Chapter 1: Homecoming

**Chapter 1: Homecoming** is the first episode of the game *Tell Me Why* by Dontnod Entertainment. It was released on August 27, 2020.

## Plot

Chapter 1 begins with a flashback of a young Tyler Ronan sitting in the Delos Crossing Police Station in the middle of the night.

After the flashback, the focus shifts over to Alyson Ronan, now ten years later in 2015. Alyson is preparing to go see Tyler for the first time in ten years as they plan to sell their childhood home and move to Juneau together. Alyson collects the old house keys and her Crafty Goblin figurine, and leaves her room.

Meanwhile, Tyler is also preparing to see Alyson. He writes a letter to his counselor Aaron from his room at the Fireweed Residential Center, collects his things and takes one look around. After his last look at his home for the past ten years, Tyler steps out of the building and reunites with Alyson.

The twins hug and speak together about what’s been going on in their lives for the past ten years as they drive to the ferry station. While on the ferry Alyson and Tyler speak about the places they remember from their youth surrounding them. Alyson presents Tyler with a ring— a gift from her adoptive guardian/ adoptive uncle Eddy Brown. Tyler dislikes Eddy for not allowing Alyson to see her brother for seven of the ten years they spent apart, and has the option to take the ring, deny the ring, or throw it into the lake.

After this Alyson will call Eddy, checking in and telling him about Tyler’s response to the ring, while Tyler will explore the boat. While on the ferry Tyler has the option of speaking to Alexander Gershwin. He can also speak to Alyson about more of their natural surroundings. The two see a whale breach while on the ferry.

Eventually, the ferry arrives at Delos Crossing. Alyson drives the siblings to 12 Cannery Road, their childhood home. The twins enter the property. Tyler seems excited and nostalgic at being back at the site of their childhood adventures, while Alyson is much more apprehensive. The twins quickly discover that someone has changed the locks on all of the house’s doors, and they must unscrew some bars covering one of their childhood secret entrances in order to get inside.

While looking for a screwdriver Tyler and Alyson see a vision of their past selves through the Bond— first doing chores in the shed, then arguing over Tyler‘s misbehavior getting them both in trouble. The twins are surprised as they’ve never seen memories through the Bond before. In the latter memory a young Tyler tells Aly that he’s hidden the key to the shed under the silent frog as a bit of revenge for their chores.

In the present, Tyler and Alyson try to remember which of the three frog sculptures Mary-Ann created was the “silent frog”. Tyler remembers that the frog in a “speak no evil” pose is the correct sculpture, but pretends to have chosen the incorrect frog for a moment just to mess with Alyson. They unlock the shed.

Tyler retrieves the screwdriver. While exploring this area Tyler also has the option to pick up some bird seed and fill a bird feeder, as well as speak to Alyson when she sits down on a bench that Mary-Ann built a long time ago.

Tyler pries the wooden slats off of the Crafty Goblins’ secret entrance and enters the spacious area below the house’s porch. While walking through the area and hitting his head on a low beam, Tyler realizes that he and Alyson have regained the ability to communicate with each other telepathically through the bond. Tyler works his way through the under- porch area while Alyson waits outside. He can find various paintings of the Crafty Goblins, the twins’ “treasure chest” full of plates, and a Mad Hunter collectible figure.

Tyler finds the hatch into the main house and pulls himself up. He pauses for a moment to take everything in before letting Alyson in through the front doorway. Alyson hesitates before entering, almost afraid to step past the doorway.

The twins examine the house, looking for things to keep and things to trash. While exploring they also see another memory through the bond. The twins proceed upstairs and look through their room for the Book of Goblins.

After retrieving the Book of Goblins, Alyson and Tyler see another memory in which a furious young Tyler tells Mary- Ann that he knows that she stole his diary and read it. Mary-Ann misgenders Tyler multiple times, and he runs out of the room and cries in the hallway. Tyler reaches for his past self but the memory fades. Alyson and Tyler decide to look for his diary in the one place they haven’t searched yet— Mary-Ann’s bedroom.

