Theory & Analysis: Life Is Strange | Red Binders, Jefferson, Madsen

[@cocobird12]

Brilliant, you got it correct. It's seriously amazing how you came to this conclusion because I never saw it coming. But then in episode 4, there was the answer you knew who the killer was.

[@animalluver987]

your voice is really calming... o-o

[@Kiuchow]

Oh, thank you! :)

[@Manda_melody]

Faith Laurel It really is

[@lifeofataco]

+Faith Laurel where is the lie!!

[@brendangraham6552]

Amazing video totally opened my eyes! :) I think the table shot explains it well! Jefferson = Red Binder Nathan = Drugs Principle = Scotch The principles spirit animal seems to be the hawk (ep 3) which represents "seeing situations from a higher perspective". I think he is trying to do whats best for his school by allowing Jefferson to take his creepy pictures. Jefferson is a famous artist so he probably draws students to the school. Nathan's father is the schools biggest investor so he probably wants to keep Jefferson happy. So he forces his son to drug girls (leading to anxiety and erratic behavior) and then they take them to the 'dark room' which becomes a 'white room' from the camera flashes (possibly the light house). Madsen is just a soldier with ptsd trying to keep everyone safe...good intentions, bad execution. Just my opinion anyway.

[@amyhowarter3586]

That room that Kate said she was in when she had woken up was the dark room, because that place has pretty similar lighting like an ER

[@GeekRemix]

Awesome video, I agree with a lot of your points! Just want to point out that nathan is known to steal school supplied. :)

[@literallysquidward7170]

Geek Remix I feel like this theory follows your thoughs on the staff taking pictures of young girls, and Jefferson being a fucking creep

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you so much, Mari! That means a lot coming from you. And thanks for pointing that out :)

[@yex3812]

Geek remix I watch your theories too

[@ditzeyy]

holy shit i never noticed the red binder on the science teacher's desk!! now i definitely think jefferson is behind everything

[@Kiuchow]

Yea, the guy is totally suspicious.

[@ditzeyy]

Kiuchow ...what if the killer is mrs. grant (DUN DUN DUN!) no wonder why she doesn't want security cameras!

[@Kiuchow]

Oh my god, what a twist that would be! _mind blown_

[@jamosreece1693]

he was

[@alysonrodrigues1492]

Great analysis. The Shakespeare quote actually reminds me of the relationship between Nathan and his dad, in a way (the one in the junkyard, when you mentioned that Hamlet was thinking about suicide, over his dad).

[@Kiuchow]

I know what you mean, and I agree. Nathan seems really unwound by the events that are happening, so it's pretty applicable.

[@mikashinoshimi3681]

This is certantly the most well made theory i have ever hear,it is very good an i simply love how your not going after the tipycal first bad guy impresion or wutever is call.plus well think.

[@KitaNashGaming]

Never noticed the red binders. That is an awesome deduction. Great job! Also, your voice is really easy to listen to. :)

[@Kiuchow]

Thanks! And thanks for watching :)

[@jimmy5170]

Your voice is so soothing, you could classify this video as ASMR.

[@Kiuchow]

@Brendan Graham Thank you very much! There's also a possibility that Nathan, Jefferson, and Wells are all doing these things to please Nathan's dad, since he does pump money into the school. And I totally agree with you on David; wish he was better with people, but I do find him super interesting as he is now.

[@RaenbowRenegade]

This was a great video and theory, you definitely need more viewers and compare ideas with Geek Remix.

[@chromaticaking]

I love your clean editing and explanations. Your voice is so cute and soft aswell gahaagsusfsfd. Ep 3 comes out Tuesday I can't wait

[@Kiuchow]

Oh thank you so much! asdfjkl I am not worthy of these compliments. And I can't wait either!

[@hypnocritic]

you can slightly see Kate's video if you look at Juliet's phone when she is in the hall in the beginning of episode 2.

[@reddluuxx407]

*Spoiler Alert It IS Mark Jefferson I KNEW it though but yeah........

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you so much for that spoiler alert! :) Just in case someone stumbles onto this.

[@reddluuxx407]

You notice how he talks to makes and the expressions like he hates her or something

[@Kiuchow]

The way he talked to Max gave me the feeling he was up to no good.

[@reddluuxx407]

Yass

[@reddluuxx407]

And at ep. 4 when he shot chloe in the head I was like "I KNEW IT !!!!!" But I have theories that sounds like what episode 5 will be about 

[@techguy25777]

Very nice theory and analysis! Your voice is very soothing and I think it really fits in with your LiS videos. Can't wait to play episode 3 in one day and I can't wait to see your playthrough.

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you very much! And I can't wait to play it either! Just one more day..

[@moonie2687]

omg ur voice is sooo relaxing

[@Kiuchow]

Aw, thanks for the compliment ^^

[@reykuch]

Woah this is by far my favorite theory..made so much sense and when i watch the onther player..they kept making madsen the "bad stepdad"but i didnt want to believe it aha ..

[@Kiuchow]

David's just the weird stepdad that no one can relate to, I think. And thank you!

[@zipkitty]

Your voice is so calming. I had a really hectic week, your voice made me shiver, thank you so much. ^^'

[@Kiuchow]

Thank *you* for the kind words! Hope your next week is more chill :)

[@anastasiaaratovska856]

Just found your videos, subscribe and marathon! The quality of the stuff and your cool voice: +1 fangirl. Gonna stalk you now :D

[@lenapardow5515]

your voice is amazing, i love it!

[@Kiuchow]

Oh, thank you very much!

[@reyhanalhas1020]

Kiuchow also your use of language. quite engaging. i love the beginning when you said "still here? okay, lets talk". wonderful video!

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you! :)

[@Why_Knott_Me]

If you look on the bookshelf in Captain Spirits living room, You will see a picture that mark Jefferson took that was made into a magazine cover. This same photo can be found in the courtyard when we are first introduced to max in LIS 1. I immediately got goosebumps when I made the connection. Also, captain spirits MOM was a former student at Blackwell academy.

