A Thesis on Portal 2's Story

[JackTylerism]

"Well done. Remember, the Aperture Science 'Bring your daughter to work' day is

the perfect time to have her tested." Did GLADoS said that to every test subjects or only to Caroline? I wonder...

[JackTylerism]

@JackTylerism I Mean, this is in portal 1 BEFORE GLADoS realises she is Caroline.

[STUFF4U100]

I see lots of people are saying that cave is the king turret which is a good theory however he could also be ratman

I mean he tries to help here escape

He seems to follow her alot

And someone had to through her Companion Cube out the door

Just throwing it out there

[pokemon3742]

This is a mystery that never will be solved...

[pokemon3742]

And chell name is Chell Jonson

[pokemon3742]

Cave was her father and died so he was put into the king turret caroline died to and was put into GLaDOS

if GLaDOS deleted Caroline he willd die because he is Caroline

[boggle180]

@pokemon3742 ?

[pokemon3742]

GLaDOS=chells mother

King turret=chells father

[thefallingangel2011]

13:46 a shame it will neaver happen to you (so she can stay with her parents forever

14:13

good bye my only friend (its the truth)

do you think i ment you(she is trying to hide it)

that would be funny if it wernt so sad (or so true)

14:23 you have been replaced i dont need anyone now (its the robots just putting this out there

the rest this guy has said and the other stuff i have is useless

pleasesend me a message if you want more

[thefallingangel2011]

one day they woke me up (as a human)

so i could live forever (become glados . she only become glados because cave jhonson chells father died of space poisoning but before he died he recored a message saying i want caroline to be the boss (or sumthing like that i dont remember) and that if we can make blah blH BLAH WHY cant we store a human brain on a disk (not this is later on ) they eventrulay did and he is the king robot to see in the end

[thefallingangel2011]

13:22

it says i use to want you dead (before she knew she was caroline who was chells mother)

but know i only want you gone (she dosent want her to stay she worried she might get hurt or ect)

13:35

she was a lot like you( like mother like daughter, maybe not quite as heavy, well yah caroline is a robot(glados)

now caroline is in here too (her heart maybe?)

one day they woke me up (when she was human)

so i could live forever (run out of room more will be in next comment

[MrSquid21]

The itch to test that you get in that GLaDOS body backs up some of the evidence too.

[SPGxRayquaza]

Did anyone noticed in the ending song she says, "She was alot like you"? Is Glados referring to when Chell was young, if Caroline is Chells mother?

[SSBB2756]

@SPGxRayquaza no, I think she meant Caroline was a lot like Chell before she became a robot.

[Dylanmcdonald89]

Great job and research!watched this as soon as I finished the game and it completely opened my mind to what I thought of the ending

[nikkishocker1]

my mind is completely destroyed due to it being blown up from everything being explained! X_X

[theawesomegamr]

THAT WAS AMAZING

[MrLetsplaycod]

You didn't talk about ratman though

[FaintinglifeJBS]

GabuEx, on this part: watch?v=N5db3hu8EnE

cave says that he wants Caroline to run the place, as a computer. (with her memories stored on a disc.)

Your Thesis is correct. :)

[peterpanDK1998]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT THX!!!

[Detaluspictures]

An young version of chell is in the portait of caroline and cave

[geekometer96]

Did anyone else ever think Ratman could be Cave...? Just a thought...they are in a lab FILLED with mysterious secrets. Everlasting age could have been one

[geekometer96]

MY MIND IS FUCKING BLOWN! Thank you so much Gabu!

