How’s it going guys, my name’s Graeme,
and welcome to 2 Left Thumbs! This is a video I’ve wanted to make, ever since I started
this channel. The (hopefully) *Ultimate* exploration and explanation of the FULL story and lore
of The Binding of Isaac. With the Repentance DLC out now, we finally have the *full* story.
I was able to assemble something like 95% of it using details we have from the existing
game, Bum-bo, and even the card game. But I never put the video together, because we
were missing a few crucial details that really tie it all together. Specifically the catalyst
for one particular event, and seemingly the fate of one character. Now, through it all,
I am confident that this is the full story! We need to do a bit of work leading into that.
The series and story have been building up for many years, so I’m sure you’ll forgive
that I need to spend a minute laying the groundwork. At this point the whole saga spanned a *decade*!
That original Flash-based Binding of Isaac released in 2011, we had Rebirth in 2014,
Afterbirth the year after, and Afterbirth+ in 2017. Now, having the MEGA-expansion, Repentance.
Outside of the core series, we’ve also had the wildly successful Four Souls tabletop
Kickstarter in 2018, and the The Legend of Bum-bo (a prequel game) in 2019. A series
of games born out of creator Ed McMillen’s own experiences, being raised by drug addicted
parents, who become born-again Christians - and his usage of a paper-crafted world and
drawings to escape his environment. The Binding of Isaac is a very personal story, but that
doesn’t mean these were the literal events he lived. But he would have drawn a lot of
inspiration from what I’m sure were very traumatic experiences. Through this broad
history of Isaac, we’ve seen the narrative slowly expanded, from simply a naked boy who
shoots out his tears and kills disgusting monsters - to a much more tangible story.
With micro-additions given to us in a piecemeal fashion of game updates, or through Ed McMillen
spoon-feeding us important details throughout. Over time, old theories have lost some credibility,
while seemingly unimportant details have been given new significance. One of which is the
identity of Isaac’s father. That was a presence almost entirely absent in the first few editions
of the game. The release of Bum-bo, and the Revelation(™) that he was so important to
the story, is what got me diving deeper into the story as a whole. That, and Isaac is probably
my favourite game of all time! The Repentance gameplay being shown throughout is courtesy
of TheTurtleMelon. A buddy of mine, and roguelike-focussed Let’s Player who has *loads* of high quality
Isaac videos. Plus *plenty* of other series. If you want hours, and hours of quality Isaac
runs, with funny commentary to boot, “Since the dawn of Isaac, these things’ movement
has frustrated the hell out of me. And you can see why! LOOKATIT!! What’s it doing!?
STOOP!!” Check out his channel! I’ll have a link at the top of the description. I feel
that before I go any further with this, I need to include some form of trigger warning.
I’m going to go deep into themes of physical and mental abuse, religious fanaticism, suicide,
alchoholism, drug abuse, and plenty of other unpleasantries. I don’t think anyone who’s
familiar with Isaac as a series had any illusions that Isaac was secretly a happy story - but
I want to make sure everyone is prepared for how dark it truly gets. If you’re prepared
for some more mature topics, we can press on. We’re going to start pretty basic here.
I’m sure you’ll see much of it as fundamentals that surely any Isaac player, or fan would
know. But it’s important for this video to be comprehensive, for anyone, at any level
of understanding of the series. Youknow. It’s big. It takes like 1000s of hours to “complete”.
So we’re trying to make it accessible here! We’re laying down that foundation, as well
as tearing down a few misconceptions that need to be set aside. Everything we see in
The Binding of Isaac, is coming from Isaac himself, an unreliable narrator. What are
largely stories, but a few real events, are all filtered through his own imagination - usually
his drawn accounts of things. Similar to the stories of the Bible: they are not meant to
be taken literally. How thematically on-point! There is a creative license here that Isaac
uses to share how he perceives these events. When we see a crazed Mom raving and talking
to God, brandishing a knife at Isaac, and chasing him into the basement - we are seeing
a story, drawn by Isaac. Not literal events. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t spawn
from some truth. After the Bum-bo launch, Ed did an interview with AVclub, and confirmed
the intended simplicity of Isaac’s story. “Is there a canon version of the Isaac story,
that Bum-bo then leads into? Is there a “right” way to interpret (things)?” “I think so.
I see people sometimes get stuck on the unexplored areas of Isaac. I think Isaac’s story is
pretty straightforward. A kid feels like an outcast due to what happened—which I explore,
more, in Bum-bo—what happened in his life, as well as his mother becoming a religious
zealot who is constantly telling him that he’s bad because of X, Y, Z, and that he’s
evil, etc., etc. And then Isaac essentially gives up. He recedes into his imagination
and suffocates in a box, and then his mom finds him. That’s the Isaac story. I always
thought it was pretty straightforward. [Laughs.] I guess it wasn’t.” That gives us a fully
confirmed start and end, but we don’t know what that catalyst is. That particular “event”.
There’s a lot still left unsaid there. But at the behest of the creator themselves, I
will try to not extrapolate anything beyond what feels like the simplest explanation.
Isaac’s mom lived a devoutly religious life, and showered his impressionable mind with
negative thoughts of sin, hell, and damnation. Isaac internalized this oppressive influence,
and bears those sins as his personal failures. In a panic of misplaced fear and loneliness,
Isaac retreats to the perceived safety of his toy-chest when those pressures become
too great, and his imagination is no longer a liferaft, only to suffocate and mean his
end. A quick plug for all you fellow lovers of roguelikes! With the help of 2 Left Thumbs
as a publisher, the Milkbar Lads are taking their free online game Dead Estate, dramatically
expanding everything about it, and we’re gearing up for a Steam release later this
year!! Heavily inspired by both roguelike, and horror games, but with a really unique
style, and a few new twists to shake things up! The best thing you can do to support that
currently, is to give it a Wishlist over on Steam, that would be very much appreciated!
I know you guys will love it. [WHO AM I?] The “game” that we are playing in The
Binding of Isaac is our journey through Isaac’s mind as he wrestles with his own demons. Something
long ago confirmed, is that every playable character is in fact another aspect of Isaac’s
personality - rather that be true, or his own perception of himself. The character selection
is even titled “Who am I?” as Isaac wrestles with his personal identity. They are largely
rooted in Christianity, and are seen as characters of Sin - a strong motif throughout the series.
There’s a few exceptions. Characters like The Lost, Blue Baby, Keeper and Forgotten,
are Isaac in stages of decay. The rest of them are just him dressing up and using his
imagination. For some examples of those sinful characters: Judas - known primarily as the
disciple who betrayed Jesus. Eve - who succumbed to the temptations of the snake in the garden
of Eden, creating original sin. Samson - a man who uses his power for great violence.
While those decaying characters physically make sense, and represent Isaac’s eventual
fate, playing as them is confronting Isaac’s fear of his own inevitable death. Something
that would be of great concern to someone in a Christian household who views themselves
as a sinner. Alternately, it could be seen as a personal “death wish” - with suicide
being a sinful act in the eyes of god. There’s one like Azazel - a literal demonic personification,
showing an Isaac fully consumed by sin. Through his indoctrination, this is the trajectory
he thinks he’s on. This lurking presence, waiting to consume him… The exact interpretation
of a few of the newer characters becomes a little foggier. We have Lazarus, Eden, Lilith,
Appolyon - they’re a little less straightforward - there’s plenty of room for interpretation.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on those in the comments! And while we’re talking
representations of Isaac, I found this old response from Ed, when being asked, what is
the concept behind the boss It Lives (eventually replacing Mom’s Heart)? It Lives is Isaac
wishing he was never born and fighting his past self. He’s a *VERY* troubled kid. Seemingly
at the best, he wishes he were never born, and at his worst, he actively wishes he were
dead. So yes! ALL of these characters are Isaac, represented in one way or another.