[@sarccharine]

I just found your channel! Gonna watch your LIS playlist now, lol. And I love your voice, btw

[@Kiuchow]

Oh, thank you very much! I hope you enjoy the playlist :)

[@SonicTurboTurtle]

WARNING! SPOILERS FROM EPISODE 4 BELOW! Wow, you were exactly right about pretty much everything in this video. My theory is that Mr. Jefferson has been framing Nathan Prescott without him realizing it the whole game. I think this because near the end of episode 4. Max/Chloe get a text from "Nathan" saying that there will be nothing to see after im finished with her.(he's referring to Rachael's body in the junkyard) And once they get there, they fall into Mr. Jeffersons trap.

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you so much for marking spoilers! I really appreciate that :) Spoilers: whoa, that's an interesting idea. When I first saw that during the episode, I thought that they could be working together, but there's always the chance that Nathan wasn't actually the one that sent that text. I mean.. Max has his phone. Not exactly sure which phone is Nathan's everyday use one, however..

[@Kiuchow]

Yes, I agree! I took a closer look at the text after I finished playing, the grammar and tone are completely different, especially if you consider Nathan's angry emotional state (and the text he sent Max earlier that day). Spoilers: I'm thinking that Nathan's involvement with this whole fiasco has been wavering ever since Rachel was chosen. I think Nathan loved her (as a friend or romantically, not sure), but her disappearance made him start to question what he was doing, and as such has been getting more and more unhinged.

[@Kiuchow]

***** Honestly, their knowledge of the oncoming storm is really iffy now in my opinion. If the episode 4 trailer was accurate and Nathan actually said "the storm is coming, we're all gonna die" then I would believe it. I'm not sure what to think now. I'd say Jefferson has no idea though.

[@sarah4hp]

SPOILERS! Kiuchow I think Nathan could be held somewhere to prevent him interfering with things, or else he is dead. I just think that him being killed by Jefferson has one problematic aspect, which is Nathan's dad, Sean Prescott. Sean Prescott obviously has big plans for bringing Nathan into the family legacy/destiny as he refers to it, and seems to love his son a lot despite his dysfunctional way of showing it. He threatens people, or buys them, to make sure Nathan isn't expelled, or gets any negative consequences for his actions, so... I can't see Sean in any way accepting the death of his son, nor do I think it likely that Jefferson would be stupid enough to kill the kid when he has to know how strongly Sean Prescott would react to anyone hurting his son. I guess it could be an accident - Taylor describes Nathan's relationship with Victoria as that of brother/sister, which is confirmed by the fact that Victoria is the one who has always supported him and cared about him, and it is very likely that Nathan would react extremely badly to the idea of Victoria's empty binder, and her being the next victim, so... maybe a heated argument went too far, and Nathan's death was an accident? At least him reacting very badly could explain why no one has seen him the last half of Thursday, because if he isn't dead there might still be a need to keep him isolated until they can get him under control again, and he is no longer a danger to the entire operation. I think Principal Wells is the last unknown participant in the whole operation for a few reasons - the first and most obvious one is that the same brand of whiskey that the principal drinks, and that Max finds in his office, is found on the table in the dark room, which seems to hint that he is involved. The second reason is more of a feeling, but Nathan calling him "that fucked up principal", and the look they share after Max has told her version of what happened with Kate in the principals office, does seem to indicate that they have a connection outside of school, and that Nathan knows more about the principal than most - enough to make him see him as "fucked up". Maybe that is because he has witnessed what the principal is in to as a result of them both being a part of the operation? Thirdly it seems like the principal and Jefferson are seen having conversations by themselves that are hushed (episode 4, right before Jefferson talks to Max and Chloe about the party, and Chloe expresses that she is "hot for teacher") or held in very private locations (Jefferson in his car at the end of episode 2), so.... again it leads me to think that the principal is part of it, and is working with Jefferson and the Prescott's. I guess we'll see if I have judged the principal wrongly and unfairly, but... yeah, at this point I do not trust him at all. I am So excited for episode 5!!!

[@Kiuchow]

Yea, Sean Prescott being of huge influence makes me confident that Nathan is not dead. And his relationship with Victoria makes me confident he will try and help stop this entire notebook conspiracy. I've believed since the beginning of episode three that Wells is involved in all this - but it could be possible that his involvement could be involuntary.

[@bartekkand]

It's quite amazing that you predicted the owner of the binders 2 episodes before he was revealed.

[@Kiuchow]

Jefferson's a pretty suspicious character :\ And thank you for the compliment!

[@kiannahmosser9964]

You have such a nice, soothing voice. Its very calming.

[@hypnocritic]

if you take a picture of David he will get fired by the way. and you can actually get suspended if you didnt tell the truth to the principal if you blame Nathan.

[@jacky1561]

I totally agree with your theory. Jefferson is hiding something and I dont think he's as good as he seems and maybe he knows where Rachel is. This game is so mindblowing omg. btw your voice is very pleasant!

[@Kiuchow]

Totally mindblowing. And thank you for the compliment!

[@weatherby551]

This is a great analysis of Jefferson and his role in the game! I think your point at the end about him over-sharing with Max is a really good one. He does a similar thing with Victoria in episode 3 if Max gets him removed from the Everyday Heroes contest/trip. It seems like he is emotionally immature, and defensive regarding Max and Kate and Rachel Amber, which strengthens my belief that he is the one making the binders and is involved in whatever is going on in Arcadia Bay.

[@Kiuchow]

Yea! He comes off cool and collected on the surface, but he shows a select group of people what he's like underneath the cool teacher guise. It just so happens that these people are all young women. At the very least, we know that he's not what he appears to be. And thank you for the compliment!

[@Cheemma]

Wow now that we've seen what happens in episode 4 everything makes more sense, congratulations good sir, you got it right!

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you, kind miss!

[@TimelessStormGaming]

I can't wait to see how your theories here tie into episode 3.

[@Kiuchow]

I hope it's mindblowing.

[@namastebtchs]

You're so right! Now I regret putting the blame on Nathan. As Max really appreciates his teacher I never thought he could be guilty. Thanks for sharing your theory!

[@Kiuchow]

Thanks for watching! Yea, it's easy to get steered in a certain direction by Max, but I don't think blaming Nathan is a wrong choice. They're both suspicious :)

Your voice is so.. calm and soft, it's relaxing. I started to think of it, that David aren't a "step-douche" and the fact that he does care.. Also Nathan, that guy have problems but.. the more I think of it, the more I start to think that he's innocent..

