The Downfall of Evelyn Parker | Cyberpunk 2077 Character Analysis

[@codyconnor6981]

Wiping the Doll’s memories sounds humane right up until you realize trauma runs way deeper than just memories.

[@lydiscott]

Yeah, the implications of that shadow all the dolls probably have hanging over them is just plain disturbing.

[@EldritchMage3922]

Yeah I was assaulted as a baby and even with no memories of it I’ve been affected by it

[@HairryTurttleneck]

could u imagine not knowing why something like a smell sets u off? like if somebody smoked a pipe or smelt like whiskey, did something, then ur mind is wiped...

[@channel45853]

the game even tells you that at the beggining, with V saying how some poeple will start drinking a cold glass of water and then for some reason their hand starts shaking i wonder, would it better to know your trauma and go through it, or not know it, and your body acts weird to certain things for an unknown reason?

[@pillmatik4239]

Ever read “the body keeps the score?” From what I’ve seen as a psych nurse it’s definitely not as simple as wiping out a traumatic memory

[@hunterodwyer2626]

If this story taught me anything it's that if your on a sinking ship don't try and fix it just run

[@jays2551]

it taught me that plans often fail and things rapidly go to shit so you may as well be carrying a small arsenal's worth of weapons

[@lydiscott]

Y U P 😂

[@jackthorton10]

Know when to fold and know when to run

[@henryviiifake8244]

Or try the Adam Smasher approach: Get the biggest possible boat. 🫠

[@squigglesmcjr199]

America!

[@Drakescythe9]

The fact that Evelyn was able to bluff her way into potentially the greatest heist in Night city history just blows my mind.

[@lydiscott]

Bullsh*t baffles brains as my mom likes to say lol

[@warlordofbritannia]

She should have gone into politics 😂

[@zambekiller]

​@@warlordofbritanniana she'd be to skilled at it so nobody would believe her

[@iconoclast6555]

When you meet her the first time a Lizzie's and she asks you if you've ever been in Konpeki Plaza, the Corpo dialogue option will have V say that the Konpeki in Japan is the best, making all the other ones, even the one in Singapore inferior, and while V is talking, Evelyn's facial expression looks like she's feeling awkward. In the end she just agrees with Corpo V. But I think it's pretty obvious that she's never been to Konpeki in Japan and she was only agreeing with V to preserve the air of Corpo on her. She really was trying so hard. I feel bad for her.

[@naruchancutie1]

I remember Ev speaking rather highly of Yorinobu. Made it seem like he was a pretty decent guy. Ofc I didn't really feel like that after all we went through with him lol. Not until the very end of "The Devil" ending. Then I felt so so bad. Yorinobu was honestly right all along.

[@aljazslemc9569]

​@naruchancutie1 its an interesting manipulation thay the game pulls with Yorinobu, not letting us ever really consider him as anything but a villain. I think that threw most people, including me. Only afterwards, when learning about the lore and the devil ending did it click for me.

[@ravendelacour1917]

Night City slowly killed Evelyn's soul long before it took her life.

[@lydiscott]

Yes it did. So so sad. Ugh.

[@aljazslemc9569]

Such is the fate of many in NC😢 the worst part is this city cuts you off, convinces you that all yhe suffering is just you not trying hard enough and you get to watch it take everything you have, as you fight the current until you go under, or resign yourself to your lot

[@ravendelacour1917]

@@aljazslemc9569 Late stage capitalism distilled.

[@aljazslemc9569]

@@ravendelacour1917 yep

[@ayashinightcore8282]

I remember playing cyberpunk for the first time and spending two days trying to find out if we could save Evelyn. Her story was realistic and that shook me, human trafficking only to be saved and stuck in a constant state of agony with the only escape being death. Evelyn Parker was also the only character I could actually empathize with and enjoy.

[@zambekiller]

I've only done the mission once is there a way to save her ?

[@mascotvt]

@@zambekiller No.

[@Kaiomikelee]

"Even if Evelyn had left Clouds by this point, her head was still in them." Absolute killer of a line that actually applies to the entire heist crew. Evelyn gets that worst hand in the entire game, and it's even more tragic because the criticism that characters aim at her are actually true of the entire group -- yet she's the only one they criticize. A lot of characters say that Evelyn's fate was foreseeable for aiming so high and being reckless, but the same is true of V and everyone else. Interestingly, Johnny is uncaring and even cruel when it comes to Evelyn's decision to flatline herself...yet he's way more empathetic if V decides to do it. His character development aside, Evelyn seemingly gets more harshly criticized and penalized for things everyone else does, too. When you really take a look at the heist, we have V (returning to NC after a long break) teaming up with Dex (a fixer who messed up something so badly in Pacifica that he left for *years* rather than deal with the fallout) to steal from the largest, most dangerous corpo on the planet. And their team is a guy who is KNOWN for wearing his heart on his sleeve and being a bit hot-headed, a netrunner who is really good but is no Spider Murphy, and a *seemingly* unimportant doll. From the outside looking in, nobody would bet this heist would work. But while V gets condolences and even some respect for attempting it, Evelyn just gets a cold "she got what she deserved", which creepily mirrors what heartless people say about women who become the victims of predators. "Look at the way she dressed." And I think that's intentional. Evelyn aimed for the stars so she could get out of NC, and she pays a disproportionate penalty for doing so, being taken in and abused by no-name people. I never thought about it from the viewpoint of Evelyn knowing that Dex could be manipulated, though, or that her last days were spent making sure nobody suffered the fallout for her actions. Those are really good points. ***PHANTOM LIBERTY SPOILERS*** Whereas V can, and seems to canonically care about people to a fault (to me, it's always seemed that Vik KNOWS V is screwing around helping people on the streets rather than prioritizing the chip), Songbird is the exact opposite. She'll burn every bridge necessary if it means saving herself. ***END SPOILERS*** Evelyn has the same drive as Songbird and even the same desperation, creating layers of betrayal, but she has the heart of V and can't actually follow through with those more horrific acts. It feels like NC is determined to objectify and penalize her for daring to dream big while caring about other people. Evelyn's really an example of just how horribly NC can treat you if you aren't cold and ruthless when you dare to dream of a better life, and I think the fact that so many characters seem eager to forget her and move on speaks to who disposable people's lives are in NC. Even if you try to avenge Evelyn, things turn out horribly. The only saving grace is that Judy is able to see what happens if you fail (Evelyn) and what happens if you succeed (V), and realizes that the only way to win is to not play. So she does what Evelyn tried to do and just leaves, even if it means she might not have anything waiting for her outside of NC.