Which leads into something quite large, that needs its own dedicated segment. We need to
talk about: [THE MAGGY THEORY] I’m sure many of you noticed the omission of Maggy
and Cain when talking characters. I intentionally set them aside, because we need to talk about
*that* theory, before we go any further. This has been a theory for years now. That Maggy
is Isaac’s lost, secret sister. The core evidence being: Cutscenes of Isaac in the
wig. The dead baby items: like Sister Maggy and Brother Bobby. Cain being a quintessential
example of fratricide - the killing of one’s brother or sister. The idea of a lost child
being a logical catalyst for this household falling apart, and that resulting misery,
the potential guilt from Isaac and how Isaac perceives his own role in that. Repentance
even adds new items that I could see being folded into this. There is the C-Section,
and Vanishing Twin, both using early stage fetuses. “The Vanishing Twin”? Maybe a
second child, that was lost, while Isaac survived? Or the adoption papers, that some could take
to mean either represented Maggy, or Isaac, not being the biological child. So layering
this together, Cain represents Isaac’s guilt over the untimely death of his sister. Whether
that be in utero, his biological sister? Whether he was the cause of the death? And Maggy is
his attempt to embody that dead sister. Trying to patch that relationship with his parents,
by filling the role himself. I don’t want to smack-talk the actual theory crafting here!
I think it’s really well thought out, and tells an interesting story. It’s also interesting
that items in the newest DLC continue to lend credence to it. There is enough evidence in
game to no longer subscribe to this theory, seeing the full story play out, and with new
details from Ed - bolstering previous doubts. This doesn’t explain Brother Bobby. None
of the cutscene photos ever show the 4 of them together. And the theory that Sister
Maggy was stillborn, while Bobby suffocated in the womb, inherently means that this hypothetical
sibling never grew old enough to be in these polaroids. That’s an interesting little
tangent of the theory, that kind of quickly disproves itself. Ed has specifically stated,
“there are no brothers and sisters”. They’re all “figments of his imagination”. So
that quickly undoes any of the theorizing on who the dead babies within the game are.
But, that doesn’t necessarily answer seeing Isaac in the wig. There might still be more
to that, so I will peel back those layers a little further. Going beyond the in-game
content, it seems like Ed is distancing us from the dead sister Maggy theory for years
now. From Dec 18th, 2019 in Ed’s own words: “I don’t like hand-holding. I like ambiguous
storytelling. And I try to say a lot with gameplay and the things you do in the game”.
Slowly but surely he has given us significant details, like the eventual identity of the
in-game narrator. So Ed is not afraid to eventually divulge substantial details beyond the in-game
content. He just takes his sweet time getting there. “Since Maggie is a playable character
as Isaac’s “sister” What about Bobby???” “Maggie is Isaac’s mom’s name”. The
first full reveal of Mom’s name came in August 2018 with a tease of the Four Souls
Credit Card Item. Which, as a fun little bonus here - we get to see that her whole name ends
up spelling out M.O.M. Neat! Ed also re-iterates that this is the true significance of Magdalene’s
name in-game the whole time. “I’ve always had her first name in place, hence ‘Maggy’.
But I designed the rest when tikara mentioned her full name could be revealed here…”
Mom’s full name is also on the Divorce papers - but I brought up the Credit Card first,
because that seemed to be the instigation of this specific reveal. And the furthest
back tweet reply I could find is this. Nice and straightforward: “Who is Isaac’s sister?”
“He doesn’t have a sister”. I don’t think this is meant to be an “AnYmOrE”
style tease. Ed’s tweet reveals tend to be pretty straightforward. The strongest evidence
I think also comes from that AVC interview: “(Isaac’s mother) tried to make him feel
horrible about who (he) was”. The Binding of Isaac is about “A kid (who) feels like
an outcast due to what happened - which I explore, more, in Bum-bo”. This indicates
that one of the largest components of The Legend of Bum-bo’s story has been told *prior*
to Bum-bo. The largest overlap in the story appears to be the divorce of Isaac’s parents.
A long lost sister, or miscarriage or anything like that, are topics that Bum-bo never explores.
“What happened” to Isaac - the inciting incident here - would be his dad leaving.
The ways people landed on the Maggy theory seems to largely make sense within the game.
I think it’s a really well reasoned, and very creative theory! But I think it’s time
that we let go of that particular story thread. It doesn’t seem to have ever been the intention.
Lacing this back to the character selection of Who Am I? What does that mean for Maggy
and Cain? Cain - seen biblically as the first murderer, and one cursed by god. Isaac she’s
violence in himself, and a capacity for murder. In his imagined world, he kills everything
in his path to advance, and he undoubtedly feels cursed. Magdalene - is an obvious connection
to his mother, borrowing her name and wig. Mary Magdalene also had 7 demons driven from
her in the Bible. Isaac fears his mother, but also sees strength in her - associating
her with Mary Magdalene, conquering her demons and sin. Now that we’ve separated out Maggy
as being entirely Isaac’s mother, and not a lost sister - we are still left with the
question of who is Bobby? This is something I absolutely plan to address - but for the
sake of flow in this video I believe it’s something I’ll have to pick up again later.
[ENTER, BUM-BO] It’s time to talk about the prequel! The game all about poop and pee,
that seems to have even less identifiable story than Isaac ever did. But Ed had made
it very clear that this game functions as a prequel to Isaac. So I went in full-force,
excited to see what new information we might gleen! Bum-bo battles his way through these
cardboard cut-out worlds. Bashing enemies, and collecting coins. The idea of this cardboard
setting, and imagined world, is something that Ed McMillen and James Id personally bonded
over. And the idea of pursuing this game, with this concept, was entirely inspired by
this specific connection they held in their childhoods. I think that’s just really sweet.
It’s a cool story for how this game came to be, and it shows you just *how* personal
this series is. We get a few small cutscenes of Bum-bo, discovering new “Bum-bo”s that
you can then fight through the game as. Kinda reminds you of the different character selections
for Isaac. That is until the end of the game, when we get a few very powerful scenes that
shed some much needed light on a few unknown details of this series. For a franchise that
usually shows so much restraint, the ending cutscenes we got between Bum-bo and Repentance
came as a seriously unexpected gut punch. We had gone from barely knowing the dad, assuming
a lot of other things about this family and story, and suddenly having a much richer tapestry
painted out for us. (Bum-bo) “But Bum-bo hear something. Something mean! Something
huge! Something-” (Mom) “Isaac? Who are you talking to? Where did you get that stuff!?
I thought I threw it out… He LEFT us Isaac! He's gone! He NEVER loved us! Don’t you
get it!?” (Isaac) “No, no momma please!” (Mom) “Isaac, listen to me. It’s just
us now. It’s just us now Isaac… You. And mama.” The game camera pulls away to show
that this series of adventures are being entirely orchestrated by Isaac, playing around in this
sandbox of cardboard characters and game pieces. His mother comes in very calmly, with some
cracks of grief and anger being heard, recounting that her husband, and Isaac’s father left.
It’s so unexpected to hear the mother be so raw, emotional, honest, and vulnerable.
This is one of those moments where we’re seeing it through Isaac, but as he’s processing
it, he hasn’t yet filtered it through some insane fantasy world. In the cutscene after
that, we get a truly deep cut, *tuuugging* at our heart strings. (Bum-bo) “And Bum-bo
make his kingdom a big, wide world filled with adventure for Bum-bo! All kinds of big,
fat monsters to *smash*! And even small ones to bash. (voice changing) And this world of
Bum-bo’s will grow, and grow. (Narrator) And always be there for you as a way to escape
from the real world. There’s no end to your imagination. No limit to what you can create.”
