The Knight

[Something Amyss]

A few people called this at the beginning of the arc (I was not among them) so it's not OMGWTFBBQ surprising, but it's still a cool twist.

A lot of them since recanted, though, which makes this turnout kind of amusing.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Well that was neat. Not much more to say. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Hopefully nothing. I hope he just takes the spot Lee Lee left open for practice writing out a thematically coherent plot with deep and meaningful characters. Lord knows he could certainly use it. =/

Oh come now. Buck up bud. It wasn't all bad. Surely it was interesting enough to get us all to keep watching. As for your questions above;
1. Most of the holding her out the window stuff was probably just in her head. Like when she was in little Erin's game room.

2. Yeah, it would seem that it was all little Erin's plan.

3. What was the point? Like the little one said, to make Erin stop being all woe is me, and actively do something about it her way. Head on, with some fists and what not.

As for why all that wasn't said so directly....Well, 1. you can only have so much said at one time in a web comic without it ending up sounding over written, and 2. The only other way is to make the arc even longer to make room for it all, and I don't think many people would like either.

Besides, it's over now, right?

Well based on what others have said, maybe not. We can possibly expect more of this somewhere down the line. I know it's not the worst thing i've ever read. But the only reason I saw it through was because of the good will built up from his previous work. I see ambition in this arc but a near complete lack of focus and the understanding of how to write characters deeper than "Grr, i'm a ***** to everyone all the time!" really did cripple this arc. I'm not saying he should never do this again, but I would much prefer that he find another outlit for this creative spark. I came to this series on the pretense that it was about video games. Just putting link in like the last panel doesn't qualify in my book and i'd really like him to get back to what he was doing prior.

Eh, I get what you're saying. But besides apologising to her friends about the whole "I'm not crazy!"(followed by something crazy), and possibly getting some help I don't see what else there is to do. Hmmm...You know if Erin starts going to see a therapist they could tie in gaming news bits with her sessions. Like she could talk about how Master Chief has been annoying her about the live action Halo movie because one of the Twilight vampires is playing him, or because he thinks they are making him look too fat in Halo 4. Ya know something like that. We'll see.

 

[Something Amyss]

Honestly it just raises more questions, like how did Link bring her those drinks? If he didn't was she only just pretend drunk? How would that even work?

She got the drinks herself? I know this isn't necessarily how mental illness works, but it is in the movies.

I saw it coming, but still, if he's only a figment of her imagination, how did he hold her off the edge of the window? He's not there, so that didn't happen?

Yes, it didn't happen.

Honestly, not sure what people aren't getting about this.

 

[Navvan]

To all the people wondering "How was he able to dangle her out the window". It was all clearly a hallucination (Jaw like a brick wall meant when she punched him, she actually just punched the wall meaning there isn't some sort of magical physical manifestation). Yes parts of her mind are acting independently from her conscious self. Erin has mental issues. This is well known.

 

[lord.jeff]

I believe it happened like this she got drunk and got in the fight in the real world with disguised link which we saw and then managed to get on a bus and pass out which we didn't see, everything after that point is a dream she had well on the bus. Over all I didn't care for the arc but the twist redeemed it some, maybe fitting in a game joke into the actual story more often would have helped.

 

[DJ_DEnM]

I saw it coming, but still, if he's only a figment of her imagination, how did he hold her off the edge of the window? He's not there, so that didn't happen?

Yes, it didn't happen.

Honestly, not sure what people aren't getting about this.

Just wanted to make sure.

 

[Skeleon]

Yup, a few people called this resolution, including the fact that he is Link. While I didn't think of that last part, I did figure he was in her head.

That said, I'm actually glad he turns out not to be real. He was quite the dick. Not that Erin didn't have it coming, but still. The whole "Oh, I'm helping you by endangering your life"-shtick was just stupid and not something an actual good guy should or would do.

The real dude (the bald one, forgot his name) actually advised her to get medical help. Much more sensible.

 

[Rangerboy87]

I would say something, but I have to go get my mind that was just blown.

So: WOW!!

 

[Truly-A-Lie]

Jaw like a brick wall was a great line. I've really liked this arc, but it gives me a sense of impending doom as her problems are clearly getting worse.

 

[wintercoat]

All I have to point to...

'Dude, I've been rubbing the fuck out of your leg for, like, the past 10 minutes! Wait, that's my leg...'

Makes so much sense now!

Honestly it just raises more questions, like how did Link bring her those drinks? If he didn't was she only just pretend drunk? How would that even work?