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you very much! And yea, I think David cares a lot, but he's just not good at showing it.

[@goldeb.8553]

I fell asleep listening to this, your voice is so nice and calming :")

[@slidingsky7]

btw guys episode 3 :chaos theory has been released 2 or 3 days ago, just a heads up, i'm gonna play it right now - yeah! :)

[@ChairyCrasher]

James Phan tuesday and i finished it and i am not going to spoil it. :)

[@ChairyCrasher]

James Phan You will understand my one choice in episode 3 :)

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you for not saying anything to spoil it! :)

[@slidingsky7]

of course, don't like it when ppl spoil it for me so why do to others. i'll wait for you to upload then we can discuss :)

[@ChairyCrasher]

James Phan Yeah it happened to me on a game called watch dogs. My friend spoiled something and after he said it. After 1 second i got the cutscene. I was pissed. Why did the he spoil it even though i was close the the spoiler. We aren't friends anymore. He wasn't my friend and i didn't know that he was a bully. :). He didn't bully me he is just dumb :).

[@lyssacabrera4244]

Great video! I actually really like this theory. I always knew something was up with Mr. Jefferson but I never realized that Kate might be lying about who she really is. Very interesting.

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you for the compliment! :)

[@Kiuchow]

@Lani Pillos The principal's pretty good at drinking on the job, though lol.

[@happynow8929]

This is a really good theory. I do think Jefferson is behind the red binders, but Episode 3 adds to this theory. In the office, you can see the bottle of whiskey in the corner and can even interact with it. When you go into Nathan's locker, you see the drugs. In the single frame with the red binders, there's a glass of whiskey and pill bottles. I believe the three of them are working together to find Rachel, even though I don't have sound proof of this. Even so, I think they are working together somehow.

[@Kiuchow]

After playing the episode, I totally agree with the idea of the three of them working together. But for who..? That's the new big mystery.

[@Sophie-ju7sx]

Really good theory! And the reason why you chose to blame Jefferson at that time when there were no obvious clues about him-just wow!You're really observant.

[@Kiuchow]

Thanks for the compliments, and thank you for watching!

[@AlexWillging]

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who originally mistook the binders for VHS tapes. I thought it might've been Nathan's collection...

[@Kiuchow]

Right?! The labels on the binders look like those labels that come with blank VHS tapes. Plus episode one had a lot of surveillance themes.

[@jasonrusso8369]

Interesting video. I did not think to suspect Mark Jefferson, but you make alot of good points.

[@Kiuchow]

Thanks for watching!

[@cocogoat1111]

Weird, when I accused Jefferson he didn't say that. He said something along the lines of Max is the only one who talked to Kate and answered her phone calls. Maybe there is a glitch that messes it up sometimes?

[@BartmossTV]

Speaking with Ep 4 hindsight, pretty well done Sir.

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you very much! :)

[@oblivious93massacre]

I think you may be right about Jefferson. I think the red binders are his because of the last two binders - Rachel's and Kate's. We know that Kate was Jefferson's assistant, so it would be easy for him to take advantage of her. There's no proof that this happened, but it's a possibility. As for Rachel... We knew Rachel wanted to be a model and Jefferson is a famous photographer, so it would make sense that Rachel would be his assistant, if only to try to further her own career. So if Rachel *was* Jefferson's assistant, it would be really easy for him to get her alone. For example, he could call Rachel and ask her to meet him some place for a "job", only to take advantage of her... The more I think about it, the more it seems like Jefferson is behind this whole mess. The white room Kate woke up in? Couldn't that be a photo shoot? They use really bright lights for professional photos and Jefferson would have access to all the equipment. And that would make sense for the binders. Is Jefferson working with Nathan to get girls drugged so that he can take inappropriate photos of them without them ever remembering? These inappropriate photos could be the contents of these binders. I think it makes sense that it is Jefferson. The only time we have any kind of conflict with him - before Kate's attempted suicide - is outside of his class when he wouldn't help Kate. Before that, nothing bad is ever said about Jefferson. You even have the option to say you only came to Blackwell *for* Jefferson. Maybe this is the writers trying to throw us off the trail...

[@Kiuchow]

They're totally trying to throw the player off the trail. Everyone is being made a suspect and more details are revealed in episode three that make it harder to understand what exactly is happening. The white room has got to be a photoshoot, but I'm starting to believe that Jefferson is only one part in a larger conspiracy. I want to know the relationship between Rachel and Jefferson so badly though.

[@eryn4361]

+Kiuchow it has to be Jefferson because in episode 3 when David is a bus driver Rachel is still missing so it can't of been him. I know it's not a lot to go off but I think it's Jefferson

[@Kiuchow]

Whoa, did you see Rachel's missing poster during the ending? I didn't notice one at all. And yea, now that I've played episode three, I don't think Jefferson is the owner of the binders anymore, but I still think he has something to do with them.

[@Kiuchow]

@Maorie Light Which pic are you referring to?

[@ElliotKwan]

Amazing video and theory buddy. This with episode 4.. wow. I want to watch more of your stuff but after watching your Ant Spiral video, I may have to stop :P Keep it up!

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you so much for the compliments! Haha, it's too late for you, we're all just ants in that spiral now. :)

[@musiCiSeVerythingG]

omg your voice is so soothing ,subbed!!!

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you! And welcome to the channel!

[@musiCiSeVerythingG]

Kiuchow Thank you very much , and u raise some really good points in the video good job xD ~

[@Kiuchow]

Aw thanks! :D

[@figseeking]

your theory makes sense but i can't really make a connection with the few red binders and with the one on the science desk, the others have a long strip of white while the one on the desk has a much smaller white area

[@figseeking]

however i agree that mark is the owner of the binders

[@Kiuchow]

I assume that the labels on these binders and be changed, kinda like a sticker you just put on the spine. If that's the case, then anyone associated with the school could have these binders.

[@touzongthao9643]

why does no one look at the handwritings on the binder and compare it to anyone elses? like Nathan, Jefferson, or anybody? Plus in episode 2 you will notice that Kate's sister name is on one of the binders, Lynn.