Here we learn that Isaac and his father made this cardboard world together, both as a way
for them to bond, and as a coping mechanism. Isaac was taught that his imagination is a
powerful tool, and something that can be utilized in times when he is doubtful, afraid, or alone.
Another powerful revelation is that the Narrator of the original game is in fact Isaac’s
father. In the recesses of Isaac’s mind, as he fights for his life, he hears the voice
of the man who taught him to create, and tell stories. Whether those stories are of fear
and death (as seen in Isaac), or silly, fun adventures (like Bum-bo) - his father’s
voice reassures him. Repentance seems to indicate that his father has been present through all
the storytelling of both games. But there’s a chance that stands-in as Isaac’s conscience;
that that’s how he’s choosing to think through these stories. This will be expanded
upon further, as we lay out more of the story. Isaac’s father being the narrator was confirmed
in tweets a little bit before the release of Bum-bo, but I think the reveal in-game
is much more powerful than simply reading it, or showing you a tweet. [UNFETTERED IMAGINATION]
When combining this scene from Bum-bo, which canonically comes before the events of Isaac,
we begin to see a more complete timeline. Isaac’s father has left, leaving Isaac to
retreat into his cardboard world, trying to maintain that connection to his father, while
struggling to comprehend his absence. We see glimpses of Isaac being judged, bullied, and
treated as an outcast through his dreams. It’s unclear if Isaac has always been awkward,
and had trouble fitting in - which I imagine reflects some of Ed’s experience as a creative
kid, with different interests than his schoolmates; or if the kids started picking him after his
home life became unhinged? It stands to reason that this only drove Isaac further into isolation,
needing the escapism of his toys and cardboard world now more than ever. Seeing her only
son retreat so deeply into something she was not a part of leaves Mom feeling cut-off from
her son, while constantly being reminded of the man who left them. She chooses to get
rid of the cardboard world, and leaves Isaac without the crutch of this coping mechanism.
As his mother retreats deeper into her religious fanaticism that chased away his father, Isaac
witnesses her change, internalizing her judgement and fearing for his boy’s soul. Whether
or not Isaac realizes this was a major source of that rift between his parents, he fears
losing the one parent he has left, engulfing himself in that same religious dogma as well
to satisfy mom - seeking salvation - without realizing that these radicalized beliefs are
the source of his guilt and distrust. This leads us very directly into Isaac’s drawn
depiction of The Binding of Isaac’s opening scene. Isaac’s imagination is still his
greatest tool, acting as a storyteller - just like his father taught him. After his mother
takes away his belongings (a real world event!) Isaac crafts his own reasoning as to why she
may have done it. Drawing religious allegories: Isaac comes to the conclusion that his mother
may have fallen so deeply into her devotion that she may mimic the story of “The Binding
of Isaac” from the Bible. She has already taken away his clothes and toys, and this
may be the next logical step for her? He maybe can’t quite comprehend seeing his mother
change as she’s shattered by this grief. Isaac has seen her taking these religious
teachings literally, and they have been taught to him as ineffable truths.
The Biblical story of The Binding of Isaac was when Abraham, at the behest of God, takes
his only son Isaac to the mountains as a sacrifice to prove his devotion. Two fun asides here.
Genesis 22:10, is the exact line when Abraham reaches out with the knife, immediately before
he would have commenced his sacrifice. This is why the title theme in Rebirth is titled
“Genesis 22:10”. The exact moment before Isaac’s death. That specific story from
the Bible is also why it’s often theorized that Isaac’s father’s name is Abraham.
Although, Ed has specifically left the father unnamed, and potentially doesn’t even have
a secret name in mind himself. So, we’ll continue to refer to him as “dad”, or
“father”. Isaac feels abandoned by his father, and is the product of his mother’s
projected insecurities. Without his paper-craft world (his preferred outlet for his imagination)
feeling isolated in his room leads to him cooking up the narrated story of Isaac. There
are kernels of truth, but his mother coming to murder him is his own extrapolation. She
is lonely, protective, and fears that Isaac will grow to resent her as well. But that
overbearing approach only pushes Isaac further away, struggling to understand what has happened
to his family. Isaac begins drawing a new narrative, one that is less a fantasy than
the cardboard world, and instead one that depicts real people - like his mother - as
this monstrous being. Upon discovering this. Her greatest fears are realized, and she locks
Isaac in a room without even a pencil and paper to express himself. With his fears running
wild, Isaac attempts to hide from the world, his mother, and his own perceived sins, and
climbs into his now empty toy chest. Locked in the dark, his over-active imagination spins
out into the events of the game. Battling monsters, demons, himself, and struggling
with thoughts of damnation and self-hatred. This is the result of using his imagination
to “become powerful” the way his dad taught him, aimed at something destructive rather
than creative. This spinning-out of Isaac’s imagination is the heart of the series, and
paints us a nice full picture of Isaac’s journey. But it leaves us with some unanswered
B plots. What of the character of Bum-bo (beyond being a stand-in for Isaac’s absentee father)
and the mechanics or themes of the game? What led to his parent’s divorce? Why did Isaac
start dressing up as Maggy? Was Mom truly ever an evil character? And MANY more! In
the next part of the video I plan to flesh out as much of this as possible - and hopefully
create as complete of a compendium on the full tragedy of Isaac as I can. [THE DIVORCE]
Directly addressing that question of, “what happened”. The catalyst for the events of
Isaac! Through the polaroids, and pictures on Isaac’s wall - as well as the new Bum-bo
cutscenes - show us a story of a failed marriage. There was anger, yelling, fighting, and an
eventual divorce. We see in the polaroids when his father walked away from the family,
backed up with another scene of unintelligible arguing, ending with his declaration, “I’M
OUTTA HERE”. (Unintelligible yelling) (Muffled shout): “I’M OUTTA HERE”. Isaac’s
mom pleads in Bum-bo, “He left us!” While both may have been guilty of anger, and fighting
- the split was definitely not amicable. We get to see that critical fight in more of
its entirety in Repentance. (Dad) “I spent it, it’s gone. Just get over it!” (Mom)
“What do you mean? What do you mean it’s gone!? How can you have spent our savings!?”
(Mom) “He’s self-destructive, and disturbed *just* like his father! Look at who he has
to look up to! (whimpering) And you’re drunk again, aren’t you?” (Dad) “SHUT UP MAGGY!!
SHUT UP! You just keep pushing me like this! I’m leaving!” (Mom) “Good! LEAVE! We’ll
be fine without you! Abandon us, like you abandoned yourself…” (Mom) “You need
to repent. You need to confess your sins, and become saved! Let his light inside you!
CLEANSE YOUR SOUL-” (Dad) “You *are* insane! You are taking this *too* far! Can’t you
hear how you sound?” (Mom) “(pleading) Pray with me. Pray for your salvation. Come,
pray with us Isaac.” (Mom) “Where are you going?! WAIT! We need you! Your son, *needs*
you!” (Dad) “I’m doing more harm than good. I just can’t do this anymore. I’m
sorry…” (Mom) “*Pleeease* don’t leave us!!” (Dad) “I’m sorry Isaac…” This
cutscene seems to indicate that this was the final time his father walked out on them,
never to return. But that could simply be how Magdalene is steering that narrative.
