Why Does Vincent Brooks Keep Cheating With Catherine?

Disclaimers:

This article contains a few spoilers from the PlayStation 4 port of Catherine: Full Body that are included mostly for analytical purposes. Feel free to avoiding reading it if you are a Catherine crusader who is looking forward to purchasing and playing the Nintendo Switch port in July 2020.  

This is an analysis of a theory about a video game character that will involve discussing serious and triggering topics, such as female-on-male rape and signs of abuse in a relationship. Reader discretion is advised, along with the strong recommendation to call the relationship abuse helpline in your country if you are being abused in a relationship.

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There is only one month left until Catherine: Full Body, the enhanced port of a twisted tale of fear, lust and indecisiveness becomes available for the Nintendo Switch [27] [28] [29]. Ever since 2011, many of those who played the original version of the tale for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 have questioned why Vincent Brooks, the tale’s protagonist just would not simply tell the beautiful woman he woke up next to that he already has a girlfriend [6] [12] [33]. I believe I have a theory for why he can hardly put the temptress aside for his girlfriend and that is no other than the possibility of him having Stockholm syndrome, similar to how I have theorised that Pauline from a certain classic arcade game from the early 1980s could have a serious fear of heights and that Sam-I-Am from the cartoon adaption of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss on Netflix could have bipolar disorder [35] [36] [41] [42]. I also remember when some Western Catherine crusaders have theorised that Rin was going to be a cis female for the Western release of Catherine: Full Body back in early and mid-2019 after the story eventually revealed that he is a cross-dressing male in the Japanese version [11] [26] [39] [40].

After being critically and cautiously acclaimed on the Playstation 4 and PlayStation Vita in 2019 [8], Catherine: Full Body will soon be ready to bring some erotic horror into the Switch era [28]. [27] [29]

Interestingly enough, there will be some free DLC for the Japanese version of the Switch port of Catherine: Full Body that provides three brand new voices for the temptress [8], along with her other ten voices for the Japanese PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita ports. Aside from that, let us explain why her target has fallen in love with her, not just because of her good looks. [9]

Stockholm syndrome is a mental disorder that leads to strong attachment to a person who has caused a traumatic experience, such as a kidnapping [23] [24] [30]. Those with Stockholm syndrome cannot be bitter towards their captors, no matter how terrifying the trauma they caused was. Harley Quinn, the Joker’s longtime “love interest” from Batman: The Animated Series, the Batman comics and so on is a prime example of a fictional character who has been suspected to have Stockholm syndrome [3] [14] [15] [16] [34]. Surely some Disney desirers have theorised that Belle from the animated adaption of Beauty and the Beast from 1991 has Stockholm syndrome [22] [25] [30] [32], but Emma Watson, the actress who played the role of her in the film’s live-action remake from 2017 denied it due to how she identified signs of the character maintaining her independence [2] [20]. But as for the black-haired bachelor in Catherine, he seems to be more likely to consist of Stockholm syndrome due to how indecisive he is and how he lacks much ambition [12]. How Vincent ended up in a troublesome love triangle may not have been a kidnapping [5] [6], but there is an aspect of the hookup and so on that has unnerved plenty of Catherine crusaders.

Harleen Quinzel on the front cover of her new graphic novel. No matter how ruthless the Joker has been to her, there just seems to be no signs of the cycle ever ending [34]. Could the same technically apply to Vincent and Catherine? [14]

I may be very relieved that there have been no accusations of pedophilia against the Brookster’s love for Rin who is considered to be old enough to work at a bar in Full Body [11] [39] [40], but I am rather skeptical about his love for Catherine [12], whether she will speak in any of her alternate voices or not [8]. [11]

