The True Meaning of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge's Weird Ending

[@meleemon]

The way it all makes the most sense to me is that the ending to Monkey Island 2 is the ending that Guybrush told his son. He told his son that they came out of the Dinky Island caverns to find themselves as kids in an amusement park. He told his son that his parents were there looking for them. He told his son that Chuckie's eyes were glowing as they walked off. He told his son that meanwhile, Elaine was standing over the pit wondering if LeChuck had put a spell on him. Then, the opening of Return to Monkey Island is Guybrush's son playing out the story that his father told him. That's why they "pretend" the people standing outside are their parents - because they need to find a couple to act as the parents so they can finish off the story. It's why they pretend Chuckie's eyes are glowing - because that's what Guybrush told him happened. So it's not that the opening of Return to Monkey Island IS the ending to Monkey Island 2, but that they're two separate tellings of the same story, one with Guybrush as the narrator and one with his son acting it out. They're not totally identical because the son is trying to make things fit the story his father told him, but has to work with what he's got and use his imagination.

[@MedskiPurnamski]

Anyone realized that in the game whenever Guybrush do something 'pirate-like' it crosses an item on LeChuck's pirate recruitment pamphlet? It's as if the game is telling you that Guybrush's relentless quest in searching for the secret is slowly turning him into his worst enemy. I haven't found anything related to an alternative ending if all the items are crossed yet, but it's certainly an interesting tidbit that makes me want to replay the game.

[@maverick2009ish]

wow good analysis man! i was so focused on boybrush and chuckie in the opening of this game when i played it like 2 months ago, i didnt even noticed the background of big whoop changed after a minute! there's tunnel-vision for ya ;-p i really like how you look at all the (story) details and disect them for us viewers! if I could like a vid twice i would, if I could sub to your channel twice, i would :-) really considering playing Return again soon :-)

[@indianastilts]

Actually no it didn't.... It actually made lechuck revenge ending be unknown. After the intro the kids go to Guybrush and he says "you guys always make up that ending" so now none of us know the ending of lechuck revenge which is sad as I loved revenge ending....I tweeted Ron Gilbert and he basically in a jokey way said I was right annoyingly

[@danielyepes7981]

The “chum club” storyline give us an insight on how the stories change to be more entertaining. I think that’s a prelude on the whole series. Maybe guybrush was really a pirate, had some adventures but embellished them for the sake of story telling .

[@ShyGuyXXL]

This game made me feel stupid for ever having gotten invested in the world and characters in the first place. I was invested in Ron Gilbert's original two stories, whether they were real or in Guybrush's imagination... but now we find out it was neither? It was a "reimagining" by Guybrush's son all along? I mean, for all we know this goes for both MI 1 and 2. Is anything even real? Is Curse of Monkey Island real? Or is that someone just playing as well? If they ever make another Monkey Island game after this one, is that not gonna be real as well? At this point, it's better to not get invested in anything Monkey Island related. When nothing is ever real, stories aren't finished and retcons can just be tossed around like rice at a wedding, then why even bother? You're just going to be disappointed at the end. I mean, spoilers... This game's plot wasn't even real. It was just a sad old man trying to relive his glory days. (haha, get it? just like the Developers and the fans! Oh, how whimsical!) It's just sad to me. I know a lot of people don't play these games for the plot, but rather the humor, but why can't it be both? I always liked the worldbuilding of the first two games. I thought they did a good job. Especially Monkey Island 2 felt like it had a great interconnected world. But apparently I never should've looked at it that way. I should've just shut my brain off, enjoyed the ride, and never should've forgotten that I'm just playing a videogame and nothing in it is real or worth getting invested in.

[@indigo.s]

I love the plot of these games! They are really good *stories*. In the literal meaning of the word. Awareness of this fact doesn't ruin the fiction to me :)

[@meclimoneproduzionicinemat3934]

I thought about it for a long time after finishing the game, and the only solution that makes sense and that includes all the theories about the “secret” without contradicting them is this: Big Whoop, the amusement park we see at the beginning, is real, it’s reality, but this reality is filtered through the memories of adult Guybrush, alone on the bench, who remembers his latest adventure with his brother Chuckie. “Return to Monkey Island” is “the memory of an imagination” of an adopted child who, as soon as he was found by his older brother Chuckie, resumed playing with him, before leaving the amusement park with his mother. And I think the ending really works emotionally because, in a subtle way, it implies that all of Guybrush’s adventures are the fruit of his imagination. Including Boybrush and his marriage to Elaine. Try to think the whole game in this perspective, and everything make sense again.

[@omegasilenoz]

I'm sorry but the realization that all of this was just a parody of the MI2 ending played by his son, not the real ending of MI2 killed the game for me. When I finished MI2, the ending impacted me in such a way back in the day that I was extremely excited for Ron's version of Monkey island 3...Until he left Lucasarts. I think Curse of Monkey Island kind of did a decent job of explaining that what happened was in fact a curse put on Guybrush by Lechuck. I guess my biggest disappointment is that I not only wanted to find out what really happened during the ending, but also that I wanted to play that ending as well, I wanted to play a game of Guybrush escaping the Big Whoop carnival, surviving deadly rides, his family trying to kill him, freeing himself from that curse, etc. I feel that there were so many wasted opportunities, like we could have found more about Guybrush's past, about his parents and brother, why he was abandoned, etc. Instead we got a children story about how Guybrush discovered the "Secret of Monkey Island" which is another big disappointment.