[@desmonddeshay4282]

Great analysis and this was very fun to read!

[@englishgiraffe2124]

See, I'm going to disagree with the notion that the only way to win is to not play, although it's not in the way you think. Now, this is a long post, and will spoil the overall game (to a lesser extent, Phantom Liberty and Edgerunners too). And it is very existential: I think the common problem with people is that they see life as a destination to get to, believing there is an ending in sight, often getting impatient to reach that ending. Problem is, besides a person's last day, endings do not exist. Life is a constant grind, it's a state of being, continuous actions everyday. Judy and Johnny's plans to overthrow Clouds and Arasaka were correct, but their problems were that they held the belief that there would be an ending, that it would be all over. But the truth is that corpos like them will always exist, even if it's under a new name, the core principles will always exist. There will always be the Day After True Evil doesn't want to win, because it has already won, by letting the status-quo carry on as normal. People like President Myers, the Arasaka Family (that isn't Yorinobu), Maiko (and I do hold the belief that getting her out of Clouds is a better outcome, yes, it's terrible what happens to Tom, but with Clouds being closed, there is a greater chance of it opening under better management), the Tyger Claws and other Corpos already hold the belief that the world doesn't work in *spite* of Evil, it works *because* of Evil. Letting the status-quo carry on is arguably the greatest form of Evil. They have no intention doing anything so prosaic as 'Winning', because Winning isn't a factor for them. But Judy and Johnny do learn that the battle is neverending, and that they still plan to fight, regardless. The only group that arguably already holds the belief that 'If Nothing We Do Matters, Then All That Matters Is What We Do' are the Aldecaldos. They still plan to fight, regardless and give people a better tomorrow. This is what people call: Absurdism. The belief that nothing we do in life matters, but you still find your own meaning and fight, regardless. And that fighting is everyday. Johnny says as much in one Phantom Liberty gig. Judy joining the Aldecaldos is a positive, considering the group actively strive to make a difference. Rebecca from Edgerunners already held the belief to embrace the Absurd, to still help someone like David. Because even if nothing matters, if you help someone, maybe that’s enough. The keyword with Johnny's last words is *Never* Stop Fighting. I think if you hold that belief, Cyberpunk isn't that fatalistic, rather it's a more hopeful Series than is what is assumed on the surface.

[@Kaiomikelee]

@englishgiraffe2124 This is a really insightful response! And I do agree with all your points. I'd listened to another analysis recently that argued that the game is fatalistic, even though I saw more absurdism in it than fatalism. I would say the world itself is fatalistic in its approach, but the best possible outcome for any character's growth is to embrace absurdism as a response. Very good parallel you drew between Judy and Johnny. Interestingly, he can also say he's "come to like her", iirc, although I'm not sure if he does that for Panam.

[@mistercleff8819]

@@Kaiomikelee The funny thing is that Panam is more like Rogue, and Judy is more like Alt. That's why Judy gets under his skin, and why he seems to like Panam day 1.

[@Kaiomikelee]

@@mistercleff8819 I never realized that. Really good point!

[@ticijevish]

The line does she flinch when a belt is unbuckled is great. I suspect you'll write something excellent one day soon.

[@mutopis]

Night City will chew and spit you, then chew you again and eat you.

[@englishgiraffe2124]

The worst part? It doesn't revel in doing it, it's just indifferent about how brutal it is.

[@r.d.k.4166]

Evelyn’s plot underscores the idea that in Night City, the pursuit of freedom and power often comes at an unimaginable cost. Her story is a cautionary tale, ill conceived plans leading to devastating outcomes in a world where trust is scarce and betrayal is commonplace.

[@Datasavingmode]

I'd also add, how then Dex chose T-bug for the Heist. There are many hints throughout the game as well as in Phantom Liberty: there's a chance T-bug works/worked with Militech. Dex's bodyguard is comfirmed to be an agent for FIA, which begs the question: is Dex also related to any of those factions? Then it would make the Heist even more of a flustercuck.

[@liamwaddleton]

I mean it would all make sense. After all, Dex hadn't been a fixer for a while and took leave from night City for a couple years. Maybe that was because he was doing some stuff with FIA (which is intertwined with militech because militech was nationalized by the NUSA in the 2040s(?) I believe.

[@lydiscott]

Oh damnnnn that’s actually awesome! Just out of curiosity, did the Dev’s say that about his bodyguard or is it hidden somewhere in the game? This would factor into a Dex video for sure! Super cool.

[@RavenStorm332]

T-bug was an edgerunner(merc) and edgerunners work for whoever pays them

[@MysticalTurnip]

What are the many hints that T-Bug is/was militech? Where is the confirmation that Oleg Darkevich is FIA?

[@squigglesmcjr199]

Where did you hear that about dexs bodyguard??

[@ForestRaptor]

This was a tough subject to analyse. But you did a great job! Scavs and the VOODOO of Pacifica, Fingers, Woodman and the Tyger Claws... they almost all get a death sentence or the crippling bullet. Evelyn was the Catalyst to ARASAKA's demise and given that she sacrificed herself after being willing to sacrifice everything and everybody else before hand.... well just shows how good of a writing team CDPR has ^^

[@RCorvinus]

You left out Jotaro.

[@thegamehbktaker]

Evelyn saw her chance of a better life just like Jackie and V, when Maman Brigitte hires her for recording the VD and learns Yorinobu´s plans for the Relic she saw her chance to up one of the most dangerous gangs in NC and the biggest more powerful corporation in the world. But in the end everything goes wrong and everyone that participaded in the heist paid: T.Bug died, Jackie died, Dex was killed by Takemura, V got a death sentence with the Relic and Evelyn had it the worst. She in her effort to leave NC was cripple by the Vodoo Boys, abuse by Woodman, Fingers and the Scavs until what has left of her soul was consume.And then after so much trauma she decided to end it all in defeat, she lost her fight against the forces that rule the world, fate and the city where she lived. But her actions (and the choices of the player) led to the destruction of Arasaka and final victory of Yorinobu over the demented ambitions of his father Saburo. She being a doll did more to destroyed Arasaka that Johnny Silverhand ever could with 2 thermonuclear bombs. Is a powerful message for a character that is not really that present in the story but left her mark in us.