Mary-Ann’s bedroom is blocked off by a mechanical riddle based around a story from the Book of Goblins. Tyler can either reread the story and figure out the clues to open the door, or he can just break down the door. Either way the twins end up inside Mary-Ann’s room. There, they find not just Tyler’s diary but also, right next to it, a book that Mary-Ann had bought about raising and being an ally to your transgender child. Tyler is shocked to learn that Mary-Ann had supported him the entire time, and becomes increasingly confused as to why she had tried to kill him the night of March 1— up until know he and Alyson had both believed that Mary-Ann was transphobic.

Tyler and Alyson go out onto the porch where they talk about what this revelation means and what to do next. They resolve to continue on with the house sale, but to look for clues as to why Mary-Ann tried to kill Tyler in the meantime. Their first order of business is to go to Veni Vidi Vecchi General Store for food, drinks, candles, and cleaning supplies.

Alyson stays outside for a moment as Tyler walks back into the house. Tyler is immediately approached by Sam Kansky, who points a gun at him and tells him he has ten seconds to explain himself before he gets shot. Alyson comes in in the nick of time and tells Sam that this is Tyler, her brother. Sam is mystified for a moment and makes a few transphobic comments about Tyler “looking like a real man”. Tyler can choose to ignore this or call Sam out on his behavior.

Tyler and Alyson ask Sam a few questions about Mary-Ann, but he’s too drunk to offer helpful responses. Alyson has to strongly suggest leaving to Sam multiple times before he gets the message, and they leave the house together.

As the twins drive to downtown Delos, players see another flashback to the night of March 1, 2004. That night, after dinner, Tyler asked Alyson to cut his hair short. She gave him a much shorter haircut. As Tyler turned around, surprised at how light the haircut was, Alyson told him that he looked good— but she had probably given him a really bad haircut.

Tyler thanked Alyson. He told her that he felt more like her brother than her sister. Alyson accepted Tyler’s statement, telling him that they looked out for each other no matter what. Tyler hugged Alyson, and told her that he was going to show Mary-Ann his haircut. Aly was apprehensive, and reminded Tyler that Mary-Ann had been acting oddly recently. Tyler said that today Mary-Ann was in a good mood, and went downstairs to show her his haircut.

Tyler was unable to find Mary-Ann in the house and looked outside for her. He found Mary-Ann in the shed as she fiddled with a gun and murmured to herself. Tyler called for her, and Mary-Ann spun around to point the gun at him.

The flashback ends.

Later that day, Tyler and Alyson arrive at the General Store where they’re greeted by Michael Abila, Alyson’s best friend and coworker. Alyson introduces Tyler to Michael and vice versa. The group speaks for a bit before Michael heads back to work. Alyson and Tyler can either head straight into the store or look around at a playground area outside of it, where they’ll see a memory of Alyson and Tyler playing on the dome shaped jungle gym as kids.

Alyson and Tyler head inside the store. They’re greeted by Tom Vecchi, who cheerfully greets both twins. They then proceed to walk around the store, commenting on a few items or having small conversations. Alyson can also speak with Michael, who is taking inventory. Alyson can choose between flavored sodas or water, holly or plain scented candles, stronger or weaker all purpose cleaner, and candy or chips. After picking up all of the items, Alyson and Tyler head to check out. As they’re purchasing their items Tessa Vecchi rushes past the twins. Alyson gets her attention and she greets them both, but ignores their questions about Mary-Ann.

Right after this, both Alyson and Tyler sense a memory nearby through the bond. They approach the memory and watch as Mary-Ann is confronted by an angry Tessa Vecchi as the former attempts to shop at the store. Tyler tells Alyson that he remembers this event differently, and shows her a memory through the Bond in which Tessa Vecchi calmly approaches Mary-Ann, who becomes extremely agitated and angry.

Alyson must choose which memory she believes truly happened— her own or her brother’s. If Alyson chooses to trust her own memory, they will view a memory in which Mary- Ann calmly goes into Tessa’s office. Tyler will be upset that she didn’t trust him. If Alyson chooses to trust Tyler’s memory, they will see a memory in which Mary- Ann is convinced by a much calmer Tessa to speak with her in her office. Tyler will be happy that Alyson trusted him.

