Did Edna need to be a Strickland?

PrivateJoker

It just seems...like the fact that she is a Strickland doesn't add too much to the experience. She could have worked as Sylvia's sister (making future Doc Marty's Uncle for example). I'm also a bit jaded by the "old Edna" in EP 1 which felt really out of place and felt more like a "lame cartoon" than the rest of the very interesting game.

Jennifer

We're only on episode two, so it's hard to see how having her as a Strickland could matter much to the story. But, further episodes might change that.

Judging by the scenes in the trailer for episode three, Citizen Brown is very strict, and Edna obviously had a lot to do with that. Maybe we'll get to see a super strict Mr. Strickland in the alternate Citizen Brown Hell Valley like we did in the alternate 1985 Biff Hell Valley?

PrivateJoker

Citizen Brown might not completely be a Hell Valley. Or Biff Hell at least. It should be an improvement over the previous 1986.

RAnthonyMahan

Maybe Telltale and/or Universal felt that making a new character out of whole cloth wouldn't fit the franchise properly. Part of the charm of Back to the Future is that no matter what time period they're in, there's some recognizable family members. So far it seems every new character has family ties (no pun intended) to a pre-existing BttF character. Arthur McFly is George's father and Marty's grandfather. Kid Tannen is Biff's father. Emmett is, well...Emmett. Officer Parker is Jennifer's grandfather. And I'm pretty sure that Trixie is really Sylvia McFly.

So they have a new character, but they need a way to give her a real connection to Back to the Future. Who haven't we made a relative for yet? Well, there's Strickland. He's recognizable without being really important, they've delved into his family history before with Marshall Strickland, and it fits Edna's strict nature.

Maybe we will see Strickland in one of the upcoming episodes, though. I'm pretty sure Marty hasn't been called a slacker for the last time yet.

PrivateJoker

Yea I thought the same thing about Trixie as well, but wouldn't have Marty recognized her? I'm hoping we at some point get more insight into what happens to Biff's father, as it was interesting to see that in the alternate present he had two brothers.

PrivateJoker

Still Strickland was a pretty small role, to make a relation to a major character, if you know what i mean.

Rather Dashing

Wait, how do you not see the relation? Edna in the past has a strong sense of justice and the "right thing", the future Edna is against children misbehaving, and the alternate future Edna sent Doc down the path of a controlling, moral enforcement "Big Brother" type. How does that not scream Strickland? Seriously, if you're going to complain about this game, choose one of the many, many complaints that actually makes sense.

Michael J Fox is Canadian

Trixie; how many of us would recognize our grandparents in their 20's?

Edna: as mentioned, there's the strictness she forces on doc. I also expect to see our friend Mr. Strickland in the next episode. And while this present doesn't seem as dangerous as either of the alternate timelines we've seen it is more strict from the looks; kind of like the future in demolition man. Even biff is wussified to not like moderate profanity

feverfew

Michael J Fox is Canadian wrote: »

Trixie; how many of us would recognize our grandparents in their 20's?

Well, I believe the reason Marty did not want to go into his father's house in 1955 was that he was afraid his granny Sylvia would somehow recognise him. It's not spelled out in the movie, but the novelization makes it clear.
That said, I still wonder why didn't he see the similarity. Maybe Trixie isn't Sylvia? Or... I don't know.

daeva0123

I thought the connection was obvious and pretty well thought through. Strickland may in contrast to other characters have been a small role but his character and the origin of his character are weaved through the whole trilogy. The main antagonist throughout the three films has been the Tannens yet Edna Strickland seems just as threatening since she seems to represent the other side of the coin - having such an obsession with law, order and all that, and seems to want to bend Docs Genius to her will.

R.I.P-Bill

I do see the point about her appearence in the first episode being a little jaring but I'm expecting a grand contrast to the way she turns up by the end of the game. She was pushed a bit to the old woman steryotype edge but it did make an interesting contrast for the young Edna and made a point about what age had done to her and that effect can still be applied to what changes may happen to her timeline as the game progresses.

Michael J Fox is Canadian

The tannens are the main antagonists in the films but not the only ones (and I'll omit their gangs here since they are essentially just subordinates)
The first film had Mr. Strickland and the ginger who cuts in at the dance.
The second film had needles, strickland again.
The third film had needles again.

I guess you can say that Edna doesn't need to be a strickland but on the same token, Seamus did not need to be a mcfly, and Buford did nto need to be a Tannen. I think for humour reasons, it was funny to see her acting like that in the first film and it was also neat that her picture of marshall strickland is the first (and so far only) time we see any of the characters we meet in 1885.

Plus as mentioned, her family tree gives her insant character development just by mentioning her last name (discipline) which should clearly come up in the next episode.