Thieves In Time Redux: Rewriting Episode 3
Thieves In Time Redux: Rewriting Episode 3
Listen to Toad Town - Blue Streamer Removal while reading this.
When it comes to rewriting Thieves In Time, one episode I can't wait to get to is Clan Of The Cave Raccoon.
I get it. Clan Of The Cave Raccoon is nobody's favorite episode. But I believe I know how to fix it.
Many things will stay the same. Our heroes being stranded in prehistory, Carmelita storming off, Bob being the ancestor in need of saving, and The Grizz being our arc villain.
One thing that won't be the same (besides Penelope now being part of the adventure) is how Murray is treated.
I stated earlier that Murray won't be going through much of a character arc in this rewrite.
While that's still true, he will fall into a bit of a depression right after the events of Getting Stronger. Not because of Bob, but because of Penelope.
You see, she's going to be sent out to demonstrate all the things Bob has to do during Getting Stronger. There's just one tiny issue... She's feeling under the weather. Still, she pushes through long enough to get it all done. After the mission is cleared, though... she passes out. Turns out she's not just a little under the weather. She's very sick.
This places our heroine on bed rest for the next several missions as per a very worried Bentley's orders.
It's understandable, then, that Murray would feel partially responsible because Penelope (or Sis as he's been calling her) passed out on his watch.
On Penelope's end, being stuck on bed rest gives her the time she needs to really think about what she's done. I'll briefly go into what leads into her change of heart...
She's seen what her treachery has led to during her journey across time.
She's also seen what her dishonesty could lead to through Sly and Carmelita, especially if she still has the gall to defend herself if she gets found out.
And finally, the boys taking care of her while she's sick ends up being the final push she needs to see the error of her ways.
Oh, and she gets better in time for OP: Jurassic Thievery.
I already spoke about how Sly and Carmelita are doing in this post. They're... worse off than in canon.
Now for the main reason I'm looking forward to this episode... The boss fight.
I've already mentioned the premise in earlier posts: Murray and Penelope team up for a boss fight. Helps that the latter has just gone through her change of heart, and without anybody knowing.
I'm also using the opportunity to follow up on a few things that happened in Episode 2. One of those things is how Bentley has progressed in his character arc.
Last episode, we saw our favorite turtle promise to tone down his overprotectiveness towards Penelope after the events of Jail Break. Before this boss fight starts, we get to see him decide not to interfere. Although maybe letting her (and Murray) fight a giant-ass ice skating bear is a bit much...
Thankfully, his faith in her pays off. But let's go over his thought process throughout that entire scene...
"She can't do this!" "He's going to snap her in half!" "She's doomed!" "Why did I bring her along with us?!"
"No. She can do this." "This amazing woman broke me out of jail and fought off a career pirate!" "She'll be fine." "Why am I doubting her?"
"I promised her." "She deserves my respect." "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still worried, but… I need to let her soar." "Penelope, show that guy exactly why you're our secret weapon. Our Wild Card. And make me proud."
At around the same time, we have our Villain Of The Week, The Grizz, recognize Penelope. She's shaken, but is able to convince Murray not to believe the villain.
(Not looking forward to writing that scene, BTW. Mainly because of a certain bear's dialogue...)
Seeing Sly, Bentley, Carmelita, and Bob watching this, she convinces Murray to let her finish The Grizz off. He agrees. Now cue what may be one of the biggest missed opportunities in the franchise.
I have to say... This Murray/Penelope boss fight might just end up being my favorite of the lot. I've got a basic outline of how I want the fight scene to go, but actually finishing it might take a while... And yes, there will still be ice skating. From both heroes and our villain.
Anyway, the boss fight ends with Penelope finishing The Grizz off, with help from Murray.
Funny how right when Bentley is learning to let go, Penelope is learning to ask for help when she needs it.
The end of this episode has our heroine, after the van gets fixed, get her chance to return home to Paris. Out of a sense of guilt and responsibility, she refuses, wanting (and perhaps needing) to see this through to the very end.
Our five heroes then set off for their next destination, with Penelope now game for anything this wild adventure has to throw at her.
More Posts from Jenna12381 and Others
Today’s mouse is Penelope from Sly Cooper!
Why don’t you like sly 4
Bad story
Good charcter was completely rippsd apart for plot
Carmelita has a right to be angry and Sly has a right to explain his side of the story, they should've had a better resolve to their relationship than fucking "Sly I..." "I know."
Le Paradox
The entire story stood on a throwaway idea left on Sly3.
Lazy plot convenience with time travel
The ancestor(s) romance subplot. Fucking nasty
Penelope was made the villain cause they couldn't inplement the mole charcter that was supposed to be Mice and Mech's main baddy
Le Paradox
No villain (but Toothepick) feels like they're trying to slide by nonchalantly when they take over. It's "hey we're in the past and now we gotta conquer it" and no one (but again Toothpick) uses any time relevance to fit in or influence the surroundings.
Le Paradox
Fucking Le Paradox
This prick is a fickle fart compared to the sheer thunder Neyla made in Sly2. You want a family rival? Make a family rival that uses his established smarts instead of making him "ohohohoho so predictable!!hahahaha"
Also his boss fight, Sanzaru you shouldn't of brought back all the ancestors for one long fetch mission. Get cane, return to the past???
