and decided to leave uh... to protect an iris that's [SPEAKER_03]: Okay, yeah, he is a very much a Ned Stark character as well.

48:25 [SPEAKER_03]: Willfully plunging into his death because he can't bring himself to not say the right thing or do the right thing. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, Ned. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, good old headless Ned. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: So I want to open this up. [SPEAKER_03]: What do you guys think of Captain or should I say admiral Anderson?

48:48 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, I was also going to say, and they're saying, because like, there's so much he does for you in the game, like when you're on lockdown and massive tech one air like, well, how are we going to get out of here? [SPEAKER_05]: He's like, I got it. [SPEAKER_05]: So you leave you spend these like, oh, he's probably going to do something sneaky.

49:03 [SPEAKER_05]: He's going to like flip around this oven now. [SPEAKER_05]: He just straight up walks up to, you know, [SPEAKER_05]: Plus, he sets you up with like a sweet-ass bachelor pad on the signal for the signal of the ESC. [SPEAKER_03]: He's arguably the most selfless character and like the whole series.

49:32 [SPEAKER_03]: Day, what did you think of Anderson and his arc specifically? [SPEAKER_06]: I'm like, I don't know if I could ever speak a little on Anderson or certification reading a real man never speaks a little rainous I just is a little bit character a little father figure. [SPEAKER_06]: The another guiding force that's doing the tragedy, I was a good trope.

49:57 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, he did a very shakes of the world. [SPEAKER_03]: Very Shakespearean and. [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, passes on these ambitions to you. [SPEAKER_06]: So it is like a mentor hand, we're off to the empty. [SPEAKER_03]: And the thing about Anderson, too, is, yeah, like you mentioned, that he is in his dying breaths, basically, giving you the complete emotional vulnerability of validation.

50:27 [SPEAKER_03]: And I don't know how many people were able to keep themselves from crying, that first time that Anderson tells you he's proud of you and then dies. [SPEAKER_03]: Like, even talking about it, I'm getting mystified because if you have never heard the full uncut conversation that was originally in the game, go ahead and do yourself a favor, go look that up on YouTube or better yet install the mod that replaces it.

50:53 [SPEAKER_03]: And when you get to that scene, have a box of tissues ready, lock the door so no one sees you ugly crying. [SPEAKER_03]: And, um, you know, have a good whale. [SPEAKER_03]: have a whale on me or not. [SPEAKER_03]: Anyway, Anderson's death is definitely the best death in the whole trilogy, which is weird to say, the best death.

51:23 [SPEAKER_03]: I wouldn't say it's the most tragic because he lived more of like more of a full life than a character like say tally if she dies because she sees her people go wiped out that's not not a full life and arguably not fulfilling but it is tragic nonetheless [SPEAKER_03]: All right, uh, Retrobot, you said you were going to say Captain Anderson or Admiral Anderson.

51:47 [SPEAKER_03]: So who is the person that you'll pick secondary as the best non squadmate character work? [SPEAKER_05]: I can vary. [SPEAKER_05]: I'm going to say area just because like how much you actually interacted for an all three games, like I think it's like one of the only characters that you have, like some [SPEAKER_05]: basically all the games and you see her lose a mega and are trying to fight to get it back and just how she changes and how she views her power over a mega.

52:21 [SPEAKER_03]: Well, she's not in one, she's not in Mass Effect one, but she isn't two and three, and I, yeah, I would tend to agree that she is like this, basically iconic figure of everything that's not Citadel space. [SPEAKER_03]: She is the first person to come to mind when you talk about [SPEAKER_03]: like the way the real galaxy works, so to speak, uh, it's Arya.

52:48 [SPEAKER_03]: And you just know that she's got so many stories under her belt that she is never going to tell you, no matter what. [SPEAKER_03]: So that's that's that's a pretty good one. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, we're coming up to the end of the episode, but I wanted to ask day, day, who's your favorite non-squad-made character?

53:09 [SPEAKER_03]: And there are [SPEAKER_06]: I don't think you're going to come up with what you're going to say, Steve Gortez, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve,

53:44 [SPEAKER_03]: yeah it is and it means the world the Steve of course because he's in the throes of grief and I actually do appreciate Steve's story a lot because it addresses male loneliness and male grief you know and how the differences in which it it sometimes presents because of gender roles [SPEAKER_03]: like, you know, sobbing and wailing all the time and like saying, oh, I'm just done with dumps.