The portrayal of Catherine as Vincent’s forbidden lover is highly questionable at times. Catherine may be cheerful and carefree in an alluring way, but the way she assaults him after he attempts to dump her for Katherine McBride is alarming [5]. Furthermore, some Catherine crusaders have suspected that their night in bed together was...not consensual as he was drunk at the time [1] [5] [12] [19] [21]. Although it is unclear if the two have actually had sexual intercourse or not [5] [12], it is still rather intimidating how the sex symbol warns her target that there will be some serious consequences if he slips up [5] [33]. Poor Vincent is too weak-willed to “man up” about the affair and deeply cares for all three of his lovers, including the one who could possibly be his rapist [12] [33]. The symbolism of the logo on his pink T-shirt could be a red flag. Even though I believe that the possibility of Catherine being Vincent’s rapist backs up my theory on him having Stockholm syndrome [5] [6] [12], I still would not want it to have definitely been true in the game’s story overall as it would be in very poor taste to include the premise of rape in a story solely for shock factor. 

How Catherine assaults Vincent in the toilets at the Stray Sheep could be a clear sign of him having Stockholm syndrome if he does not fully resist her after trying to dump her for Katherine [23] [24] [30]. His depression, kind nature towards Catherine and traumatic nightmares about her could also be related to him having Stockholm syndrome [23] [30]. [5]

The way Catherine threatens to Vincent with acts of brutality is also abusive, similar to how Darwin was threatened in his relationship with Jamie in a certain horrible episode of The Amazing World Of Gumball [31]. [5]

It can be argued that Vincent does not have Stockholm syndrome since he has at least tried to end his affair with Catherine as he thinks about either Rin or Katherine and is far more likely to have mild depression due to guilt from cheating, which is what I agree with due to how he has displayed signs of it throughout the game [12] [26]. Moreover, his misery continues when the overbearing beauty with beige-blonde hair breaks up with him in a rational manner [6] [10]. At least when the player chooses the Rin route, the reason why Katherine’s attitude towards Vincent’s supposed affair with Rin seems more positive must be because she is a supporter of LGBT rights and is quite happy that her former partner does not have to try to hide his bisexuality to avoid intolerance anymore [17] [26]. But as for the regular route from the original Catherine, the possibility of Vincent having Stockholm syndrome can be avoided, as long as the player tries to bring his destiny to regular human life with Katherine since she befriended him back in their high school days and they started a happy and healthy relationship when they were both about twenty-seven years old [4] [10] [13].

A happy and healthy relationship between Vincent and Katherine McBride from a lustrum ago. [13]

The same avoidance of Vincent having Stockholm syndrome can apply to leading him to Rin in Full Body since the talented pianist is far too pure-hearted to be an abusive and manipulative partner. [11]

So, does the Brookster really have Stockholm syndrome? I guess it depends on which path the player chooses. And the path that would truly diagnose him with the disorder is the one that sinfully leads him to the fantasy of “freedom” with Catherine [5] [6]. Surely plenty of Catherine crusaders did not take too kindly to the sings of being abusive the femme fatale displayed [5]. Nevertheless, she eventually becomes more sincere and far less manipulative to Vincent in three of her good endings, including an extra one in Full Body [6] [7] [8] [9] [18]. As an alternative to how I believe the talented people at Atlus can expand on the Catherine franchise in the future of gaming by establishing how the succubus appears to other men at another bar apart from Vincent at the Stray Sheep [37] [38], maybe there can be a potential semi-reboot of the original game that takes place in the alternative timeline she created in her exclusive ending from Full Body [7] [8] [18]. But whether you might have Stockholm syndrome or not, an abusive relationship should not be taken lightly. In real life, innocent victims of abuse should stand up for themselves and get help by calling the relationship abuse helpline in their country [31].

I absolutely adore Catherine’s appearance in a new timeline established in her exclusive ending in Full Body [18], but this image right here could be a red flag of how she still might be potentially abusive with a recollection of the original timeline, thus leading to Vincent having Stockholm syndrome. [7]

Until next time, Catherine crusaders and Nintendo nerds who will be ready to guide the Brookster throughout a series of nightmares on the Switch this July [27] [28] [29]. Stay golden. [7]

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