The Let's Play Archive

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

by DKII

Part 153: Episode 5, Final Day, Trial Former: Shadows

Part 153: Episode 5, Final Day, Trial Former: Shadows





I thought we'd be presenting this autopsy report last time, but apparently we're supposed to save it for now. I think the main idea here is: If Neil Marshall was stabbed in the back, is that positioning really possible from that picture?

Music: Silence




Sound: Desk Slam



contains a blatant contradiction!
Sound: Realization

What?
Sound: Light Bulb


Sound: Whack


Sound: Gavel

Mr. Wright.



Music: Logic and Trick



Oh shoot, and I already used my lifeline to poll the audience a couple minutes ago.



We have a penalty on this choice already, too! I don't really see anything distinctive about either figure, so I'm pointing at the knife to try and argue that it's at the wrong angle.




Sound: Desk Slam

Music: Silence


Sound: Drama Pound

Take a look at the knife the man is holding.


Sound: Light Bulb

Oh, fuck. I wasn't looking at the drawing literally enough and just got lucky here. I thought it was just a bad rendering of a knife. I guess even a kid's drawing could show a knife with a pointy tip. So, according to the autopsy report, Neil Marshall was stabbed once and the knife's tip was broken off inside the victim; so how was the knife already broken here?

quote:

Note that presenting the SL-9 knife itself is not a valid option on the cross; only the autopsy report lets us progress.



Even I don't have to look closely to see that, Mr. Wright.

But Mr. Wright, look at the evidence!


Sound: Realization

If I recall...



quote:

Pointing at anywhere else in the picture gives us a generic failure:




Sound: Desk Slam

Um, I think it's... uh, this part here?
Sound: Drama Pound

Music: Silence

Hmm... I don't see what's so strange about that.
Sound: Realization

That's because the drawing stinks!
Sound: Drama Pound

...

...

...

Mr. Wright... How could you... *sniff*
Sound: Realization

The act of making an innocent girl cry should warrant the death penalty.
Sound: Damage 2

No death penalty, just a regular penalty there.

(I guess he means I shouldn't shift the blame to others...)

Yes, well. So long as the defense has learned his lesson.
Sound: Whack

(I'd better take another look at that autopsy report and this picture!)


Sound: Gavel

Mr. Wright.

Perhaps it would be faster if you simply pointed out this contradiction for us.

Music: Logic and Trick

What part of this picture... contradicts the autopsy report...

We get brought back to the same decision-point. I like how, buried in the scene scolding Phoenix, there is a subtle hint to take the drawing at face value in terms of its accuracy. Meaning: The squared-off knife tip is not a flaw in the drawing!



Just the kind of conclusive evidence that had eluded the team for so long...



I'm afraid it's not so simple, Ema.
Sound: Realization




Sound: Desk Slam

And where, pray tell, could you possibly see a problem!?




Sound: Desk Slam

If the victim was only stabbed once,


Sound: Drama Pound
Sound: Objection

Music: Objection!


Sound: Stab 2




Sound: Desk Slam





Sorry, but I'm afraid that's not possible.

The tip of the knife was found inside the victim's body.


Sound: Desk Slam


Sound: Objection


Sound: Gavel

That's right!

But what does this mean?




Sound: Desk Slam



The only possible explanation is the witness's memory is mistaken!





I believe you were annoyed at the time.

But she was sure she remembered correctly!






Sound: Realization

Have you forgotten already?

I do enjoy the rapid-fire objections going back and forth here. I think we're finally making some progress!


Sound: Realization

I also love that after flirting with having a suspiciously-updated autopsy report thrown at us mid-trial in the second episode, we are again dealing with a possibly-forged autopsy report here. It's like the game has come full circle.

You're treading on thin ice, Wright...
Sound: Light Bulb

All I'm saying,

Music: Silence


Sound: Drama Pound

I'm counting that as forging the autopsy report that referred to the broken knife tip being found in Neil Marshall's body.

You can't deny the possibility!

No...


Sound: Damage 2



Sound: Gallery


Sound: Gavel x 3

Order! Order! Order!



Your Honor...

Please allow me to once again go over the events that took place the day of the murder.



Music: Logic and Trick







Neil Marshall questioned Joe Darke along with Damon Gant.








Sound: Stab 2


Sound: Realization

Music: Suspense

Hmm...

I...

I'm not lying...


Sound: Whack

...

If that's true...

then there's no other way around it.


Sound: Realization

Or at least, not what Ema saw in that instant in her picture.

...!
Sound: Light Bulb



What are the chances of there being two broken knives?

(Another broken knife besides Joe Darke's...)



Look, I know Ema's not mistaken, but this looks like a false choice and there's no penalty here so I'm going with the "wrong" answer on this one.