[@Kiuchow]

Writing samples from all these men weren't available when I posted this theory. But now that they are, I've already been looking at them.

[@touzongthao9643]

Yeah, I know this video has been upload before episode 3.

[@Kiuchow]

@Anastasia A. Haha, thank you very much! Your comment made me giggle so hard.

[@bbaileyfree1]

This is a pretty interesting theory, and I may of accepted it, if it wasn't for one detail. The spirit animal was a deer, but it was a doe, not a buck. If you look at the deer inside of the garage, it has buck attributes. Now you could argue that he could of hunted doe's, and you may be right, but if he hunted for game, than he would of specifically hunted bucks, not doe's. So if you are going along the lines that the deer in the garage is Williams's, than you would be wrong. Feel free to criticize.

[@amyroberts6940]

I totally agree with your thoughts on David Madsen. He does care about Chloe and Rachel. He is a good guy. Just in a bad way. I think David being a veteran kinda effects his emotions and ways of thinking. Chloe still being upset and not accepting the death of her own father doesn't make it any easier on him. Iv'e never looked into the situation with Mr. Jefferson that much so, thank you. I appreciate game theorist because they help me to see multiple perspectives of situations and even small details that i didn't see. Thanks for this video :)

[@Kiuchow]

No problem, I'm glad I could give you another perspective! And I think David is a sweet guy, he really means to do good. And yes, the military experience probably is a cause for his rough approach to solving this mystery - he's probably a results-orientated guy, and not so concerned about the methods he uses.

[@avaborch-solem2300]

I don't really think he was lying when he said that Kate was upset over Max not answering the call. Or, sure, he was, but the game creators probably had to make him say something to protect himself, so they based it on one of the bad choises in the game. In the same way Max wasn't really meant to lie about David being in contact with Kate, since it kind of actually happend. They probably just went slobby with mr. Jefferson's and David's lines because so few people would pick them anyways. If I remember correct only 13% chose to accuse mr. Jefferson, and about 35% accused David, but I might be wrong. I can agree the red journel-thingies might belong to mr. Jefferson, but not because of most of the reasons you listes in this video.

[@ChairyCrasher]

Why is one of those red binders more yellowish and not full white. It is the second red binder. What if you can find that binder with yellowish color. Some Binders have smaller labels. There are barcodes on the bindes. Why are there barcodes on the red binder?

[@Kiuchow]

I assume the label is more yellow because it's older, possibly? The red binders in the game have two different models, so that's why some have a barcode-looking label.

[@ChairyCrasher]

Kiuchow Yeah and i feel like jefferson or the principle is the one making the red binders and the may sound racist or not, but why is the princible the only black person in the school?

[@Kiuchow]

Don't forget about Ms. Grant!

[@ChairyCrasher]

Kiuchow The reason i don't want ms grant is that she has smaller version of the binders. Or that the red binders doesn't match the binders we see with kate and rachel and others.

[@The57lover]

i am the lucky 340 sub yo :pp anyway, you are awesome! loved your theories

[@Kiuchow]

Nah, *I'm* the lucky one, haha. Thank you for the compliment, and welcome to the channel! :D

[@o.c.deidre4891]

Genius! You saw it coming all along. Unfortunately, I didn't lol!

[@Kiuchow]

That ending, right? Geez.

[@SonicRooncoPrime]

A great video, with wonderful reasoning!

[@Kiuchow]

Thanks for the compliment! And for watching :)

[@SonicRooncoPrime]

I *would* subscribe, but I'm afraid I may not finish Episode 5 before you start discussing it. Until then, I think your other videos will keep me entertained. Maybe not patient though :P

[@Kiuchow]

Haha, no worries about that, friend. I'm slow as fuck when it comes to making these things.

[@SonicRooncoPrime]

Hopefully not as slow as I was to getting my virtual hands on Episode 4.

[@Sg190th]

That's what I said today. When he talked about Chiaroscuro. I'm not going to spoil you until you find out yourself but this is crazy........

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you so much for not saying anything, because damn that was soooo crazy. Chiaroscuro... never gonna forget that word.

[@SianaGearz]

Those... are just your bog standard Leitz two-ring binders. Are they misplaced in USA? They are all over everywhere in EU. Schools have tons of them, students usually have a few. All of them have that back hole. Keep in mind, this is a French made game so some items will look the way they normally look in the EU, not in the USA - this would be an oversight rather than intention.

[@Kiuchow]

I've honestly never seen these binders before in my life. Three-ring binders are the norm where I'm from.

[@Kat_M557]

You totally nailed it. It's creepy Jefferson

[@marianaf.4863]

How about Chloe, she also said Nathan has drugged her as well, but she managed to escape. Then we see her confronting Nathan about that in the bathroom. It's two people claiming Nathan drugged them. Unless we can't trust any of them.The only thing that annoys me is that every evidence is pointing towards Nathan from the beginning and we know that in good mystery histories the one who looks bad is often innocent...

[@Kiuchow]

Exactly! Although I don't trust Nathan at all, I don't want to be fooled by the game into thinking he's to blame for everything. He might have tried drugging Chloe, but that doesn't prove that he drugged Kate. There's probably a lot more going on than meets the eye and the game is definitely trying to trick people.

[@weakvsfire]

Mariana Fortes Indeed. It's like it said on Chloe's wall, Everybody Lies. Also it seems to be a running theme with what people have said to Max that things aren't always what they seem. I'm really starting to think that Nathan didn't drug Kate. I'm not entirely sure if Kate is lying about what happened, is telling the truth, or was partially telling the truth and was fuzzy about the other details. The bottom line though is a mystery also has to have clues pointing to someone else. I'm not that great at spotting them though.

[@groberti]

With this knowledge at hand it really seems that blaming Jefferson is the most rational thing to do, but sadly I chose to blame Nathan back then.

[@Kiuchow]

Ah, don't be sad about it. I *really really* wanted to blame Nathan, too. It was kind of everyone's fault that Kate was on the roof, but the situation was basically asking "who do you hate/distrust the most.

[@groberti]

Kiuchow I guess I distrusted Nathan the most, though there was always something off about Jefferson.