[@status_quo_post]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. But sometimes to mean well is all it needs.

[@kotorandcorvid4968]

I feel like people nowadays really need to relearn empathy. There were comments on reddit that said they don't feel sorry for Evelyn's horrendous fate and some even said she deserved it because she tried to screw people over.

[@englishgiraffe2124]

That take and the "only Vik, Jackie and Misty cared for V, the rest are snakes" takes are the only ones to really aggravate me, and they seem to be vocally rampant on KZbin/Reddit

[@angel8fingers]

I don’t glamorize a life of crime nor do I downplay the consequences of living that life. Personally, I don’t have the energy to have empathy for people whom bad choices are made with alarming regularity. I also don’t have empathy based on gender. You are a product of your own choices, gender shouldn’t shield anybody from accountability. Evelyn made her bed. She took liberties for her own gain at the expense of others. Was it horrible what she was subjected to as a result of her actions? No doubt? Would I want to be her? Nope. Which brings me to this. It is the height of virtue signaling to defend a fictional character in a video game. Nonsense y’all.

[@kotorandcorvid4968]

​@@angel8fingersNo one mentioned anything about gender wtf are you talking about? Someone can land themselves in a bad situation and we can still feel sorry for them.

[@angel8fingers]

@@kotorandcorvid4968 I was covering all facets of my argument for clarity. You have incorrectly made an assumption that I viewed this video as feel sorry for Evelyn because she is female. All I did was list what and why I lack empathy for this fictional character. I mentioned gender to keep any “Captain Save A lady” types in check. It obviously didn’t work.

[@kotorandcorvid4968]

​@@angel8fingersnone of what you're saying makes much sense

[@GutterJon]

At times I resent Evelyn for putting V in the ultimate shit but at the same time I cannot blame her for trying to make the most out of a horrible situation. I wouldn't be surprised if she was simply just trying to make enough dosh to escape the city.

[@SineN0mine3]

It seems like without Evelyn (disregarding Phantom Liberty) that V would be doomed to die from the construct, possibly alone having already lost their only friend or to side with Arasaka and sell V's soul to the devil. Evelyn might not have V's best interests at heart initially, but she's V's best hope. If anything you should resent T-Bug, but only because nobody could stay mad at Jackie. Ultimately he was the reason you did any of it. T-Bug is really just another NC merc and she didn't really know better. Still, I reckon she set Jackie up with Dex because it wouldn't have been one of the 'Tinos.

[@MalzraAirwynn]

It never occurred to me that Evelyn going back to Clouds might have been a way to protect Judy and not just her making a poor decision while under a lot of stress and being paranoid after the fallout of the heist. It ended up not mattering because Yorinobu was secretly trying to destroy Arasaka from within and so wasn't really interested in going after the chip, but it's not like anyone involved in the heist knew that. For all she knew, the hammer was about to come down hard.

[@beige_projection]

Love her character. I started playing since launch, but I intentionally stopped progressing beyond the Watson area until I was able to upgrade my PC because I wanted to experience the game with much better graphics. I was able to upgrade my PC many months after launch but I never really stopped playing, so I felt like I spent a lot more time with Evelyn than most players did. That's why what happened to her really shocked me, and it's one of the moments in video game that really impacted me emotionally. Sad that a lot of people in the CP77 hate her, but I've always empathized with her and for me she was just as much as a rebel as Johnny was in her own way.

[@lydiscott]

Love this. She’s such a tragic character. Yet another victim of Night City. Thank you so much for watching.

[@ZeallustImmortal]

This game was the reason I upgraded my PC as well. Didnt want to play it on anything below extra super duper ultra

[@RCorvinus]

Yeah, it blows my mind the hate directed at her. She sells her body to get by, and you wan t to hate on her for trying to escape that? She is a huge exclamation mark on what NC does to people.

[@ZelliJeWouj]

@@RCorvinus One of the reasons I really enjoyed this video was because it was a breath of fresh air from the crowds of videos made by men that glorify Smasher's words to Evelyn in the BD and ignore her as a character almost completely which poetically cements why this is a dystopia critical of real-world phenomena. "And all the while... they mocked me. How can you do that to a fellow human being and still mock them?" Also love the fact we were given full narrative license to go on a revenge murder-crawl against the scavs with a lesbian friend.

[@SineN0mine3]

​A lot of people have visceral emotional reactions to suicides. I don't think that's wrong. I do think it's a bit silly to take that stance for a fictional character, since the writers clearly intended for us to think a little deeper. I like Evelyn, but if the writers wanted to make her likeable they would have done. She's supposed to break your heart and she's well written to that end but she's not a morally good person. I suppose a relativist might say she's better than most in NC but I think she had potential to do a lot of good. She was suffering, sure but she also had people who cares deeply for her (Judy) and people willing to do almost anything to help (V). That's a lot more than a lot of people have. Again, it's silly to hate a character for the choices they make but if you're trying to asses whether or not she's a good person, I just think we didn't see enough to know. Maybe some of the people who hate her are projecting feelings off anger because they lost somebody similarly, and if they hate her because of that I totally understand.

[@OhNoItsBo]

love the breakdown! underrated character with a lot of complexity

[@lydiscott]

Aww thank you! So glad you enjoyed it.

[@Aldairion]

"Even if Evelyn had left Clouds, her head was still in them" Bars 🔥🔥🔥

[@echelonecho]

Looking back on Evelyn, her story felt very Noir in its execution. While it lacks the black and white and the gumshoe detective. Evelyn does play sort of Nightclub entertainer that would bring a case or in Cyberpunk's case a job to our lead. She seduces V with the promise of pay and acclaim, and the player with her beauty and personality. We like her and want her or to be her, but in the end her demons caught up to her and unlike V she didn't have any combat cyberware or percussion pistol to protect herself with. But even with her fate sealed as you put it, she doesn't condemn anyone else to her fate, she takes herself out of the equation, and in tern earns our sympathy, gratitude, and grief. In the end Evelyn was a friend and her tragic loss was just one more reason Night City needed to burn. Great analysis Ms. Scott! And I can't wait to see your next video.

