Jones: The city is almost unrecognizable. Dozens of buildings have collapsed, may of the phone and power lines are down. The district looks like a warzone! The Financial Center was the worst hit, with the epicenter of the quake in Walton Square.
It's been two days since a devastating earthquake struck Grimsborough, and most of the city has been thrown into chaos as a result of the collapsing buildings and flowing lava on the streets, with the Financial Center serving as the epicenter of the disaster and thus the most affected area out of all. For this, Gloria and the player go on a patrol to aid the relief workers in Walton Square, where they end up stumbling onto the body of family doctor Greg Gibbs amongst the rubble with his throat slit.
Tropes:
- Accidental Pun: Richard says one during his first interrogation.Richard: If you're here about plumbing work, you're gonna have to take a number! I'll be backed up for weeks because of this earthquake... no pun intended!
- Admiring the Abomination: One of the reasons why Ruby came to Grimsborough from Australia was to see by herself the Lava Pits left behind by the earthquake, finding them fascinating due to being a vulcanologist.
- Afraid of Needles: According to Martine, Amir nearly bit her when she attempted to inject him with the medicine for his headache.
- Asshole Victim: Dr. Gibbs lied to Ruby about being a geologist and tricked her into coming to Grimsborough just so he could hit on her while gleefully ignoring the fact she's a lesbian, refused to pay his rent to Roman for six months despite being a pretty successful and acclaimed doctor, was patronizing toward his brother Danny about his achievements, and violated doctor-patient confidentiality by telling Richard's wife about his HIV diagnosis, causing her to divorce him. He was also the one who gave Richard HIV in the first place by using a contaminated needle on him. This ultimately led Richard to murder him.
- Big Damn Heroes: During the Additional Investigation, Alex, Roman, Danny, and Ruby indirectly join forces to prevent the Financial Center from collapsing any further by implementing a reinforcement protocol against earthquakes on the district's buildings.
- Big Damn Reunion: Ruby considers her reunion with the player this, showing excitement when you encounter her due to being on good terms with them after what happened in Australia.
- Buffy Speak: Gloria calls GritFits those "watch-like thingies" when Alex informs you the killer is wearing one.
- The Bus Came Back: Two from different seasons in the form of suspects: Roman Harris, who last appeared in the finale of Grimsborough, and Ruby Armstrong, whose last appearance was back in Australia.
- Catfishing: Dr. Gibbs did this to Ruby to convince her to come to Grimsborough, pretending to be a geologist but really just wanting to sleep with her.Ruby: Why is this always happening to me? Guys pretend to be professionals, but all they want is to get into my pants!
- Continuity Nod: Walton Square, which served as a crime scene twice in Season 1, makes a return here as the epicenter of the earthquake and where Dr. Gibbs's body if found.
- Cranky Landlord: Roman was this for Dr. Gibbs and his clinic, as Gibbs was due six months of rent that he refused to pay to him.
- Damsel in Distress: Ruby almost gets buried under the rubble after an aftershock hadn't it been for Danny rescuing her.
- Descent into Addiction: Celeste Masters, one of the suspects, had a very sick daughter who constantly required morphine to ease her pains. However, after her treatment ended, Celeste used the rest of the morphine on herself, becoming an addict who begged Dr. Gibbs to give her more of it.
- Distressed Dude: Amir gets hit in the head with rubble during the earthquake aftershock and remains in Martine's custody until you and Jasper find some medicine for him.
- Early-Bird Cameo: During the Additional Investigation, Jones and the player encounter a young, blue-haired artist taking photos of the rubble left behind by the earthquake, but nothing is known about her before she leaves the scene. Come Case 9, and you discover who exactly she is.
- Earthquakes Cause Fissures: The earthquake has provoked lava-flowing fissures to appear all over Grimsborough, if testimonies are to be believed.
- Exhausted Eye Bags: Celeste is shown to have these as a result of her Sleep Deprivation due to her sick daughter and the problems brought by the earthquake.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Danny, the victim's brother, grew up resenting him due to Greg being far more successful than Danny, which made their parents only praise Greg and leave Danny as an outcast.
- Guest-Star Party Member: Alex handles most of Cathy's analysis due to their son having trouble sleeping ever since the earthquake. Jasper also joins you during the Additional Investigation to look for medicine for his boyfriend after he gets hit in the head with rubble.
- Hidden Depths: Implied by Rita, who after fixing the lights during a short-circuit tells you weapons aren't her only area of expertise.
- Incompatible Orientation: Dr. Gibbs refused to accept Ruby is a lesbian, constantly hitting and wanting to sleep with her after Catfishing the poor girl into coming to Grimsborough.
- Junkie Parent: Celeste became a morphine addict after she took the remains of her daughter's pain relief treatment, which led to her breaking into Dr. Gibbs's office to steal more of it.
- Lava Pit: As a result of the fissures left behind by the earthquake, lava has begun flow in the streets of Grimsborough, which is why Ruby decided come to the city in the first place.
- No FEMA Response: Thankfully Subverted, as Grimsborough seems to be receiving a lot of government aid to help people get out of the rubble.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Chief Parker says this at the end of the case, telling the team Grimsborough won't be the same anymore due the earthquake drastically changing the lives of everyone.
- Power Outage Plot: The energy momentarily goes out in the station after an aftershock until Rita manages to fix the wiring.
- Revenge: Richard's ultimate reason for murdering Dr. Gibbs was to have his revenge, as Dr. Gibbs gave him HIV due to medical malpractice and indirectly got Richard's wife to divorce him because of it.
- Scary Flashlight Face: Rita does this during a blackout at the police station. It even serves as Chapter 3's cover image.
- Shout-Out:
- In the Walton Square scene, there is a clown doll in a sewer pipe. Just above the pipe is a red balloon with a "G" on it.
- In the Victim's Office scene, there is a pink teddy bear.
- FilterPix is a parody of Snapchat.
- Chyme Magazine is a parody of TIME Magazine.
- GritFit is a parody of FitBit.
- The Y-Files is a parody of The X-Files.
- Sibling Rivalry: Dr. Gibbs and his brother Danny had one due to Danny's Green-Eyed Monster tendencies and Greg showing off his achievements.
- Slashed Throat: How Dr. Gibbs is murdered, courtesy of a hunting knife.
- Sleep Deprivation: Both Cathy and Celeste have been suffering from this, mainly due to the earthquake affecting their children's ability to sleep too.
- Tension-Cutting Laughter: Gloria attempts to do this during the investigation.Gloria: Just pulling your leg... I make stupid jokes when I'm nervous!
- Tragic AIDS Story: Richard got infected with HIV after Dr. Gibbs used a dirty needle during a procedure, which led to Richard's wife leaving him after she presumed he was hiding it from her. It's the main reason why he murdered Gibbs.
- Urban Ruins: Most of Grimsborough and especially the Financial Center has been reduced to this, with most buildings and streets being destroyed and lava literally flowing out of the fissures left behind.Roman: To think, all the buildings I designed in the district lie in ruin! My beautiful masterpiece destroyed! I still own some of the buildings, it's heartbreaking!
- Ye Goode Olde Days: Rupert says this when Amir informs you the residue on the victim's necktie was vaping fluid.Rupert: Electronic cigarettes indeed. In my day, we didn't need to "vape." A good old-fashioned pipe and a glass of brandy did the trick, <Player's Name>!