Whichever memory Alyson chooses, the twins will be faced with the same dilemma— Mary-Ann and Tessa turned up the music in Tessa’s office so that neither of them could hear a thing that was going on inside. The twins recognize the song and ask Tom to play it, hoping that it will bring back old memories for them. As the song plays the twins are hit by a flood of old memories and wander through the store viewing them through the bond.

Alyson and Tyler figure out that Tessa and Mary-Ann may have been arguing over two main things— Tyler’s identity as trans, and Mary-Ann’s sudden refusal to pay Tessa’s debts. Alyson heads in to Tessa’s office to collect evidence, and finds two main pieces of information— Tessa’s book of debts, showing that Mary-Ann stopped paying what she owed in October 2004; and an email from a conversion therapy summer camp to Tessa.

Tyler and Alyson confront Tessa with this information. If Alyson is able to keep her facts accurate, Tessa will share what happened with the twins. Mary-Ann had told Tessa that Tyler was struggling with his gender identity. Tessa had believed that sending Tyler to a conversion therapy camp would be the best solution for the whole family. After this, their friendship was ruined. Mary-Ann stopped paying her debts.

Alyson and Tyler leave the general store with this new information. They drive to the Delos Crossing Police Station to check in with Eddy Brown and potentially ask him about Mary-Ann.

The siblings arrive at the police station and head in. They start to see memories of the past, watching themselves enter the police station as children. Tyler and Alyson go upstairs to Eddy’s office, where he’s on a call. Eddy greets Alyson and gives her the keys to the break room, saying he’ll be done soon. As Alyson and Tyler explore the area, they see more and more memories scattered around the police station from the night of Mary-Ann’s death. In one memory Eddy asks Alyson for the truth as she asks why they separated her and Tyler. In another Alyson tells Tyler that she can’t keep lying; she can’t do this.

Tyler and Alyson leave the break room to find Eddy done with his phone call. He greets Tyler, and the conversation turns to the topic of Mary-Ann. Alyson asks if Eddy or anyone else noticed anything strange about Mary-Ann in the months or days leading up to her death. Eddy responds in the negative. Tyler asks Eddy if they can see Mary-Ann’s police file. Eddy denies this request, saying that he can’t get files out whenever he wants without following procedure. The conversation turns more confrontational despite Alyson’s efforts to mediate. Tyler asks Eddy why he kept the twins separate for seven years. Eddy retorts that he was following the court’s recommendation, and that Tyler didn’t see Alyson during the three years when he had the opportunity to do so. Tyler says that that was a personal thing.

Alyson is pulled in to the argument and must choose between siding with Tyler and siding with Eddy. If Alyson sides with Tyler, Eddy will apologize for keeping them apart so long and say that he only wanted to do what was best for her. If Alyson sides with Eddy, [???]. The three go out to dinner after this.

As Tyler, Alyson, and Eddy leave; the camera pans up on an empty police room. A black hooded creature stands in the corner, slowly waving its arms. This creature appears similar to the Mad Hunter.

The chapter ends in a flashback of March 1, 2005. Mary-Ann yelled ”stop” as Tyler began to run from her. Mary-Ann chased him with her gun pointed at him. Tyler tripped and fell in the mud, but continued to run. In his panic he saw the Mad Hunter near him.

Eventually, Mary-Ann cornered Tyler on the dock outside of the Ronan home. She pointed her gun at him and stated that she was going to kill him. Tyler begged for his life, kneeling down in front of her. Tyler closed his eyes, but then he heard a strange cry and looked up to see that Mary-Ann had been stabbed by Alyson.

Alyson collapsed, repeating “I killed her”. Tyler told Alyson that they were going to tell the police that he killed Mary-Ann. Alyson protested, but Tyler insisted that he would look out for her.

## Checkpoints

1. Orphans
2. Long Time No See
3. The Crossing
4. A Big Wooden House
5. Bad Haircut
6. Uninvited
7. Rashomon
8. To Serve And Protect
9. Blood Oath

## Reception

* On Steam, the game as a whole is rated as "very positive", with 92% of 314 user reviews positive.
* IGN gave it a good 7/10, noting that it's "good story in a charming world but the choices and plot fail to enthrall".

## Achievements

There are ten achievements the player can earn during Episode 1.