[@sillylittlesheepjax6009]

what friend ? V knows her for 5 minutes bec she gives job. She was not even close to being friends with V

[@ZeallustImmortal]

I mean, if her story wasnt very Noir she wouldnt dress like that haha. All the character outfits are so well thought out and tell you so much about the characters and their stories before you even hear them speak

[@ZeallustImmortal]

​@@sillylittlesheepjax6009A friend of a friend is a friend by extension in a city like this

[@laughingtothebanklikehahah3618]

The fates of Evelyn and Dex are wake up calls. The moment you meet her she comes off extremely confident while being aware on where she currently stands(something Dex could never grasp). She makes you believe that she’s 3 steps forward and nothing can stand in her way. Then the Konpeki Heist happens. Now you see Dex on his knees begging for mercy to some Japanese dude while Evelyn goes back to getting whored out and r8ped by her own boss. Finally, you realize there’s levels to controlling Night City. Levels that Dex and Evelyn were FAR from ever reaching.

[@korawitbuttramee618]

Evelyn and Dex are great example how someone could sell anything with just charisma alone. Dex is a small fry who portrayed himself as a big cheese with how he had his gold plated chrome, fancy limo, and a bodyguard, while in reality he was a desperate wash-up who had no way to retaliate after got ripped off by a bunch of gangster (Other fixers V works with, like Padre, Regina, or El Capitan, will not hesitate to sanction a hit on any gang that cross them). Evelyn uses her charm to make it look like she was being mysterious and know more than she appeared to, but turned out she didn't know what the hell she was doing and simply bluff her way through it.

[@joefur2835]

My dear you have earned my sub. I’ve played through cyberpunk so many times by this point and I missed so many nonverbal cues. I’m embarrassed after watching your amazing video.

[@TheMecoolerest001]

Great video, love your breakdowns. This detail probably fits in more for Judy but has some implications for Evelyn and Judy’s relationship. On Valeries date with Judy you find an old doll that Judy had stolen from another girl. She says it was cause only losers play with dolls but really it was to get the girl to notice her. I suspect subconsciously Judy had taken Evelyn in to get Maiko’s attention and to show her only losers play with dolls. Not to say Judy doesn’t genuinely care for Evie. But I think they had a non romantic but still intimate relationship.

[@lydiscott]

OHHH thats a fascinating detail! I’ve gotta finish Judy’s quest line, I’ll be keeping an eye open for that. Thank you!

[@TheMecoolerest001]

@@lydiscott Be sure to read the emails on Maiko’s computer in her office too.

[@depapa701]

When I started rhe game I didn't knew if I wanted to kill every Scav. But since I carried Evelyn's Body out of this hell I knew, none of them would survive when I see them. This scene hit so deep.

[@ayokamaria3714]

I think the thing I realize the most about this game is how close it hits home, if you ever had friends you just watched you realize you have one friend that is the human embodiment of evelyn. A beautiful soul who is squeezed of everything he/she holds dear until nothing is left but emptiness.. Damn I really wanted a different ending for her.

[@kolyasoul3343]

Thanks for all the hard work

[@lydiscott]

Thank you for watching! 😄

[@MobiusPrime2028]

When you follow Evelyn down the club’s basement, she will stop for awhile and stand directly under a ‘DANGER’ sign. Never was there a clearer sign.

[@bmo5852]

While I'm horrified by what happened to her, I still think Evelyn got the trouble she was asking for in cannon. She tries spying on the Voodoo Boys (in the braindance you literally see some guy walk past her, she's not sneaky at all) then hires a washed-up fixer and three relative no-names in the scene for an incredibly high-end gig, doubles down by trying to cut out the fixer near the last minute (the same guy that would know all the details and could just as easily rat her out with an anonymous tip) and then thinks the safest place to be after everything goes to shit is Clouds. A club ran and owned by the Tyger Claws that're basically an unofficial branch of Arasaka. She's less like Icarus and more like Bellerophon. The original rider of Pegasus that slew one monster and thought to himself, "yeah, I belong on Mount Olympus." Only to get smacked down by the gods.

[@mateuszslawinski1990]

This. Everyone empathises with her due to her fate, but in reality she brought it on herself (one may call it victim blaming, but pulling the heist and double-crossing people was her idea).

[@OttermanNathan]

Evelyn had a fantastic mice and men sort of story. On paper, it sounds like she could absolutely do what she planned, but once it went in motion, the shortcomings came to light, and just how in over her head she was, really made itself clear

[@lydiscott]

It’s so sad honestly. She was really trying, and she dealt with a lot of crap. Such an interesting character.

[@samwizgamgie3rd828]

Did we ever got a reason why Yorinobu and his Father was there at the same time the hiest was going to happen? They could have succeded.

[@alejandrobonilla3049]

After playing Phantom Liberty and getting the Militech Canto I have one mission: Send every Tiger Claw and Scavenger to Brazil via Blackwall Gateway in the name of Evelyn

[@JayF2912]

Nice to have these Analysis videos.... Miss ya, Lyd, come back to us soon damnit!

[@PeachHeadzAddiction]

Heya! I always loved the missions with Evelyn, but you made me empathise so much more with her and aligned all infos so perfectly.. I can feel the desperation and now I can finally not only be shocked by her death, but 100% empathise why she did all that she did..

[@lydiscott]

Thank you so much for watching! Seriously appreciate your comment, happy to hear you enjoyed the video 😄

[@theclay4035]

I can't describe my hatred towards the Voodoo Boys when Brigitte insulted Evelyn. I ran amok.

