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Life is Strange 2

"I come from a family with money but... no soul. I took off after school and never looked back... Now I write stories for zines and websites, do podcasts... protest. Try to make some positive change." — Brody Holloway to Sean Diaz in "Roads"

Brody Holloway is an online travel journalist and activist who meets Sean and Daniel Diaz in Episode 1 of Life is Strange 2.

For the image gallery, click here. To visit Brody's car, click here. To read Brody's blog posts, click here and here.

Personality[]

Brody is an optimistic, romantic soul who believes he can make a positive difference in the world. His main rule, as told to Sean, is to never get cynical, because then he would become just like his parents who he left behind. He lives in solitude and does not often get lonely as he is an introvert and works at his best when he is alone and in the zone.

Brody is warmhearted and caring about the struggles of people around him. He takes Sean and Daniel on a five-hour drive on a whim and provides them with advice, a backpack, money, and a motel room for the night.

While in the car ride, Sean can discuss race issues with Brody, who sees the injustice faced by minorities but believes it will get better if everyone works together.

Brody is non-violent and disapproves of Sean's behavior if he brags about knocking out the gas station owner and stealing the camping gear, even if he did deserve it. While Brody mentions marching in protests, he is law-abiding and has a strong sense of morality. It is unknown what his reaction would be to Daniel stealing a dancer figurine from him, as it is currently not possible to contact him about it after the theft is discovered. He does not mention the theft in the blog post he writes about the brothers after helping them, so it is unknown if he noticed the hula girl missing.

If Sean asks if Brody is famous, he says he is well-known within his small circle of writers and publishers, and that is all he desires.

Even though Brody is estranged from his mom, he desires to return to Utah immediately to meet her as she is undergoing cancer treatment.

Appearance[]

Brody has medium-length slicked back brown hair, a full beard and mustache, and black square-framed glasses. In "Roads", his outfit consists of a maroon zip hoodie over a white graphic t-shirt, baggy blue jeans, and faded brown hiking boots. While outdoors, Brody dons an olive-colored hooded jacket with an eagle logo on its right chest, as well as a faded dark blue messenger bag with two patches attached. While leaving Bear Station, Brody can briefly be seen wearing a bright blue baseball cap with a logo across its front that reads "HANGERS".

Background[]

Brody mentions that he descends from a wealthy family in Utah, though he is somewhat estranged to them since he took off to travel after graduating from high school. He had a fallout with his brother who he now calls his "ex-brother". Sometime in the past, Brody's mother became inflicted with cancer and has been growing worse in condition, causing Brody to undergo a trip to visit her in Utah during the events of "Roads".

Episode One - "Roads"[]

Sean and Daniel first meet Brody at Bear Station. He talks to Daniel and later to Sean, explaining he works as an online traveling journalist and is in the process of researching a nudist community. Later, as the brothers eat at a picnic table outside, Brody asks the brothers where they're going as he's leaving the store before heading towards his car.

After Sean and Daniel escape from Hank Stamper's back office and run into the woods, the two find Brody sitting in his car, where he takes the brothers in after they explain their situation and drives them onto the highway. During their drive, Brody talks about his estrangement from his family and his social activism, which includes writing published stories and participating in protests. After taking a pit stop at Otter Point, Brody consoles Sean after he breaks down and urges him to tell the truth to Daniel about their father.

Upon reaching Three Seals Motel, Brody books a room for the brothers. He offers a larger backpack to Sean and an old bandanna of his to Daniel (which is then passed on to Mushroom), and wishes them good luck before driving away. Later, Sean finds a note written by Brody, saying that he wished he could have continued with them, but he has to visit his mother, who has been losing her battle with cancer and left whatever money he had left to him. He tells them he can be contacted via his blog, "A Tribe Called West".

Episode Two - "Episode 2: Rules"[]

While Stephen and Claire are at church, Sean can look up Brody's blog on Stephen's laptop, where he finds that Brody has published an article titled "On The Edge" surrounding his encounter with the brothers and how it affected him (without revealing their identities).

Sean can also read Brody's article about the nudist community that he was writing at Bear Station, entitled "The Nude Age". If Sean saw Brody's computer screen at Bear Station, he remarks that it isn't creepy like it originally seemed to him; otherwise, he comments on how Brody makes everything interesting.

Episode Three - "Wastelands"[]

While at the drifters' campsite in Humboldt County, if Sean chooses to stay at the campfire, Finn and Hannah reveal that they have casual sex together and with others. Depending on his choice, Sean can mention that he'd never thought about it until he met "this crazy cool guy on the road". He paraphrases Brody's words from their conversation at the gas station, saying "People should do what they want... long as they don't bother anybody."