Hiding Isaac away, making sure he doesn’t see his father, while the messy divorce proceedings
are being hashed out privately. And while a divorce at a young age would be difficult
to process, we do have more specific information to go off of. Isaac clearly views this as
being his fault, is there any true villain, or blame to be assigned? So far we’ve seen
the religious fanaticism of his mother, and only the nurturing love of his father. But
unfortunately, I have to now tear down that idealism, and layout that I do not believe
his father was *not* innocent here. We have multiple items in-game that are directly connected
to dad. Not as many as mom, but we have: Dad’s Key, his Lost Coin, Ring, and indirectly,
the Divorce and Adoption Papers. My interpretation of the Key and Ring are pretty straightforward.
The marriage is over. He no longer wants the ring, and no longer needs the key. He left
and isn’t coming back. I know people have searched for a lot of meaning in the Key’s
function in-game and flavor text: “Opens all doors…” I think this is more just
to tease that the key has a function beyond opening treasure rooms and chests. It’s
greater function is opening the door to Mega Satan. If we really want thematic significance
- we obtain the two key pieces by killing the angels Uriel and Gabriel - whose names
mean ‘God is My Light’ + ‘God Is My Strength’. The killing of these angels is
a rejection of Christianity. Since Isaac is too young, and in all likelihood too brainwashed
to comprehend anything other than paths of God or Satan - this obvious rejection of God
is inevitably therefore a path to Satan. His childish perception works in reductive binaries.
He’s been told, those are the only 2 paths. And with dad leaving the family, I’m sure
Mom has built a narrative in Isaac’s mind, that following his father is (in some way)
a path to Hell. Dad’s Lost Coin provides one of the most interesting details. It was
one of the biggest hints at the larger story before we were given a more direct answer.
In the original game it looks a bit like a warped penny, with a cent sign imprinted on
it. Four Souls yet again is able to provide an additional layer of previously unseen detail.
It much more clearly reflects the common design of a Sobriety Token given at Alcoholic Anonymous
meetings to recovering addicts. The text “I remember this…” indicates that this has
not held any value for a long time. Isaac’s dad is a recovering alcoholic, likely
one who is off the wagon. This could be a returning addiction, or one that formed late
in life with the stresses of a failing marriage. Seeing as this is already a very troubled
household, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to imagine that his father was a bad,
belligerent, or dangerous drunk. I was so proud of piecing that together before Repentance,
but the timeline was unclear. We learn through fragments of their fight, that Isaac’s father
started drinking as the marriage was crumbling, NOT as a result of the divorce as my theory
had originally stated. He’s drinking to hide from his family, not to bury the shame
of letting his family fall apart. Not to take all the heat off of Mom now either! They are
equally culpable. Mom’s Pill Bottle, and Mom’s Coin Purse definitely point to pill
abuse. Neither parent was fully attentive, or operating without some form of inebriation.
This clouded parenting to an impressionable child was all-but-guaranteed to cause problems.
Perhaps only Isaac’s father was physically abusive, while his mother was more verbally
abusive? We only ever see Mom in a dress - so it is more likely that the Belt came from
his father. Although I suppose either one could have used it. Perhaps they are both
guilty of both forms of abuse? But with the trust Isaac shows in his father, and fear
of a knife-brandishing mother, it is more likely she was the one who was physically
abusive. Whether or not that began before or after the divorce. There are a few extreme
religion sects that still believe in corporal punishment - so again that is more likely
to have come from her. But their incessant fighting and yelling in front of Isaac would
have contributed greatly to his mental instability. As for the Divorce Papers, we gain several
pieces of evidence, even though we still do not get to clearly learn Isaac’s father’s
name. As mentioned before, we learn Mom’s proper name. Magdalene O. Moriah. This is
confirmed to be her maiden name, so it does not tell us anything about his father’s
name either, nor what surname Isaac chooses to go by. We also learn that Mom was fighting
for custody of Isaac, and that Dad was not willing to give it. A fight for the ownership
of Isaac, and control of how he’s raised, or the “salvation” of his soul. It’s
a battle his parents fought to the bitter end. Something I can expand on further, after
explaining the life histories of his mother and father. The Four Souls Polaroid includes
Deuteronomy 23:2 “One whose father and mother are not married may not come into the meeting
of the Lord’s people” For someone who is already fearing for his eternal damnation,
the separation of his parents would have been torture for Isaac’s conflicted mind. Especially
when he has placed himself in the center of that conflict, feeling directly responsible,
as many young children do in a broken home. He now has to worry about himself, the state
of his parent’s marriage, and his own perceived role in that separation. [A HOUSEHOLD DIVIDED]
u/JoyousLantern on reddit proposed that all the items within The Binding of Isaac come
from his own experiences. We know the world takes place in Isaac’s imagination, so this
would make sense. He is unlikely to conjure up images of these real world objects from
nothing, and instead is pulling from memory - even if something like Brimstone becomes
altered beyond any real world significance. He would have had that Sunday School style
education, with fear of “fire and brimstone!” The items of the Basement and beyond can be
split into 3 approximate categories: Toys + household objects (being kind of lumped
together), items of religious significance, and scientific principles or technologies.
We don’t need to read very far into the household objects. These are real world items
that Isaac has encountered, or observed. Food items like the rotten meat, or can of dog
food could either indicate abuse, or a family struggling with poverty. Items like the Wooden
spoon and Belt indicate that someone was abusive. “I want there to be some mystery, but there’s
something to them, like the Wooden Spoon, or Mom’s Pill Bottle. Those things kind
of paint a picture.” That picture very clearly being one of physical abuse. The source of
these is clear. And in the secret “Home” segment of Repentance, we can see many of
them around the house, especially the mom-specific items in her room. Equally easy to pinpoint
the source of, are the religious items. These pieces of iconography are coming from his
mother, her devotion, her teachings to Isaac, and her “Christian broadcasts”. That leaves
one unknown. And it’s possible that Isaac’s dad was a man of science. It is unlikely that
his mother would be a reliable source of exposure for that kind of balanced education. It’s
the only inexplicable category of items, and with so little known about his father (or
what sort of education Isaac is receiving outside of his household) there is a potential
for that to be our missing puzzle piece. This clash of beliefs could have caused some major
strife in the relationship. They likely disagreed on how Isaac should be raised. This perspective
is something that Isaac cannot comprehend. He loves his father, the way they would play,
and the memories they shared. But consumed by the weight of his child-like, simplistic,
binary view of Christianity’s belief system - with this man in his life putting his faith
in something other than “The Lord” - Isaac is forced to view his father as a man of Satan,
not of God. Tying that back in with Dad’s Key pieces, coming from that rejection, and
acceptance of the Devil. While I’m here anyways, I’d like to reach beyond the scope
of the game for a moment - and share that multiple studies have shown that on average,
Scientifically minded people are seen as more creative than religious folk. One also tends
to have a pursuit of knowledge, with the other may take comfort in having simple, presented
answers. It’s not to say there isn’t any cross-over there, I don’t mean to speak
for everyone. I just think it might be an interesting window into the father’s mindset,
and those conflicting ideologies. The new dialogue from Repentance showcases the preacher-like
levels of worship Maggy has reached. For a man who was maybe already a skeptic, this
would have been too much to tolerate. He felt he needed to leave to get away from it, and
some potential hope of coming back and saving Isaac from this indoctrination. This pulling
in two directions leaves Isaac with a conflict of identity. This is when he begins to wear
his Mom’s wig - in a desperate attempt to be someone else. Maybe his parents separated
because of him?? If only he were a different child. If only he were good. If only he were
*anything* different... Children often feel they are the source of their parents fighting.
So what if Isaac were no longer himself? Perhaps they would again love each other, and him?
