ME2: 2 – Freedom's Progress

An abject failure of story-telling, in every possible way. Jaimie makes bad puns and does a mean Kasumi impression. Chris rants about the horrible, no good, very bad ethics on display here. Both of them rant about the bad writing and the putting-the-characters-on-rails decisions the story team made. …but hey, at least there's a Hackett appearance? Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

Thor-Collector bug time! (This is a really weird crossover…) In which we meet and fight Collectors, argue with a guy in a shed, and argue with Kaidan. Also, Chris cannot talk to save his life in this episode, and Jaimie is reveling in it. Show Notes The Incomparable Episode I: The Phantom Menace Part 1: We Waited 16 Years For This? Part 2: Go Wash a Droid Episode II: Attack of the Clones Part 1: Full Fledged Force Mullet Part 2: How I Sold Your Mother Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Part 1: Force Denier Part 2: Caucus with the Sith Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

Recruiting “The Convict”—or, Jaimie is sleepy and this mission was not well-written. Grunt Show Notes The Expanse books TV series Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

Recruiting “The Convict”—or, as Jaimie summarized it: If you talk to people enough and steal their credits… everyone will love you. Show Notes Monologuing (TV Tropes) I’m always angry “SMH”: “shaking my head” LBD (yes, again!) headcanon XKCD "headcannon" Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

We talk about how Kasumi is bad at parties but is creepily good at knowing Shepard's measurements, and also about a gunfight and the problems with hoods. Show Notes Newton's First Law the referenced sequence in the game LBD (yes, again!) Andromeda Strain by Michael Crighton headcanon XKCD "headcannon" Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

We talk about the Normandy 2's crew, Omega and Aria, and recruiting Mordin and Garrus. Show Notes “male gaze” Jayne Cobb's chain of command Hero of Canton Taylor Swift “Shake It Off” Trinity in The Matrix “Space opera” Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

A ghost town with wolf noises, meeting Tali again, talking to TIM, and PLOT!!! reasons. Show Notes Hamilton bionic: "having normal biological capability or performance enhanced by or as if by electronic or electromechanical devices" New Rustacean, Chris' other podcast blog post about moving to Colorado Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

Cerberus between games, the prologue, and the opening. Show Notes "retcon" -- "retroactive continuity" "new money" Chuck "little black dress" Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]

Show Notes Shamus Young's Mass Effect Retrospective -- "A Chat With Vigil" Marauder Shields Faunts: "M4, Part II", from M4 Bonus "Screenshot"

Show Notes Moronic Mako Driving "Thanoptis" and "Thanopsis": Jaimie was thinking of "Thanatopsis", by William Cullen Bryant. TVTropes on monologuing Speeches and Monologues (the overview page for all the kinds of monologuing) Evil gloating -- also a master list of specific kinds of evil gloating You Have No Chance To Survive -- Sovereign's specific variation "It's a trap" Cutscene Incompetence (TVTropes) Freeeeedoooooom (warning: a bit gruesome, though all offscreen) "Hold the line!" speech Interact! Patreon @mass_affection [email protected]