[@rachelwalsh6370]

Wow this theory is spot on!

[@annienguyen5579]

yeaaah that's right! i never thought david madsen was a bad person. only saw him as shady, but now it makes sense. thanks for clearing this up! i think that jefferson and nathan somehow work together. nathan drugs the girls and jefferson photographs them. the principal is payed hush money by nathan's parents. i really hope part 4 clears all this up, it's making me so anxiousss

[@Kiuchow]

Yea, episode three definitely makes it seem like those three stooges are all in on something big. Haha, I'm anxious too.

[@FairyDustz]

Really good theory! Thanks for making it so clear :D I totally believe that Jefferson is creepy and really behind a lot of the mystery's in this series!Are you gonna do a video like this for episode 3? that wud be awesome c: Subed :D

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you for the compliments! And yes, I'll be making theories for episode three.

[@allfarewells]

i watched someone play this game and they chose all the option and the jefferson one i don't remember him saying kate was upset because you didn't answer her calls. they did answer her call and also looked at her texts so maybe you had to do them both and it would be considered answering her calls. besides that part i definitely agree with you.

[@Kiuchow]

Oh ok, so perhaps this could have been a translation flop? I do know that the developers are French.

[@allfarewells]

yeah maybe. i could be wrong. but i totally feel something is up with mr. jefferson.

[@allfarewells]

Kiuchow okay i played this episode and i answered her call and text and when i picked jefferson he said i did answer her calls. sorry if i sound nitpicky but i do totally think he's up to no good.

[@Kiuchow]

Oh ok, thanks for that info! That confirms that the texts are a part of the requirement to get him to say that. I was told by someone that if you share information about David hassling Kate, then he sort of passes blame onto David when he's accused, so yea I think he's up to no good too.

[@BluHana06]

I thought about David the same way till PT3. The whole game confuses me so much, it's hard to tell who is good or bad.

[@Kiuchow]

Yea, it really is hard to tell! The developers have done a good job and making everyone seem a little suspicious.

[@MuljoStpho]

Max suspended? Since I picked the game up and finished the current 3 episodes a couple weeks ago I've been replaying over and over to explore different options and get some variety between my 3 save files to move forward with when the remaining episodes come out, but I have not seen that particular outcome come up. I've seen Nathan get suspended. I've seen Jefferson pulled from being able to represent the school at the photo contest. I've seen David put on leave. I haven't seen it get turned around on Max like that.

[@Kiuchow]

That's what happened in my playthrough. I think Max gets suspended if the actions you take as the player make principal Wells perceive Max as suspicious (like, spreading rumors).

[@weakvsfire]

The writing on black and white picture of Kate doesn't match the writing on the pictures of Kate in color. The writing on the picture in question was very fancy. Someone could possibly guess who the person is by the handwriting.

[@Kiuchow]

I am not 100% confident of this, but right now I don't think the writing on the binders matches David's or Wells' handwriting. I've yet to see an example of Jefferson's and Nathan's writing. But something tells me that these binders don't belong to any of them - there might be another person involved.

[@weakvsfire]

If you're talking about the writing of just the name of the binder, that's not what I meant. I'm talking about the writing on the black paper on which he picture of Kate is placed.

[@Kiuchow]

Oh yes that's right, the writing on the pages weren't in all capital letters! I'll have to sit down later and check if they match David's or Wells' handwriting. Too bad the writing on Kate's page is so blurry.. and we'll still need writing samples from the other two. This is exciting

[@sambrock5692]

Did anyone notice Juliet and Logan being strangely close to each other while max and mr Jefferson were talking.

[@Kiuchow]

She's trying to make Zach jealous by flirting with Logan.

[@ymir180]

o; you just got a new subscriber, haha. i love theories in games •v•

[@Kiuchow]

Welcome to the channel! :)

[@ymir180]

thanks ^-^

[@xxGodlyMge14]

I'm a 100% straight male but I would talk to you for hours about deep thoughts and whatnot just because of your voice.

[@Kiuchow]

Deep talks are cool, man.

[@v.calvita2413]

Nice theory its nice to listen someone theory Vera explicit

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you!

[@medicaldoll5506]

This was so interesting. I haven't played any video games in God, years lol, but this seems really beat. Will definitely be watching your other videos. 😁

[@Nighthawk6206]

At the end of episode 2 when I blamed David I did not get expelled for a couple days....why did you?

[@Kiuchow]

Did you tell principal Wells about Nathan having a gun? I did and I think that's why he suspends us.

[@Nighthawk6206]

In my second time through I did not tell principal about gun and I think I may have blamed Chloe for the pot too.. That might be why David got suspended on my playthrough

[@WhiteKofi]

Idk, but I replayed the episode just to accuse Jefferson and he was really sweet about it. It gets me a different dialogue from what you showed. He said that everyone was ignoring her except of Max who was there for her, returning her calls and all. It results in banning J. from Everyday Hero contest and makes you feel awful cause he takes it so well, saying that it doesn't really matter, since the girl's life is the most important. Are you sure you picked up Kate's call as a final choice? It might be a bug that was fixed. But it's definitely the reason why people don't usually pick Jefferson to blame and it makes sense.

[@Kiuchow]

The reason for that is because I missed Kate's text messages in the junkyard. I picked up the phone call, but I missed the texts. At the time of this theory, I didn't realize that there could have been a dialogue oversight. There's also another situation where Jefferson will shift blame to David Madsen (if you talk about Jefferson about David during episode 2). And yea, I can see why most people do not suspect Jefferson - DONTNOD did a great job. But I just didn't think this guy was as clean cut as everyone else did.

[@rochester3]

Kate said all she felt was a sting on the back of her neck...hmmm at the end of episode 4 we see who has the needles and those same red binders are the same ones inside the secret place inside the barn.. yes its the same guy whos in charge of all of this.. not Nathan, I this Nathan was just helping cause he didn't want to die for some reason..

[@Kiuchow]

I got my fingers crossed that Nathan ends up helping out.

