Theory: Nick's Fate - Suicide?
(I posted this same thing on the Steam forums but I wanted to put it here, too, to see what you guys thought of it)
So I think we're all aware that Nick is a determinate character, which means he's not going to make it to the end of the game. Personally I'm bummed by this, because I do like Nick, but it's to be expected. However, I've put a few pieces together that lead to a potentially very upsetting end for him.
If you had chosen to go with Nick instead of Pete, and were talking to Luke after the two of you found him in the shed, he asks you: "What happened back there in that cellar?"
Clementine has the option to answer with: "He wanted to die." Now, if you choose this answer, Luke will say: "Well, it's not the first time he's been like that, but... Pete was his last anchor."
I feel like this is foreshadowing. Luke essentially just told us that Nick has a history of suicidal thoughts, and that the last person who is able to take him out of that mindset is now dead.
Furthermore, right after this (regardless of your choices) Luke tells Clementine to "keep an eye on Nick." Uncle Pete told this to her as well (although, to be fair, he was sort of dying and she was the only one there to tell and... it's not really the same).
Luke put the responsibility of a suicidal grown man in the hands of an 11-year-old girl. Now regardless of whether or not that meant "tell me if he acts funny" or "drag him through the woods while I kick back and relax", Clementine is still a little girl who, while very mature, is still sensitive and doesn't let go of things easily. She's dealt with was scary situations, and she's seen people come and go, but that's still a very heavy and confusing sort of emotional responsibility for a kid to feel that they have.
By the end of episode 2, Luke is missing. If Nick is still alive in your game, Clementine is likely going to feel a sense of responsibility for him, because he's probably not going to take the absence of his friend very well, either. Luke claims that Uncle Pete was Nick's last anchor, but I'd argue that it's actually Luke, as they were friends before the apocalypse and it is clear that they friendship has endured. Regardless, when you get to Carver's community, he's just not going to be in a good state.
My theory is that in a future episode, Nick is going to kill himself. He's going to kill himself, and because she promised to "keep an eye out for him", Clementine is going to be blamed for it, or at the very least blame herself.
Feel free to dispute this or extend on it. I'd just appreciate if you kept any rude comments/jokes about depression and suicide to yourself because that's some weak shit.
Comments
No no that's not true nick is gonna live and its gonna be all unicorns and rainbows I wish
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but in all seriousness I think your theory might be correct now that I think about it I hope not though nick is my favorite character
Trust me, I wasn't happy when I put the pieces together. He's one of my favorites, too. But it would be a very tidy way for Telltale to sweep up the remains of a determinate character while also twisting a knife in our guts.
TTs alway has these forshadowing lines out the series. It could be sacrifices himself to save the others. Or is it just pullet?
Yeah, this idea came to me as well. I also found myself a bit disconcerted to hear how Luke reacted to Clem's reveal. I couldn't help thinking he could've sounded more concerned instead of being all 'yeah, we've been there before' about it. And not considering himself an anchor makes it sound like he doesn't think the friendship is as tight as some of us players. I honestly think he cares about Nick but is just at a loss as to how to deal with him now that Pete is gone. I'm hoping as Clem we'll get the option of helping to ease the tensions between the two. It really isn't fair to leave the psychological well being of a 20+ year old man with an 11 year old who has her own mental issues to deal with. That's also part of why I'm hoping for a Kenny/Nick truce.
Shit...It sounds so realistic that he will probably shot himself in the head. Okay, I hated him in Episode 1 and went with Pete because he was better and nicer even if bitten. And now I really like him, I like his sense of humor but of course he turned into determinant character, so obviously he'll die.
I hope that we can at least make a nice funeral to him
When Luke tells Clem to "keep an eye on Nick" he didn't really mean it, it was more like an "If you see Nick doing something stupid you let me know". So, I don't see how this dialogue was 'unrealistic' like some people are saying.
Unfortunately, I could see Nick going out like this, though I think that a senseless self-sacrifice is more likely than straight up suicide. It's a real shame because my canon Clem was really starting to bond with Nick. If you think about it, Nick and Clem are dealing with very similar psychological issues. Both of them were forced to kill a parent/guardian because they made what they see as a 'dumb' mistake. Both are shellshocked and wracked by guilt, believing that everyone's deaths are their faults.