(Broken knives don't just grow on trees...)

(There's no way there was another one!)

Well, Mr. Wright?


Sound: Realization

Music: Silence

... I knew it.



...!
Sound: Light Bulb

(That flash of lightning burned an unforgettable image in her mind...)



(There's no way that Ema could be mistaken!)

Music: Suspense

quote:

If we'd picked the second option about there being another broken knife, we just skip straight ahead instead of Phoenix taking the long way there.



it can't just be explained away by a simple observational error.

Mr. Wright...


Sound: Desk Slam




Sound: Gavel

I assume then,



If so, please feel free to enlighten us.

(The murder weapon was already broken prior to the murder... There's only one way!)



All right, so I've been thinking about alternative murder weapons for awhile, under the assumption that Neil Marshall was stabbed with Joe Darke's knife after he was already dead (just like what happened two years later with Detective Goodman). Really ever since we found that the suspicious suit of armor and it's pointy-stabby thing didn't have a luminol reaction, and was on the opposite side of the room from the massive pool of blood. There's only one other stabbing implement that was around that night. And it happens to also have a broken tip...



And Phoenix's recap helpfully reminded everyone about Neil Marshall receiving an award with a broken knife and taking this picture, earlier that same day...



The answer lies in the past... Two years in the past.


Sound: Objection

quote:

Now, you might think that presenting the King of Prosecutors Trophy would also work here, but remember that the current trophy does not have a broken knife on it anymore. So it's just another wrong answer, and gets the same reaction as everything else in our massive evidence list.



If anything's broken here...

Music: Silence

it's you!
Sound: Realization

Huh?
Sound: Light Bulb

I'm sure this all must be very amusing to you, Mr. Wright.

But may I remind you that the fate of Ms. Lana Skye hangs in the balance?
Sound: Whack
Sound: Damage 2

Penalty directly applied...

S-sorry, Your Honor. Please give me another chance.

Music: Suspense

(The murder weapon was already broken prior to the murder... There's only one way!)

Take a look at this. Here's the real murder weapon!

We're taken back to the same evidence prompt to try again.

Music: Silence


Sound: Light Bulb

Well, now we know why Gant took the broken knife out of the trophy after this incident.

What is it, Mr. Edgeworth!?


Sound: Realization

Notice the award Prosecutor Marshall is holding.


Sound: Wipe




Sound: Wipe


Sound: Realization


Sound: Desk Slam



That being the case...


Sound: Drama Pound
Sound: Objection

Music: Investigation - Core


Sound: Gallery


Sound: Gavel x 3

Order! Order! Order!





When he chased after Joe Darke, he pulled out this knife.

Being a prosecutor, he did not carry a pistol.


Sound: Objection

You know, I never really thought of it that way. I thought maybe Neil Marshall had left the trophy in Gant's office after the picture, and was going to pick it up after questioning Joe Darke. Not that he took it into the questioning room with him.



But that... That can't be!

Oh? And why not, Mr. Edgeworth?



then the murderer and the victim would be reversed!
Sound: Drama Pound

What do you mean?
Sound: Realization


Sound: Desk Slam

I mean...


Sound: Wipe


Sound: Objection

This revelation isn't much of a surprise, once we learned that Ema only really saw shadows and not distinct faces.

Oh...


Sound: Stab 2


Sound: Gallery

I wonder if ticket prices at Phoenix's trials have gone up lately. He probably generates a lot more excitement than most defense attorneys.


Sound: Gavel x 3

But the prosecutor was the one who actually died!
Sound: Whack

That's true... (What's going on here?)

We're still missing something. How did we go from Neil raising a knife to stab Darke, to Neil lying murdered on top of an unconscious Darke?





Music: Silence


Sound: Objection


Sound: Shock 2 x 4


Sound: Whack

Music: Investigation - Core

Witness...?

Mr. Edgeworth!

What is it?



His list?

The one with that... picture scribbled on the back?




Sound: Realization


Sound: Realization

Music: Silence

What!?
Sound: Light Bulb

You drew that?
Sound: Light Bulb

That's right.



Music: The Blue Badger ~ I Want to Protect You





I must have locked this part away deep inside me...


Sound: Gavel

Music: Silence



Would you please tell us what you've recalled, Ms. Skye?

Yes, Your Honor.

(First the knife mix-up, and now... the Blue Badger?)

(This should be interesting...)
Sound: Realization




Sound: Testimony 2

Music: Questioning - Allegro

Looks like we've earned the tempo change here. Let's see what Ema has to say now.

When I saw that man raise his knife...



I think I... I knocked away the man with the knife.





Music: Silence



...Can we prove a contradiction in any of that?

This is certainly most unusual...




