In Which We Attend a Wedding

 As usual, my commentary is in italics, except for dialogue.

Last time, the doctors warped into a bookstore, where Johnny was seated on a table with both Isabelle and Nicolas, while River was reading something. Isabelle speaks.

Isabelle: Everyone with it is different, John.
- A few moments of silence pass.
Isabelle: Just because she and I share the same syndrome, doesn't mean we share the same head.
John: But you must be able to help somehow...
John: Everything was okay at first, but now, she's even more aloof than before.
John: Even when we're in the same room, she's never really... there.
John: It's starting to take a toll on me.
John: I just don't know how to take it anymore.
Isabelle: Well, I can't speak for her, but many of us do long for connections.
Isabelle: ...Though, being able to articulate it is a different story.
Isabelle: Just because she struggles to express it, it doesn't mean she doesn't feel anything.
Isabelle: She's still there, right?
Isabelle: Sometimes you just have to have faith that she cares.
John: That's pretty difficult to do, day in and day out.
Isabelle: I know.
- A few moments of silence pass. Nicolas turns to face Isabelle and speaks.
Nicolas: Wait, but why do you seem so normal, Izzy?
Nicolas: I mean, don't you have the same condition?
Isabelle: For one, I was diagnosed when I was still young.
Isabelle: With effort, it's not impossible to acquire a guise of social norms systematically.
- A few moments of silence pass.
Isabelle: But you know what? I both envy and pity River.
- A few moments of silence pass.
Isabelle: Me... I'm an actress, because I've been doing it all my life.
Isabelle: Not only on-stage, but off-stage... and at practically every moment.
Isabelle: I've gotten good at it, because acting is the only option I have.
Isabelle: It's the only way for me to be "normal".
- A moment of silence passes.
Isabelle: But River... She never did that.
Isabelle: She remained an outcast and refused to learn to step against it.
Isabelle: ...I don't know if it was by choice or by limit, whether bravery or cowardice.
- Isabelle is stumped for a moment. Eventually, she speaks.
Isabelle: ...There are days when I just can't stand faking it anymore.
Isabelle: And then, I realize that it's too late.
Isabelle: The Isabelle that people know of is all an act, and the real me has long become a stranger.
- A few moments of silence pass.
Isabelle: I think in the end... I just envy her.
- The scene moves to the doctors, watching from their right.
Dr. Watts: Huh, I've never met a woman with it before.
Dr. Rosalene: Then technically, you still haven't met one.
Dr. Rosalene: This isn't part of our business. Let's move.

A hefty scene trying to make us sympathetic to Isabelle, and in turn, River's autism. It doesn't really work, because Isabelle mostly goes on about how she personally thinks about having to present a made up personality to the world, while River doesn't really have much of one established so far, made up or otherwise. Unless you count "incessantly asking about paper rabbits" or "caring deeply about lighthouses" to be examples of a deep underlying personality, I suppose.

The doctors get a memory link from that conversation, and are free to explore the bookstore. They can only interact with a few silhouetted people, which gives another memory link. However, Johnny soon begins walking towards River. When he reaches her, he talks.

John: Anything new today?
River: No.
John: (turning towards River) What're you rereading there?
River: "The Emperor's New Clothes".
River: (putting down her arms) I loved this when I was young.
John: Still do, huh?
River: (turning towards Johnny) Of course.
River: (turning back again) ...Just for different reasons.
- Johnny turns towards River, then back again.
John: When I was a kid, I loved the Animorphs series.
River: I know. Your mother gave it to you as a wedding present.
John: Heh, yeah, that was one odd wedding present.
John: I guess I was pretty obsessed with it when I was a kid.
River: (turning towards Johnny) ...Why haven't you read them since?
Johnny: (turning towards River) Hm?
River: I saw them. They're collecting dust in the garage.
John: Well... I just grew out of them, I guess.
John: (turning back again) I mean, they're children's books.
River: What's wrong with reading children's books?
- Johnny turns towards River, as River turns towards the bookshelf.
River: They're comforting.
- Johnny turns back again.
John: ...I suppose so.
- River raises her arms to read the book again for a while, then puts them down and turns towards Johnny.
River: I think I'm going to get this one.

A little exchange about River's reading habits. Not sure what point this is supposed to drive, outside of River having autism and liking children's books. I mean, it does explain why Johnny keeps around a copy of "The Emperor's New Clothes", but that's a fairly minor plot point compared to the hooks and mysteries presented to us.

The doctors get another memory link for this conversation. They can interact with Johnny looking at the bookshelves, which leads to multiple Johnnys appearing! Interacting with the one on the bottom left relative to the bookshelves leads to another spawning next to River. The one on the right comments briefly on romantic poems, going on about how an "anti-Valentine" one is not too corny. This grants another memory link. As for the final memory link...

