History YMMV / TalesFromTheBorderlands

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: After his betrayal in episode 1, the game twice tries to reveal Felix actually had [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou the best of]] [[GoodAllAlong intentions]]. However, to set up his deal with Athena, Felix would have had to have known about Vallory for quite some time before the con, which means he not only did choose not to warn the girls about the dangerous mobster before the con goes down, but he also didn't tell them after they got away from August. He only actually warned them them after he was safe [[spoiler: with one million dollars]]. Making it worse is that he fails to mention in his goodbye message that he even hired Athena to protect them and as a result, Athena is almost too late to save them from Vallory. And to top it all off, he also doesn't say in his message nor does he leave any other clue as to [[spoiler:where the actual money is]]. Felix's actions make him come across as, at best, [[DidntThinkThisThrough an idiot who didn't think his plan though]], at worst, a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] {{Jerkass}} who puts [[ItsAllAboutMe his own safety before that of his adopted daughters']].

* EvilIsSexy: Handsome ''Goddamn'' Jack as always.

** Subverted with Vasquez who talks the talk, but outside of a few moments of competency, very much can’t walk the walk. [[spoiler: However, you he can end up looking pretty badass as “Rhysquez”]].

** {{Downplayed}} with Creator/TroyBaker’s performance as he had already proven himself as an excellent actor in terms of both drama and comedy. However, in addition to a great overall performance, many were highly impressed by his InUniverse [[ManOfAThousandVoices impressions]] throughout. His brief line imitating Creator/NolanNorth had a few players believing North himself did the line. Then in the potential scene where Handsome Jack hijacks Rhys’ body, he completely nails Creator/DameonClarke’s vocal mannerisms while still keeping his own voice. Then in episode 4, his take on [[spoiler: Creator/PatrickWarburton]] strikes the perfect balance between being convincing but also realistic in character struggling to keep it up. Reportedly, the original take he did was so spot on that he had to tone in down. And even then, much like with North, a few players actually though it was the real deal doing the lines.

** [[spoiler: Finally blowing Helios out of the sky and killing Handsome Jack]] in episode 5 can be this. Although both can be considered subversions. The former due to [[spoiler: Jack shaming Rhys for killing who knows how many people, and while the game does make it clear just how awful of a place Helios is, it also shows that the resident [[{{Jerkass}} douchebags]] aboard can be be redeemed, and most of them didn’t actually do anything to Rhys. Thankfully the episode shows later on that many of them wound up surviving, which helps to lessen Rhys’ guilt.]] As for the latter, [[spoiler: while Jack remains a thoroughly horrible individual to the very end, his demise goes all around the spectrum of AlasPoorVillain, ending with him posing little threat and being reduced to begging on his knees to no avail. Doesn’t help that Rhys has to go through enormous physical pain to defeat him.]] Noticeably, the player is given the chance to show remorse and sadness over these moments.

** After the infamously awful wait times for episodes 2 and 3, the final episodes’ releases were much more timely.

** August is portrayed as a vicious, violent, and vindictive thug in his initial appearance. However, his later appearances show him as still in love with Sasha and willing to forgive her conning him. Is this because he's just that infatuated with her or does he possess HiddenDepths? Is his story the man he killed was robbing him true or made up? He's also very polite and actually kind to his prisoners, compared to [[JerkAss Vasquez]]-but he still works for [[TheDon Vallory]], who's also his mother. And in Episode 3, he's already quite grumpy, but he also stops Vallory from killing Fiona and friends, and even refuses to shoot Rhys during the car chase if you don't pull off the QTE in time. By Episode 4, he's an ''extremely'' GrumpyBear, but he's shown to be capable of leadership various times.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** After the infamously awful wait times for episodes 2 and 3, the final episodes’ releases were much more timely.
** For anyone upset at [[spoiler: Vaughn falling OutOfFocus]] during episodes 3 and especially 4, you’ll be happy to see [[spoiler: he very much regains his prominence]] no matter what choices you made in episode 5.
** A very minor example, but if you preferred Rhys and Fiona as a couple and didn’t want to ship him with Sasha, then episode five has a moment where you can have Rhys express interest in the former instead of the latter. With that being said, it's just one small moment that won’t be available based on certain prior decisions if you’ve expressed interest in Sasha, and it’s much less explicit than all the prior options for Rhys to express interest in Sasha. So while Rhys and Fiona’s shippers did have [[ThrowTheDogABone a bone thrown their way,]] it was nowhere near as big as the one thrown to Rhys and Sasha's shippers. It becomes even more {{Downplayed}} in VideoGame/Borderlands3, as no matter what happens in this game, Rhys is heavily implied to have been together with Sasha before that story’s events.

