[Mass Effect 3] The Shepherd

This is the last week of posts on the Mass Effect Trilogy. All this week we’re breaking down the epic finale in Mass Effect 3. This is perhaps the closest a review on this site has been written to the release of a game, so expect serious SPOILERS. In this last ME:3 post we’ll take a critical look at Commander Shepard’s role in the climax of this story.

The cycle of synthetics destroying and assimilating organics has continued for unknown generations. Commander Shepard, the hero of humanity, is the first organic to breech the chamber where the Catalyst resides. Because the Crucible has finally been made and joined with the Catalyst, there is finally a chance to break the cycle. Humanity’s persistence and determination has earned them a chance to change the destiny of the galaxy.

The Catalyst states that Shepard’s presence has opened up new options for how to alter the cycle from this point forward. He alone is given the final say in the matter. Shepard is given three options- Continuation, Destruction, or Synthesis. These three options have parallels in other stories and works of fiction.

Below is a chart outlining how these three options appear in other stories. The first example is Neo from The Matrix. The second example comes from an older PC game called Deus Ex where JC Denton is the protagonist that has to choose between three options. This game is in the chart to add some flavor and contrast. And finally we have Commander Shepard and Jesus.

Click for larger size.

The choice that is “best” is purely a matter of opinion for the first three protagonists. Indeed, this is one reason why these decision-based endings are so compelling. We are forced to think through a moral dilemma and then we are given the power to affect an entire civilization. For the sake of Mass Effect 3, the Synthesis option seems to be regarded as the “best” option (again, only the opinion of some) and that same category is considered ideal in the other stories being compared. The Continuity and Destruction categories seem to represent two extremes- do nothing or change everything. The Synthesis choice is the third option that attempts to gain the best of two extremes.

In all of these cases, the person making the decision is the functional savior of that situation. The three fictions represented utilize protagonist names that allude to Jesus, the actual savior. Neo’s real name, Anderson, means “son of man”, which just so happens to be a name commonly used by Jesus to describe himself. JC Denton’s initials could be a not-so-subtle reference to Jesus Christ. So what about Commander Shepard?

Shepard is a derivation of the occupational name “shepherd.” This is really just a fancy abbreviated way of saying “sheep herder”, which is a person who tends to sheep. A shepherd is one who guides the sheep to water and food, protects them from harm, and directs their path from place to place. The shepherd leads the flock through the gate and into the pen where they will be protected. The shepherd acts as the gatekeeper who determines the fate of the sheep. This name is very fitting for Commander Shepard considering all that he has done to lead and protect the galaxy. This title is also applied to Jesus who refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. Both Jesus and Commander Shepard act as singular figures who are placed in a pivotal “gatekeeper” moment that will determine the fate of those in their care.

This just proves that if your last name is Shepard, you're going to have some sort of Messiah complex.

If you stick around past the credits, you get a little mini cinematic that provides a glimpse from thousands of years in the future. A man is telling a little boy about “The Shepard” that saved them and changed the course of the galaxy many years ago. We live in that future time now. We can look back on a time when a hero rose up in a time of dire need when we were still lost in our sin. Jesus, God’s own son, was given the decision to abandon his rescue mission and leave us to our own destruction, or give up his life for the salvation of many. When God stood at a crossroads and was given those three familiar options, God chose Synthesis. Our Creator chose to sacrifice his own flesh so that he could reconcile us to himself and make us new creations.

If you choose the Synthesis ending, the Normandy crash lands on a green, idyllic planet. Joker walks out followed closely by EDI. They are both showing signs of the new organic/synthetic DNA resulting from Shepard’s choice. This man and woman walking into a lush green environment is reminiscent of the image of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Joker and EDI in their changed state represent a new beginning made possible by Shepard’s sacrifice.

Jesus’ choice will change us into a new form of life. Our broken, mortal existence will be synthesized with the holiness of God. We will be given new bodies when all things are redeemed and made new at the end of time. This renewal will usher us into a new reality where heaven comes down to dwell on Earth and we return to a Garden of Eden environment that was intended for us all along.

If you choose the Synthesis ending, Mass Effect 3 is really about Jesus.

[Mass Effect 2] Blindness and Ignorance

This is Mass Effect March! In honor of the release of Mass Effect 3, this entire month is devoted to digging into this epic trilogy. We’ll explore the different races, themes, and some major story arcs. At the end of the month we’ll cap things off with a week of posts on Mass Effect 3 to see how everything is resolved (or not). Today we’re looking at the reason for Commander Shepard’s resurrection in Mass Effect 2- the inaction of the Council.

Mass Effect 2 gives us a much more intimate look at the pro-human survivalist group Cerberus. Their main goal is to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival and expansion of humankind. Supposedly this doesn’t necessarily mean ruling over all other races, but one does get the sense that if it had to come down to us or them, Cerberus would make sure humans come out on top. They almost give off a KKK vibe in their devotion to the advancement of humanity in the universe.

Any leader who is this creepy cannot be trustworthy.

Cerberus’ leader, The Illusive Man, used his ridiculous wealth and resources to bring Shepard back from death for a specific reason. He felt that those in charge, the Council, weren’t doing their jobs properly in looking after the safety of the universe, particularly humanity. Not to take the side of ole’ Creepy Eyes up there, but the Council did indeed drop the ball this time around. They were your go-to people in Mass Effect 1, but in this game you have to resort to working with Cerberus, the sketchy space militia, to get the job done.