54:18 [SPEAKER_03]: You know, that's not he's trying to always focus on work and distract himself with work and talk about other things with shepherd, but yeah, like you mentioned, you can, you can kind of be that big and of light form, which is really nice. [SPEAKER_06]: He's absolutely trying to just lose himself in work.

54:36 [SPEAKER_06]: He's not even trying to have a life outside of this, because you [SPEAKER_06]: Like after this, he's just ready to go and I don't know something about helping me back off of that and come back to, you know, a life is something so special. [SPEAKER_03]: Right. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Everyone kind of has this thought in the back.

54:55 [SPEAKER_03]: Their minds. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, once we beat the reapers will do this. [SPEAKER_03]: Once we beat the reapers will do this and go back to our lives. [SPEAKER_03]: Steve doesn't want to. [SPEAKER_03]: Steve doesn't want to go back to his life because his life is a reminder of what he's lost aside from the reapers.

55:11 [SPEAKER_03]: So, yeah, it's incredibly tragic, and it doesn't, I think, get enough attention because of its subtlety in the game. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, well, here we are at the final few minutes of the episode, and I think that the best non-squadmate character arc has got to be Paul Grayson. [SPEAKER_03]: uh... you know we did all those episodes on Paul Grayson i think uh... reading the books in which he's there really left an indelible mark on me in terms of uh... which characters a value in mass effect and to think that there are so many other background characters in mass fact they could make into Paul Grayson's in the future of the series isn't it it's encouraging to me [SPEAKER_03]: But I am also a sucker for like the anti-hero who gets redemption, you know, I'm thinking along the lines of the tax collector in the tale of two cities to make a very weird outdated high-brow reference.

56:21 [SPEAKER_03]: You know, the way that that book ends, I'm paraphrasing here, but basically, you know, it's a far better fate that I see now than any I've ever known, and it's a far, far better rest that I go to than any I've ever known. [SPEAKER_03]: I think something along those lines, and essentially he's saying that before he's hung in place of someone else.

56:44 [SPEAKER_03]: He's not even the person who's supposed to be killed and he's taking their place because he wants to see someone else happy and he feels guilt for what he's done in his life. [SPEAKER_03]: So anyway, I see Paul Grayson as somewhat of a character like that and I think Paul is an incredibly messy, complicated character who is definitely not [SPEAKER_03]: a majority good, but I don't think he's a majority bad either, and it's not like he's neutral and like milk toast, you know, like a wet napkin, he's not, he's very polarizing, but he is incredibly real in that respect, and I love the nuance that he's written with, and I also like the moral of his story that it's never too late to do the right thing.

57:39 [SPEAKER_03]: because even in the throws of indoctrination, Paul is fighting that. [SPEAKER_03]: So yeah, I really like Paul's story, even though he's not like the best guy. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think he has one of the best arcs, and Magister said also Conrad, Conrad Werner. [SPEAKER_03]: And oh, how could we forget Jenkins the over-eager new guy just going right to his death?

58:03 [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I agree. [SPEAKER_03]: How about Nylis for that regard? [SPEAKER_03]: What a deep and complex character Nylis was. [SPEAKER_03]: All right. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I think that takes us to the end of the episode. [SPEAKER_03]: Thank you guys for another wonderfully intriguing and thought-provoking conversation.

58:22 [SPEAKER_03]: Makes me actually want to replay the games again. [SPEAKER_03]: And maybe I should start a new playthrough sometime soon to get ready to have that playthrough end on in seven days. [SPEAKER_03]: These have even believed that we're almost in August. [SPEAKER_03]: So... [SPEAKER_03]: That means we're just a few months away from in seven days.

58:38 [SPEAKER_03]: It's crazy to say that, and we better fucking get something. [SPEAKER_03]: Let me tell you, we better get some kind of news about something. [SPEAKER_03]: But all right, thank you guys for your time. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's go round, and you can tell people how to go hold you, and what you got going on, what games you're playing, anything you want to shout out.

58:58 [SPEAKER_03]: Let's start with the imagestor. [SPEAKER_02]: Uh, first off, have you burst entities or didn't know if you burst into it? [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, it's a thing. [SPEAKER_02]: Ah. [SPEAKER_02]: And, uh, Matt should have eaten them for, I mean, on the discord, um, kind of saying new curly going on at this time, kind of wish I could get into the, another playthrough must fit, but unfortunately, I'm not sailing the space I'm sailing in the seas, what's this assassin creed, uh, new, uh, recent game, oh, the sea shanties, they're calling to me.