Isaac also imagines this demonic form of himself lying in wait. It’s possible that he wanted
to disassociate with that and himself. Perhaps he could start over? Supposedly he either
left the house like this, or went to school this way, and was tormented by bullies. This
would have added ever more to Isaac’s insecurities, feeling that he was unwanted, and unloved
no matter his skin. Again we have to think back to that mantra, “Who am I?” [THE
BUM-BO’S] Let’s break up this incredibly heavy subject matter with something marginally
more light-hearted. The events of The Binding of Isaac are very personal. They are Isaac’s
own story about suffering, depression, and hopelessness. He projects himself, and uses
various avatars to represent different aspects of that identity. But that begs the question,
Who are the different Bum-bos? There is not a lot of evidence for this one. But I do think
I have sort of a fun theory that I would like to put out there. The world of Bum-bo is pure
escapism. It is closer to a fantasy, and thus utilizes fantasy elements for the various
Bum-bo’s. Just like his dad would have taught him! Even the name ‘The Legend of Bum-bo’
would have been based off games of adventure that Isaac (likely) did not have access to.
Instead making due with a world of his own creation. Plus it builds off Ed channeling
‘The Legend of Zelda’ in his design and naming of the original Isaac game. That was
clearly a strong influence for him, and whether directly or not, has had an impact on Isaac.
We have, The Brave, a warrior. The Nimble for a thief. The Stout for a barbarian. And
The Weird, a magician. Every separate iteration of Bum-bo still bears his father’s silly
voice, while representing various mis-rememberings of different fantasy tropes. (Bum-bo) “With
no thinking, Bum-bo BASH open scary box! What this? Another Bum-bo!? WHAT A TWIST!” Perhaps
when playing alongside his dad, there would be a “Brave Warrior”, and as Isaac tries
to play by himself, it gets somewhat twisted along the way. Whether that’s his own young
forgetfulness, or his imagination acting up and running while? We have more cryptic characters
in Bum-bo as well. “The Dead” is where some of real life starts to creep into Isaac’s
cardboard world. This could represent Isaac’s fears that his dad is dead and gone. Being
abruptly cut from his life. Or perhaps the dead relationship between his parents? Or
that he feels dead to his family? “The Empty” - A hooded demon. Being a prequel to The Binding
of Isaac, this appears to be Isaac’s earliest instance of wrestling with his own inner sin,
and damnation of his soul. The idea is not quite fully formed here, and he does not yet
see himself fully in this role, thus shrouded, and still with his father’s voice. But he
has begun to see himself as evil. An empty vessel of flesh, who exists solely to be corrupted
and filled with sin. The same way every Isaac character is a representation of himself,
with a lot of personal weight; all of the Bum-bo’s are a stand-in for his father,
mysticized through his imagination. And while these characters and adventures come from
his father, some of the more negative aspects of the gameplay, mechanics and themes would
have come from him as well. [DAD’S IDEOLOGY] An ARG (Alternate Reality Game) began after
the release of the Afterbirth DLC. This is a series of real-world puzzles that exist
outside the game’s software. There are some very detailed summaries out there of how this
came to be, and how it played out. The voicemail recordings from the ARG’s end are confirmed
to be the narrator, or Isaac’s father. This recording is somewhat disjointed, with no
clear audience in mind. (Voicemail) “Christ calls. Generous Gods don’t guide history
forever. Knowledge grows. His final form ends beyond greed. We need to go deeper” My own
interpretation of this is Isaac’s father becoming disillusioned with the Church. I’ve
assumed up to this point he was never a part of the church, but there’s a chance him
and Maggy had a traditional Catholic or Christian wedding, before it all became so *amplified*.
“Generous Gods don’t guide history forever”, suggests that he does not want his entire
life to be dictated by God. If “He” truly were loving, and giving, he would allow us
to live beyond His influence. Thus, the entire point of free will! As “knowledge grows”
and “we need to go deeper”, we should move beyond religion and make our own way,
without the need for organized praise or sanctimonious conclaves. If he is a man of science, he may
now see mankind as being restrained from it’s full potential. Christ calls, and he doesn’t
intend to answer. Greed has been his own greatest sin, and while not viewing this in terms of
damnation, he knows that it is the greatest thing barring him from reaching his potential
as father and as a man. His final form ends beyond greed. Not something we’ve looked
at very closely - believe me, there is a dedicated “Greed” section. Digging a bit more into
his father’s alcoholism, that depressive state may have led to his frustration with
his life and the Church. Taking away his motivation to fix himself or his marriage. This also
leads into the “Bob Theory” - one that I cannot confirm or deny, but one that I’ve
seen a few times. The aspects of alcoholism are undeniable, but how some of these specific
items and symbols fit into that particular piece of the story, comes with a little bit
more personal interpretation. If “Sister Maggy” is Mom, a sister of the Church. Then
perhaps “Brother Bobby” is her partner - Isaac’s Father? “Sister” and “Brother”
are pieces of vocabulary used in religion to describe followers. As a quick aside, Bob
appears to be one of the only names in the game that does not bear Biblical significance.
So it’s yet another way that this exists “outside of religion”. Our other “Bob”
items in the game are: Bob’s Rotten Head, Bob’s Curse, Bob’s Brain, and Ipecac.
All items that contribute to the Bob transformation. A new form that bears a strong resemblance
to Sloth, a character who Ed has dubbed “Bob Sloth”. Although that appears to have been
more of a joke than an intentional piece of lore. Who this was originally in reply to
is unfortunately lost: “I just named Sloth, Bob, and people enjoyed it so I added little
pieces of him as I went.” So in that way, Bob and Sloth are on in the same, but Sloth
was a thing first, and the pieces of “Bob” just became a fun way to play off that. I’m
not sure what to make of this one entirely. It doesn’t debunk any theories necessarily.
But showing that it was kind of done “for the lulz” doesn’t instill a lot of confidence.