[@raymondjacobs1955]

I'm of the opinion that Saboru Arasaka had compromised Evelyn and either directly or indirectly prompted her to heist the Relic. Saboru knew from Helman that Yurinobu had the chip and was intending to sell it to Netwatch with the Silverhand engram on it. Yurinobu needed to get the Relic out of Saboru's hands so his dad couldn't us it to steal his body. Saboru then needed to get the Relic away from Yurinobu before that transaction happened. The Relic is at its most vulnerable in Night City at the suite and Evelyn is the only one with enough access to pull off the heist. So Saburo has agents leak how valuable the Relic is and that Arasaka would let someone get away with stealing it. Saburo is up against that time limit of the sale and has to be keeping tabs on Evelyn. So this is how Saburo knows to show up when he does. Where it starts to go wrong is that Yurinobu has tougher cyber security than anticipated. This causes T-bug to take 3 or more hours longer than expected. I speculate that Saburo was only going to show up after the Relic was safely away and have his Agents under the command of Hanako swoop in and recover the Relic. But since V and Jacky are still there they witness his murder and get caught by the heightened hotel security. Leading to the Hijinks that ensue. If the plan had gone off without a hitch Hanako's agents would have known exactly where to find Evelyn and recover the Relic.

[@Marx1684]

You’re narration goes with a play through of this game SO well. I had to turn it down to figure out where the nerve raking music was coming from. 😅

[@dimarichmain]

Rogue organised an assault on the Arasaka (twice!) and still thought the heist was a dumb idea. It somehow works out in the end (because of course it works out, it's a video game), but the flaws are so obvious if you think about it.

[@JoacinoDaGona]

On the one hand, I have to give credit to Evelyn in putting the heist together in the first place, but in doing so she invokes the attention of movers and shakers far beyond her standing. Even if it had succeeded, neither De Shawn nor the VDBs are the kind of people who suffer loose ends, let alone the entirety of Arasaka and possibly NetWatch looking for the brain behind the theft. The gumption to look at an once-a-lifetime opportunity and sieze it, however, is a thing to be respected. If you want to move beyond your station, you first have to know it. Speaking of, that Daxter agreed to the hustle reeks of equal parts arrogance and desperation, the mark of a washed-up has-been who should have stuck with the quiet life.

[@ObIitus]

She had no choice, really. VDB would not take "no", and they are known to dispose of mercs after they did their part. So her only chance was to try and turn the whole situation in a clusterfuck and slip away while big players are at each other's throats.

[@warlordofbritannia]

First I suspected her, then I resented her. But by the end I pitied her. What a tragedy of a character, straight out of Ancient Greece. The more furious she tried to drag herself out of cesspool known as Night City the deeper she dug herself in.

[@raidenpz]

You forget Rogue was in arasaka's pocket. That's why she doesn't go with the heist. Only Silverhand could convince her to go against them.

[@IJest]

I wanted to save Evie. Much like Sandra Dorsett when V carries her out of the scav haunt. Even still wanting Judy and V to be together, I didn't want to let Evie go.

[@rossnorris2351]

I love the fact that someone, finally is able to look past the manipulative person that Evelyn was trying to show and sees the beauty, the fear and the uncertainty that was there.

[@wolfe4536]

Great work, I just recently found your channel and I love your cyberpunk character essays. Can’t wait for your potential examinations of Judy, Panam, or Songbird!

[@lydiscott]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@noahmcalister]

Banger vid, really enjoyed this

[@lydiscott]

Thank you so much! 😄

[@KayleeKez]

Evelyn didn't choose to unalive herself, she was forced to. During her rescue mission you can read on one of the computers that they have programmed her for this very scenario. Getting rescued. Not trusting her rescuers. And self unaliving. It was the plot of the BD and as we know, when a BD is programmed, it's not possible to tell what's real or not. She. Didn't. Want. To. Die.

[@이가람-s3w]

NC being City of Dreams is a good name. It makes everyone dream, and it remains as a dream since no one can actually acheive it.

[@lydiscott]

Thanks so much for watching guys! Let me know what characters you’d like to see covered from Cyberpunk. 😄

[@TheMecoolerest001]

V, Judy, Jackie, Panam, Johnny, Alt, Rogue, Yorinobu, Saul, Smasher, Lilith, Mr Blue Eyes, Reed, Songbird

[@TheMecoolerest001]

Oh also, not a character but I would be interested in your thoughts on the symbolism of cats in the story. I haven’t been able to unpick that one in my head yet.

[@adrienmonti5597]

Please do an analysis on Judy 🙏 the relationship she had with Evelyn covered in this video only makes me want to delve deeper in her analysis

[@TheMecoolerest001]

@@adrienmonti5597 lucky you! Her latest community post revealed that Punchin Judy is her next video.

[@squigglesmcjr199]

Spider murphy and rache bartmoss

[@facelessjack442]

remember guys, its morally correct to put down Every Scav

[@ryukibladewolf8409]

It's funny ...how this relates to real life ...those with good hearts ...who care the most ...who can't go through with sacrificing others for personal gain ...end up being hurt the most ..until they either become cold or end it all ...maybe in some rare cases they wise up and give the right people love and care ...but that's easier said than done ...I know my comment is all over the place but ...I felt like I needed to share ...I love cyberpunk and how much I can relate to so much in its world ❤

[@duckydae]

there’s a part of me that’s angry with evelyn in her pursuit that ultimately would’ve screwed over her nearest and dearest (even then, i still can rationalise it) but at the end of the day, most of the heist’s collateral were dealt death or impending which is nothing compared to what she went through. i know alt planned to work with the vdb’s against netwatch but i can’t in my right mind forgive them for what they did to evelyn, for what woodman, maiko, the claws an and the scavs did to her. they don’t deserve the comfort of death for what is dished out by their hands.

[@ruckerrc]

Sometimes the greatest hunters look like victims... The fact she landed the Prince and plans the heist tells me she was no victim. Until she was.

[@jaffarebellion292]

And some of the biggest victims still think they're hunters, right up until it's too late.

[@ruckerrc]

@@jaffarebellion292 lol...very true.

[@craigmoye2322]

You have done an excellent job with these videos!

[@lydiscott]

Thank you very much! 😄

[@leehrvyoswld]

The extended consonants is wild.

[@draochvar9646]

I always have to chuckle at the idea that Ev thinks she's actually messing with Yorinobu's plans and isn't just another cog in it. Simply put, Yorinobu's goal is (and has always been) the downfall of the Arasaka Saburo had built. His entire presence back in the Corp is a means to that end, since his stint as a ganger didn't cut it. So Evelyn hawking the Relic off to Netwatch serves his goals just as well as him personally doing it.

