History Headscratchers / AlanWakeII

* Perhaps I missed it, but is there a Watsonian explanation for the live action "Old Gods of Asgard" having a third member while only the Anderson brothers are in it as of AW2?

** Compare Alan's internal monologues at the beginnings and ends of the "previous draft" to the final one. The underlying mood beneath the original draft is foreboding, resigned and regretful; in the Final Draft, it is hopeful and determined while acknowledging how much the odds have been stacked against him and Saga. This slight infusion of hope shifts the tone of the story enough for a happy ending to fit within the narrative.

** Considering how [[spoiler:Thornton and Mulligan are both members of the cult along with being corrupted by the dark presence it's highly likely that they just cleaned up the mess and kept anyone else away. I think casual dialogue from unnamed officers at the station you can eavesdrop on even mention that the two are keeping others away from the basement. The story would also have ended too early if people freaked out about the basement incident, which is something neither Scratch nor Wake would have wanted]]

* What's different about Alan's last loop (or twist of the spiral, I suppose) in The Final Draft? He's apparently been going through this same loop over and over again, but in The Final Draft he gets it right and emerges from the Dark Place energized and empowered. But the game is functionally identical in your first playthrough and in The Final Draft, save a couple easter eggs and bits of dialogue. Alan doesn't make different choices in The Final Draft. So what is it that makes *this* loop the decisive one?

** Considering how [[spoiler:Thornton and Mulligan are both members of the cult along with being corrupted by the dark presence it's highly likely that they just cleaned up the mess and kept anyone else away. I think casual dialogue from unnamed officers at the station you can eavesdrop on even mention that the two are keeping others away from the basement. The story would also have ended too early if people freaked out about the basement incident, which is something neither Scratch nor Wake would have wanted]]

** Probably the latter. It is worth mentioning that Thornton and Mulligan ''did'' have a reaction (based on the manuscript page "Deputies in the Morgue"), but it was more disgust at the FBI agents for leaving a mess to clean up.

* Why doesn't anyone have a reaction at the morgue about the two dead deputies? Their bloodied bodies are right there, and Saga or Casey don't even seem to notice let alone care or even their own colleagues. Is this part of the general weirdness, or are we expected not to care either?

** One possibility is that Mr. Scratch ''was'' his own being, but by the time of ''Alan Wake II'' he's already gone and Alan is mistaking himself (albeit himself at a different point in the spiral) for Scratch.

** One possibility is that Mr. Scratch ''was'' his own being, but by the time of ''Alan Wake II'' he's already gone and Alan is mistaking himself (albeit himself at a different point in the spiral) for Scratch.
* Who handed Mr. Scratch the VillainBall? Why did he [[spoiler: take over Alan and try to take The Clicker by force when Saga was two seconds away from handing it to him of her own free will?]] Was that one of Alan's edits? If so, isn't that against the rules? The one consistent rule is that Alan's writing has to hold up logically or the Dark Presence will corrupt it.
** Actually, if Alan did get the Clicker, and then Scratch possessed him, how could Saga be able to get Dark Ocean Summoning to happen which is needed for Alan (and thus Scratch) to be returned from the Dark Place? Without that, the StableTimeLoop would be broken.
** Fair point. Did Scratch know that, though? Because he was still trying to take The Clicker away from Saga.
** Well, it could be meant to be a combination of a jumpscare moment, a wham shot... And a means to knock off one of the Cult's leaders. That can work in a horror story - thinking that the main character is safe only for that to be shattered suddenly.
** The story doesn't have to be "logical," it has to be ''consistent'' with the genre, which in the case of Horror, is often not logical if it makes a story scarier. Zane's mistake was writing Barbara Jagger back to life with no explanation whatsoever, which is not consistent with anything he was writing. Hence, the Dark Presence filled in the gap by "explaining" it with CameBackWrong, retroactively turning his work into Horror, it's preferred genre.
** Also, Scratch is well-established as a sadistic monster, so it makes sense he'd want to hurt Saga instead of simply tricking her.

** Also, Scratch is well-established as a sadistic monster, so it makes sense he's want to hurt Saga instead of simply tricking her.

** The story doesn't have to be "logical," it has to be ''consistent'' with the genre, which in the case of Horror, is often not logical if it makes a story scarier. Zane's mistake was writing Barbara Jagger back to life with no explanation whatsoever, which is not consistent with anything he was writing. Hence, the Dark Presence filled in the gap by "explaining" it with CameBackWrong, retroactively turning his work into Horror, it's preferred genre.

** Well, it could be meant to be a combination of a jumpscare moment, a wham shot... And a means to knock off one of the Cult's leaders. That can work in a horror story - thinking that the main character is safe only for that to be shattered suddenly.

** Fair point. Did Scratch know that, though? Because he was still trying to take The Clicker away from Saga.

** Actually, if Alan did get the Clicker, and then Scratch possessed him, how could Saga be able to get Dark Ocean Summoning to happen which is needed for Alan (and thus Scratch) to be returned from the Dark Place? Without that, the StableTimeLoop would be broken.

* Who handed Mr. Scratch the VillainBall? Why did he [[spoiler: take over Alan and try to take The Clicker by force when Saga was two seconds away from handing it to him of her own free will?]] Was that one of Alan's edits? If so, isn't that against the rules? The one consistent rule is that Alan's writing has to hold up logically or the Dark Presence will corrupt it.

* Who handed Mr. Scratch the VillainBall? Why did he [[spoiler: take over Alan and try to take The Clicker by force when she was two seconds away from handing it to him of her own free will?]] Was that one of Alan's edits? If so, isn't that against the rules? The one consistent rule is that Alan's writing has to hold up logically or the Dark Presence will corrupt it.

** One possibility is that Mr. Scratch ''was'' his own being, but by the time of ''Alan Wake II'' he's already gone and Alan is mistaking himself (albeit himself at a different point in the spiral) for Scratch.

* Is Mr. Scratch his own being or the Dark Presence developing an ego whenever it possesses people?

* Is Mr. Scratch his own being or the Dark Presence developing an ego as a result of possessing people?

* Is Mr. Scratch his own being or the Dark Presence acquiring an ego as a result of DemonicPossession?