[@chloewolffy6147]

I love your voice so much tbh

[@Kiuchow]

Oh, thank you so much! :)

[@maristellsilva6458]

Oh my gosh their voice is so cute!❤️

[@Thylonicus]

I think there was one thing not taken into account--sometimes people just make mistakes. Sometimes people just react to a situation badly. I mention this because there were a few instances of "shouldn't he have said ", "wouldn't you have done ", and so on. One of the many strengths of the game, and DONTNOD, is the ability to craft believable, I would almost dare say realistic, portrayals of people. No one's cut-and-dried. No one's JUST a bad person or JUST a good person. Everyone has their foibles, their personality quirks, just like real people. I don't think the hypothesis put forth here is "way off base" or anything, but I think it needs to take that attempt at crafting real people, and the fact that real people don't often react the way you think they would or should, into account.

[@Kiuchow]

Well said, and I do agree that the developers crafted very believable characters and that mistakes are in the realm of possibility for their responses. I do see these characters for what they are, interesting personalities that aren't cut and dry, as you said. But at the same time, one needs to keep in mind that this _is_ a game, and even more than that, a "who done it" mystery where there _is_ a culprit and a greater conspiracy; if I were to brush off every suspicious response as a quirk or a foible, I'd be taking out half the fun of the game (the thinking and detective work). Knowing that DONTNOD's product is an experience in investigation and character analysis (since there's not much more action in this game than that), I'd say that these characters were crafted carefully for the purpose of speculation, questioning, and analyzing. I think of moments where I go "why'd they say [this, that]" as an analysis of their character. What is it about this character would make them have a reaction like that. What are they _really_ like at their core for them to have the thought patterns and responses that they do. I do this because I think they're believable. The reason I made this hypothesis was just so I could support my unpopular decision of placing blame onto Jefferson - it was the minority decision at the time I finished with only 7% of votes. The overwhelming favorite to blame was Nathan at 83% and I thought that others might have done that out of pure dislike for his character, so I wanted to elaborate on how that could have been motivated by emotion instead of rationality. All because people aren't just good or just bad, as you said.

[@Thylonicus]

Kiuchow I definitely agree that none of the suspicious responses should be brushed off. Hell, I don't think ANYthing in the game should be dismissed so easily. I just think that in addition to everything said about them in the video, a discussion about how likely you thought it might be just a natural, human response--even if one, looking back later, realizes it's an incorrect one--would have helped strengthen the hypothesis. That said, I still am glad for the hypothesis; at the time, I didn't even consider blaming Jefferson. I hadn't picked up a few of the clues on my first play-through (currently on my second, where I'm spending forty-seven hours per room looking at EVERY SINGLE THING ;) ), so didn't consider him a viable cause of Kate's anguish. With him highlit like that--it does cast every other interaction he's had in possibly a different light. At the very beginning, for example, when class gets out (when Max is off to the bathroom), he's sterner in tone when reminding others to turn in their assignments, but his tone softens a bit when he addresses Max, and his word-choice is much less aggressive. In my initial play-through, I didn't think anything of it. But now, I think one has to wonder--is it mindless, something just done without conscious thought? Perhaps it's purposeful, a teacher understanding his students well enough to understand how to approach them? Perhaps--something worse?

[@Kiuchow]

Oh, thank you for that suggestion to add my thoughts to how natural the responses are! I think I'll start doing that :) I'm at the conclusion that it's near impossible to get every detail during one playthrough, and how you as a player feel about characters and responses can be totally determinant on your personality and mood. Like, I pick up on vocal inflections pretty ok, but I do tend to over-analyze things when I play, I think. Each player will have a certain set of traits that will make them sway towards disliking certain characters more - it makes the game so fascinating. And LOL it's hilarious how this game can do that to you, huh? I do the same when playing collectible mode :D And you're totally on point about Jefferson. He does play favorites in class and outside of class, but whether it's a conscious or subconscious decision - or both - can up for debate. But, as always, the important question here is _why_ does he have such favoritism towards certain characters?

[@Thylonicus]

Kiuchow Is it in fact favoritism? Note that's a genuine question, and I'm not saying I have a definitive answer to it. I just wonder if it is--if so, it would certainly strengthen the case (whether it's intentional, conscious favoritism or an unconscious indicator of subconscious motives) for his being more than merely the straw that broke Kate's back. If it isn't, it would be something of a red herring, but a great one, because it would be--well, like real life, where some things just seem to be the thing you're looking for, and all the data you can find point to that thing--only to later find out it wasn't what you were looking for after all. Annnnnnd if you're looking for suggestions, one thing I would love to see is an actual discussion with someone. Still, perhaps, with a certain "topic" (like this video's topic of explaining the rationale that led to blaming Jefferson), but with you and one or two other people sharing thoughts on it.

[@Kiuchow]

The potential red herrings in this game are so strong, it's amazing. Personally, I think that Jefferson's treatment of Max is favoritism, or at least special treatment. I mean, she's not the most talented or motivated student that Jefferson has, so why does he come off as nicer to her than to the other students. I don't remember any moments in the game where Max's photography skills are depicted as exceptional, aside from Chloe who doesn't count cause she's Max's personal mascot. Even Max puts down her own work - could be a sign of modesty, but who knows for sure - so why does he have so much faith that she'll be a big name in photography? But then again, we're playing through Max's perspective. Perhaps Jefferson is nice to all his students when they approach him one-on-one, asides from Victoria who seems to annoy him. Oh, and that pod-cast discussion seems like a cool idea. I never even thought of that, thanks!

[@squirreltrap8671]

WOAH I was mind blown when I saw this, that was a great theory! And I really havent notice the red binder on Ms Grant's desk. This might sound stupid but what if Ms.Grant was behing all this? I mean like you said she DO have a LITTLE interest in photography but she was more into science herself. What if Ms Grant have been taking pictures of girls in Blackwell? First of there was the red binder on her desk and second, in the beggining of ep.1 she talked about Madsen's plan on putting camera in every corner of the school and how she was fully agaisnt it. What if it was here who took the picture and she doenst want anyone to know? But hey! Thats just a theory, my theory, thanks for reading!

[@Kiuchow]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! And there's a part of me that believes it could be her. At this point, I believe that anyone on the faculty/staff could be the owner of the notebooks. Her objection to the surveillance cameras, while reasonable, could also be a little suspicious. That'd be one crazy plot twist though.