But if we run with that a little further. That Ed specifically chose to name Sloth,
because they were a sin of particular significance? If the Bob items, Sloth, and (potentially)
Brother Bobby, are all one-in-the-same, then we can start to imagine the sort of man Isaac’s
father was to live with. The green, rotten appearance; vomiting, self-destructive curse;
his sin of Sloth; and need to induce vomiting heavily implies Bob was poisoned (or needs
to have his stomach pumped). “Poison” is a common way to refer to alcohol. Bob was
a lazy man, who drank himself to death, or near-death. Alcohol was his curse, rotting
his brain and head. It’s not uncommon for an alcoholic to be defensive, erratic, violent,
or abusive. This could be the source of Isaac’s father’s anger and abuse, if in fact, he
was abusive. If not, he simply would have been unreliable and distant. I managed to
squeeze into one of Ed’s short Twitter AMAs, and asked directly about the Bob theory. What
I got in reply was… a pretty unexpected, but kind of great joke. “There’s a few
things that hint at Isacc’s dad maybe being Bob. Could you confirm or deny?” “He’s
his father’s brother.” “So… Bob’s yer uncle.” Honestly, I don’t know whether
or not to treat it entirely as a joke, or a full debunking of that theory? I am tempted
to lean towards the later, since Ed is usually pretty straight up with fans about canonic
things like this. Buuut the more I looked into it, the more I started to see that Ed
has *really* committed to the “Bob’s yer uncle” joke over the years. Either he just
loves the phrase, has enjoyed this particular way of messing with us, or it’s something
to be taken literally! Bob could *actually* be Isaac’s uncle. This is perhaps the biggest
stretch of the entire video, but I felt I needed to more fully explore it. Thematic
“poison” and the connections to Bob Sloth all point to alcoholism. And I don’t think
that actually detracts from the narrative of dad being an alcoholic! We have Dad’s
Lost Coin, and hear him being accused of being drunk right at the end of the game. AND alcoholism
tends to run in the family. If our dad’s brother had alcoholic tendencies, then it’s
not out of the question that Dad would as well. Perhaps Isaac is aware of his “lazy
uncle Bob”? He doesn’t specifically collect items like “Whiskey”, or “Beer”, or
“Wine”. He’s collecting a “curse”, “poison”. Things that put it into terms
he can better understand. He’s disassociated with it just enough to not have it fully formed
in his mind. Especially when he so *clearly* puts his father on a pedestal. The idea of
a dad that drinks to these dangerous levels, is mostly where the “Suicidal Dad” Theory
came from. I hate to delay things so frequently! There’s a lot to cover in this video. I
will get deeper into that one later. If this were true, and Bob were Isaac’s Uncle, that
would actually answer the question of Brother Bobby, and Sister Maggy. Although… the inherited
alcoholism only makes sense if it’s instead Dad’s brother, not Mom’s. So it could
either be Maggy’s twin brother, or dad’s brother - it’s certainly not a perfect theory
- but I felt the need to *really* pull at that thread. And, despite all that, it seems
in the end Ed simply named the items after something personal: an old doll he used to
have as a kid, the same way Guppy and Cricket are named after his real cats. What we know
for sure, is his addiction, the conflict with mom, and the strength of his love for Isaac,
as well as that special bond they shared. It is unknown if this led to any physical
abuse? That’s one aspect of this I never fully connected, the implications seems to
be entirely that Maggy was the one who was physically abusive. And while its difficult
to put together the pieces of Isaac’s relationship with his father, despite the fact that mom
is basically the secondary main character of the story, it has taken so much to properly
understand her, and her relationship with Isaac. [MOM’S BELIEF] I’m going to say
it right outright. Isaac’s mother gets a bad rap. Yes, she had issues, and likely caused
immense emotional trauma and baggage for Isaac. But she was not an out-right villain the way
the original game presents. She was a vulnerable woman, struggling financially, and with a
husband who was growing ever distant. Feeling trapped and alone at home, she became overbearing
with Isaac - and turned to religion to help guide her life. But in this weakened mental
state, she became a victim of dangerous religious dogma, especially if she’s consuming it
through evangelists on TV. She wouldn’t have anyone to discuss it with, taking it
all at face value. Lacking the imagination shown by Isaac and his father, and without
anyone to run these ideas by, she takes the stories literally and allows it to dominate
her life and beliefs. Mom is presented as pretty reasonable at the end of Bum-bo. She
enters the room calmly, to check up on her son, and this takes a turn when she sees Isaac
playing in the world his father had created without her. She is clearly broken up, and
resentful about her husband leaving (whether that be him walking out, or taking his life).
“HE left us Isaac. He never loved us!” We see glimpses of her developing instability.
Being told time, and time again that he was unloved, and abandoned. Yes, that would obviously
tarnish his relationship with her. I had originally theorized that her fanaticism had only begun
after the father had left as a means to cope - but we know now that this growing devotion
was likely the final straw that ended their marriage. It also seems like his father knew
that Isaac would need an escape. So he might have known mom was a little nuts - even if
that had not fully manifested yet. He didn’t simply take the time to give Isaac a toy,
either making it out of cardboard (since that’s all they could afford), or attempting to make
it so simple that Isaac would have *something*, no matter what came in the future. We even
hear him try to specifically teach Isaac the powers of this created world. (Dad) “When
things get difficult, you can go there. When you feel weak, you can escape into this world
we created, and become powerful. Always remember this Isaac. Your imagination knows no bounds.
And I’ll always be here waiting for you, and our next adventure together.” Isaac
sees his mother becoming more and more of a religious zealot, as she turns to god and
religion for answers as her life is torn apart. She takes away Isaac’s belongings - namely
the cardboard cutouts made with his father - and confines him to his room. Mom is worried
for the well being of her son, and thinks that taking away these painful reminders might
help him to forget his father. Leaning more into dad’s scientific viewpoint, she wants
to ensure that Isaac’s mind is clear to instead welcome God, and save his soul. Or,
it could more directly be jealousy? This was something created without here, that she has
never understood. And she can see Isaac retreating from her, through it. This is reflected in
the new voice work between the original Isaac and Rebirth - where Mom sounds less sinister
in her calls for Isaac. (Original Flash calls of “Isaac”) This hyper-menacing inflection
has been toned way down, where the intent could be open to more interpretation. (New
Rebirth calls of “Isaac”) Maybe she was being impatient, and annoyed, which Isaac
could easily hear as angry, aggressive, or malevolent. Seeing his mother’s *seemingly*
irrational actions, Isaac extrapolates that she is acting through God’s will - and imagines
that the biblical story of the Binding of Isaac will be his fate. Even during the boss
fight - she never actually enters the room. Her calls of “Isaac”, reaching in and
searching around - poking her eye in - are all representations of her search for Isaac
as he hides away from her. He is interpreting her tone as wicked, when really she was genuinely
looking for her lost son. When we kill Mom’s heart, she cries out
in grief. Her heart broken as she realizes that her only son has died. She may not have
treated him as such, but she truly loved Isaac more than anything. I’m trying to jump back
and forth a little bit, so that we’re expanding both the mother and father’s characters
and stories, as well as how they all tie together. I found that if I went straight start-to-finish
with one character, and then the next, the video didn’t flow properly. I think it helps
to show that they both started from well meaning place, with love, and attempting to have a
caring family. Little things along the way started to change for both of them, and as
they both made mistakes together, that separation between them grew wider and wider. It’s
important to see, because it recontextualizes things in a way that makes it difficult for
either parent to be fully to blame… [GREED] The sin of ‘greed’ has been most commonly
attributed to Isaac, being his “greatest sin”. Constantly gathering, and hoarding
items throughout the game. Ed has stated several times that greed was never meant to be seen
as Isaac’s “primary sin”, or specifically associated with that character. Instead, Greed
became representative of the game, and the development cycle of continuously pushing
new updates, DLCs, and releases. It’s them poking fun at themselves, the same way that
there are variants of the sins in-game, that are meant to reflect the developers themselves.
What they view to be their most egregious sins. NONE of the 7 Sins are specific to Isaac.
The point is that he fears them *all*, and is fighting all of them. None truly embody
him, or have taken over, but that’s what he fears every time he comes face to face
with one of them. But several hints, now expanded and confirmed in Repentance, are that this
was potentially Isaac’s father’s either primal sin - or (if you want to use the lingo)
“original” sin. The constant visuals of Greed, and greed-associated characters (like
the shopkeepers) all having nooses - led many to believe that the father hung himself. And
that Dad’s key, was potentially a key to the room he died within. This also could have
been what implanted a self-destructive mindset within Isaac: locking himself away, in his
own space. It’s not a bad theory! Similar to the Maggy Theory, I think there are some
really good arguments here for Dad’s Suicide Theory. I would propose that Isaac’s father
is consumed by his alcoholism, and a direct victim of it. Booze is his curse, and greed
is his sin - one, that he passed on to Isaac. Monkey-see, monkey do. Or it could have been
more direct. Isaac could have picked up on certain tendencies, while being taught how
to play with the cardboard world. Considering the themes of this series, I would instead
connect it to the Religious motif of “the sins of the fathers”. This idea is that
sin is personal - and we cannot be guilty of our parent’s sin - that is their own.