[@hamsters7760]

Always personally wondered if Yorinonu WAS entirely aware of the heist. The timing is just too perfect for him, and it goes to the benefit of only him (until V escapes, repeatedly)

[@lydiscott]

Ohhh that would open a WHOLE other bunch of storylines if that’s the case. I like it!

[@ObIitus]

There is a theory that he actually organized it all. That would actually explain a lot if it was an inside job.

[@Emerly]

@@lydiscottI believe he knew and used V as the fall guy to frame. Smasher knew you were hiding, Yorinobu had to have the heads up. It’s the perfect scheme to take Arasaka down and get out Scot free.

[@SineN0mine3]

​@@Emerlysmasher didn't know that V and Jackie were in the apartment. He might have known, but at best it's open to interpretation. The main reason I don't think he saw you is because it doesn't make any sense for the story. Maybe they were planning on having a reveal that he knew and it didn't pan out but more likely I think he's programmed to look at you in that scene because it's supposed to be scary. I don't mind the idea, but it's not canon so I don't think you should use it as evidence to back another theory. IF he saw you then Yorinobu DEFINITELY knew about the heist, because otherwise surely Smasher's curiousity and blood lust would result in you being caught. I get that Smasher is an agent of chaos and not loyal to any corpo, least of all Arasaka, but he doesn't do ANYTHING with the supposed knowledge that V and Jackie have the Relic or that they're witnesses to the murder of Saburo. From a narrative perspective that's deeply unsatisfying. Smasher could create a lot more random chaos than he does if that's the best explanation we have for him keeping this secret. Even if he hates Yorinobu (which I doubt, I think he expected the betrayal but wasn't privy to the plan) he could benefit hugely from turning you in, or executing you immediately. He has nothing to gain by letting you go except wanting to watch the world burn. If that's all he wants, why not just kill Yorinobu too and let the whole of Arasaka come crashing down? He likes his gig and sees it as a path to more power. 2IC to the head of the Arasaka family is too tempting even for a cyberpsycho like Adam to throw away for a bit of hedonistic fun.

[@patrickellis4247]

New subscriber here... thank you so much for all ur content, it helps me dive deeper into a game that i love so much! It really helped me deal with my mums death having a world i could escape to. Thanks for your content :)

[@kamesen24]

I'm really enjoying your Cyberpunk 2077 deep dives. Evelyn's story and its gut-wrenching anguish still resonate with me. One detail I noticed- and I might be overthinking it; CDPR could just be reusing animation assets, but: Evelyn and Lizzy Wizzy smoke in exactly the same manner. Cigarette in the right hand, ash tray held in the left.

[@TaliffsTrials]

The only survivors to find happiness in NC are the ones that leave. You don't live in NC you simply survive and some can't even do that. Evelyn like jackie, T Bug and many others saw that one chance to make the big one, just one last heist and you can be free. As it is she performed her last act Dream Doll Disaster, bought to you by the voodoo boys and accompanied on the harp from hell by Arusaka. Nobody deserves that fate, can't help but feel sorry for her.

[@deepseastonecore3017]

This might be out of your normal videos but a game called Jak and Dexter

[@kolyasoul3343]

I like that idea

[@SineN0mine3]

Where Dexter DeShawn the fixer teams up with Jak the mysterious collecter of Eco?

[@newnamesameperson397]

I like how you break down things without all the thematics some other KZbinrs do. You got the overly dramatic ones, the unfunny make a lame joke at the end of every sentence ones, the repeat themselves but rephrase it for 30 minute ones. Not you though, precise and to the point. Like reading a good book that flows

[@zambekiller]

Personally I always got a bratty older sister vibe feom Evelyn and a much more down to earth techie little sister vibe from Judy but that's probably because I have three sisters and the bantering just felt a little too familiar

[@DarkSpells87]

I believe that the plan was, or at least what Evelyn sold to Judy, is that she would go be a succesfull BD star and Judy be part of her BD crew.

[@Spinklestein]

Great video! I hope we get to see a strimstram soon! I guess yous busy

[@callmealex1247]

Your videos are really good. I enjoy listening to you and your perspective and analysis on the cyberpunk universe because I love it. I recommend watching WISE fishe's kids on the universe it's history and etc. Make a video on yorinobu, please.

[@lydiscott]

Thank you so much! And will do, he’s a fascinating character, super sad story.

[@rjshadow4321]

she had delusions of grandeur with her thoughts she was in the same league as the high class when in reality she was nothing but a doll dressed up like a princess to be played with till she either broke or they got bored with her then replaced with the new model.

[@JeoshuaCollins]

"The part she was now playing was _to date_ her biggest _role_" Was the dual meaning of those highlighted words intentional? - To date - currently / to go out with - Role/Roll - part / slang for a mugging

[@Shinigami88X1]

I think that Misty in PL ending is telling the players to move on from Cyberpunk in a meta way

[@lydiscott]

I love that!

[@AsuraMidori]

Loved the video! I agree eve was smart but soft she knew the game but didn’t like the rules. I feel like eve used who she had to for ends met just like her job as a doll she was good at it but never enjoyed it she was running out of time and she knew it and the final thing to do for freedom she couldn’t bring her self to do so she went back to where it all started she went back to have it ended where her timer for life started to tick down clouds.

[@generallyinfamous7156]

Great Video! Your channel is amazing! 🌟🌟🌟

[@lydiscott]

Aww thank you! Happy you enjoyed it 😄

[@bebomac5]

Good work.. More please. 🙏🏽

[@lydiscott]

Thank you! Will do! 😄

[@dariusjaeger3395]

No video game characters fate ever haunted me like Evelyns. After her suicide I had to close the game and sit down for a while. My motivations shifted after that too. Wasn't interested in victory or becoming a legend anymore. I had one goal now: Get out of this irredeemable shithole with Judy.

[@moriiii4522]

you know the game is damn good when almost all charas in it can get whole video essays lol

[@gamesretweets9979]

Evelyn played and deceived Yorinobu, the Tygers, The VDBs, The Mox, Judy, Dex and V. But her biggest mistake was playing and deceiving herself.

[@channel45853]

it's sorta determinant that she plays V, because you can reject her offer and rat her out to Dex

[@TaliaIGhul]

Gotham City in DC is a more honest metropolis than Night City. At least Gotham doesn't hide it's ugly side. Night City does in the shadows and behind the scenes what Gotham does openly. Night City destroys people's lives like Evelyn Parker.