** Rhys and Vaughn. The two are undeniably HeterosexualLifePartners, and though you can downplay it by sticking to Rhys's more egocentric and flippant dialogue options, they're generally very open with each other and frequently on each other's minds. Scrapped dialogue turns this UpToEleven.

* UncannyValley: There's something off about [[spoiler: the Jack AI on the television screen in the Rule Hyperion ending of Episode Four, as the character model is mirrored for some reason]].

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The satellite [[spoiler: Scooter]] wishes to launch in order to advertise his business to the rest of the galaxy [[spoiler: ends up being launched in memory of his sacrifice.]]
* HarsherInHindsight: After the sudden closure of Telltale Games and the revelations about its toxic work environment, writers for the series have admitted that Rhys was something of an AuthorAvatar, representing their own struggles under an increasingly abusive and incompetent employer.

** In the finale [[spoiler: Gortys becomes this, when she's given her second upgrade and summons the Traveler, and is forced to fight it despite having ''no idea'' how to fight. In an effort to save her friends, she begs Fiona to use Vallory's discarded rocket launcher to take out her core and destroy it (and by extension, herself). Later, when she's rebuilt and Rhys has to motivate her into fighting, she just says she wants them to destroy her again because she doesn't want anyone hurt. Rhys even outright states that she is ''scared''. You just want to give her a hug, despite her now being taller than most buildings.]]
* UncannyValley: There's something off about [[spoiler: the Jack AI on the television screen in the Rule Hyperion ending of Episode Four, as the character model is mirrored for some reason]].

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* Creator/PatrickWarburton impresses with his work [[spoiler: as "Rhysquez", where he manages to capture Troy Baker's performance rather well in the moments that Rhy's Vasquez persona starts to break down.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: After his betrayal in episode 1, the game twice tries to reveal Felix actually had [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou the best of]] [[GoodAllAlong intentions]]. However, to set up his deal with Athena, Felix would have had to have known about Vallory for quite some time before the con, which means he not only did chose not to warn the girls about the dangerous mobster before the con goes down, but he also didn't tell them after they got away from August. He only actually warned them them after he was safe [[spoiler: with one million dollars]]. Making it worse is that he fails to mention in his goodbye message that he even hired Athena to protect them and as a result, Athena is almost too late to save them from Vallory. And to top it all off, he also doesn't say in his message nor does he leave any other clue as to [[spoiler:where the actual money is]]. Felix's actions make him come across as, at best, [[DidntThinkThisThrough an idiot who didn't think his plan though]], at worst, a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] {{Jerkass}} who puts [[ItsAllAboutMe his own safety before that of his adopted daughters']].

** [[spoiler: Scooter]] getting killed off divided up the Borderlands fanbase, with one side believing that, despite how sad it was, [[spoiler: Scooter]] went out like a badass, while the other side thinks that [[spoiler: killing Scooter]], one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, was unnecessarily cruel. Some have even speculated/accused Gearbox of signing off on this so they could [[spoiler: replace Scooter with Janey Springs as the "mechanic" of the series.]] [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment Which opens up a whole other can of worms we won't elaborate on here.]]

** On Tumblr, the debate if Fiona is Caucasian or a woman of color has sparked some very nasty debates and fighting in the tags. [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment That is all that needs to be said]].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: After his betrayal in episode 1, the game twice tries to reveal Felix had actual had [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou the best of]] [[GoodAllAlong intentions]]. However, to set up his deal with Athena, Felix would have had to have known about Vallory for quite some time before the con, which means he not only did choose not to warn the girls about the dangerous mobster before the con goes down, but he also didn't tell them after they got away from August. He only actually warned them them after he was safe [[spoiler: with one million dollars]]. Making it worse is that he fails to mention in his goodbye message that he even hired Athena to protect them and as a result, Athena is almost too late to save them from Vallory. And to top it all off, he also doesn't say in his message nor does he leave any other clue as to [[spoiler:where the actual money is]]. Felix's actions make him come across, at best, [[DidntThinkThisThrough an idiot who didn't think his plan though]], at worst, a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] {{Jerkass}} who puts [[ItsAllAboutMe him own safety before that of his adopted daughters']].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: After his betrayal in episode 1, the game twice tries to reveal Felix had actual had [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou the best of]] [[GoodAllAlong intentions]]. However, to set up his deal with Athena, Felix would have had to have known about Vallory for quite some time before the con, which means he not only did choose not to warn the girls about the dangerous mobster before the con goes down, but he also didn't tell them after they got away from August. He only actually warned them them after he was safe [[spoiler: with one million dollars]]. Making it worse is that he fails to mention in his goodbye message that he even hired Athena to protect them and as a result, Athena is almost too late to save them from Vallory. And to top it all off, he also doesn't say in his message nor does he leave any other clue as to [[spoiler:where the actual money is]]. Felix's actions make him come across, at best, [[DidntThinkThisThrough an idiot who didn't think his plan though]], at worst, a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] {{Jerkass}} who puts [[AllAboutMe him own safety before that of his adopted daughters']].

