Frank: Once Upon a Time, there was a fearless <Player's Rank> named <Player's Name>. Every criminal in Pacific Bay feared their might...
Frank and the player decide to visit a fantasy movie set so Frank can get his daughter an autograph from famous child star Jenny Galguera. Unfortunately, they only find Jenny's corpse once they arrive there, pushed against a mirror and with glass shards all over her body.
Tropes:
- Black-and-White Morality: Susan claims Mr. Sparkles invokes this trope by having its villains never redeem themselves at the end, which makes kids hate Susan since she only manages to land villain roles.
- Brainwashed: During the Additional Investigation, you find out that Gaston has been brainwashed via unknown means to steal a movie script from Horace, which Russell finds fascinating.
- Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality: It’s implied that Jenny, already traumatized from growing up as a child star (her psychiatrist notes that she was acting on TV before she could read), became so obsessed with her role as the Glass Princess that she started to think the movie was real, that Susan Blair actually was a Wicked Witch, and that she actually was a real-life princess.
- Chekhov's Gun: Again, several suspects are wearing golden triangular badges that do not show up in the killer’s profile; in the next case, we learn that the badge is the symbol of the Utopians, who are the Arc Villains of the Ivywood Hills district.
- Daydream Believer: Jenny got so obsessed with being the perfect actress for her role that she started to believe she was an actual princess and Susan Blair a real witch.
- Death of a Child: At 14 years old, Jenny is the youngest victim in the franchise. Due to this, Frank stays somewhat depressed throughout the case, since she reminds him of his teenage daughter.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Judge Dante thinks this is what happened, as he found Jenny's voice to be annoying so he believes Miranda killed her for this reason.
- Expecting Someone Taller: Frank has this reaction when you meet Gaston Dumas, the author of The Glass Princess, since he's an smoking middle-aged man with a rough appearance.Frank: You're Gaston Dumas? You're the one who wrote the Glass Princess? Honestly I expected something different...Gaston: Everybody's got to eat, right? Princess books are what sells!
- Eye Scream: One of the glass shards that killed Jenny also penetrated one of her eyes.
- The Film of the Book: The victim was starring on a movie called The Glass Princess, which is a live-action adaptation of a book of the same name. You also get to meet Gaston Dumas, the author of said book.
- Impromptu Tracheotomy: Since being pushed against the mirror wasn't enough to kill Jenny, the killer finished the job by grabbing one of the glass shards and stabbing her neck with it.
- Inkblot Test: One belonging to your victim lets Russell discover Jenny was so obsessed with her role that she started to think she was an actual princess.
- Mind-Control Eyes: Gaston gains these after he gets brainwashed to steal a movie script.
- My Beloved Smother: Miranda tried to spoil Jenny since she saw her daughter as a reflection of her past self and broken dreams of being a princess. When Jenny told her she didn't need her anymore, Miranda couldn't take it and killed her for it.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In contrasts to his usual laziness, Frank is far more invested in solving this case and helping you, since having to investigate a teenager's murder hits him hard as a parent.
- Offing the Offspring: Jenny was killed by Miranda, her own mother, after she told Miranda she didn't need her anymore, which coupled with her poor mental state led to Miranda slamming Jenny against the mirror.
- Once Upon a Time: Frank starts the case narrating it like a fairy tale, as seen in the image quote above.
- Prima Donna Director: Horace Foster, the producer of The Glass Princess who berated Jenny for always being late and then got mad at her for daring to die before she finished the movie.
- Shout-Out:
- The victim was wearing a dress similar to Belle's yellow ball gown.
- Gaston Dumas is named after Gaston Legume and Alexandre Dumas.
- Susan Blair's surname comes from The Blair Witch Project as she plays a witch.
- In the Sketching Room, there is a Barbie and a drawing of Neuschwanstein Castle.
- In the Drafting Tables scene, there is a framed Mona Lisa and "Olivi" yogurt, which is a parody of Activia.
- In the Toy Store scene, there is a Catwoman mask and a helmet resembling that of Master Chief.
- In the Toy Shelves scene, there is a toy of Cinderella's carriage.
- The Glass Princess is a parody of Snow White.
- Mr. Sparkles is a parody of Disney.
- Susan Blair getting stuck with a bad reputation after playing a Wicked Witch, complete with kids being scared of her, is a reference to Margaret Hamilton’s troubles after playing the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Hamilton was a sweet, good-natured woman who worked as a kindergarten teacher, only for children to be terrified of her for the rest of her life because of her role.
- The Shrink: Trevor Neuman, a psychiatrist who is in charge of treating child stars in Ivywood to make sure they don't succumb to the peer pressure of the environment. Unfortunately, this didn't stop Jenny from becoming depressed and believing she was an actual princess.
- Skewed Priorities: When you find Jenny's body, Frank seems more concerned about how he won't be able to get an autograph for his daughter anymore.
- Horace Foster’s main complaint about Jenny’s death is that she got herself murdered before finishing her role in his movie.
- Take That!: This case is a big one towards the child star industry and Disney, criticizing the former for how it treats and exploits kids for the entertainment of adults and the latter by having Gaston criticize Mr. Sparkles, a parody of Disney, by calling it "a soulless cheap dream factory" that botches book adaptations by making them more kid-friendly.Frank: This industry, it's so messed up. Jenny was just another expendable asset, she was a victim in more ways than one.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Miranda killed Jenny because she saw her as this, since she sacrificed her career in Ivywood to take care of Jenny and raise her as a star, while Jenny only cared about fame and belittled her mother.
- "Well Done, Dad!" Guy: Frank reveals in this case that he's been looking for his daughter's approval since she won't speak with him anymore, hence why he tried to get an autograph from the victim, who was starring on a live-action movie of his daughter's favorite book.
- Wicked Witch: Susan Blair, an actress known for always playing villainous roles, appears dressed as a witch during this case.