Some kid quizzes Johnny about David's animorph, prompting this screen to show up.

There's a small conversation here, but I'm not transcribing it because it's fairly trivial. Basically just Watts going "Yep, I read Animorphs" to Johnny, then clarifying he doesn't remember much about it.

The answer is "Cobra". You can gleam this by talking to River by the shop counter, but it's not strictly necessary.
 
The book at the shop counter is the memento. It provides a note, and leads to...

A gathering of some sort. We see a woman, a man and an old man visible, as well as some food and personal belongings. The doctors warp in, and Watts speaks.

Dr. Watts: Aw, everyone's leaving already? But I just got here!
Dr. Rosalene: Seems to happen to you a lot at parties.
Dr. Watts: (exclaiming) Oh, go save your childish jabs for the insecure.

They examine the place, but find that only the book and the olive jar are interactable. Not even the visible people say anything. The book is an aged copy of Animorphs, implying that Johnny bought Animorphs on the behest of that kid's curiosity. The olive jar triggers some minor dialogue.

Dr. Watts: I see le fromage, but where's the mouse?
Dr. Rosalene: That's the corniest remark you've made all night.
Dr. Watts: Don't you mean... cheesiest remark?
Dr. Rosalene: ...Wow.

And a memory link.

My opinion on these doctor exchanges in particular can be summed up by reading my complaints about pacing being broken, sometimes greatly, by these attempts at slapstick humor, right from the first entry itself.

Going up the path, they run into Johnny and River sitting outside the lighthouse, and gain a memory link upon entering. They can't be interacted with, but the lighthouse door can be, so long as the doctors have two memory links. They warp out, and the scene switches to Johnny speaking to River.

John: ...Do you feel any different?
- River and Johnny turn to face each other. A moment of silence passes.
John: Now that we got the rings on, I mean.
- River turns back.
River: No.
River: ...Why, do you?
John: (turning back) Actually... Yeah, I think so.
- River turns to look at Johnny, then back again.
River: What is it like?
- Johnny solemnly closes his eyes.
John: It's just... different.
John: Just the responsibilities, I suppose.
River: Responsibilities...
- A moment of silence passes.
River: ...Do you like the name "Anya"?
- Johnny turns to look at River. A moment of silence passes, then River turns to face Johnny.
River: Would you... like to name her "Anya"?
- Johnny is stunned for a moment. Several moments pass, then he turns back and talks.
John: ...I understand.
- Johnny looks away to his right. Several moments pass, then he speaks.
John: Yeah... Anya's a good name for her.
- Johnny then turns back to look at River.
John: (exclaiming) Hey, come with me!
- River is curious, and follows him. He takes her into the lighthouse, climbing to its light chamber. The lights inside turn on, and we see the two embracing each other.

Pretty much the most visually powerful scene in the game. While I am rather critical of the writing overall, I can't deny that the game uses certain visual leitmotifs fairly well, with the lighthouse standing out as the most prominent example. What I particularly like about this scene is how it makes their romantic gesture feel otherworldly, raising it above ground and towards the heavens, while enclosing it within a familiar structure to tie it all together.

River: ...This can't be a good idea, I'll probably trip and fall.
John: Don't worry, just follow my steps.
- The two begin to dance about for a bit. Suddenly, they fall down, and Johnny exclaims.
John: (exclaiming) Oww, my ass!
John: I think you stepped on my toes.
River: Sorry.
John: C'mon, let's try again.
- They get up and continue dancing. The scene switches to early morning, and moves down to show a priest declaring marriage vows to them.
Priest: ...To promise to love and comfort, to honor and to keep in sickness and in health, for as long as you shall live?
John: I do.
Priest: And do you take this man, standing before you, to be your lawfully wedded husband?
Priest: To promise to love and comfort, to honor and to keep in sickness and in health, for as long as you shall live?
- A few moments of silence pass. Eventually, River speaks.
River: Yes.
Priest: By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
- The couple turn towards the priest.
Priest: Ladies and gentlemen... I present you Mr. and Mrs. Wyles.
- The scene flashes back to the doctors, who warp in again. Watts walks towards Rosalene and speaks.
Dr. Watts: Ack, the wedding.
Dr. Rosalene: (looking at Watts) Uh, yeah, what did you think that was?
Dr. Watts: (looking at Rosalene) I'm just bad at weddings, that's all.
Dr. Watts: (turning back) Fluids tend to escape from my eyes.
Dr. Rosalene: I didn't know you were that sentimental.
Dr. Watts: (looking at Rosalene) Oh, did I say my eyes? I meant my mouth.
Dr. Watts: (turning back) And by fluids I meant both fluids and solids.
Dr. Rosalene: That's a lovely image, thanks Neil.
Dr. Rosalene: (moving forward suddenly) Come, let's find a way to get out of here.
Dr. Watts: (looking at Rosalene) All this happiness and joy is really putting you off too, huh?
- Rosalene looks at Watts for a few moments, then turns back.
Dr. Rosalene: ...No, I just don't like watching people make mistakes.
Dr. Watts: (turning completely towards Rosalene) Sheesh, whatever happened to "just take it moment by moment"?