* AssPull: If you let Felix live in episode 1 and then try to recruit him in episode 5, he will reveal that [[spoiler:the money that was destroyed in episode 1 was fake, and he hid 9 million dollars of the real money in the dresser (taking one million for himself)]]. The thing is, this is [[PlotHole litarally impossible]]. First Felix would have had to [[spoiler: hacked the case open, hide the money, and seal the fake money in the case all while Fiona was unconscious. And even if he could do all that in the short amount of time he had, he'll die if Fiona doesn't warn him about the bomb, which means that he had to have opened and resealed the case without setting off the bomb and while also not knowing there was a bomb]].

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: After his betrayal in episode 1, the game twice tries to reveal Felix had actual had [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou the best of]] [[GoodAllAlong intentions]]. However, to set up his deal with Athena, Felix would have had to have known about Vallory for quite some time before the con, which means he not only did choose not to warn the girls about the dangerous mobster before the con goes down, but he also didn't tell them after they got away from August. He only actually warned them them after he was safe [[spoiler: with one million dollars]]. Making it worse is that he fails to mention in his goodbye message that he even hired Athena to protect them and as a result, Athena is almost too late to save them from Vallory. And to top it all off, he also doesn't say in his message nor does he leave any other clue as to [[spoiler:where the actual money is]]. Felix's actions make he come across, at best, [[DidntThinkThisThrough an idiot who didn't think his plan though]], at worst, a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] {{Jerkass}} who puts [[AllAboutMe him own safty before that of his adopted daugthers']].

* AssPull: Episode 5 reveals that Felix [[spoiler:hid 9 million dollars in the dresser and took the last million for himself. For this to be possible, he would have had to hack into the case, hide the money, and seal the fake money in the case all while Fiona was unconscious. Even if he could do all that in the short amount of time he had, it doesn't explain how he was able to open the case without setting off the bomb. He clearly didn't know about it since he'll die if Fiona doesn't warn him]].

** Is Felix someone who is [[spoiler: actually a caring father figure to the girls or was it all a facade to steal their big score when it finally happened? Did he do it to try and protect them or did he want to head off any vengeance against him by phrasing it in the nicest manner possible. Is he just a conflicted man who was enticed by so much money? The revelation in Part 3 that he also hired Athena to protect and mentor the girls suggests that he genuinely cared for them.]] The fact he had to set it up all before they left for the initial meeting also calls into question his motivations. Depending on your choices, the finale cleans this all up. [[spoiler: The message he left for them was behind was genuine, he was trying to attract all the blame to keep them safe, unfortunately the plan went wrong, specifically that he left them almost all the money, but the place he stored it in was broken off of the caravan.]]

** Jack:
*** Jack gets a big one: In Episode 3, when he pleads with Rhys to accept his partnership, he mentions that he ''knows'' that people hate him. In Borderlands 2, Jack was the most hated man on Pandora, but he seemed completely unaware that nobody loved him, even his own private army, and insisted that he was the hero. Could he have been hiding the tiny shard of the less openly sociopathic and slightly more restrained person that he used to be at the start of the Pre-Sequel all this time? Or is he just trying to butter up the guy who is Jack's only hope of gaining back his life and power, and knows faking a HeelFaceTurn is the best way to do it? Likewise, are Jack's dickish actions towards the others just him indulging in his customary warped sense of humor... or a cunning and targeted attempt to isolate Rhys from the others, and thus make him more dependent on Jack?
*** To add to this, it's possible for Rhys to be trying to woo Sasha. Jack was a meek salaryman like Rhys when he first met Nisha. This could be Jack taking initiative to turn Sasha into Rhys' Nisha. He calls Fiona 'Sweetie' and she's an alternate pairing. And though he does call Vaughn a dweeb, the context is when he first saw Vaughn he thought he was a dweeb and actually respects him now. Add onto if you're on good terms with Jack in episode 4 at the end if you [[spoiler: accept his deal, he announces to all of Hyperion you are the new president and promises you the universe to rule together. If you reject him he takes control of you anyway, showing this could be all be genuine respect for Rhys...or not.]]
*** [[spoiler: As of Episode 5, it turns out Jack was using Rhys all along (but really, [[FauxAffablyEvil what could you expect?]]) and plans to turn him into a Robo-Jack prototype regardless of controlling or refusing Hyperion.]]
*** To what extent is the Handsome Jack featured in this game the same man as the one in ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' and ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel''? Is he the same person reborn through Hyperion tech, or just an advanced AI programmed to believe it is Jack and mimic his behavior? The story and characters generally regard him as the former, but the science behind his return would indicate the latter. However, cut dialogue has him state that the last thing he remembers before waking up in Rhys's system was Nakayama testing something on him, suggesting the intent is that he's a digital copy of the same mind, diverging at the point Nakayama took the copy (this also accounts for Jack's behaviour being more like it was towards the beginning of Borderlands 2 and not knowing what happened to himself, he was made long before any of the events of Borderlands 2 happened).

