Amy: What? The killer's a lion?! How are we supposed to arrest an animal, <Player's Name>?
Amy and the player decide to visit a gladiator movie set during their shift, where they find the body of director Margaret Hatchman chained down to the ground a mauled to death by a lion.
Tropes:
- Animal Disguise: Ramirez appears dressed as a lion to aid you with the investigation.
- Alliterative Name: Brad Belinsky.
- Attack Animal: The victim was killed with a lion.
- Awful Wedded Life: Margaret and her husband Philip were having marital problems due to Margaret always being on the movie set directing, neglecting both her marriage and her baby for the job.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: In the Additional Investigation, Brad Belinsky gets brainwashed by the Utopians, who proceeds to kidnap Russell and almost shot him.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Amy begins to excitedly name all the things found in the movie set such as realistic weapons, chariots, and a body. Cue Oh, Crap! from her.
- Brown Note: How the Utopians are brainwashing people, combined with a hypnotic video to reprogram people's brains.
- Crazy-Prepared: For some reason, Amy had an armor capable of withstanding a lion attack
◊ just lying around in case she needed it.Russell: Amy, is that you?! Where'd you get that protection gear?Amy: As a White Peaks native, you never know when a surprise will jump out at you. Better safe than sorry! Plus, facing my fears is the only way to be the best cop I can be! - Disproportionate Retribution: Tobias killed Margaret just because she refused to give him a better role in her movie and instead got him killed in the very first scene.
- Distressed Dude: Russell gets kidnapped by a brainwashed Brad during the Additional Investigation, forcing Amy and you to rescue him before he can get brainwashed too.
- Eaten Alive: The victim was partially eaten by a lion after the killer chained her up and released the beast near her.
- Evil Genius: Hannah Simmer is revealed to be one in her work for the Utopians. She’s used her sense of perfect pitch to develop hypnotic sounds that pair with the cult’s brainwashing video, bombarding victims with visual and audial inductions.
- Fed to the Beast: How the victim was killed, courtesy of a lion.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Amy tells you about who Margaret Hatchman is moments before her body is found.
- Hypno Ray: You discover that the Utopians are brainwashing people via a hypnotic video combined with a Brown Note, and are planning to screen said video during the Ivywood Awards.
- It's All About Me: Tobias Frankenberger, a narcissist who murdered Margaret because she refused to give him the lead role on her movie since he considered himself a legendary actor.
- Jerkass: Implied with the victim at first, though later Subverted. When you talk for the first time with Tamra Johnson, the beauty technician of the nail salon the victim always frequented, she tells you Margaret was a Smug Snake who only cared about herself and belittled everyone else, thinking she was better than them. However, when you speak to her for a second time, Tamra says she was a little too harsh on the victim, who actually broke down crying in her presence due to the pressure about being a leading female director on a men's industry and how everyone hated her for it, which made Tamra pity Margaret and understand she wasn't a bad person after all.
- Loyal Animal Companion: Brutus, the lion used to kill Margaret, is this for his tamer Brad Belinsky, who insists he's a good lion.Brad: Brutus is my family! He can do cool tricks for you! I'll have him jump through this hoop! You'll see how friendly he is!
- Mass Hypnosis: At the end of the case, you discover that the Utopians are planning to screen their brainwashing video during the Ivywood Awards ceremony, which will be seen by at least 50 million people. Due to this, Russell tells you their leader must be found before they can enact their plan.
- Mind-Control Music: In the Additional Investigation, Hannah Simmer reveals that she’s composed a hypnotic tune that pairs with the Utopians’ brainwashing video; the two combined make the hypnosis even faster and more powerful.
- Parental Neglect: According to Philip, Margaret was never there for her son due to preferring her job.Phillip: Maybe in the end her death is a good thing... This way her son won't grow up knowing his mother never cared!
- Parting-Words Regret: The last time Philip and Margaret spoke to each other, Philip asked for the divorce even though he knew how much overworked and under pressure she was, which led to him feeling guilty when she died.
- The Perfectionist: Margaret mistreated the staff working for her movie if things didn't go the way she ordered or planned, though she did so involuntarily since she was under a lot of pressure. When you talk to Tamra, she tells you Margaret broke down crying because she felt like everyone hated her because of this.
- Shield Bash: How the victim was rendered unconscious before being chained up.
- Ship Tease: Amy and Russel begin to show shades of this after only being hinted at during White Peaks.Russell: Amy, you're looking well. I haven't properly introduced Ivywood to you since you've been back... But I'd love to, later on.Amy: It feels great working alongside <Player's Name> again! And you, of course...
- Shout-Out:
- Roxie quotes the The Wizard of Oz after discovering the victim was killed by a lion.
- Hannah Simmer is a genderswap parody of Hans Zimmer.
- Legacy, the film centric to the case, is a parody of Gladiator.
- In the Colosseum Set scene, there is a portrait of Julius Caesar.
- In the Symphony Room scene, there is a portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
- In the String Section scene, there is a figurine of the Capitoline Wolf.
- Judge Dante mentions the killer playing a "grumpy old man with three ghosts and a ton of presents" and later calls him "scrooge".
- The Suffragette: Both Margaret and composer Hannah Simmer had become famous for being important on a work field primarily led by men
- Tap on the Head: The victim was first knocked with a gladiator shield before being chained up.
- Tragic Keepsake: In the Additional Investigation, you help Philip find a photo of him and Margaret before she became neglectful.
- I Will Find You: Amy with Russell after the latter gets kidnapped post-investigation.
- Workaholic: Margaret had become this due to being under constant pressure about being a female director in charge of a big epic movie, which led to her being a neglectful mother.
- You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: Hannah Simmer warns you about the Utopians when you arrest her for participating in the creation of the Brown Note used to brainwash people.Hannah: But just know this: we Utopians are unstoppable. We have perfected the brainwashing process.And soon will come the time of the Prophecy when we will be almighty!
- Your Worst Memory: When meeting famous actor Tobias Frankenberger, Amy recalls how she used to watch his movies with Duncan before getting sad at the memory of her brother.