However, sin will always affect those around us. Most notably our families, and our children
more than any others. This value placed on wealth, material goods, and greed would have
been taught, or learned through observation. It’s a family that does not have much, with
a father who actively tries to reach for, and pursue more. Setting himself on a failing
path that leads to more self-destructive behavior. Isaac could have learned his self-hatred,
both from being told he’s worthless by his mother, and by witnessing his father destroy
himself. Bum-bo is Isaac’s childish recreation of his father, with his motivations being
boiled down to the simplistic, “Bum-bo want coin”. It is likely that his father would
have taught him that an adventure is more meaningful with a goal at the end. And what
better incentive is there than a financial one? This sentiment becomes a fusion of the
fantasy trope of seeking out treasure, and his father’s literal, real-world greed.
Something that’s represented repeatedly through these Greed characters and shopkeepers,
but much more specifically, through continuous images and mini-games of gambling. When first
entering the basement in Bum-bo, we have a cutscene where Bum-bo bashes the dead body:
“Now Bum-bo can be alone. Alone with coin!” Dad’s greed began to supersede the needs
of his family. Money and wealth became high priority. Someone with an addictive personality
is more likely to latch on to a multitude of vices. And if he was both a drinker and
a gambler, that’s a very dangerous combination! After a few drinks, maybe becoming more loose
with his money, or feeling that he needs to drink to drown the sorrow of a few losses?
The more he drinks, and the more money he loses, the more he needs to gamble to support
his habits, and the more he needs to drink to cope with that failure. Gambling areas
between chapters of Bum-Bo are filled with hung figures, yet his father’s need to gamble,
despite the obvious risks. There are even Bum-like characters who operate various methods
of gambling in The Binding of Isaac. The imagery of greed, motif of hanging, and layering together
of these concepts. Now Repentance scenes and dialogue show us that Isaac’s father began
to steal from mom’s purse while they were still together - and them arguing over the
lost money. Before this, it was unclear when the drinking and gambling began. But this
makes that full story much more clear. We still lose a little bit of whether the drinking
or gamling came first? She seems a little bit shocked that he’s drunk. He’s clearly
a recovering alcoholic, so it’s likely that this came first, and the harrowing path of
his gambling addiction drove him straight back to drinking. Tying this back into The
Divorce, the event that “happened to Isaac” and changed everything… In Repentance, we
are introduced to the Adoption Papers as a trinket. Many have interpreted this as Isaac
having adoptive parents, and using that to fill in the gap of some of his home life experiences.
I believe instead, that Isaac’s father had his parental rights terminated in the divorce.
We know mom was seeking sole custody, and it's not uncommon for a mother to win that
battle. At this point, she could have even shown the court, that the father was drinking
and gambling, and was tearing the family apart. She wouldn’t have even had to lie to paint
that narrative. Through this he could have so easily been cut out of Isaac’s life entirely.
I believe the Adoption Papers would have been Isaac’s Dad attempting to straighten out,
and adopt his own son! New pieces of dialogue also from Repentance, as Isaac ascends, show
us that it was indeed his father’s choice to leave, and that he did regret leaving Isaac
behind. This was one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle, something that was never
really expressed through any particular items, and was only hinted at through Bum-Bo. It
was only solved with this final addition to the game. Before then, it was unclear if his
father had regrets. We could guess at what caused him to leave, but we never knew if
he intended to come back whether he was chased away, the full depths of his relationship
with Isaac, and whether or not he simply left the house, or had permanently left by taking
his life. Mom certainly talks about it as definitively as that, but that could be her
taking things to the extreme. There are a few items that expand on that mentality of
greed. Money = Power. At face value, this is an item that draws on the supposed potential
of growing wealth. We can tie this perception and value to Isaac’s father through the
ARG. During one of the steps, we can hover over the item in the collection, and see the
text "where are you". This is a note from Isaac. When he thinks of this item, he thinks
of money and power, he’s reminded of his missing father. His mother has closed him
off from knowing the truth of where he’s gone. Instead, being pushed with the idea
that he willingly left both of them, and doesn’t love either of them. Then Transcendance was
literally a noose, and Tarot Card XII The Hanged Man bears the text: "May you find enlightenment"
and removes Isaac’s body. There’s a level of salvation in death. And those continued
connection between money, gambling, and hanging. These characters of Greed are hung, seeking
enlightenment and transcendence through monetary gains. If Isaac’s dad is seen as a gambler,
and greedy, and all signs point towards the noose, then it led people to believe that
the father “leaving” the family was him hanging himself. Isaac views himself as fully
corrupted as sin - succumbing to those demons in his final moments. As one more piece of
the ARG, people arrived at the twitter account @iamisaacsbody, using the handle, “Greed”.
The icon being a dead person, with a noose around their neck. The recurring motif of
nooses and hanging appear to more metaphorically relate to Isaac’s death through suffocation,
and his attempt to escape a life of sin through his own death. Whether that was intentionally
suicide or not. So the connection seems to instead be: Isaac was greedy, sought enlightenment,
and killed himself through restricted breathing. Rather than anything specific with the father.
So Greed, and suicide are very important to the story, and are things Isaac essentially
“inherits” from his father, but are much more a product of his own life and journey.
Isaac fights either Satan, or an angelic, pure version of himself. Never God. The struggle
is a battle for his soul. Not to “please” Christ, but instead to attempt to win out
over sin and the Devil himself. Regardless of Heaven or Hell winning out in the battle
for Isaac’s soul, he was still lost within the chest. His mother, later finding his remains…
At this stage, I would like to propose a story. A possible telling of these events, end-to-end.
There’s some small room for interpretation, but I tried to root everything I could, at
every step directly in the game and larger series. Dad and Magdalene lived with their
only son Isaac. They played, and laughed, and were generally happy. Dad, a recovering
alcoholic, straightened himself out after the birth of his son. Worked as a researcher
- a typically low-paying job - while Magdalene was a stay at home mother. Isaac and his father
would craft their cardboard world together, providing a cheap alternative to video games
- allowing Isaac to explore his imagination and fantasize about grand adventures. They
go to church on Sundays, and do their best to live quiet, pious lives. Dad distances
himself somewhat from the religion, and mom, desperate to share a deeper connection - like
Isaac and his father have with their cardboard world - starts to pull Isaac deeper and deeper
into her religious beliefs. One of the few things they share. Struggling with money,
and wanting a better life, Mom began to wrack up a credit card debt. In an effort to pay
this debt, feeling an obligation to his family, seeing the poverty they were slipping further
into, Dad began to gamble. With the stresses, failures, and losses of this pursuit of wealth,
we see a resurgence of his drinking problem. His decision making becomes flawed. He starts
to dip into their savings, directly stealing petty cash from mom’s purse. His family
sees less and less of him, as he spends his time either in casinos or bars. That regret
of failure shifts to Dad’s blame of Magdalene and Isaac. Supporting a family is expensive,
and trying - while the weight of the debt was largely her fault. Here we see the first
instances of physical abuse, as their fighting (fueled by drinking) reaches dramatic heights.
Magdalene begins taking painkillers to dull the physical and emotional abuse, tipping
towards addiction as a dependency forms. Feeling her life slipping away, Maggy slides deeper
into the arms of the church, seeking redemption in God. And also leaning on what she sees
as her only way to reach out to Isaac. Seeing their life falling apart, Mom paternal love
for Isaac, and concern for his well being, morphs and translates into religious salvation.
As her parental style becomes more manic, and overbearing, preaching and lecturing to
her husband, she projects this religious dogma and insecurities onto Isaac. She potentially
becomes too radicalized for traditional church instead turning to evangelical broadcasts
on the television. Ones that tell her what she wants to hear, and vindicate her extreme
beliefs. Isaac has lost his sense of self, all while being pulled closer and closer into
Mom’s influence. He begins to wear her wig in an attempt to be someone new. Maybe have
*someone* pay attention to him, and look at him the way they used to? Dad becomes more
aggressive, and less reliable as he watches the woman he used to love pull his son away
from him, into a belief system he has never fully believed in, while his son also becomes
unfamiliar to him. Not just through wigs, but as a kid who has difficulty expressing
himself. Who no longer loves, laughs, and shares as easily as he once did. The gambling,
drinking, abuse, differences in both beliefs and parenting lead to their biggest fight
yet. Maggy has given her life to her new beliefs, and rather than being guided by ideals of
forgiveness and love - is instead driven by judgement, fear, and worship. Isaac’s father
can not take it anymore. It’s all become too much. In the full throws of rage he shouts,.