59:29 [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, black flag as a special spot in my heart, I agree. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, Astropo, what are you got going on with games you plan lately and how can people get a hold of you? [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, well, follow up on a second that happy birthday wish. [SPEAKER_04]: That's always awesome to hear.

59:45 [SPEAKER_04]: I do have a bit of an announcement. [SPEAKER_04]: I am, I have launched an Instagram page for my astrophotography work that we talked about last month. [SPEAKER_03]: Hey, that's awesome. [SPEAKER_04]: What's the hint? [SPEAKER_04]: So, it's same handle that I go by on here, after both studios under score in the middle.

1:00:03 [SPEAKER_04]: If you guys want to see some pictures of space, give me a follow. [SPEAKER_04]: I don't have a whole lot up there right now, but going back and re-uploading, reprocessing and uploading some older work. [SPEAKER_04]: Um, so I've got a little bit of a library going, but, you know, clouds down here a lot, you know, uh, not to go to weather most of the time.

1:00:20 [SPEAKER_04]: So, a little bit limited on what I can do, but, uh, everything I've got is going to be going up probably within the next, uh, hopefully the next month or so when I can get around to it. [SPEAKER_03]: Right on, right on, all right, red robot, what games you've been playing lately, how can people get a hold of you?

1:00:37 [SPEAKER_05]: Yeah, once again happy birthday, I'm Red Trobot on the Discord and I've just been replaying Cotor. [SPEAKER_05]: That's really about it. [SPEAKER_03]: Hell yeah, Cotor. [SPEAKER_03]: Classic. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, day, what are you going on, how can people get a hold of you, and what games you've been playing lately?

1:00:57 [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, so I will be subversive and not wish you a happy birthday, which is not gonna [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, I wish you a bad birthday. [SPEAKER_06]: I hope you have a lady birthday. [SPEAKER_06]: Nothing happens. [SPEAKER_03]: I'll miss an accomplished day for God. [SPEAKER_06]: We offer God.

1:01:13 [SPEAKER_06]: Um, no, day, day zero. [SPEAKER_06]: Just thought anything and everything I can reach net. [SPEAKER_06]: I'm still wheeling and feeling still right. [SPEAKER_06]: And then I guess, um, just got finished with, uh, some new pantry on swag. [SPEAKER_06]: Uh, I don't hopefully go up. [SPEAKER_06]: When soon.

1:01:31 [SPEAKER_06]: Sometimes. [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Absolutely. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm still trying to figure out how the works of Patreon. [SPEAKER_03]: So yes, Dave, I think it's a new designs for Patreon shirts. [SPEAKER_06]: Thank you all. [SPEAKER_06]: Like the designs as they come out.

1:01:45 [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, no currently I'm still in like a dragon infinite wealth. [SPEAKER_06]: I had this sort of take a very good [SPEAKER_06]: It's a very big emotional roller coaster of the game. [SPEAKER_06]: So I had to take a break by playing for some of the three of you wrote another big emotional roller coaster.

1:02:02 [SPEAKER_06]: I'll get him. [SPEAKER_06]: But I'm going to my way back for that. [SPEAKER_03]: The notebook was a little sad for me. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think I'm going to go over and play God of War. [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah, the new one. [SPEAKER_06]: The new one is the one. [SPEAKER_06]: Well, yeah, day, day zero.

1:02:19 [SPEAKER_06]: Just find anything. [SPEAKER_06]: Find you there. [SPEAKER_03]: All right, and I have really not had much time to play any games lately when I have had time I've played Magic Arena because it takes like a few minutes to play a game or I've played Kingdom Come deliverance to when I have a little bit of extended time and subnautica too I've been meaning to get back into because there's been a couple updates I think and and I was having a great time playing that with my friend [SPEAKER_03]: So maybe I'll get back into that when I can other than that.

1:02:49 [SPEAKER_03]: I'm playing magic togethering all the time tabletop But I play it online with my webcam a lot. [SPEAKER_03]: So if that's your thing I'm always looking for people to play magic with let me know But that's all we got for now next week. [SPEAKER_03]: We will be back with more lore on garris.

1:03:05 [SPEAKER_03]: It's gonna be garris part six [SPEAKER_03]: hope you're all are ready and again I know I have that backlog of three episodes now that I need to publish I'm going to be rolling them out all of them over the next week so that we can get caught up all right guys thank you so much for your time thank you for your support patrons and the rest of you I will catch you next week have a good one guys bye bye