Theory time! *MAJOR Spoilers, duh*

[ImmortalGrey]

This is probably my favorite part of the new Silent Hill's when they come out, the theorizing about different parts in the game.

I wanted to start with the significance of the clocks being stuck a 2:06. I think I remember a room 206, but when I restarted the game, the memo in the first area mentions a room 205, which I assume was

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the room that Alex was staying in.

So assuming that, what's the 2:06 reference to...?

Did anyone find any connections with the woman in the Hotel on your first visit to Silent Hill? When I was recovering the postcards, I couldn't help but think of Mary. Alchemilla, Toluca Lake, and Lakeside Amusement Park. She also mentions that she is sick and she is dying; "You can't blame them, it's hard to watch something die." I also noted the bug creatures scurrying underneath her door when you go to return her memories to her. Perhaps this is an indication that she long passed on, but is still kept in the fog world of Silent Hill...? Just a wild theory there, I know it's not even the right hotel, but everything else seemed to fit if you disregard the notes left around the hotel mentioning a woman named "Carol".

Last thing that was bugging me. Did DH write off the snow as ash? Because when Alex comes to, he wakes with a start and says "Smoke!?" but when he gets a hold of himself he follows with "... fog". So which is it? I assumed he corrected himself with the fog remark, which would make the ash snow right? Assuming that's the case, does that mean that outside our story, the Alessa/Cheryl/Heather unification is happening again? (Assuming that's even snow.)

Share your theories here!

[jthomp1286]

If you watch the flashback when Josh dies, they focus in on Adam's watch for a moment. I don't remember exactly, but I think it was stopped on 2:06. I've got a save near there so I'll have to check that to be sure. The significance of that could be that that's the point when he realized Josh was dead and he snapped. I think that's the point he fell into his delusion for the first time. Like James, he realized it was his fault and he couldn't withstand the weight of it. That could be why every single clock appears to be stopped at that time, to remind Alex of what happened. That also could be why he kept saying "I can save him" or "I protect people", he didn't want to believe Josh was dead and there was nothing he could do.

[pink_isnt_well000]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the clock reference was in regards of the time Josh died.

[Crimsonsloth]

So I have theory about 2:06

At that time josh died... The town had been condemned as Josh was to carry out the Sheperd's name I think that's the significance of the ring. I also believe Alex was supposed to die that day also instead but that's just theory.

Alex was sent to the mental institution outside the realm of Sheperd's Gleen/Silent Hill... I think unless he was in Alchemia which i doubt. Anyway at 2:06 time stopped in for Sheperd's Glenn Alex was possibly unaffected by this time stop but those who were the Family leaders were affected. Fitch, Curtis, Holloway, Lillian and Adam were being swallowed up by the curse of Silent Hill. Elle was slowly starting to get affected by it hence all the people were slowly missing except for the main family members... Elle was being drawn into the curse slowly. As far as Wheeler still being there I believe it must have been that (i can't remember if the cutscene showed it for some reason i think he was driving the boat like when they go to Silent Hill thus why Wheeler thinks Alex is capable of murdering the mayor also) he was there when Adam found Josh and Alex on the boat therefore he slowly got dragged into the fog.

Now the major clue I based this theory on was when Alex mentions the signs of the anniversary of Sheperd's Glenn. Alex said it had been a long time ago... so assuming Josh died around the festival, explains the time stop. The signs haven't been taken down because they have been stuck in that moment.

Now as to what really happened to Alex outside of this time stop. Has he really been in a mental institution for that long? How old is Alex? How did he get a hold of his dad's clothing and dog tags? My possible explanation of this:
Explanation 1
Alex was in the mental institute for awhile or not at all more than likely he probably had some help. He then went off into the military possibly he was discharged from the institute after shock therapy or a lobotomy or something dramatic or just something that jarred his memory or made him normal. In the military he went overseas, learned combat, and also saw some tramatic things thus some of the monsters that are conjured up in silent hill. He possibly gets discharged from the military from ptsd and told to go back home. This would also explain why he had military clothing and dogtags. When he talks to his dad, his dad is able to die peacefully knowing that through all this Alex shows forgiveness to his dad for treating him like crap... and Alex being the last person that would show forgiveness out of the people he adversely effected he can die with peace. This would also explain why Alex has no idea about the mental institution and being a little disgusted when his dad says you are wearing my dog tags. But being in the military would discredit the letters Elle and Alex wrote to each other during his time serving because Elle obvious didn't know what happened to him unless you don't consider the Diary Cannon(but someone brought up that the letters could be like Marys letter to James as in conjured up... but it also brings up the question of why Alex didn't find it odd that Elle didn't know where he has been).

Explanation 2
Alex went to the institution. He got pretty messed up by their treatment and one day just went berserk, escaped and killed people in the process. That would explain why he would have a knife(possibly a scalpel) and his dream. He could have had his fathers dog tags and an old army coat in his institutionalized room from his dad and worn it during his escape. That would explain why Travis called him soldier as well as Curtis.