Honestly how did the ancestors just phase back into their own timeline they got to the present with the van.
Miss Decibel is the weakest female villain and only is ber boss fight in same difficulty as Mz Ruby cause goddamn as if the slow down power was mandatory.
AND TOOTHPICK WAS RALEIGH 2.0
El Jefe needed to chaange up his tactics cause why keep the Cooper you were sent back to capture, alive???
Grizz need to get on a grill and never leave
Penelope my baby what have they done to you.
She went down doing ugly fisticuffs with Bentley in a mecha.
Cooler option would've been to make the Mole, and have Penelope the Balck Knight STILL- but she was trapped in there without any control to the mecha.
Episode could've ended with Bentley beating the mecha, and the chest plate popping out, startling everyone as Penelope finally climbs out sweaty, disoriented, and tied up with extension cords. Cue Bentley vehemently apologizing as the Gang move on.
Sly is a dick to Murray and Bentley. And his suit sucks.
Dmitri never got a speaking role in game. Or missions.
Carm only got ONE MISSION.
Murray oh dear lord was the food gag pushed to an eleven.
Also Sly and Bentley being creeps.
What the fuck was up with the Ice Age episode.
Why wasn't Sly4 about Le Paradox trying to get Sly to slip out of his amnesia act so he'd get busted by Carmelita and start massive trouble.
But so why wasn't Sly4 not affected by any time alteractions. Sly could've been erased from existance, Bentley could've walked for a time before realizing he wasn't supposed to, Murray being a fraidy cat again.
How come Penelope and Dmitri didn't get any love in this game.
Why the fuck did a member of SuckerPunch say want the ping-pong minigame in there. Why.
Do you have any Ideas for Murray's character development?
As I already said in multiple posts, Murray won’t have much of an arc to go through. He’s more focused on being a good older brother towards Penelope, or “Sis” as he always calls her.
Sly sappiness: Proposal
No story behind this one. I just felt like drawing something sappy and this happened.
Thieves In Time Redux Meme #6
Episode 2, for context. This happens just before Cooper For Hire.
Bentley's a bit overprotective, isn't he? And you can't blame him. His girlfriend did run off on her own last episode... The fact that she's also being targeted by kidnappers doesn't help, either...
He does agree to her request, though. Mainly because Murray's also going to be there.
I gotta say. Sometimes it's way more fun writing memes for my fanfiction than actually working on it.
I’ve been watching Red vs Blue’s Tumblr fandom go absolutely hogwild, making fake memes for hypothetical seasons they might have gotten instead of the highly contentious and fandom-sundering follow-up from a different creator they did get
anyway, here are some fresh memes I made about 2012′s Sly 4: Time Is A Thief
Happy New Years
Congrats
You guys convinced me, Penelope is a good character.
How to Create A Villain
The best villains? They don’t even see themselves as the bad guys. They’re 100% convinced that what they’re doing is right, even if it’s messed up. Maybe they’re trying to “save the world” by doing something super questionable, or they think enforcing strict rules is the only way to keep society in check. They truly believe they’re the hero of their own story, which makes them way more interesting and real.
And Yeah, your villain might want power, but the real question is: Why? Were they humiliated in the past and now want control? Did they grow up powerless and now crave it to avoid being vulnerable again? When you dig into their backstory and show us why they’re doing horrible things, it makes them a lot more relatable—even if they’re totally wrong.
Flat, one-note villains are boring. If your antagonist is going to stick with people, they need depth. Show us what’s going on under the surface. Maybe they lie awake at night, doubting their choices, or they’re still haunted by a massive failure that’s pushing them toward their goal. A villain with personal struggles and vulnerabilities feels way more human and way harder to fully
A great Villain doesn’t just fight the hero, they reflect them. They might have totally different goals, but at their core, they share similar traits, maybe ambition, stubbornness, or a tragic backstory. When the hero looks at the villain, they should see a bit of themselves, and that’s what makes the conflict between them so intense.
When the villain finally goes down, it should feel big. Their defeat shouldn’t just be a fight, it should hit them emotionally. Ideally, their downfall comes from their own flaws, maybe they got too arrogant or made a mistake because of their obsessive goal. The best villain defeats leave the audience feeling a little sad or conflicted, not just happy for the hero’s win.
Penelope and Henriette Cooper Gijinka
First pic: Henriette "One Eye" Cooper
Second pic: Penelope
About Thieves In Time Redux's final boss fight...
I wanted to talk about the gameplay end of the fight scene. Remember how the vanilla boss fight was mostly QTEs? We'll only be seeing QTEs in the first and final phases.
The first phase, of course, has Penelope fighting Le Paradox, in an attempt to redeem herself.
As the fight progresses, the button commands increase in difficulty until they eventually become impossible for a human to complete. When that happens, Sly will join the fight and begin Phase 2.
You'll take control of Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita one after the other (in that order) as they enter the fight. No, you won't get to control the ancestors when they join in.
The final phase has you controlling Penelope again as she restarts her duel with Le Paradox. More QTEs follow, but now they're easier as our heroine gives her speech on what she learned about friendship.
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