Not In My Name: Taking on Typhon in Life is Strange: True Colors (Flicker)

 SPOILER WARNING: The following focuses on a crucial decision that takes place after Spring Fest in Chapter 4: Flicker.

***

Game: Life is Strange: True Colors

Chapter: 4 "Flicker"

Location: Haven Springs, Colorado

Summary: Alex Chen has finally found a place where she belongs. Haven Springs might never be "home" until she can reconcile the tragic loss of her brother, but the community has welcomed her with full hearts as she finds her feet to eke out a living behind Jed Lucan's bar. Celebrating Spring Fest is a chance to forget the traumatic events surrounding Gabe's death and soak in the ambience of a warm summer's eve - until the local Sheriff calls her to the station, demanding she sign an affidavit to halt her investigation against Typhon Mining for their role in Gabe's accident or jeopardise the lives of her close friends, Steph Gingrich and Ryan Lucan, who are under close surveillance. 

Removing Sheriff Pike's fear will embolden him to pursue his inquiry - but at what cost? The stakes are high as Alex must choose between protecting her found family or taking down a corporate hydra in one final act of justice for Gabe.

More information: Chapter 4: Flicker | Life is Strange Wiki | Fandom

Home. Screen capture: FetchQuester

New Beginnings

Life has been challenging for the Chen family. Bereavement, depression, and alcoholism have left the household in tatters as the siblings are estranged from one another and flung into foster care. Yet Haven Springs offers them a chance to rebuild their relationship and work towards a future that, until now, they believed out of reach - until a covert operation fatally coincides with Gabe's mission to rescue his adoptive son who is missing in the mines. 

Jed pins it down to a "tragic accident", but Alex and co. smell something afoot and launch a grass-roots investigation which confirms their worst fears: Typhon did know about the search but bypassed protocol and triggered the explosion, fabricating a series of events to forfeit all culpability while ensuring liable lips remain sealed. The crux? Alex Chen's smoking gun: A USB drive documenting the cover-up in meticulous detail, swiped from the laptop of Typhon PR goon Diane Jacobs.

But the juggernaut corp refuses to sit back and watch its empire topple to the ground. Following orders down the chain of command, Sheriff Pike issues a stark warning to the would-be-whistle-blower: Get out while you can.

Downtown Haven Springs. Screen capture: FetchQuester

Learn to Let Go (Sign the Affidavit)

"I've seen you give so much of yourself to give other people what they need," Steph tells Alex as they dream of their futures in the after-glow of the festival. "I guess I wonder if you've thought about what you need." 

But what exactly does Alex Chen need? Prior to Haven Springs, Alex's experiences have been steered by the expectations of others; now things are different. "I was counting on you to show me how [to live a normal life]," she confides to "imaginary" Gabe, acknowledging that for the first time in her adulthood she has real, tangible choices - and it's time to put herself at the forefront.

Bringing a "global organization with billions in revenue, an army of lawyers and politicians in their pockets" to its knees is a huge undertaking for which Alex and Pike - initially willing to aid her endeavours - are ill-qualified. "I want nothing more than to make these fuckers pay..." Pike admits his frustration. "[But] I learned the hard way that it's not possible - they're too big, too connected, too ruthless... Call me a coward, but I don't wanna lose you like we lost Gabe." 

Alex opens up a can of worms. Screen capture: FetchQuester

Pike is clearly under the thumb, and Alex's unorthodox tactics for obtaining the incriminating evidence complicate things, facing a 5 to 10 year prison sentence for computer fraud unless she forgoes and forgets. But that isn't all that's resting on the line. As a last resort, Pike pulls out a dossier tracking Steph and Ryan's movements and a foreboding silence ensues; Typhon has a knack for "disappearing" its opposition. "Can I really put their lives at risk along with mine?" she questions.

Defying Typhon won't bring Gabe back, and the irreparable scars left by his absence will be encumbered by a greater pain which stifles her ability to grieve and consumes her conscience as she endangers her loved ones. Sometimes, healing means letting go and giving ourselves permission to move on - a radical act of self-love which can empower Alex to chase the promising future ahead of her as the world awaits her next move.

The dossier. Screen capture: FetchQuester

Seek Resolution (Remove Pike's Fear)

"Typhon buried something in the mountains. Something so massive they ignored Gabe's call and set off the blast just to cover it up." 

For those well-versed in the injustices of the world, the question of allowing Typhon to walk away unscathed undermines everything Alex Chen stands for. Yes, she has far more to lose - a harsh reminder the high road is often for the privileged - but sometimes it takes one act of courage to reach a tipping point and change the course of history. And in Haven Springs, that tipping point is direly needed.

Alex stands at a crossroads where her decision will define the person she becomes as she enters the next transformative stage of her life. Will she run from her fears or choose to confront them and stand by the integrity of her brother who refused to give up on her despite nearly a decade apart? "Even though I only had one day with him... he changed my life," Alex reflects as the town pays tribute to Gabe's memory. While Gabe would place the safety of his friends first, he wouldn't hesitate to champion justice for Alex; coming to terms with his death means enacting closure on the circumstances surrounding it to ensure Typhon is held accountable before they strike again.

Rocky Mountain Record Traders, where Alex meets soul-friends Steph and Ryan. 

Screen capture: FetchQuester

And she isn't alone: Having Steph and Ryan by her side will strengthen her resilience to see this through. If anything, the little community in the mountains is full of heart, whether it's LARPing for Ethan, dancing with Ducky, or taking a stranger under their wing - and sometimes that is just enough to make a difference, even against the Big Bad Wolf who gaslights us into believing we're helpless in their wake.

If Alex's true superpower is harnessing the emotions of others in selfless acts of goodwill with the odds stacked against her, then turning tail is not an option. This is about healing for Gabe's beloved Charlotte and their son Ethan, his mentee Riley, his surrogate father Jed, his friends Steph and Ryan, for the town still reeling from a catastrophe whose resurrected ghosts yearn to be put to rest. And perhaps most poignantly, for Alex herself.

"Hey Gabe - I think I solved it. Why you died. Who's responsible - isn't that crazy? I'm out of threads to pull - it's terrifying, because on the other side of all this, after Typhon, after you, there's just... Normal life. I was kinda counting on you to show me how to do that. But I think I can figure it out. I just wish you were here to see it."

Steph awaits Alex after their iconic performance at the annual Spring Festival. 

Screen capture & edit: FetchQuester

Spoilers affecting choice:

"Can't turn back now. Time to sign my soul away." Alex feels remorse as she writes her signature on the affidavit. Pike tells her she did the "right" thing but the emotional toll is high; when she confronts Jed before the council after her "resurrection" from the mines, Pike refuses to validate her accusations.

If Alex removes Pike's fear and encourages him to proceed with the investigation, he reluctantly hints at helping her, warning her to be careful as he lets her off the hook. 

"I know you're afraid. I am too," she bolsters his resolve. "I know you think Typhon is too big, too invincible. But they're not. I will bring them down. I just need your help." Pike stands by her during the showdown with Jed at the end.

Gabe Chen: A memorial. Screen capture: FetchQuester

- Lucy A.

***

Sources: 

Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine/Square Enix); fandom.com