[@Natalie135791]

Your voice is very soothing

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you :)

[@Kiuchow]

@Ulquiorra Michaelis Thank you very much! :D Now if only senpai would notice..

[@elmojon19]

Kiuchow Why would you be quick to assume Kate is lying about what happen to her if Chloe stated she experience the same thing in episode 1. Remember Chloe stated she was trying to get Nathan drunk and Nathan slipped something in her drink. She woke up with Nathan trying to take pictures of her. She then tried to kick him but hit a lamp and ran out. She then tried to extort him for what he did and that what led to her getting shot. I find it hard that you would have reservations on Nathan being a predator or having some malicious attentions. You are not having reservations on Kate's story because she is religious are you. A person who didn't went through what Kate stated she went through would have been embaress over their own actions. They would not have suffered depression or tried to kill themselves unless something traumatic happened, like being drugged and raped. So you are way off in that part of the analysis.

[@elmojon19]

Kiuchow Doth not protest too much, is actually implying that Mr. Jefferson believes she is lying and that she is a whore. A lot of rapists have this mentality to justify raping and abusing a person. Its like saying she wanted it because if she didn't she wouldn't have been kissing all those boys. So he is actually very bias and really sexist in how he views her. Its spot on victim shaming but also gives light into his part to play in all this. Remember that soft voice Kate was talking about, that could have been Mr. Jefferson after he did who knows what to her or about to do who knows what with Nathan present.

[@Kiuchow]

I'm not being quick to assume Kate's lying, nor am I being quick to assume she's telling the truth - I simply stated that we as the player currently have no way to know *without a shadow of a doubt* what really happened at the party that night. Nathan attempting to drug Chloe doesn't automatically prove that Nathan tried to drug Kate; if Kate was drugged that night it could have been Nathan or someone else entirely. The facts are not all present, any conclusions made at this point are based on assumptions. Also, I don't care if Kate is religious or not; I don't use her devoutness as a measure of her character. Also, I believe having your good name smeared the way Kate has - whether or not she did this or that - is enough to drive someone to the point of suicide. Just because she attempted it, doesn't prove she's guilty or innocent - it just shows she was going through more shit than she can handle. I'm a big supporter of Kate, really, but I'm just trying to play this game rationally.

[@elmojon19]

Kiuchow What is the difference between Nathan trying to drug Chloe and Kate. Both girls accuse Nathan of drugging them. What makes the story of one more believable over the other? If Chloe in the first episode stated she was drugged by Nathan and she told no one but Max. Shouldn't that give validity to Kate's story if thats two girls saying they were drugged by the same guy. Its rather hard to stay objective and rational questioning one girl's story over the other.

[@Kiuchow]

The difference is they're different characters and these events would have happened at different times. Yes, having Chloe accuse him of attempted sexual assault does give Kate's story some validity, but it doesn't *absolutely* prove that it's true. I'm not saying I believe Nathan is innocent, that's not the case at all. I just don't wanna jump onto the bandwagon with my fiery pitchfork until I see hard evidence and facts that he drugged Kate.

[@ChairyCrasher]

I have a theory. What if the binders somehow connects to Kates family. suzie=? Lynn= Kate sister Kelly= maybe Kate sister Rachel= related somhow to Kate

[@Kiuchow]

Perhaps, since they share similar features (blonde, brown eyes)! But it'd be hard for that to be feasible since these two are the same age, but not twins.. They maybe could be half-sisters..?

[@Nitaveferor]

but u didnt say about the pic u can take from david

[@ARoyalRuby]

The reason Jefferson said you didn't return her calls was because you told Kate to look for more proof. If you tell Kate to go to the police AND answer your phone, then he will say that you are the only one that took her seriously. And on a side note, if you tell what David did to Kate, then he will say that you know something about David. He tries to throw the blame at someone else the first chance he gets.

[@Kiuchow]

Oh wow, thanks for that info! That makes him all the more suspicious now.. or at least less respectable.

[@ARoyalRuby]

Kiuchow No problem, and here is more information about who to blame, and what will happen because your previous choices. 40.media.tumblr.com/dd3d72680b67fd0514e80951e2933cd7/tumblr_inline_nndjm7JxhE1sl676n_540.jpg

[@Kiuchow]

That chart is awesome. I never even considered the possibility that there was a way for no action to be taken against anyone.

[@reymandevelleres3900]

This is really accurate!

[@levip0ssib0s75]

Bright white walls!? Sounds like the dark room

[@AlexaScharf]

have you ever thought of doing ASMR? you have a perfect voice for it...

[@Kiuchow]

I have, but I'm not sure what makes an asmr video good.

[@tuitabi]

Wow... congrats! U got it

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you ^^

[@hubcap101]

Holy shit you should just work at the FBI or something. I completely missed almost all of that! Love your voice and video's btw.

[@Kiuchow]

Thanks for the compliments! Happy to hear you like the content :)

[@Manda_melody]

I love your voice! ♥ Great video :)

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you for the compliment! :)

[@Manda_melody]

Kiuchow Your welcome : D

[@InciteDATRIOT]

The butterfly appears in the beginning of the game because that's where Chloe needs to die. If Chloe dies, then Nathan is found out and an investigation occurs. It doesn't matter how powerful Nathan's family is, I'm pretty sure they can't cover up an investigation into their son MURDERING a girl (unless the police are that far bought by the Prescott family) But if an investigation does occur, then Mark gets found out, along with everyone else involved. Max WILL have to give Chloe up in the end, for the sake of Arcadia Bay. That's where I stand on the butterfly alone. Everything else is up in the air. Life is strange.

[@Kiuchow]

It sure is.

[@YolgIz]

At this point, I don't blame Nathan because I think,if Kate really sobered up and someone took her to the so called 'ER'. it could be Mr. Jefferson that took her after Nathan left her alone.

[@Kiuchow]

That could totally be true, especially with the trust that I assume Kate had for Jefferson. I still think Nathan can be blamed for a lot of stuff, but he might not be the worst person anymore.

