Tear Jerker / Life Is Strange 2

"You told me we were gonna see Dad.."

General

• The very fact that Sean and Daniel may never get to live a normal life again, having lost their father to a tragic accident and the police wanting them for the murder of a police officer. They seemed to have lived a very cozy life in Seattle, even if they were a bit distant and oftentimes at odds with one another. Most importantly, they were quite close to their father, a hardworking single parent who always put the needs of his sons before his own. All of that came crashing down in the blink of an eye, and they'll never get it back.
• How the Diaz brother's situation affects Daniel is especially heartrending, considering the fact that he's just a child. On top of that, he is now in possession of a strange, destructive power which ended up killing the cop they're framed with the murder of in the first place. Gradually, Daniel becomes more irritable and miserable, mourning the death of his father, missing his normal life, and acting clingy towards Sean when the latter makes some new friends his age on the road. Daniel can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but he has more reason than most children to act the way he does. At the end of the day, he's still a child, and going through an extremely traumatizing time in his life.

Episode 1 - "Roads"

• Esteban's death. He's a good, kind man, and a wonderful father to both Sean and Daniel. He works hard to support them, and thinks nothing of loaning $40 to Sean so he can have a good time at the party (as long as you are honest to him about possibly using alcohol and weed). His death is so sudden and so painfully unfair as he wasn't doing anything wrong, he was just trying to explain what was going on. His death realistically haunts the two leads throughout the game.
• Sean finally breaking down and crying, something he hasn't been able to do since going on the run. He's just a frightened teenager who is trying his best for his little brother, and it's all getting too much for him. Brody's gentle words of encouragement to him also count.
• For those who played the first game, revisiting Arcadia Bay can act as a huge gut-punch regardless of which option you chose. The fact that Max and Chloe's theme plays at the end of the scene doesn't help.
• Before Sean destroys his phone (so they can't be tracked) he watches a video of his family celebrating Christmas together, back when his dad was still alive and everything was normal.
  • If Sean decides to call Lyla before he throws away his phone, both of them are practically on the verge of tears when it becomes clear that they won’t see each other again for a long time.
• Daniel finding out about his dad dying on the news, his telekinetic powers causing everything in the room to spin around like a tornado as he breaks down in anguish. Sean tearfully apologizes for not telling him sooner.
  Daniel: You LIED! Our dad is dead!

Episode 2 - "Rules"

• Mushroom getting killed. She became the boys' pet in just the last episode, and was one of the few things that was making Daniel happy. Her death is especially jarring if you were under the belief that she'd be the Cute Animal Sidekick throughout the game. And just the fact that it's a little puppy getting killed bloodily is enough to hurt. Especially when Sean picks up her little body...if he can, that is. Either you let Daniel kill the cougar in revenge and let him live with the trauma (he seems more traumatized by his own actions than by Mushroom's death), or you intervene and let the cougar flee with Mushroom's body.
• If you did not call Lyla in the last episode, then when Sean calls Lyla, he will talk to Lyla’s mom revealing that the stress of not hearing Sean since he ran away caused Lyla to go into a mental breakdown and she is at a psychiatric hospital. This is especially sad since Sean’s attempt to keep Lyla safe has only made it worse for her.
• Near the end of the episode, there is a confrontation between Claire and her grandsons regarding Karen's letter, and things can get pretty emotional depending on what dialogue options you choose.
  Sean: You don't even know Dad! He raised us all on his own! Because of your daughter!