Aside from the romantic dancing in the lighthouse's light chamber, this whole block of dialogue doesn't do much. We get to hear Johnny and River talk about their feelings over marriage, but it's done in the most awkward way imaginable. Granted, it tends to be a tricky subject to handle in media, and is complicated here by one of the couple being autistic, but even despite that, it had little insight to share. The priest's vows are expectedly bog standard, and the little dialogue between the doctors again mostly ends up being irrelevant humor, with Rosalene again getting weirdly sentimental and Watts being a dick again.

The doctors get their third memory link from that series of scenes. A few other people are visible now, but they can't interact with them. Moving back to the gathering, they get to interact with Johnny, River, a lady wearing white, and a suited man with blonde hair. Interacting with any of them leads to the same dialogue playing out.

Lady: ...Oh, I'd better go see how your aunt is doing.
John: Alright, ma. Tell her thanks for coming.
Lady: I will.
- The lady begins to walk away, but turns back soon.
Lady: I'm so proud of you, Joey.
- She continues to a table on the left. The suited man with blond hair talks.
Nicolas: "Joey"...?
John: Oh, that's my grandpa's name.
John: He passed away before I was born. Ma calls me by it as my nickname.
Nicolas: How come you never told me about it?
John: ...Cause I'd rather you call me John.
- Neil is stunned for a moment. He speaks.
Dr. Watts: Ack, not another sentimental-grandparent childhood...
Dr. Rosalene: What do you have against those anyway?
Dr. Rosalene: I mean, you sure talk about your grandfather a lot.
Dr. Watts: (sharply turning towards Rosalene) What? No I don't.
Dr. Rosalene: ...Whatever you say.

Oddly, it's this conversation, and not the big dramatic sequence earlier, that sheds some light, and on both Johnny and Watts, surprisingly enough. Johnny's mother has a rather odd habit of calling him "Joey", and what makes it even odd is that he claims it's the name of his dead grandfather. We also get to know that Watts cares about his grandfather, but is too ashamed to admit of it openly. Wonder where these plot points will go later on...

This conversation gives out both a memory link and a note. The doctors can't interact with anyone else besides Johnny's mother, who just repeats her line about being proud of Joey. However, now the route back to the road is open, so they take it.

They run into Johnny and River staring at a dead rabbit, and many cars parked on the ground underneath the cliffsides.

Interacting with Johnny or River gives some minor dialogue.

John: It can't be helped, River... I'm sure they didn't mean to.
John: ...C'mon, we're late.
- Dr. Watts turns to look at the dead rabbit.
Dr. Watts: Wait, is that a... rabbit?
- Rosalene is stumped for a moment.
Dr. Watts: Think this is the source of all those folded paper ones?
Dr. Rosalene: ...Why would she obsess over some roadkill?
Dr. Rosalene: Not to mention so many years later...
Dr. Watts: (turning to Rosalene and exclaiming) Don't ask me, you are the woman here.
Dr. Rosalene: (turning away from Watts) ...I'll be convinced that I'm the only one when you do a cordless bungee jump.

A conversation that had some promise before Watts ruined it. Not sure what Rosalene is referencing. But stuff like this is what the doctors ought to have talked about more, and sooner. 

The conversation gives the last memory link. The rabbit ends up being a memento, and generates a note.

Remember when I said back in my fourth entry that not all future mementos would be predictable or sensible? Well, this is where they start jumping the shark.

Upon activating it, Watts quips.

Dr. Watts: You know it's a fantastic wedding when the memento's roadkill.
Dr. Watts: (turning to Rosalene) Hey...
Dr. Watts: (excitedly) ...Maybe she saw it as a metaphor for the terrible marriage!
Dr. Watts: (excitedly) So years later, she began folding the rabbits because she was reminded of how rotten it was!
Dr. Watts: Or, y'know, something equally pretentious.
Dr. Rosalene: Cool story, Neil.

While Watts' theory is unlikely, and as is expected of him, borne out of reading the situation incredibly cynically, I do like the author indirectly and briefly showing how crazy theories come about while dismissing them swiftly.

The doctors warp to...

A highway with fields somewhere. We'll cover it next time.

Next: In Which We Watch Movies.