Episode Five - "Wolves"[]

While staying at Karen Reynolds' Arizonan community, Away, Sean is able to look at Karen's computer and read a post of Brody's from May, entitled "You Can Go Home Again". Within it, Brody details his return to Utah to visit his mother and brother, the former of which had weakened considerably and was on hospice care. Brody's mother apologized for the factors which kept them apart over the past years; as the three cried together, Brody notes that he felt the tension between them had "[blown] away to dust." After her passing, Brody discovered a hoard of his essays she had kept from his school years, causing him to break down.

Brody reveals that he had decided to stop travelling for the time being and taken on his family's estate, believing that he could help people with the resources it provided. He expresses the intent to move onto countries outside of the U.S. in the future such as Canada or Mexico, signing off to his readers with: "The road never ends."

Relationships[]

Family[]

  • Unnamed mother - Brody was estranged from his mother for most of his adult life, having had an argument with her about him no longer viewing his blood relatives as family the last time he saw her prior to her death by cancer. Despite this, Brody's mother kept his old essays and papers from school, which Brody viewed as a posthumous sign that she was proud of him on some level. On her deathbed, Brody's mother apologized to him for the factors which had kept them apart, causing them and Brody's brother to start crying. In her final moments, Brody's mother held onto her sons' hands as she passed away.
  • Unnamed brother - Brody had a strained relationship with his brother, who disapproved of Brody's altruistic nature and apparent interest in the idea of travelling without the knowledge to back it up. His brother used to refer to Brody as his "ex-brother" and a "fake liberal" due to having abandoned him to take care of his mother and the family estate while travelling America. During Brody's return to Utah to visit their dying mother, Brody and his brother sobbed as his mother apologized for her actions in life and held her hands as she passed away. After deciding to take on the family's Utah estate, Brody states that he wants to use his newfound resources to help others, which he notes that his brother will likely disapprove of.

Friends[]

  • Sean Diaz - Brody is a traveling journalist Sean meets during Episode 1. At first Sean is wary of him, expressing how Brody "seems like a weirdo". Nevertheless he quickly warms up to him when Brody helps him and Daniel escape from Hank Stamper after his capture at the gas station. During a brief stop at Oregon's coast, Brody reveals to Sean that he knows about the incident in Seattle. Brody is the first person to whom Sean opens up about his father's death and his insecurities about being able to take care of Daniel. Brody tries to comfort him and tells him that what happened in Seattle wasn't his fault and that what he needs to take care of Daniel, as what "[he] and [his] brother have is the most important thing". He advises Sean to tell Daniel what happened in Seattle, as he will eventually will find out anyway and it would be best if he hears it from his own brother, and reassures him on his goal to reach Mexico. He drives the brothers to a motel and pays them a room. He expresses his wish to stay with them despite having his own issues to deal with in Utah. Before parting ways, he advises Sean to throw away his cellphone, as it can be tracked, and tells the brothers to keep contact with him via his blog. He gifts Sean a new backpack, which he wears for the rest of the game.
  • Daniel Diaz - They first met at Bear Station and can be seen talking with one another while Sean looks for food to buy. He drives the brothers to a motel and pays them a room. He expresses his wish to stay with them despite having his own issues to deal with in Utah. Before parting ways, he gives Daniel a bandana. During the course of the game, both Sean and Daniel express their wish for Brody to be with them and how much they miss him.

Enemies []

  • Hank Stamper - Brody reveals to Sean that Hank tried to threaten him as well, only for Brody to buy a lot of stuff to piss him off.

Theories[]

Main article: Theories and Speculations (Life is Strange 2)

After Episode One - "Roads"[]

  • Given the emphasis put on Brody Holloway's website through which the brothers can contact him after he leaves, it was speculated that Brody will play a role in future episodes. Due to his position as a travelling journalist, it seems possible that Brody will write and publish an article centering around his interactions with the brothers, which could contribute to the Seattle protests and riots mentioned by the newspaper in Captain Spirit. This was proven partially correct, as in "Rules", Sean can visit Brody's blog via Stephen's computer, where he can find that he has written an article on his experience meeting the Diaz brothers.
  • After his description of his family as having "money, but no soul", many fans speculated that Brody could be a part of the Prescott family from Season 1. Though he does not share the Prescott surname, this could be explained by Brody being given one of his parents' maiden name, writing under an alias (as his surname is only seen in the credits and on his blog), or having willingly changed his surname after becoming estranged from his family. Additionally, Brody (presumably, given that his car's license plate) and his mother both hail from Utah, which is a significant distance away from where the Prescotts lived and had their influence in Arcadia Bay, Oregon.