There was a study done once where non-alcoholic drinks were given out at a party labelled as alcoholic. The party goers all acted like they were drinking alcoholic drinks. The placebo effect is a very powerful thing.

 

[The Last Melon]

I'm with Devoneaux on this one, the biggest problem isn't that it went on too long, wasn't funny, or had physics that aren't 100% realistic (really, guys? Did you do this with Fight Club too?), but that it was a really uncompelling story. Link's behaviour now makes more sense when you go back and read the arc again, but Erin started as an unfunny, unlikeable asshole and ended as an unfunny, unlikeable asshole that solves her problems with violence. We've learned that her inner child is smarter than she is (apparently) and that she has no reasonable idea of how to react to a situation.

This arc could have actually been really good. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end, and the idea that parts of her psyche are competing with each other to take control is a good one. "The Erin Stout way is to come back swinging" makes for a great way to climax and end a scene, too, and a takes-no-crap shoulder-angel (so to speak) could prove a very interesting character. The script needed serious tightening up, though, and none of the issues were handled in a way that made me root for the main character, simply because she didn't seem to have any emotional register other than "Sarcastic quip! I'm an angry *****!"

That's my two cents. The kind of two cents that makes people come after you with pointed sticks that are on fire, but two cents nonetheless.

 

[esperandote]

so she doesn't hallucinate exclusively with videogame protagonists anymore, where will this end?

 

[mdqp]

So, we have to actually worry MORE about her sanity, after all this. Also, characters that only exist in your head can have conversations without you seeing them (and they can change clothes, too), apparently... I guess Erin really is a Goddess, and her dreams become alive... That doesn't sound good for the future of humanity.

The real problem here is that we seem to have gone full circle, nothing lost, nothing gained, so this arc sounds even more pointless, thanks to this "twist-that-wasn't-exactly-a-twist-since-many-people-called-this-before-and-the-only-reason-they-stopped-believing-it-was-that-it-would-make-the-story-even-more-absurd-which-it-did" (I don't know how you call this, but I wouldn't mind calling it "lemon" or "pachinko", these words have a nice sound).

The fact that it might be a Fight Club reference (Fight Club isn't the first time I saw such a concept, so I am not sure if one necessarily thinks of it whenever one tries this idea), isn't a good excuse, I don't think it's done very well (I can pull a twist like this whenever I like, I just need to add "it was all more or less a dream", but the hints must be there to make it valuable, at least in hindsight... There aren't any worth being called hints, just some foreshadowing when Link said "maybe your subconscious is trying to help you out").

 

[Kapol]

Figured he was in her head to be honest. That said, didn't realize it was Link. Huh.

 

[itsthesheppy]

I don't get it. What was the entire point of everything that happened from the bar onward?

I'm sort of in the same boat as the above guy. Was any of that real? This is as bad as an "It was all a dream!" ending.

 

[mdqp]

Figured he was in her head to be honest. That said, didn't realize it was Link. Huh.

Don't worry, it's not like it REALLY is Link. It could have been anyone, frankly, they probably just liked the idea of using Link (how Erin can't recognize the Link from her imagination is a totally different question).

It would have been fun having Kratos in a suit as a disguise, instead of using Link, though... That's a missed opportunity.

 

[WanderingFool]

???

THAT WAS LINK!?


Seriously, I didnt see that coming.

So, does this mean that Erin is not gonna be seeing and/or listening to videogame characters again? If so, then let the rebuilding phase begin...

*Edit*

So, does that mean we won't see more of Mini Erin/Toph?

>About the whole reveal shibang.
<youtube=kdhhQhqi_AE>

*long string of explitives*

ninja'd

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Huzzah the madness has been doubled!

Aww I feel kind of bad for Erin I thought she was getting a love interest there.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

I don't get it. What was the entire point of everything that happened from the bar onward?

I'm sort of in the same boat as the above guy. Was any of that real? This is as bad as an "It was all a dream!" ending.

I just... Why did she flirt with him and start a fight for his attention after only seconds earlier telling him to fuck off? Yeah, she's a complex character, that's super. But frosty people don't drop their guard and proclaim their wanting to fuck you after a few minutes of meeting you. If it was all in her mind, how did he cause her to look inward? Why did she imagine it with her having a bunch of fights and being held out a window? WHY DID ANY OF THIS HAPPEN? I just don't get it! *sob*

I feel like they just made a bunch of random scenes

 

[Smertnik]

THAT was Link? With that massive jaw? I've never played anything Link related but isn't he supposed to be a kid of some sort?