Binge watching might offer a lot of advantages, but it takes away from cliffhangers. When Life is Strange: Before the Storm’s first episode ended with a possible affair and massive fire, it seemed to be setting up the stories arc. The second episode continues down this path, though the direction seems to be lost, forcing everything to rely on the third and final episode. With the story progressing for a climatic finish, should you get ready to theorize where the story is going or wait and possibly finish them all in one sitting?
Life is Strange: Before the Storm’s second episode starts with Chloe and Rachel paying the price for ditching class. It’s an emotional scene, one that highlights the contrast between the characters, ultimately leading to an all-too-familiar conclusion. Chloe, as a repeat offender, is suspended for the rest of the year, while Rachel loses her spot in The Tempest play. Even though the punishments were drastically different, both girls took a loss.
Chloe’s loss gives David an opportunity to increase his involvement in her life by advancing his relationship with Joyce. Unhappy with the result, Chloe runs away and takes Rachel’s offer to run away more seriously. Something that becomes a driving force as Chloe finds a salvageable car in the junkyard, which will give them the means to escape.
The rest of the story brings Chloe back to Blackwell Academy where she ends up advancing her relationship with Rachel. Most of these scenes are filled with subtext, along with an understandable amount of uncertainty, to show how their relationship has advanced.
Even though the exchanges and overall direction is nice, it’s hard to ignore most of this episode is filler. With the exception of the opening, which concludes the events of the previous episode, and another cliffhanger ending, the story depicts life and their relationship. Neither of these things are bad, in some ways this is what people enjoyed the most about the original, but it’s hard to ignore the looming storm.
With the fire they started still burning and a topic of discussion throughout the episode, it’s clear there are big things on the horizon. How all these things come together will likely determine whether or not the journey is worth it.
Verdict
Life is Strange: Before the Storm episode 2 manages to do a lot and very little. The way Chloe and Rachel’s relationship advances is certainly a highlight and remains the most interesting thing in an otherwise dull world. This episode also does a good job of setting up the pieces, with the mysterious woman with Rachel’s father becoming a larger presence, but it’s hard to deny that very little happens. If the first episode is an introduction, the second is setting everything up and with the fires of their relationship, along with the very real fire they started in the forest, being a focal point, it forces everything to rely on the final chapter. Based off the cliffhanger it has the potential to impress, but it could just as easily go south.