The Council is not the first group of people to suffer from chronic ignorance and a case of the stupids. Jesus had many conflictual run-ins with the terminally blind, and we’re not talking about those who lacked physical sight. Jesus’ main foes were the Pharisees and the Sadducees, generally known as the teachers of the Law. “The Law” being all the books of the Old Testament- the same books that happened to contain many prophecies about a Messiah who would come to save them. Someone like, say…..Jesus.

The very people who should have had the most knowledge and devotion to God were not only blind to Jesus as Messiah, but openly defied him, labeled him as a heretic, and ultimately played a role in his crucifixion. Jesus pulls out one of these prophecies that actually speaks of the blindness of these people, ‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

"Reaper? That wasn't a reaper. That was just an optical illusion. Quit that crazy talk Commander Shepard!"

The Council, like those teachers of the law, had all the relevant information. The pieces of the Reaper ship Sovereign were scattered all over the Citadel, yet they chose to believe that it was all just part of Saren’s plan and since he’s dead now they can forget about the whole thing. They denied the possibility that there may be an entire civilization of Reapers on their way to come and destroy everyone. But why do this? Why would the teaches of the law deny the very Messiah they’d been hoping for? Why cover up or ignore evidence of a potentially lethal threat? The answer can be described in many ways, but the word the Bible uses is unrighteousness. Romans describes how unrighteousness suppresses the truth. When we refuse to submit to God’s truth, we open ourselves up to believing lies and ignoring the dangers in front of us.

The teachers of the law would rather hold on to their long-held traditions than accept the unexpected and radical teachings of the actual Son of God. The Council chose the path of laziness because to acknowledge the Reaper threat would mean that they would have to actually get off their bureaucratic duffs and do something about it. Instead of being open the truth, they closed themselves off and retreated to what was easy and comfortable. Proverbs warns against this mentality, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

Questions:

Was there a time when you chose not to face a truth that later caused you harm?

Are you currently avoiding a truth that you’re uncomfortable with?

Mass Effect 2 has rich support characters with fascinating stories. The next post will look at some of the recurring themes in the development of these characters.

Halo 3: Believe

This week we’ll be looking at Halo 3 and the themes of heroism, salvation, and epic conclusions. We’ll start by looking at our always helmeted friend Master Chief and what kind of message we get from his portrayal.

(Source)

As you can see from the above video, there was a great deal of effort (and probably money) put into the promotional campaign for Halo 3. The previous games have led up to this point where the very survival of humanity is in doubt. And who is going to save the day? Master Chief of course. He’s the hero, the savior, the messiah. He’s the one to believe in.

The message of the video is clear- things are looking very grim. Gruesome scenes of war display the many ways that humanity’s soldiers are being defeated. Even Master Chief has been captured and is seemingly incapacitated. But what’s this? He’s very much alive, with plasma grenade in hand. Bet he can’t stick it.

This is how we view all of our heroes. Many movies that have this same plot point, where the plucky hero is a hair’s breadth from defeat before making an awe-inspiring comeback. Our view of a savior is one who can overcome an impossible situation and turn the tide. The hero is the one who inspires us to believe that salvation is near even in the darkest circumstances.

There seems to be no shortage of these messianic references for Master Chief throughout Halo 3. The game opens with mankind’s savior falling from heaven…errr….the sky, an image that has also been used for many other messianic heroes such as Superman and Thor. And speaking of Thor, what is the name of Master Chief’s armor? That’s right, Mjolnir, which is both the name of Thor’s hammer and Master Chief’s special armor. He’s not just any hero, he’s a god sent from another world.

Why does this idea of a super-human, god-like figure coming down to save all of us resonate so deeply? It’s because we’re all looking for a savior, someone we can believe in. It’s fitting that this post comes during the Christmas season, which for Christians is also the time of Advent. This is the time of the year when we look back on history as the series of God-ordained events that led to the coming of Jesus, just as the month leads up to the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Jesus’ coming was anticipated because he became the hero for the whole world, saving everyone from sin and death and reconciling humanity to God.

So we have Master Chief and we have Jesus. How do they stack up? Master Chief gained the loyalty of his followers through military feats. Jesus had some followers, but he also had a lot of negative press from the religious leaders. Master Chief was inducted at a very young age into a special military program where he was given advanced training and weapons. Jesus was born in a barn and was raised as the son of a poor working Joe. He didn’t get any special training or go to any fancy schools. Master Chief was memorialized with the highest honors after his “death” by all of humanity. Jesus was murdered by a mob.

That comparison obviously favors Master Chief, but that’s not the whole story. By most people’s standards, Master Chief is all we need. Is saving the day by blowing stuff up really enough? What about our sin and failure, who will save us from that? We all want salvation from our mistakes and inadequacies. Do you think that there is one who can save not just the universe but the soul? Do you believe?

Discussion questions:

What other popular characters fit this messianic image?

What heroic figures are most appealing to you?

Next time we’ll talk about salvation and the Ark, another Biblical parallel. Use the comments to discuss and thanks for reading!