[@wipidipipaku]

Same feeling here.

[@Pingwn]

I, as well, wanted to see how Guybrush escaped from Big Whoop and how would it tie into the story and what happened. But Ron said that whatever his idea for that game was already done in a way by Tales of Monkey Island and he wanted to do something new. I feel like this game is addressing more how this ending felt and the point of those games - to tell an interesting story - and the journey is more important than the ending itself. It isn't about what happened in the end but how did we get there. I think that, at least for me, it did a good job in doing that.

[@beneisen6982]

The game was a wonderful experience. The many endings really brought a lot to the game, leaving a lot of the meaning up to the gamer.

[@Consequencesarts]

Absolutely! I'll go into more details about the meaning in my ending video, and I'll share what ending I take from it all too :)

[@paulsmith9192]

@Consequences Ron was on podcast and said everything was an amusement park

[@listrahtes]

@@paulsmith9192 the game itself made that very clear.

[@ALookIntoTheEulenspiegel]

@@paulsmith9192 To be fair, it seems a lot like Ron was the only one who wanted to do that and that it's canon in his head, only. The vague, non-committal endings read to me like a man trying to suggest an ending that the rest of writers do not want to put in. The stories about everyone else talking him out of it certainly make it feel that way.

[@listrahtes]

It was such a cheap cop out of a ending. The whole idea with the kids in the park breaks destroyed the whole immersion. Everyone applauded because it is an ok game but really nothing more. The old characters were one dimensional recyclings that lacked all originality. Elaine is now a dumb bimbo glorifying Guybrush. It's a classic successor if the creator has no idea how to end it. But some puzzles were good I give him that. The design style was sometimes working but mostly well not. But fans have longed so much that near all reviews lack critical analysis.

[@b1akn3ss93]

7 years old when my Brothers and I got a copy of The secret Monkey Island and Loom in a twin pack of cd Ron for pc

[@nothing2069]

So guy brush is a mighty pirate, tells his son the stories but only changes the endings. Retires and becomes a flooring inspector. If that's the case then it's a good ending I would say.

[@Consequencesarts]

I think thats what he was doing before return to monkey island based on what he says at the end of the game! And I think Guybrush is the epitome of ‘it’s the journey not the destination’

[@paulsmith9192]

@Brett check Ron interview on Cressup KZbin. He said guybrush is in an amusement park

[@Pingwn]

@@paulsmith9192 He said this was his original idea for the secret, which honestly makes sense considering MI1 and MI2, but he also said that he wanted in this game to let player interpret this ending however they want to and each person has their own ending for the game.

[@juliuszhorst8083]

I thought that the Big Whoop park was real and the more run-down park with ships in the background, sleeping pirate, unsanitary restaurant, rat in sunglasses and pieces o' eight used as currency is return to the pirate-y fantasy.

[@Consequencesarts]

I thought that originally but after playing through it a few times I changed my mind. I think because the big whoop carnival is the version we see in MI2 and the prelude confirms that the ending was imaginary, then the imagination wears off to show the more run down park

[@patrickwilson1459]

Well, if there was something I really wanted to see in this game it’s the true secret of Monkey Island to be revealed and it was. I was so excited to play this game that it took me two tries to beat it. Good game, Ron.

[@photophob]

Man, I really feel sorry for all you guys disappointed by "Return" because you are still looking for "what really happened" in a series of (great!) computer games, written and told by different people over a really long period of time during which the medium itself, as well as its audience, changed completely. You are taking this "goofy pirate adventure(s)" (Ron Gilbert's own words in this gorgeous letter) waaaay to literally and miss out on a very sweet and wise love letter to "telling stories" imho.

[@Consequencesarts]

It is just a goofy pirate adventure! I just made this video to tackle the ending if Mi2 and the prelude because I thought people may have lingering questions 🫣

[@photophob]

@@Consequencesarts ah, sorry man, with "all you guys" i was aiming at the many disappointed comments here, not at you as the author of the video 🙈 - i really like your approach (and also subscribed as a consequence).

[@Pingwn]

I feel like the point is that it doesn't matter. What is the "real" story? Who knows? It isn't the point of the story, the point is to enjoy the journey. After all, aren't all tables and tales stories that were past down unreliably from one person to another?

[@ALookIntoTheEulenspiegel]

You know they are bad at writing endings, when they have to retcon their own one.

[@indianastilts]

This is a great video as when I got this game on release as had the originals on floppy, I wanted to know what happens after MI2. When we got this answer...I was shocked as then I realised we still haven't got the MI2 ending now also. So we have 2 questions now...what is the secret of MI and what happened at the end of MI2....so will we ever know? I suppose we do have the secret as the ending let's you decide I guess but what happened at the end of MI2???

