Interesting observation on the Sleaze and Sirens ending

[The Gentleman]

REVEAL SPOILER

We know what happens to Lisa and Michelle over the course of the game. Neither's stories end particularly well with Lisa dying under pretty awful conditions and Michelle either breaking up her relationship with John or vice-versa. Well if we go along with the Sleaze and Sirens ending, we see the video tape of Harry erm...fraternising with these two young ladies.

And if we go along with the idea that the events of the game are entirely of Cheryl's imagination (not just her thoughts being projected onto reality) then I wonder if Cheryl maybe found out about her fathers underhanded activities and feels a good deal of animosity towards these characters so she relishes the idea of punishing them both emotionally and physically in her mind. I personally found this a pretty disturbing theory once I made the connection. I think that the Lisa and Michelle we see in game aren't the real people, but mental "rag-dolls" she takes relish in torturing.

[what]

I think that the Lisa and Michelle we see in game aren't the real people, but mental "rag-dolls" she takes relish in torturing.

I think that's the case with almost everybody.

However, the flaw in this idea is that Lisa dies and Michelle changes her relationship status to Single regardless of the eventual outcome, so it can't (just) be because of Harry's potential infidelities.

[Pyramid_Heart]

Well, of course the ending is something Cheryl actually saw. If you pay attention, you'll notice that her childhood video had been taped over. The ending is actually a fast-forward after she's done watching the video(instead of repeating it over and over). It is symbolic of her moving on and accepting the real person that her father was. The footage at the end of the video was the catalyst that started to break her delusion in the first place.

[applewine]

Cue me being mildly embarrassed that this interpretation hadn't occurred to me before. Honestly I think that's a valid interpretation regardless of the ending you get. Certainly it's clearer with the Sleaze and Sirens ending, as it really spells out the fact that she would see these women and the cause of her family self-destructing. But I feel like if we do take the attitude that Cheryl has a bit (rofl, just a tiny bit) of an Elektra complex she'd probably have a hate-on for any attractive young women her father had interacted with.

[The Gentleman]

Though I do think it remains very context-specific. I don't really consider it valid in any other ending.

[gustavopi]

I have my own theory about. In Shattered Memories they try go beyond a few "endings". This time, the end begin to be builded in the first interview with doc. How many Sheryls and daddys came out from the first form? And we can have a more realistic ending or more symbolic ending - with the same video. One player can have a perception very far from another because there is a different story behind. The video Lisa-Harry-Michelle can't be real, who is recording? On the other hand, was "real" to me because is Cheryl getting to known that her father wasn't a gentleman. She also have Elektra Complex in high or lower level depending on the player.

I don't like these "ending names", it's to simplistic. If you play without any "help", strange things happens - cool things!