[@Belikewaterbud]

Every doll hits the blackwall.

[@BlueViper8907]

The Queen has brought us another one 🙌

[@mateuszslawinski1990]

Do I feel sorry for her? Yes. It doesn't change a fact she brought it on herself. No one forced her to betray Yorinobu, VDB and Dex (she shouldn't even come close to VDB at all). She was playing with fire and got burned together with almost everyone involved.

[@tylerben8903]

can you do analysis of batman arkham series characters and rdr2 characters

[@lydiscott]

Would love at some point. Arthur Morgan is high up on my must-do list for sure.

[@arxerisdam1]

Well she could have make 1000 better plans to get the credits and get what she wanted but she chose betrayal!

[@scottleneau6221]

Content's got a beat. I can dig it. Might want to get yourself a Patreon or something like it if you haven't already.

[@cld9elato172]

She looks different… was she always blonde? I like it

[@demonduck1220]

I honestly don’t feel sorry for Evelyn, she reached out to the VDBs, she could have left Clouds for the Mox like Judy but no, she decided to get involved with gangs and fixers and organise a damn heist. Evelyn’s story, like V’s, David’s or so many others in Night City is the story of someone who left the quiet life behind for the blaze of glory and should have known what came with it.

[@sessasidney]

Is there an ending where Judy doesn't leave NC? She always leave with or without V as far as I know

[@Karhall]

No. She leaves no matter what

[@sessasidney]

@@Karhall good, she made me think there was still an ending I didn't get

[@SineN0mine3]

What happens if you don't do any of her quests? I think it's possible for her not to call at all but I could be wrong. Maybe if V doesn't get involved and just leaves Judy alone she'd end up staying. Maybe her leaving had less to do with V and more to do with her being ready to leave or not being able to stay where she lost Evelyn though so who knows?

[@sessasidney]

@@SineN0mine3 No, she still leaves cause she goes ahead with the plan without V and it blows... So she gets angry with V for ghosting her and not caring at all

[@Karhall]

@@SineN0mine3 If you never do any quest then she stays in NC and doesn't call.

[@poorlytang6339]

morphologis and what your will you could colab.

[@GankScythe]

why do you look like Finn in this video 👀👀 Elf1nn

[@JLVTar]

Like your Edgerunners videos, I really like your character analysis. Especially the idea that Evelyn went back to Clouds in an effort to pull attention away from Judy & the Mox. That's great stuff!

[@lydiscott]

Hiiiii! Thank you for watching! I feel quite strongly about the subject of sex work and workers due in no small part to my proximity to those who worked in that profession. In this video on Evelyn, I specifically tried to focus on her and the damage of the predatory practices of clouds, directly contrasting with the safer (albeit still not perfect, cause night city) space of the Mox. I totally hear what you’re saying and genuinely appreciate the feedback, but I also don’t think it’s fair to say that I got into my perspective on sex work and sex workers. I decided not to, as that requires a whole other video, to properly and respectfully discuss the parallels of sex workers and sex work in night city to our own world.

[@JLVTar]

@@lydiscott I think I understand where you're coming from, and I appreciate your reply. 💜 I can see the elements you're talking about, and though I might have chosen different wording, I get what you mean. Also, I might be too quick to jump to defense sometimes. The broader topic is very important to me, as are Evelyn, Judy, and the Moxes. I hope my comment didn't upset, and I apologize if it did. You're definitely not wrong about Clouds, especially the men that run it.

[@lydiscott]

@@JLVTarthank you for your response! No offence taken, no worries. Honestly enjoy that genuine discussions like this can happen in my comments sections lol!

[@SineN0mine3]

​@@JLVTarI think your concern comes from the right place but I think it's more important that people are willing to talk honestly about these things than it is to use precisely the right words. If we give each other the benefit of the doubt and assume good intentions at least some of the time we make it a lot easier to talk about sensitive subjects when real life problems arise. One of the parallels between real life and cyberpunk in the industry is the way in which workers and clients use coded language to avoid talking about confronting aspects of the trade. In reality, most sex work isn't performed under fair conditions and most sex workers are exploited to a greater or lesser degree and one of the reasons it's prevalent is that people are uncomfortable talking about it. In a perfect world all sex workers would be self employed and have legal protection, but until that's the norm we have to have a lot of serious conversations to get where we want to be. I think the writers of the game hoped to inspire those kinds of conversations and make people more aware, and I think videos like this continue that effort. Most people can only dream of taking matters into their own hands like V and addressing the individuals who cause the most suffering directly, but predatory industries can't survive without support and over time people's minds can be changed and that's something everyone can be a part of. I think a world where sex work (and all work) is safe and legal and doesn't harm those involved is entirely plausible but I don't think thats the world we live in. I hope that we can change that though.

[@RichMaloy]

Wait a sec, if Evelyn offered the job to Rogue first AND Rogue is on the take from Arasaka (recall the dialog with Grayson) then did Rogue tip off Arasaka?! 🤔

[@SineN0mine3]

Seems unlikely, if Arasaka had been tipped off I don't think that Saburo would have agreed to meet with Yorinobu in the room where the Relic is kept. I think either Yorinobu or Saburo would have played the situation to their advantage and eliminated V and Jackie as well as the other family member to wrap the whole thing up nicely as corpos are want to do. Also I don't think Rogue is that much of a dog. She knows that in order to survive she has to deal with corpos, but she's the Queen of the Afterlife so she does it on her own terms. It's possible that Yorinobu got that tip and for some reason decided to let V and Jackie escape with the Relic (although he could have done a better job by not sicking all those ninjas on you) as V does end up taking the blame in the public eye. That gives him a good scapegoat for the murder but doesn't explain why he reports the death as a poisoning, if he knew that two mercenaries would be in his father's room when he murdered him he could have reported strangulation (the actual cause of death) or simply shot him since he had the scapegoats to pin it on. I find that a bit hard to believe and I reckon Yorinobu is just rolling with the punches and when V and Jackie are spotted by the AV he takes the obvious path of least resistance and blames them. If Yorinobu knew more than he lets on he does a very good job of hiding it, particularly when you see him in some of the ending scenes. If Saburo knew he probably wouldn't have died, because he'd have bodyguards with him and they'd be protecting the Relic.

