As a Headscratchers subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
The Real McCoy
- "Henry" and "Allison" in the Cycle turned out to be ink humanoids created by Joey rather than the real Henry and Allison. Does that apply to everyone else in the Cycle too (like Sammy, Susie, Norman, etc.)? Did Joey never actually kill anyone? And what about the events that take place in novels like Dreams Come to Life and The Lost Ones, did any them ever actually happen? Or are they all just part of the Cycle's "story" written by Joey?
- From what we can tell, Henry didn't actually work for Joey when the Ink Machine was made, having left years earlier, so he escaped being turned into an ink creature. Joey's employees who were on staff when the ink machine was installed weren't so lucky.
- While a cheesey line "It takes more than ink and dream, it takes heart." The only people Joey ever could create whole cloth involved strong emotional investment, Henry betrayal and rage, Allison gratitude and affection, Audrey the desire to do something good for once. Joey was definitely throwing people in the machine in the early days after the first bendy turned out as the ink demon.
Entering the Cycle
- Why did Wilson even enter the Cycle when he can just directly control it from the much safer real world like Joey had been doing?
- He's...not all there, judging by his complexion.
- There could be a number of reasons, but I'd chalk it up to a combination of control and ego. If Joey's memory can be believed, it seems that he doesn't have direct control over the Cycles after they've been set in motion. If he did, he'd probably have done more to ease Henry's suffering after his change of heart than just installing Allison to save him from the very worst of it. As for ego, just look at him: Wilson's a janitor for the company his neglectful father bought out. He's clearly bitter about his life and wants the Ink World under his control so that he can finally show up his father by becoming effectively a god. He coul let his agents do the dirty work without him, but going in lets him have a world where he's powerful, respected, and served by his creations. Clearly that's more appealing than his real life cleaning toilets. Evidently enough that he'd accept facing the Ink Devil.
- More important question, how did he leave The Cycle? The only way we've seen anyone else do that is by resetting it with The Last Reel, which he clearly didn't.
Suddenly Voiced?
- How come Bendy can speak in his Ink Demon form but not in his Toon form?
- Probably for the same reason the Borises can't either. Interestingly, when he speaks as the Ink Demon, his mouth doesn't appear to move despite him clearly being able to move it as shown when he attacks. Maybe he's not actually verbally speaking at all, but mind-to-mind communicating through the ink? He can't use his powers when in Toon form, and since that's one of them, he's cut off from it.
- It's most definitely a mental link. Not only are most of the Ink Demon's lines heard when he's not physically present, but there's also the scene at the beginning of Chapter 5 where the Ink Demon speaks to Audrey while she's with Wilson who only hears Audrey's response to the Ink Demon.
- Probably for the same reason the Borises can't either. Interestingly, when he speaks as the Ink Demon, his mouth doesn't appear to move despite him clearly being able to move it as shown when he attacks. Maybe he's not actually verbally speaking at all, but mind-to-mind communicating through the ink? He can't use his powers when in Toon form, and since that's one of them, he's cut off from it.