[@jokerinke]

pretty neat observations! i also believe that there is some form of "bond" between jefferson, nathan and principal wells. and i completly agree with your thoughts on david madsen. throughout the game i always try to not give him a hard time (spoiler: especially in epiode three, when max has to choose which side she has to take during the argument between chloe and david. though that will mean chloe will hold that against max...sigh)

[@oblivious93massacre]

jokerinke (spoiler) I went the other way. I didn't want to give David a hard time, but I thought it would actually benefit him in the end. If he's confronted about the way he confronts people, maybe he'll rethink his approach the next time he's investigating a student. I basically have a parent's view on it: I don't like doing this, but it's for your own good! Lol

[@jokerinke]

oblivious93massacre yeah that could possibly happen as well. I am almost certain, David is going to be of some help in the last episodes. But thats the thing though, right: the story is developing more and more unexpected each episode. I can truely say I am excited and clueless to what we will encounter.

[@oblivious93massacre]

jokerinke (BIG SPOILER FOR EP. 3) Me too! I can't wait for the next episode. It'll almost be like playing a whole new game with the different timeline :)

[@Kiuchow]

jokerinke oblivious93massacre Thank you both *SO SO* much for labeling the spoilers! I really appreciate that :D

[@Kiuchow]

jokerinke Thanks! And I totally agree with Jefferson, Nathan, and Wells having that bond, which is a good way to describe it since they don't seem like they talk or hang out, they're just associated through circumstance. And yea, I try to be nice to David too, although he makes it easy to want to be sarcastic towards him. Max can be so mean..

[@stesh364]

Dude you called it. Free sub for that.

[@Kiuchow]

Welcome to the channel! :)

[@Louca1]

And you are right!

[@Thylonicus]

I'm no longer quite as on-board with the "Jefferson is a creeper" train. I just got to the faculty meeting after Kate's breakdown in my second play-through (mostly to get all the photos, but also to try different choices), and apparently I'd done absolutely everything right with her up to that point. This time around, Jefferson was completely supportive of everything Max had said and done, and seemed rather sincere. I've further come to think that out of all the adults, David is either the one who genuinely cares the most for the students, or is at the least doing the most to protect them (Grant seems to care as well, but she seems much less proactive about it). I've come to believe his investigations are for likely solely protection and discovery, rather than anything more nefarious or malignant. He does it in the creepiest way possible, I'll be the first to concede, but still. One idea that's come to mind is the major player of which we haven't seen much--Nathan's father. We've gotten plenty of hints at just how powerful he is; how much of Arcadia Bay he owns, how and whose files he can suppress and how deeply, his reaction to a young college student confronting his son, and so on. This all smacks of someone who desires control and power above all else, which itself I think does hint at further misdeeds. With two episodes to go, the game's predilection for throwing subtle but foreshadowed twists into the mix, right at this moment I'm leaning toward Nathan's father having more of a hand in things than many, if not any, of the others.

[@Kiuchow]

In the meeting he does seem sincere, but what irked me was that he subtly dispersed some blame onto Max as he was giving his own account. I caught that bit about "Max hadn't been picking up [Kate's] calls," and can't imagine that it was put in there just willy nilly. To me, it says that Jefferson is down to lie to save his own skin, which makes him just as suspicious as anyone else. Of course you can say that he's defending himself against Max's accusation, but there was no need to make that lie. Oh man, David is a sweetheart, but is also such a misguided fool. 100% results orientated guy right there. I actually think it's really endearing how he never thinks Chloe's to blame for her bad behavior, to him it's always others who are influencing her. I'm actually now putting my money on Nathan's dad being the mastermind behind Nathan, Jefferson, and Wells's activities at Blackwell. He's definitely a character that's been feared not only by the main characters, but minor ones as well (fisherman outside diner claimed they're gonna destroy Arcadia Bay's fishing industry).

[@Thylonicus]

Kiuchow That's my very point, right there, that "Max didn't get her calls". Like I said, in this play-through I apparently did everything regarding Kate just right. There was absolutely none of that. Everything Jefferson said was completely supportive of Max and her decisions. There was absolutely no "defense" raised against Max. There was, legitimately, nothing but full and complete (and I still think sincere) support. Seriously, give it another go and miss absolutely nothing with Kate. :D And I seriously feel bad for David after--well, you know. Just, yeah. Paying more attention to him throughout this other play-through, knowing what will happen--yeah. He really is, ultimately, a sweetheart who genuinely cares for his family.

[@Kiuchow]

Oh, that's fascinating. I think I will need to give it another go. I was told by another viewer that if you were to tell Jefferson about the things David had been up to, and then blamed Jefferson during the meeting, Jefferson would bring up what you told him and (sorta) pass/share blame. Super intricate, they spent so much time into the dialogue chains. :) Question though: you did blame Jefferson in this second playthrough? And even when blamed he was sincere? And yes, it was difficult noticing all the little nuances in David's dialogue when he's pointing and screaming at people.

[@Thylonicus]

Kiuchow To the questions: Yes and yes. He took the accusations as if he was sincerely apologetic for having anything to do with Kate's breakdown. To the bit about telling Jefferson--that was the part near the breakdown, where Kate is walking away from Jefferson, right? If so, then yeah, I told him about David (where you start of with something like, "That SHOULD have been private, but..."). I don't /think/ he really tried to pass the blame, but I can't remember, exactly, and I'm not working from a guide or anything. All I'm doing is using a guide for the photos, specifically (www.twinfinite.net/2015/03/26/life-strange-how-to-photo-achievements/) which you can see doesn't actually offer anything in the way of guidance as to the game itself, as well as just trying a slightly different tack with the choices. I can't go full-on "OPPOSITE DAY LAWLZ" with the choices, because doing things like ignoring Kate or blowing off Chloe just isn't in me, but trying at least mildly different options. Things that keep the "core" of what I want, what I like, and what I hope for, but perhaps different branches on that same tree. Somewhere in that is stumbling [REDACTED]-first into getting everything right with Kate. :)

[@Kiuchow]

I know how you feel about answering true to yourself - I do the same. It'd be quite fun to have a playthrough where you stir trouble for *everyone* on purpose though. I saw that Geek Remix did that and the idea sounds hilarious to me.

[@yeehaw1505]

OMG! I love your voice!

[@Kiuchow]

Thank you very much! :)