[@Consequencesarts]

Thank you! Yeah we're never going to know what happens directly after MI2, but Ron has repeatedly said the rest of the games are canon, so we can probably assume the MI3 explanation is right. LeChuck cursed Guybrush at the end of MI2 and he escapes on the bumper car. What happens in the middle is up to us I suppose! I'll always believe that the original secret of monkey island was that it was LeChuck's hideout and the river of lava under Monkey Island. But then it grew as a conspiracy into being something else and Ron had this other secret about the game as whole - it being set in the carnival - that it morphed into the 'what is the secret of money island' secret, even though it was never meant to be. Could be wrong though haha!

[@indianastilts]

@Consequencesarts I did have Ron reply to 2 of my tweets but even those weren't really answers haha. Love your vids

[@paulsmith9192]

Ending sets up sequel about mire Island?

[@paulsmith9192]

Ron,was on Cressup KZbin and explained everything. Even said all endings Havnt been found and guybrush in an amusement park. So,does this mean guybrush a real pirate or stories made up

[@Consequencesarts]

I think he said the original idea would have been Guybrush was in an amusement park *but* didn’t know it. I’ll make an ending video soon to explain my interpretation of what happened, but essentially I think it implies he is a real pirate and the stories are what he’s telling his kid. But I think he wants people to draw their own conclusions on what they want it to be

[@paulsmith9192]

@Consequences well,Ron said it is an amusement park guybrush was playing.but,didn't really clarify if guybrush a real pirate that went on real adventures or made up stories?I mean he keeps changing his stories to his son

[@paulsmith9192]

I thought ending originally ment all of guybrush pirate adventures were told through an,amusement park

[@alexelpunky8130]

Este juego tiene al menos 8 o 9 finales diferentes, pero no sabría decir cuál es el bueno, eso depende del criterio de cada uno.☺️😉

[@joshuaweston6531]

This is basically what I thought as well. I'm really only confused on two points. Number one, the ending, which apparently you're making a video on so I'll leave that alone for now. Number two, the chronology of this game's main adventure. Not the part with Guybrush and Boybrush, but the actual pirate stuff. I don't know if it's what Ron Gilbert intended here, but for me, this story has to take place after Curse but before Escape. Why? Because Guybrush is already familiar with Murray and Herman Toothrot is not yet known to be Elaine's father. I refuse to accept that Idea being retconned!

[@josephrjt1]

Surely it takes place after all the others, as there are Tales of references, which is meant to take place years after Escape.

[@joshuaweston6531]

@@josephrjt1 Perhaps I missed them, but other than the scrapbook, I don't recall any references to Tales.

[@josephrjt1]

@@joshuaweston6531 When learning to tell the perfect fishing story from the Chums, it references being stuck inside a giant Manatee.

[@joshuaweston6531]

@@josephrjt1 Oh...I think I do recall that...hmmm...well I guess it must be set after Tales then.

[@MedskiPurnamski]

@@joshuaweston6531 Morgan Le Flay's name come up a few times. She's a character exclusive to the Tales series.

[@kabamarutr]

Still doesn't make sense. During the dream in MI2 Guybrush saw his parents. They can't be the strangers that Boybrush met AFTERWARDS. I think he (Ron) always meant it to be a travel through the theme park. Chuckie, the brother, chasing Guybrush to bring him back and the fantasy collapsing when reality kicked in and Guybrush couldn't neglect the anachronisms any more (grog machines, pipes etc). Now, Ron wanted to put closure and invented this nonsensical depends-on-the-narrator-view which is quite lazy. There is no context on the world in this game. No progress. Zero. So, LeChuck is still zombie? How so? What happened anyway in the end of MI2? He promised explanation and delivered an "it depends". The story has zero progress in the latest game and - to be frank - Guybrush seems like a person with mental issues that cannot accept reality, dresses like a pirate and his wife sooths him with promises of fake pirate adventures. Yes. What is Mire Island going to be? Another animatronic part? PS Mind you, the (now) fake parents are dressed in today's clothing. That makes (now) makes Guybrush some demented middle-aged person that cannot get past his life long desire to live a pirate adventure. He dresses as a pirate to take the kids to a theme park, while his wife takes pity on him and plays along. Poor Guybrush. Scarcely more than another animatronic

[@danielwilson5049]

What are your thoughts on the Carnival in terms of MI3 then since it does seem to play a major part?

[@Consequencesarts]

So I guess the carnival of the damned exists in some form or another. My head canon would probably be something along the lines of LeChuck DID put Guybrush under some sort of spell at the end of MI2 and MI3 picks up some time after that. But because MI2 ends the way it does and prelude's explanation of that means what actually happened during that time isn't going to be confirmed!

[@blurontree]

To me the beauty of Return To Monkey Island is that it provides a simple framework to answering that kind of thing. All guybrush’s adventures are stories, shared and retold over and over, either to his kids, or to who knows who. Even perhaps repeated by gamers to each other for years to come. And as stories they change over time and often the details vary and become obscured. All we know is that in the version of the story we experienced in Curse guybrush. Was put under a curse and then escaped.