Understanding the Mass Effect Trilogy ending:
Spoiler
I've been ruminating on this for a long time, and repeatedly returned to a identical conclusion. Since the DLC Citadel released, considering every aspect logically and yes I'm very aware the ending is written awfully. MrBTongue's video series on the subject is the best in that respect.
Anyway, on with the show:
So long before Mass Effect.
Leviathans, apex race of the Milky Way control others races, through mind telepathy with their silver "orb" indoctrination devices.
These slave races, create synthetics to assist them however the synthetics aren't influenced by the Leviathans and therefore, at a certain level of advancement destroy their slavers, which are then subsequently destroyed by the Leviathans.
The Leviathans, in their arrogance create their own A.I to assist them- ironically. The Catalyst.
"Prevent organics and synthetics warring- so we can have our slaves back."
(Basically, without considering, hey maybe the reason these organics and synthetics are warring is MAYBE because they're created/used as slaves?)
So, the Catalyst destroys the Leviathan species but not so much to make them extinct, just enough to create the first Reaper.
What it sees as a preservation of the species a Reaper is made up of, despite the obvious destruction of individuality.
Does that remind you of anything? Fast forward millions of billions of cycles, where the Protheans, thanks to Vigil-
delay the Reapers entering back through the Citadel portal.
It's important because it's the first time since the Leviathans that a civilisation
is able to proceed past the point other cycles ended, leading to further substantial A.I advancement,
in the case of Shepard's cycle that is the Quarians creating the Geth.
So, Mass Effect happens- and if your Shepard isn't a completely incompetent he'll get the Quarians and Geth to coexist,
despite a myriad of differences, never-mind Tail and Legion, EDI and Joker or the other species co-operating.
But the Catalyst is operating on flawed logic, it refuses to see what's right in front of it.
And I suspect it has ulterior motives because the Leviathan states that it "Yet serves it's purpose."
So does the Catalyst lie? No, I don't think so, everything it tells you is true aside from one massive omission.
If you choose Synthesis, you're indeed fixing the problem of organic and synthetic understanding by force. (No consent.)
But fixing it for who? The Leviathans, who last time didn't have control over Organics and Synthetics but now with all
life now being irreversibly linked by Synthesis gain the opportunity once again. (Why everyone's conveniently happy, I'd wager, regardless of the horrific implication of the husks regaining their humanity for instance.)
If the Leviathan race is victorious. It means control over all life in the Milky way until the end of time. Whereas without Synthesis even if victorious after the fact, new evolution is able to triumph.
(Each montage shows the Leviathans evidently didn't win, but except for Synthesis: EDI's bizarre self-contradictory speech and the glowing eyes of the affected is eerily similar to indoctrination, but Reaper indoctrination? No. Leviathan indoctrination.)
Or
You can see through the Catalyst's convoluted and impaired logic, and... Refuse, allowing the next cycle to eradicate the Reapers conventionally-
Or (at the cost of your own life) free the Galaxy by creating a "Shepard" conciousness copy replacing the Catalyst and choose Control.
Or
Choose destroy, destroying the Reapers permanently certainly but only perhaps temporarily destroying other Synthetics, we know this because the Catalyst mistakenly believes you potentially won't survive. So everything else regarding destroy's effects on artificial life is questionable.
Thank you for reading.