** A very minor example, but if you preferred Rhys and Fiona as a couple and didn’t want to ship him with Sasha, then episode five has a moment where you can have Rhys express interest in the former instead of the latter. With that being said, it’s just one small moment that won’t be available based on certain prior decisions if you’ve expressed interest in Sasha, and it’s much less explicit than all the prior options for Rhys to express interest in Sasha. So while Rhys and Fiona’s shippers did have [[ThrowTheDogABone a bone thrown their way,]] it was nowhere near as big as the one thrown to Rhys and Sasha’s shippers.
*** It becomes even more {{Downplayed}} in VideoGame/Borderlands3, as no matter what happens in this game, Rhys is heavily implied to have been together with Sasha before that story’s events.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: [[spoiler: Handsome Jack's]] presence in the game is one for several people. Some fans were glad to have him back, enjoyed his interactions with the characters, and hope that his [[spoiler: vague "death" in this game means he can appear in future games in the Borderlands franchise.]] Others have tired of his character and are hoping that his [[spoiler: "death" means he is KilledOffForReal.]]

* CargoShip: If you chose Fiona over Jack [[spoiler:at the end of the second episode]], a certain choice makes Fiona and her hat a little... [[http://hyperiontrashcan.tumblr.com/post/128128249973/tales-from-the-borderlands-rhys-and-fiona shippy]].

** [[spoiler: Finally blowing Helios out of the sky and killing Handsome Jack in episode 5 can be this.]] Although both can be considered subversions. The former due to [[spoiler: Jack shaming Rhys for killing who knows how many people, and while the game does make it clear just how awful of a place Helios is, it also shows that the resident [[{{Jerkass}} douchebags]] aboard can be be redeemed, and most of them didn’t actually do anything to Rhys. Thankfully the episode shows later on that many of them wound up surviving, which helps to lessen Rhys’ guilt.]] As for the latter, [[spoiler: while Jack remains a thoroughly horrible individual to the very end, his demise goes all around the spectrum of AlasPoorVillain, ending with him posing little threat and being reduced to begging on his knees to no avail. Doesn’t help that Rhys has to go through enormous physical pain to defeat him.]] Noticeably, the player is given the chance to show remorse and sadness over these moments.

* EvilIsSexy: [[spoiler: Handsome ''Goddamn'' Jack]] as always.

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: {{Downplayed}} with Creator/TroyBaker’s performance as he had already proven himself as an excellent actor in terms of both drama and comedy. However, in addition to a great overall performance, many were highly impressed by his InUniverse [[ManOfAThousandVoices impressions]] throughout. His brief line imitating Creator/NolanNorth had a few players believing North himself did the line. Then in the potential scene where Handsome Jack hijacks Rhys’ body, he completely nails Creator/DameonClarke’s vocal mannerisms while still keeping his own voice. Then in episode 4, his take on [[spoiler: Creator/PatrickWarburton]] strikes the perfect balance between being convincing but also realistic in character struggling to keep it up. Reportedly, the original take he did was so spot on that he had to tone in down. And even then, much like with North, a few players actually though it was the real deal doing the lines.

* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Rhys is shipped with Fiona, Sasha, Vaughn, [[spoiler:Jack]], Vasquez, and even other Borderlands characters that have never interacted with Rhys like Timothy.

* NoYay: Many fans hate seeing Rhys and Jack shipped together, given the latter is a horrific monster who can be quite abusive to the former [[spoiler: and no matter how good Rhys is to him, he’ll attempt to murder him anyway.]].

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Shade has gone from being the least popular character in Borderlands' message boards (though not overly hated either) to someone people love for his absolute psychosis (and the ability to punch him in the face).

** The scene in episode 4 where [[spoiler: Rhys peels Vasquez's face off a psycho's mask]] has two of these. First, the psycho's head is clearly clipping through the chair he's sitting in, and second, [[spoiler: Rhys' hand is a couple inches away from Vasquez's face while he peels it off, making it appear as if he is peeling it via telekinesis.]]

* TheWoobie: Rhys. Demoted to Senior Vice Janitor, [[ButtMonkey nothing goes right for him]], nearly murdered several times, frequently betrayed...

* SignatureScene: The finger gun fight in Episode 4. Its the closest scene in this game to resemble the main games in someway.

** As always, Handsome Jack is hopelessly in love with him self, but even as an AI, he gets several opportunities to show off how much of a threat he really is.

** After the infamously awful wait times for episodes 2 and 3, then final episodes’ releases were much more timely.