Memorable Quotes[]

"Oh, hey there. Well, I'm actually doing research. It's, uhhh... Not for you."
— Brody to Daniel at Bear Station in "Roads"
"Do not drink that coffee if you like coffee."
— Brody to Sean at Bear Station in "Roads"
"It's not as weird as it seems, though. These people, they only wanna live a normal life. Just... naked. I mean, if they're not harming anyone, who's to say they're wrong?"
— Brody to Sean at Bear Station in "Roads"
"Everything is political, Sean."
— Brody to Sean during their car ride in "Roads"
"Man. Look at that... Oregon is like the edge of the world..."
— Brody to Sean looking over Arcadia Bay in "Roads"
"What is sure is... that's the past. But you can't look back now... You've got each other... and you have to move forward..."
— Brody to Sean at Otter Point in "Roads"
"You may not see it but... What you and your brother have is the most important thing. He needs you. And you need him."
— Brody to Sean at Otter Point in "Roads"
"Sorry, I'll probably think of a better "goodbye" when I'm on the road, but... until then... Take care, my dudes."
— Brody's parting words to Sean and Daniel in "Roads"

Symbolism[]

Animal Symbolism[]

Like Hank Stamper, Brody is depicted as a bear in the episode intro animations. He is even explicitly called a bear by Sean in the opening cutscene to "Episode 2: Rules". However, Brody is a friendly bear. Despite all the indication in "Roads" that bears are dangerous and that even Brody himself may be creepy, he turns out to be an angel despite his exterior.

This may be part of the first episode's allegory for racism. While many white people (bears) are 'hunters' who are unsympathetic to the brothers' cause, there are still allies in the world who recognize the injustice and care about their plight.

Trivia[]

  • Although Brody's last name is never mentioned in "Roads", it can be found in the episode's credits. In "Rules", his surname can be seen on his blog.
  • Brody is likely inspired by and named after Mike Brodie, a famous photographer who freighthopped across the USA for four years while capturing images of the people he met along the way, largely freight-hoppers, vagabonds, squatters and hobos. Writer Michel Koch said in an interview that Mike Brodie's work was a major inspiration for Life is Strange 2.[1]
  • Brody's appearance, car, and backstory are similar to Christopher McCandless, the protagonist of the 2007 film Into the Wild. McCandless was the son of wealthy parents and graduated from Emory University as a top student and athlete. Instead of embarking on a prestigious and profitable career, he chose to give his savings to charity, rid himself of his possessions, and set out on a journey to the Alaskan wilderness.
  • Brody's blog, "A Tribe Called West", may be a reference to the American hip-hop collective A Tribe Called Quest.
  • Brody mentions Kerouac and his novel On the Road in his blog post titled "On The Edge", which itself may be a reference to Kerouac's novel. Writer Michel Koch said in an interview that Kerouac's work was one of the main inspirations focusing around road trips and travelling that influenced Life is Strange 2.[2]
  • Brody may be a fan of superhero comic books due to these references mentioned in the game:
    • He also mentions Lois Lane, a fictional character and award-winning journalist from the DC Comics universe, in the same blog post.
    • On one from Brody's blog post entitled "You Can Go Home Again", he mentioned the lines "...And all the years of family bullshit blew away to dust. Like that (finger snap sound)." A reference to the Marvel's popular comic book "The Infinity Gauntlet" where Thanos, a Titan and a villain from the said comic book series, used his Gauntlet and his infinity gems and then snapped his fingers to cause a universe-wide population to be reduced in half. Which was later been adapted to two films, namely "Avengers: Inifinity War" and its' sequel "Avengers: Endgame" where it was shown how the characters has been turned into dust thanks to Thanos' snap.
  • The backpack Brody gives to Sean outside the Three Seals Motel in Episode 1 appears to display traditional hobo symbols. These symbols were used by nomads during America's Great Depression era. The gallery below shows a close match with the style of symbols documented in "Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols" by Henry Dreyfuss.

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Main article: Brody Holloway/Gallery

Brody's Blog[]

References[]

  1. Life is Strange 2 Developers on Leaving Chloe and Max Behind - Gamescom 2018 (August 22, 2018)
  2. Why Life is Strange 2 is ditching Arcadia Bay for its radically different road trip (August 21, 2018)
  3. These particular symbols were documented by Henry Dreyfuss in his book, "Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols."
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