[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Slacker

I'm starting to think the current endings are not the real endings.

Spoiler!

Shepard's indoctrination theory is making a lot more sense at this moment.

Spoiler!

I was initially sceptical about the indoctrination theory, but I'm coming around to it. For me, the most telling part is that there's only one possible ending where Shepard can survive: if you choose Destroy and your war assets are high enough, the ending adds a very brief scene where you see Shepard take a deep breath and wake up...on Earth...in what we can assume is the ruins of London. From this, I draw a few conclusions:

If the Citadel/Crucible exploded with Shepard on board, how did (s)he end up back on Earth? Even if (s)he survived the explosion, wouldn't the body burn up when re-entering the atmosphere? If Shepard is indeed back in London, perhaps that's a clue that everything that takes place after being hit by Harbinger's beam was all in your head.

Why does this scene only play if you choose the destroy option but not one of the other two? Might it be because the other two endings consist of Shepard unwittingly aiding the Reapers? Controlling them -- a force nobody really understands -- is impossible; I destroyed the Collector base in ME2 for a reason. Likewise, Synthesis also seems like it's just helping the Reapers. Afterall, aren't Reapers synthesized with humans, Asari, and Taurians nothing more than Husks, Banshees, and Marauders, respectively? Accordingly, I choose to interpret both the Control and Synthesis options as the Reapers trying to convince you to do their bidding. Only the destroy ending allows you to break free of their indoctrination attempt, and thus it's the only ending where Shepard wakes up.

Now whether all these hints were intentional by BioWare or entirely coincidental, it does give them a plausible exit strategy to release a story-continuation DLC (free or paid) that picks up with Shepard still in London after rejecting Harbinger's indoctrination attempt.

Next topic: a few questions for people who are defending the ending:

Spoiler!

What was your take on the part with the Normandy fleeing the explosion? How did my crew, who just minutes ago were in London for the ground battle, end up on the Normandy? Did Joker just abandon the fight against the Reapers in orbit to pick them up from the surface? If so, how would he know to do that? Why would Joker leave the battle, and why would my other companions agree to join him in retreat rather than continue fighting? Doesn't that seem out of character for all of them?

Even if I can get behind the starchild sequence (and I certainly have other problems with that section), I can't think of any reason that is logically consistent with the setting and characters to explain how my squad would suddenly appear back on the Normandy and Joker would flee the fight. The game provides no explanation for this. How is that not objectively bad storytelling?