Episode 3 - "Wastelands"

• The stories of how Cassidy and the rest of the group became runaways are very sad.
  • Cassidy was raised by a group of racists and left home after her boyfriend at the time, who wasn't white, was beaten up by her father and her brother threatened to shoot him if he saw him with her again.
  • Finn and his brothers helped their father steal cars, and when his father was caught, he blamed all of his sons and sent them to jail, resulting in Finn cutting ties with his family after serving his time.
  • Hannah had a drunk mother who she tried to help, but after learning that she was selling the art supplies Hannah bought for her for booze, she ran away, fearing that if she stayed, she would become an alcoholic as well.
  • Penny never reveals the reason he ran away, but does reveal that he met his ex-boyfriend Jinx while dumpster diving and gave him his lucky penny because Penny was the only person Jinx trusted, and he is searching for him since he ran into the woods while high and never returned.
  • Jacob lost his faith in what is implied to be (and later on in Episode 4 revealed as) a cult and left his community after everyone treated him like an outcast.
• Letting Daniel talk at the campfire will result in him tearfully admitting that he feels like he's let everyone down. In addition, If you choose to go to bed with him, he'll apologize for lashing out. It's clear that underneath all of his anger, he's still just a kid being pressured into growing up too fast.
  Daniel: I know I'm not always nice with you. But things aren't nice anymore.
• At the end of the episode, Daniel's powers go haywire, resulting in Sean losing an eye. Daniel ends up running away after this. It's not clear if Daniel mistakenly believed that he killed his brother, or if he knows that Sean is alive but still ran away to avoid hurting him even more. Either way is pretty depressing.
  • Depending on the choices you make Finn can get unceremoniously shot to death with a shotgun and Cassidy can get hurt as well.

Episode 4 - "Faith"

• Sean finally meets his mother for the first time in eight years and it's very clear that it is very difficult for both sides to talk about what happened with Karen. No matter if Sean remains resentful or attempts to understand Karen's decision, the conversation will always end on a bittersweet note.
  • If Sean asks Karen's help for cleaning his injured eye, nothing is said between them. It's subtle, but Karen gets misty-eyed during it, gently cradling his face until she's finished.
• Jacob reveals the reason he left the community he was a part of was because he was forced to go to conversion therapy for his attraction to boys. When he joins Sean in infiltrating the Reverend Mother's house, going through his files clearly brings back painful memories and Jacob states how he wants to make sure that his sister won't suffer the same thing again.
• The reality of Sean losing an eye is also heartbreaking, as he's essentially forced to re-learn visual cognitive abilities without the use of depth perception, which makes it difficult for him to enjoy drawing again. What's worse, Sean's little brother is the reason why he lost his eye in the first place due to his powers going haywire, even if he didn't mean to hurt his older brother.
• Sean's encounter with the racists. It's bad enough watching Sean get beat up, but it's even worse watching him give into their demands. It culminates in Sean having to sing a lullaby for their amusement, and there are visible tears in his remaining eye during the scene. But arguably the most heart wrenching moment is the aftermath of this scene, when Sean is all alone in his car and he lets out a massive Atomic F-Bomb. Gonzalo Martin's performance in that moment is truly powerful.
• Finding out that Daniel believed that Sean was dead. Daniel believed he killed his big brother. A large part of Wastelands is the growing division, jealousy and resentment between the two, with Daniel resenting Sean's rules, feeling frustrated at Sean making all the calls without him having any say and becoming increasingly jealous of the time Sean spends with his new friends; Sean resents Daniel's aggression and apparent ungratefulness regarding how far he goes to keep him safe, feels frustrated with his disobedience and is increasingly jealous of Daniel looking to Finn as a big brother instead of him. If Sean remains opposed to the plan, Daniel is left believing that he spent his last days with his big brother angry, resentful and jealous, lashing out, showing off, getting him in trouble, and agreeing to a reckless, deadly plot partly to spite him... before killing him in a fit of rage. No wonder he was ripe for Lisbeth grooming him into a cult - his guilt over what happened is the prime method she used to control him, though thankfully seeing Sean get up every time he gets beaten down just to talk to him snaps him out of it in the climax of Faith.