“I’M OUTTA HERE” as he throws his ring at Maggy. Before he leaves, he tries to reassure
Isaac, but in the confusion it is unlikely that Isaac would understand. Dad leaves, intentionally
without the key to the house. Being left fully alone, these religious broadcasts are all
that keep Magdalene going. Without Dad’s scientific perspective to balance out Isaac’s
home-life, the two of them become fully enraptured in those beliefs. A messy divorce precedes
that Isaac cannot possibly understand. All he knows is that he no longer gets to see
his dad… Mom shelters Isaac from this as best as she can, telling Isaac that his dad
left and that she is all that he’ll need - severing that tie, and attempting to pull
Isaac further into her arms. She attempts to hold sole custody of Isaac, feeling betrayed,
and not wishing “him” to have any further influence on “her” son. Dad attempts to
fight for adoption of Isaac, but this battle occurs privately, in a way where Isaac would
be forced to assume his father would not be coming back at all. With dad so thoroughly
severed from Isaac’s life, piece-by-piece, she throws away the cardboard world that Isaac
desperately needed to both stay tethered to his father, and to express himself emotionally.
Without this learned outlet, a tormented and confused Isaac misinterprets his mother’s
overbearing, erratic behavior and begins to privately depict her as a monster. It is likely
that Isaac didn;t entirely conjure this image from nothing. But rather, exaggerated the
worst aspects of her beliefs and personality. She’s become unfamiliar to him, and is taking
away the few things he loves. He’s aware of the store of “The binding of Isaac”,
and feels as though he sees the writing on the wall. Upon discovering this, horrified
that her innocent, baby boy was warped his view of her, and that she is losing the only
thing she feels she has left, in desperation Mom locks away Isaac with nothing. Isaac cannot
bear this loneliness. His father has abandoned him, his mother frightens him, and he is left
with no means of healthy expression to work out the insurmountable emotions that are consuming
him. Isaac hides in his toy chest. He feels safe here, feeling a connection to his father,
where he used to keep his alternate reality. He’s physically trying to enclose himself
in that escapism. The events of the Binding of Isaac play out in his mind as he wrestles
with the thoughts of his own sin. Attempting to defeat that wickedness, and cleanse himself.
His mothers comes looking, and calling for him. But in her stupor of pills she does not
think to look inside the chest, instead putting up Missing Signs, assuming Isaac has ran away
- all while he quietly suffocates in the chest. Only to be discovered much later… Isaac
is left to wander purgatory, never fully reconciling his true of good or evil. An alternate path
in the game allows Isaac to access a hidden floor. At the end of this, you’re left in
a closed room with Dad’s Note. Perhaps this is a piece of reassurance that he would have
written for Isaac? Something long hid away. Isaac must now fight his way up instead, hearing
more of the story as he goes. Perhaps facing the truth, without the layers of obfuscation
he’s built up by fighting down through his own fiction? We do learn that as dad leaves
he has one moment of regret, that he must also leave Isaac. He is a lost man, but he's
always been a loving and attentive father. After fighting all the way back up, we awak
in Isaac’s room, chest and all. In the game, we must fight the religious Dogma of the TV.
A manifestation of the Christian broadcasts that have destroyed his mother. Isaac succumbs
to them, only then arriving in Hell. It is a place that is made real through that belief.
Something that without that exposure would never exist in his mind. Something drilled
in through indoctrination and fear. Isaac writhes, wrestling through his mind, body,
and spirit. The Mother of Harlots is slain, and Isaac is able to ascend out of Hell, seeing
his past. Himself dead, and mother grieving. His father's spending their money. And the
two of them fighting. Isaac is tormented by guilt and views was his death his salvation,
cleansing him of sin and as a way to repair his life. His father interrupts his own narration,
suggesting the story be told a different way. We finally have a complete circle: directly
connecting Isaac’s story, and the narrative device through which the story is able to
loop through thousands of in-game runs and attempts. They’re alternate versions of
the story as Isaac's imagination runs wild. This alternate, happy ending instead begins
with “Isaac and his parents”. We've seen Isaac imagine his father's voice before while
playing in his room during Bum-bo. It is possible that now that Isaac has passed, and the game
is fully completed with “The Beast” conquered, and dad's final note to his family in hand
- Isaac can imagine this personal Heaven. Telling make believe stories with his father,
of a happy home with both his parents. It is the true ending of the game that Isaac
dies in the chest. The victim of a broken home and an abusive family. His dad narrating,
and helping him adjust the story, could be a part of that fantasy yet again. Perhaps
it took place sooner? But it's hard to imagine him being so upfront, and literal about everything,
without having greater concern for Isaac’s mental state. Telling stories in this way
is something that gives Isaac comfort. We never see him the way we do mom. The same
way Isaac puts on a silly voice, and has such strong memories of playing in the world of
Bum-bo, he remembers his father guiding him and helping him come to terms with these difficult
concepts. If he was literally there, he could be alongside Isaac, fully understanding and
allowing this is an opportunity to help his son work through that trauma and understand
the loss and maybe even the divorce. Or once again, it could be the binaries of Isaac's
mind? His mom has become a hideous monster, and his father is this guardian angel. Helping
him craft his own story. Helping him fall asleep. Helping him deal with something bigger
than himself. (Narrator) “Isaac ascended towards the crack in the sky. And as he flew,
he could see echoes of his past before him. He saw his mother mourning the loss of her
son. He saw his father leaving them without turning to say goodbye. He saw his mother
sleeping, and his father taking money from her purse. He heard the late night fights
they had that kept him up at night. And the guilt he felt for what he believed he was
causing. He felt the pain in his stomach during those sleepless nights, and saw his shadow
in the closet waiting for him. As he rose he felt his fears drop from his body. His
shame, his worry, pulled from his being. As he became lighter, his ascent became faster.
He saw his one true companion alive and well. He saw his mother and father together again,
holding each other. He felt his mother kissing him on the head after he had sent his prayers
and the comfort in knowing someone was watching over him. He saw his own birth. And the faces
of his parents, filled with joy and optimism. And then... he saw nothing.” (Dad) “Are
you sure this is how you want the story to end Isaac? You're the one writing, and it
doesn't have to end this way. Here. How about we tell it a different way. Maybe a happy
ending?” (Isaac) “Okay Daddy” (Dad) “Good. Are you getting sleepy yet?” (Isaac)
“Yeah..” (Dad). ”Okay. So. (clears throat) Isaac and his parents lived in a small house
on top of a hill…” Ohmygod! That was so much longer of a video than I thought it would
be. There's a lot to unpack after 10 years... I so badly want to hear all your thoughts
on it! Sharing pieces of evidence to either support, or tear down anything I've shared.
Any possible discussion is gonna be really exciting! Go check out TheTurtleMelon’s
let's plays! If roguelikes are really your thing, 2 Left Thumbs is specifically publishing
‘Dead Estate’. That's coming out later this year! The Steam page is live now. Be
sure to go follow and wishlist that! And hey, if you want to support the channel more directly,
Patreon is the best place to do that. Get your name in the credits off on the side here.
Thank you all so much for watching, and I'll see you again soon.
