Pretty Much Everyone In Resident Evil Village Needs Therapy

I’m a big believer in therapy and finding healthy coping mechanisms, so throughout my playthrough of Resident Evil Village, I kept thinking about how much better off everyone would’ve been had they just worked their shit out. Seriously. I think everyone in this fucked-up game could benefit from talking things out and exploring their deep-rooted traumas because they all have a lot of issues.

We first meet Ethan, who has a great deal of unresolved trauma from the events of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard…understandable to anyone familiar with that game’s plot. To make matters worse, his wife Mia shuts down all attempts to talk about what happened, according to the journal he leaves open on his computer. I couldn’t help but wonder if he wanted Mia to see what he wrote. That combined with the number of wine bottles in the Winters home felt like signs that all was not ok. Sure, Ethan is moving along at the start of the game. But is he really happy? Unfortunately, life soon gets much worse for our faceless protagonist.

The game’s saddest case, however, may be Salvatore Moreau. I’m not one to body shame, but he falls short of society’s standard of beauty. Everyone, including matriarchal figure Mother Miranda, looks down on him. Of the four “children,” he knows that he’s the most overlooked. He tries so hard to please Miranda, to be seen as an equal. But it’s futile because no one will ever be good enough for Mother Miranda (more on that later). I almost want to tell the poor guy that he’s enough as he is, horrifying mutations and all. But Ethan doesn’t. Ethan is ruthless and straight-up tells Moreau that he doesn’t give a damn about his problems. Thanks for the assist, Winters.

Karl Heisenberg stands on the opposite end of the spectrum. He’s filled with hate toward Mother Miranda for experimenting on him. His need for revenge consumes him. It’s especially tragic after we learn how skilled he really is. We know from The Duke and Miranda’s experimentation notes that Heisenberg is the most powerful of the four, and his factory, demented as it is, speaks to his competence. But his downfall, both in the game and to Miranda, is that he can’t control his emotions. Heisenberg could benefit from healthy coping strategies, some yoga maybe, and definitely from learning to accept changes he can’t control. Honestly, same.

And of course there is Lady Dimitrescu. She seems like she has it all: a gorgeous mansion, a family with her three daughters, lots of wine, and a figure as lovely as it is commanding. But in her quarters, we find her own scribblings. She thinks she’s Mother Miranda’s favourite, seeing as she’s received the most gifts and praise. Yet, she still feels like she isn’t good enough for Mother. She’s not, but again, we’ll get to that.

I thought back to Lady Dimitrescu when I later faced Moreau. She has everything Moreau wants (to be praised and to be seen as worthy of affection) but even she isn’t satisfied — therapy candidate for sure…assuming there’s a long enough couch.

While the other “children” all have their mummy issues, Donna Beneviento seems to have escaped that particular trauma. Nonetheless, this lady needs some serious fucking help. That doll shit isn’t ok.

And finally, Mother Miranda. I feel for her. She lost her child to the Spanish Flu pandemic, and never got over her grief. Miranda creates the four lords, along with other failed experiments, to bring back her daughter, but none are perfect. None are good enough to serve as the vessel that could bring her daughter Eva back. And she’s already caused so much pain, to herself and others, in her quest to undo that loss before the Winters even enter the picture.

I can’t imagine bearing the death of a child, and it’s clear how much this continues to affect Miranda a full century later. It could never take the pain away, but a great deal of suffering could be saved should Mother Miranda have had access to some therapy. And I say this with all seriousness — there is no shame in getting help. It makes us better people. Sure, these are fictional characters, but their pain is relatable.

But I mean, sometimes literally inventing the concept of undead bio-organic weapons just makes more sense in the moment. I get it. Wouldn’t make for a very compelling Resident Evil game, either, since much of the drama tends to come from all the characters being completely deranged.

Still! Get some help.

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