[@Animefan1803]

What are you talking about? Evelyn made it to only movies she would ever be able to star in. She made one hell of a BD in the end.

[@ved2360]

I think the essay is over-stating the point for dramatic effect. Given that Woodman was actively exploiting Eve after-hours anyway. She was already a frog in a kettle that was boiling. The frog will try to leap out. Pretty understandable math there. It's easy for Viktor to give up his illusions because he's a ripper doc. He can just put in his hours professionally and clock out. Eve doesn't really have that luxury.

[@SineN0mine3]

It seems like she had more options than that when you consider how close she was to Yorinobu and that she had at least one Fixer willing to work with her. Maybe Dex manipulated her into revealing what she knew about the Relic, but I doubt it. I think she came to him hoping to make one big score to set her up for life. If instead she played Yorinobu closer to her chest she could have been by his side as he enacted his plan to destroy Arasaka. She could have even had a hand in bring the war between Arasaka and Militech to a close and potentially changing the course of history. She wasn't just some 2-bit Doll, she had the skills and experience to pull something like that off. When you compare Evelyn's journey to V's it seems as though she's meant to act as a warning for what could happen if V follows the same path. The Relic in V's head is analogues to the pain Evelyn suffers from the abuse she's suffered. Evelyn gave in to the pain, and V and the player are left to wonder what they can do to avoid the same fate. Neither V nor Evelyn chose the situations they find themselves in, but despite the huge personal cost they both also had the opportunity to change the course of history. Inevitably because Evelyn and V's paths cross, Ev does end up making a big difference to Night City and the world as they know it but the effort is too much for her.

[@anthonyvarzino1094]

Preem hair cyberware

[@justinogle150]

it unsubbed me from you for some reason

[@lydiscott]

I blame Willard! 🤣

[@fusionferrari2902]

You have a pretty face

[@Undertaker93]

I'm gay but ngl you're so Pretty😍

[@Wolfbane1677]

This is why I don't want to pursue the Judy love story, because it was almost hunted at that Judy loved Evelyn. Hell Judy preferred feminine sounding people and the way Judy worried about Evelyn and even blamed herself for getting in an argument with Evelyn before she disappeared, showed that Judy loved Evelyn even if it was one sided. So to romance Judy is almost like replacing Evelyn, she is trying to find someone to fill in that hole that she lost and V just happened to be there. I mean what if any of them other female Mox helped her out would she still fall for V or would she fall for them. I'm just saying Judy's and V's relationship is only held together because V helped her find Evelyn and even helped her find the people who killed Evelyn. Not a very stable relationship if I may say so myself.

[@englishgiraffe2124]

See, I'm actually going to disagree that V was a replacement for Judy. Judy looked like she loved V for who she was, and not what she reminded her of. I would even say that V wasn't necessarily there just to be an anchor, rather the two needed to be equal and mutual anchors for each other. They're the only remaining members from the Heist, so arguably have survivor's guilt from it, and the two lost the closest people in their lives from it, Jackie and Evelyn. Also they're the most similar in personality, being hot-headed, standoffish and preferring to be loners. I think because of their similar circumstances, they both needed each other equally, and grew to intimately love each other from their circumstance (which is even more poignant as Corpo V, who originally believed she couldn’t love after being so tied to Arasaka and likely doing terrible things).

[@Wolfbane1677]

@@englishgiraffe2124 Fair

[@HereticNoir]

I think the thing that pissed me off the most about CDPR's telling of Evelyn's part of the story is that, when you go to rescue Evelynn the XBD Studio where Fingers dumped her, there's a Tarot card for the arcanum of "Justice". As if even the dullard gods of this broken world had found Evelyn at fault for her own end. It didn't stop me from playing the rest of the game, but I was a LOT less inclined to take their story seriously when THEIR entire read on Evelynn's arc seemed to boil down to "Dumb W#0r3 got what she deserved. Hurr, hurr."

[@studentt6064]

I think that's one specific way to interpret it, I have always felt it more appropriate that V and Judy are there to punish the scavs in turn though as an interpretation, which is more inline with the art sortof depicting a vengeful type of feeling. Another one is that "justice" from the description in-game is said as "a return to natural state of affairs", however the natural state of affairs in NC is everything besides what we would call "just" though. It's clear though that while the card is called "justice", there's no such thing to be found in NC, even if you just go guns blazing in that scav hideout.

[@RavenStorm332]

Doll Chips don't make a doll forget what's happening to them after the chip only makes it so they know exactly what the customer wants each doll is fully aware of what's happening around them while their chip is active. What makes Evelyn special is that she also has a BD Rec Implant which allows her to record things, she was smarter than she looked but the VDBs screw everyone over if they're outsiders which was their plan from the jump once Evelyn got them what they wanted. We also have to remember that the Cyberpunk universe only gives us one side of the world where corps bad but if you read deeper then you'd notice that there's a lot of nuance within it. The surface level of corps bad is just that surface level. I recommend reading the Cyberpunk Red source book for a complete history of the world.

[@beige_projection]

That's not the case. They're not aware of what was happening to them while the doll chip is active. Just like how we see with Skye, and when we talked to another male doll during the first Clouds mission.

[@RavenStorm332]

@@beige_projection Skye and Angel are fully aware but they have no control over what's happening which is why when you say the safeword both ask you if they did something wrong. You're just taking into account the game and not the TTRPG as both are connected, back to the doll chips make it so that the person is mostly a passenger in the experience.

[@SineN0mine3]

​@@RavenStorm332It's possible that there are different kinds of Doll-chips, we've seen the modded version Judy uses to take iver Clouds, and there's those proxy chips which seem to be similar. From conversation we can have at Clouds and with Judy and Evelyn at various times we know that the chips used at Clouds work like you describe. The dolls are piloted by an AI which analyses the client's "deepest desires" or whatever and the dolls just go on autopilot. They're aware during, which I'm pretty sure makes it worse, right? I think you'd rather be blacked out or getting some VR of a nice field in the country or something but they don't design them for the doll's enjoyment.

[@RavenStorm332]

@@SineN0mine3 well Judy just modified existing doll chips so I guess there could be some that were modified to make it so that they forget what they're doing while it's active