Episode 5 - "Wolves"

• David Madsen's situation, regardless of the first game's outcome.
  • If Chloe was sacrificed, David and Joyce end up divorcing. Although they remain on good terms and occasionally call each other, David is left to live with the regret over how he verbally (and physically) abused his stepdaughter.
  • If Arcadia Bay was sacrificed, David is left a widower after Joyce's death during the storm. While he makes peace with Chloe and their relationship is better than ever, David's trailer is full of memories of his late wife (including a framed Two Whales Diner receipt).
    • Sacrificing Arcadia Bay also means that Chloe loses both of her biological parents. Considering how poorly she took the death of her father, one could only imagine how badly she took the death of her mother (especially after the week they went through) and how much she'd have to lean on Max for it.
• Many of the other endings do have some sort of happiness for at least one of the characters, but the Lone Wolf ending is without question a Downer Ending. Sean decides to surrender at the border, but Daniel is having none of it and forces the car with Sean and him in it through the border. This ultimately gets Sean killed as he's hit in the throat by a stray bullet. Without his brother and unable to ever go back to America, Daniel is seen six years later as a 16-year-old with bleached hair and tattoos living out a lonely life on the beaches of Puerto Lobos. It is heavily implied he's been involved in multiple criminal activities, including a "spectacular" bank robbing and gang violence. He continues to mourn for his late father and brother, to whom he has dedicated a shrine. We then see him demonstrating his fearsome power by effortlessly dispatching three hoodlums who seem to have some business with him, almost forcing one of them to shoot himself with his own gun. All throughout this scene it's clear Daniel has no goal in life after losing everything and happiness has long since left him.
  • The Blood Brothers ending sees the brothers open up a car repair shop and living together in Puerto Lobos. Although their bond seems to be stronger than ever and what keeps them going, they nevertheless will never be able to return to America, having left all their remaining loved ones behind for what will probably be the rest of their lives. They are also heavily implied to be criminals or at least involved in illicit activities and Daniel protects the pair with his powers, as shown when he saves Sean from a bunch of goons entering their shop.
  • In the Redemption ending, for all its hopeful hinting at Sean getting to restart his life after serving 15 years in prison, there is a moment where the two brothers visit the riverside forest from the first episode and spend a night camping in the exact same spot. Although no dialogue is audible, Sean has a weary look on his face and clearly has a vulnerable moment during this scene, requiring Daniel to console him. One can only wonder how Sean looks back on his 15 years in prison and everything that led up to it.
  • In the Parting Ways ending, Sean and Daniel are permanently separated from each other. While it is implied that Sean has a happy life in Mexico with Finn or Cassidy possibly joining him, Daniel definitely got the raw deal in that he is seen with a tracking anklet, confining him in Beaver Creek for the foreseeable future with no way to visit his brother ever again.
    • When Sean and Daniel exit the car near the wall and listen to the police radio, they can overhear an FBI officer reporting that Karen has been arrested at the Away settlement. If the game then ends in either the Lone Wolf or Blood Brothers ending, it is never revealed what became of her. Karen risked her life and freedom to help her sons on their quest and may have paid for it dearly.
• After you complete the game, the title screen now shows Seattle again, only this time in the middle of the day with Sean, Daniel, and their father Esteban relaxing in the front yard. This screen serves as a reminder to the player of what the Diaz family’s life would’ve been like if the events of the prologue never happened; they would’ve continued being a normal family. No matter what happens, the brothers can no longer go back to their old lives.
  • This screen especially stings if one gets the Lone Wolf ending. Sean, Esteban, and Daniel all look somewhat down in this menu screen, especially Daniel, who is sitting rather distant from his brother and father, as if to symbolize their untimely demises. One could interpret this screen as an Imagine Spot by the older, Broken Bird Daniel; even at their most distant, they were all still a family, and Daniel would give anything to have that back.
• One of the collectibles that Sean can pick up in Away is a bottle opener from the Two Whales diner. While it is a good reference to the original, in-universe, Sean taking it means one less thing for David to have as a reminder of Joyce.

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