#catie.asks.

I think he relishes in his newfound ability to be a little cutiepie, but I also think its so clearly a way to completely separate himself from his former self, like you said! And I don't think its necessarily healthy.

I saw some analysis the other day I didn't completely agree with, but I like some of the points from it. They had made the point that its fucked up that the crew of the Magellan are completely fine with Dollman objectifying himself, in the most literal meaning of the word. How they don't take the initiative to make any progress to help him cope with the reality of being a doll that can barely move. It really does kill me how he's so desperate to be useful in any way at all, since he had at one point come to terms that he'd just rot in a bog for all eternity augh!! But I really like how you pointed out that him letting himself be used as a tool, escaping into his newfound role as a little cutie, actually helps him a way. He doesn’t want to long for more, to be human again, because then that would mean reopening the wound, reminding him of everything he lost when he ceased to be a human being anymore! But I just wish that we could've helped him realize that he is still a human, but in a different form, and that's okay too. He can still be useful, can still accompany Sam on his journey, but as an equal companion, rather than just another tool. It really makes me wish we could have directly interacted with him more, aside from all the private debriefs(which I loved btw!)

It drives me crazy how literally HALF the crew of the Magellan at one point are all grieving fathers??? Lets explore that more?? Group therapy sesh?? Grieving fathers book club??? But I like that you can subtly see the differences between how they're coping. And its interesting Dollman was chosen as the one to help with Sam's grief particularly. I know as a medium, he has experience helping people deal with the passing of their loved ones. However, again, he's also committed himself to being practically a whole new person, not even a person, a doll! He's been able to move on, sure, but a lot of his grief moreso seems repressed, than fully dealt with. Especially bugs me when this game seems to be more about grief and acceptance compared to the first game, yet the first had such satisfying narratives about that same theme, which were properly explored!

It kills me how Dollman and Tarman's backstories are completely optional and easily missable, because they're honestly so essential at showing how grief can be dealt with, how you can suffer and lose everything, but still be able to move on and reinvent yourself. They don't really have any impact on Sam's greater story, when they really should, because they can be used both as character building exposition, but also as a lesson to Sam. Cmon let us all be grieving papas together !!!! But seriously there is a lesson there, where Dollman has completely left his past behind, he can still reminisce about it, but he doesn't cling to it, and has completely reinvented himself, has been able to make use of what hes become, and that has changed him entirely. Whereas Tarman retains multiple connections to his past(his missing hand, Tarcat) and just like Dollman, he's been able to make use of them and appreciate them, but he hasn't completely changed himself because of it, and that's okay too! Sam can look to them, and the other crewmembers, to try to find his own balance in dealing with grief.

I think Tarman, and Heartman, have probably been the best at coping, though its a shame the latter isn't explored anymore. I like that Tarman still has a connection to his son through Tarcat, but he's not clinging to them(him?) in the same way that Sam was clinging to the pod. He recognizes that the cat has an inherent connection with his son, is his son even, but treats it as a different entity, however just as fondly and lovingly!! Now that I'm writing this, I'm realizing how they totally missed the potential parallels there with Sam and Tomorrow. Even if your kid is now in a different form and completely unrecognizable from what you once knew, you can still learn to love them just as much, even if its different.