Sound: Desk Slam

Try impossible!
Sound: Whack



Now there's an odd typo. I'm going to assume by "until this year" they mean more "in the last year", since we did see a stuffed animal version of the Blue Badger in Criminal Affairs in Episode 4 a couple months ago (but last calendar year).

quote:

That typo actually got introduced in the re-translation. Original line: "The Head Detective of Criminal Affairs didn't even design him until this year!" They changed "didn't" to "hadn't" for some reason, but forgot to change "design" to "designed".

(That would mean he didn't even exist two years ago...)
Sound: Realization




Sound: Objection


Sound: Whack
Sound: Desk Slam

Lana's looking a little desperate now. We must be getting close to the truth.

Music: Suspense

Lana!
Sound: Light Bulb


Sound: Whack


Sound: Damage 2

Why can't you just leave it at that!?
Sound: Whack

Chief Prosecutor Skye.

!
Sound: Light Bulb

We've already come this far.

Music: Silence


Sound: Realization


Sound: Gavel

Silence!

The defense will now begin its cross-examination.



(It seems we're finally getting to the core of the matter.)




Sound: Testimony 2

Music: Questioning - Allegro

(The Blue Badger didn't even exist two years ago...)

(So what exactly did Ema see?)



(is to put the pieces of the puzzle together...)
Sound: Realization



When I saw that man raise his knife...



When you say, "that man," I assume you refer to Joe Darke?



You... "think"?
Sound: Realization

All I could really see were shadows.



is also documented in the Prosecutor's Office reports.

So then you...



I panicked, and rushed toward both of them.




Sound: Whack

What else could I have done!?

He was about to stab Mr. Marshall!



But as we've just theorized,


Sound: Realization

Well, I didn't know that at the time!

When that Darke guy knocked me down,



quote:

Original line: "all I could think was, "I've got to help Mr. Marshall!"" Interesting edit there, to be intentionally less-specific on the figures' identities...



I think I... I knocked away the man with the knife.



What do you mean, you "think"?
Sound: Realization

It... it all happened so fast...

And I was in shock!



So far our leading theory is that Ema somehow caused Marshall's death, and Gant was using that fact to blackmail Lana. Ema confusing Darke and Marshall would at least partially explain how that act could have happened.



With so much happening in a matter of seconds, a little disorientation is only natural.



I knew I had to stop the man with the knife.



This line could've used a revision; "young lady" would fit the context better.



Just then there was another flash of lightning, and that's when I saw... the Blue Badger!



Are you sure about this?


Sound: Light Bulb

But...



And that was just this year...

Okay, now I think he's just referring to the actual dancing monstrosity, not the plushie mascot in general.



I know it sounds strange. I was surprised too when I saw him at the Police Department.


Sound: Realization

Now I finally remember!
Sound: Light Bulb

(Oh brother. Just when you thought that thing had caused enough commotion...)





He wasn't in the room, but I'm sure I saw his shadow!



His shadow?



I've got an idea here. Gant's office had a large window on each side. What if, for this second lightning flash, the light actually came from the other side of the office this time? Then Ema actually saw a shadow cast onto her window, from something behind her?

That's right... but I still remember it.

He had three creepy horns...



This is pointless!



The witness must be mistaken!
Sound: Desk Slam



That may well be...


Sound: Desk Slam



So really... What else could cast a shadow that looks like the Blue Badger?

Oh? And I suppose you have an explanation?


Sound: Desk Slam

(What was it Ema saw when that lightning flashed?)



Anyone have any ideas? Well, might as well act as if we did...



(Yet she's certain she saw its "shadow"!)


Sound: Desk Slam

Music: Silence

Ladies and gentlemen...



there indeed was something that looked similar to the Blue Badger...
Sound: Realization


Sound: Objection

quote:

What if we admitted that we weren't sure about what Ema might have seen?

Music: Silence

I absolutely and positively have no idea whatsoever!
Sound: Objection

...

...

Well, it's always good to be sure of oneself!



Apparently it helps when trying to overlook one's failures...

But I know what I saw! I'm not making this up!
Sound: Whack

Mr. Wright, please!

You've got to believe me...

Ema...

Music: Questioning - Allegro

We're brought back to the cross from there. We can get back to the prior prompt by pressing on the same line again.


Sound: Light Bulb

It's worth the bluff just to see Ema smiling again.


Sound: Gavel

In this room?

Very well, Mr. Wright.

Music: Logic and Trick



Of course, now we're going to have to back up our bluff with some evidence...

Please show us this mysterious "Blue Badger" look-alike!



I have to admit, I did not figure this one out until looking through the Court Record again. So to give you all the same shot at this one, here is our current evidence list in full:































Now that you've seen the full list, what did Ema actually see that night?