If so I dunno he seemed almost fine towards to end, I think shooting Matthew might have been the best thing for him, it shook him out of his depresson
You make some really great points, and I think it's possible that Nick will commit suicide. I could see this affecting our relationship with Luke, since he asked us to keep an eye on Nick. Trust is a major theme this season, and us being unable to prevent Nick dying could majorly damage Luke's trust in us.
It would be an interesting decision if he's contemplating it, and we had the choice to talk him down or look the other way. Someone in another thread mentioned the possibility of a choice to save/kill Nick in every episode (since we promised Pete/Luke we'd watch out for him), and this would be a cool way to incorporate that promise.
I would love if Nick lasted a few more episodes and got some kind of redemption/closure before he died. But knowing Telltale we'll get our hearts ripped out when he dies.
That really does seem like the way it's going to go down (if Nick didn't get killed by a walker in the second episode).
Thing that I can't see him doing that because in my story I told him that he can't give up he's still got luke and Sarah and the others they're like the only thing resembling a family he has left
I hope we could save him in maybe each episode, like encourage him not to give up, and you save him from suicide, or just say nothing, and you find his dead body later. I'd want to keep Nick alive to Episode 5 because Pete's dying wish was for Clem to look after Nick.
I felt the exact same way about Luke but didn't really elaborate on it because it wasn't entirely relevant to the point I was making. I got the impression they were very close, but he kind of threw the line away like "Oh, yeah, he says that sometimes." I can tell that Luke is sort of flighty and may not handle that kind of thing well, and obviously there's no suicide hotline to call, but still.
I pointed out that that's what he could have meant, but regardless Clementine is a little kid and will take that kind of thing to heart.
I'm no expert but usually depression is not cured by killing people.
I can guarantee that he wasn't fine, simply because the human brain doesn't work that way. He just realized he killed the boyfriend of a man offering them immensely generous hospitality, right after experiencing a huge loss of his own.
The end of the episode was very high action so he didn't have time to dwell and mope. But trust me, in episode 3 he's probably going to be in a bad way, especially now that Luke is gone.
It's easy to tell that to people who are suicidal, and it may comfort them, but it doesn't necessarily snap someone out of that mindset.
But even then, perhaps choosing your dialogue will have effect on him. Who knows except the writing team right now.
"People die because of me" -Clementine
He better not. I think he will try too, but clem will stop him.
Actually, I think that Clem may become a new anchor for Nick in place of Pete, at least if you decided to go with Nick in Episode 1. He thanks Clem for not giving up on him in the still and even smiles when he talks to her. This would only be strengthened by giving him Pete's watch, if you took it, and would put Clem in the perfect position to watch out for him as he trusts her.
To me, the most surprising thing Telltale could do is keep Nick alive until the end of the season.
Agreed, I'd be very interested to see that. And happy, because I love Nick. But it's not very consistent with what they've done to determinate characters in the past.
Maybe! Maybe there are dialogue options that can stop him, or (god forbid) encourage him. That would sure be fucked up.
An eleven year old convincing an adult to commit suicide, that is fucked up
FUBAR
Yeah even Telltale's not that fucked up. Why did I say that. Holy shit.
I like your Gravatar
I forgot to mention this but Skoothz welcome to the forum : )
Oh, hi, twin sister xD
Thanks!
I feel like she and Nick have formed a closer emotional bond than she and Luke have. At least in my game. I suppose it depends on your choices; Clem has a concerningly large number of options to just treat the guy like garbage.
Nick is very happy if you give him Pete's Watch at the Shack... because it's all he has left of him.
Maybe : No watch to Nick = Suicide, but if you give the watch to him he will not suicide
So much to read....
I shall return!
That sounds too much like punishing players for not being petty thieves. I let it slide that they made the watch stealing rewarding for those that did it but killing Nick because the player didn't think the watch was necessary for cleaning Clem's wounds (or any other reason) is not okay, IMO.
It's more likely that Nick will just lose it again now that they're captives. Either one of Carver's group will find it a nice trinket to keep for themselves or Carver himself will take it as part of whatever punishment he has in store for the deserters.
Wow, I hope you're wrong.. Or at least like you say we have the option to save him. Good theory though, shit. I've been kinda brutal to him, I like him now, but I haven't really had much of a chance to express that to him. He must know!
It would be pretty fucked up if Luke tried to blame Clem. I would not take kindly to that.
I feel like the watch's role has run it's course, but then again, Carver could hold on to it and use it for emotional manipulation. He seems like the type who doesn't just hurt people physically, he breaks them emotionally into submission.