My last Explanation:

Alex escaped or was released from the institution(i doubt he was released because institutions arn't fond of doing that without family). He gets picked up by Travis and taken to Sheperd's Glenn. He gets called Soldier by Travis as a coincidence. Curtis also calls him Soldier as a joke because of how Adam treated his kids like soldiers. Alex's appearance is completely falsified through the whole thing therefore the blotted out reflection in the mirror(showing that his age could have almost any range older than when he killed his brother or even the same age... all depends on the time at the mental institution kinda like the James killed his wife 24hrs ago theory and also would explain his drowning theory as in Alex just kinda went all mental after killing his brother had the journey and snapped out be drowned by his father) and his skills as a soldier are all in his head therefore making it real in Silent Hill.

Anyway I've only played through once but that's my theory's as of now.

[SethSunderland]

How old is Alex?

He's 22.

It says so in the instruction manual =3

[Crimsonsloth]

It also says he's a soldier can't really trust the manual

[jthomp1286]

Well they can't give the story away in the manual. I think its safe to assume he is actually 22.

[SethSunderland]

It also says he's a soldier can't really trust the manual

Whats this I hear about him not being a soldier?

I haven't gotten though the entire game yet... but I haven't seen any indication he isn't.

[Hannah]

It also says he's a soldier can't really trust the manual

Whats this I hear about him not being a soldier?

I haven't gotten though the entire game yet... but I haven't seen any indication he isn't.

Oh dear.

You've just been spoiled. >_>

FORGET THIS. FORGET ALL OF IT.

[SethSunderland]

^

YOURE NOT HELPING

Seriously. Tell me. Now. =3

[Hannah]

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As it turns out, Alex never went to war. He dreamed the whole thing up ala James in SH2. The clothes he's wearing are his father's.

[Xerophan]

It also says he's a soldier can't really trust the manual

Whats this I hear about him not being a soldier?

I haven't gotten though the entire game yet... but I haven't seen any indication he isn't.

It's not found out until

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toward the end of the game

(i put spoiler tags just in case)

[JamesisBetterThanHarry22]

Maybe Hospital ending is canon? I've spoiled myself by looking around in the forums too much lol and I'm only in the sheriffs office. Alex doesn't seem to faint like other SH protagonists (unless James didn't), when the real world shifts into the Otherworld. Maybe this is so because it was all happening in his head and his minds is telling him that he's a soldier. It might have something to do with the electricity experiment that doctor was doing to him.

[jthomp1286]

The more I think about it and try to make sense of it, the more the Hospital ending seems like canon. Honestly, I hope not though. I've gotten the "Smile!" ending also but that was pretty vague. Going to try for the others next.

[ur-vile]

But being in the military would discredit the letters Elle and Alex wrote to each other during his time serving because Elle obvious didn't know what happened to him unless you don't consider the Diary Cannon

They weren't communicating with each other in those blog posts.

So what's the explanation for the monsters, unless we're going to argue it was all in Alex's mind. Crazy things were going down before Alex came to town, and it seemed like everyone was seeing the same thing. They weren't much like any of the previous manifestations outside of SH2. I mean, I have a hard time following The Order mythology, but I don't remember anything about no 50 year curse mentioned before.

[victim21]

It's because the 50 year curse wasn't part of THAT order.

The four families broke away, but couldnt escape the God, so they made a deal, that every fifty years they would make a sacrifice of each families child, to appease the God and keep them safe from the past and the religion/order.

Then it went all balls up.

[jthomp1286]

They weren't communicating with each other in those blog posts.

Exactly. When you see Elle posting fliers she says that Alex "left without saying goodbye." Other comments suggest there has been no communication since he left.

As for the monsters and such. If you wanted to argue that the Hospital ending is canon, then yes they're all in his head. That would explain why everyone can see them and that would explain why everyone seems to be in the Otherworld too. Of course, it doesn't encompass everything. I'm still wrapping my head around it all and playing through a few more times. By no means am I ready to say its canon yet though.

[ur-vile]

It's because the 50 year curse wasn't part of THAT order.

The four families broke away, but couldnt escape the God, so they made a deal, that every fifty years they would make a sacrifice of each families child, to appease the God and keep them safe from the past and the religion/order.

Then it went all balls up.

Okay, but is it the same God that Dahlia, Claudia, and (maybe) Walter were trying to give life too? I didn't think the Order's God had any power in the moral realm w/o a physical presence, and as far as we know the God fetus wasn't passed on after Sh3 right?

:brain hurting: Gah, I have such a hard time keeping up on the God/Order part of the Silent Hill games, I'm probably confused.

[jthomp1286]

Okay, but is it the same God...

Not exactly. You'll recall that Dahlia was part of a different sect of The Order. They had their own perception of the God.

[victim21]

well, it's the same god, but it's a different "sect" of the cult, if you like.

Sort of non-practicers except for every fifty years