[UnnaturalOccurrence]

I would also just like to point out one thing... In the lyrics (as GLaDOS is singing about Caroline) she says "She was a lot like you." Hmm? C:

[Adventures39]

D: RATTMAN CUBE CAME TO YOU :D

[roguevideos5]

Notice in the right of turret opera u can see ratman waving his arms

[MrLetsplaycod]

@roguevideos5

Thats a turret cube

[MegaMicky1995]

Maybe after Cave(Chell's father) died Ratman(who was smartest employee) took Chell as his own after Caroline became GLADoS. Ratman then became the new test subject right after GLADoS awoke. Rat Man probable knew how Chell defeated her before and read her file that stated -Test subject is abnormally stubborn.She never gives up. Ever.- He knew she could kill GLADoS. But GLADoS released her after bearly telling Chell her true full feelings. Now i want to know how old Chell is and Is she still alive

[boristhewarrior]

I think we're overthinking this. It was just a cool ending, they sing for you, a cool exit to the game. I am probably wrong i'm not the smartest, maybe valve did hide a secret meaning to all this, down to each lyric in the song, but maybe it is just a cool ending? just an idea

[SeeItGoB00M]

@boristhewarrior I think there's a simpler story for casual fans and a more complex one for hardcore fans to figure out. That's what makes it so great, you don't need to be a Portal addict to understand it, but there's truly a lot more to it.

[megacaviagek]

I FOUND MORE PROOF THE MOMENT I TYPE THIS, AND I EMEDIATELY WENT TO THIS VIDEO. I listened too all soundtracks of portal 2, and the sound's name of the ending menu after you beat the game with wheatley flying on it, that soundtrack that is playing is called '' I made it all up! ''

[y0urfae]

U R TANK

[TeamIDontCare96]

And what does ratman have to do with the whole story?

[Jbob98onroblox]

@TeamIDontCare96 theorize that Chell and Ratman... well... had chell, or, when Cave Johnson died, Ratman adopted Chell or something while Caroline was becomeing GLADoS

[TeamIDontCare96]

Wait but there was an easter egg where the 4 turrets was rehercing the song. Does that mean glados planed it all out? Hmm

[Plummn]

I'm just curious about why she acted the way she did in the co-op. Who knows really?

[Wingam]

My only issue with the whole Chell/GLADoS relationship is that I can't see why GLADoS would try to incinerate Chell in the original Portal (at the end of the last test chamber).

Though maybe this was before GLADoS knew that she was Caroline?

Also, was I the only one who started sympathizing with GLADoS as soon as she was put in the potato?

[Sartori]

@Wingam

Post-partum depression?

I think one could make a serious argument that GLaDOS has really serious psychological issues.

[MrLetsplaycod]

@Wingam

People are saying that shell is cave jhonsons and carolines daughter and that carroline is Gados

At one point you hear cave saying that he wants carroline to be put in on of the machines.

[THEgoodSPAI]

My first vid I've seen without 1 dislike.

[candiedcyanide7]

Mind=blown

[unlimitedx7]

wow~! thank you!

[qwertyman547]

it was clear that she dident delete caroline cause then she wouldent of said goodbye caroline cause she wouldent remember her if she deleted her

[andmos100]

Portal 3? we will have more!

[qwertyman547]

@andmos100

yer if only valve wernt to lazy make it :P

[andmos100]

one more thing to love Portal 2 for. Valve had made the perfekt ending. Now thet quisten is who is Cell's father?

[TheWizard0209]

@andmos100 cave johnson?

[andmos100]

@TheWizard0209 maby

[kirby3219]

@andmos100 The evidence of this thesis points to Cave Johnson being Chell's father.

[ardaunlubursa]

wtf? I think GLaDOS is Chell's mother but if she is chell must be a robot!

[ibrit1]

@ardaunlubursa no remember glados is carolines personality core so the theory is carolines her mother

[kirby3219]

@ardaunlubursa Or, perhaps, that Chell was born before her father died off, and her mother was placed into GLaDoS to, as Cave wanted in one of his automated reports that you hear in the single player mode of the game, run the place. Cave Johnson OPENLY ADMITTED to his staff that he wanted Caroline to succeed him as heir of Aperture. BUT, Caroline, in wanting the power she was promised, gave herself to GLaDoS and ended up running the facility WITHOUT her human body.

[xXEmbyXx205]

I guess we'll have to wait a few years for portal 3. Valve wouldn't leave us hanging like that.

[Gateway7262]

And Wheatly brings GLaDOS back to life. Are they working together? I'll leave you guys to think about that, I'll come back tommorow with the rest of my advancement.

[kirby3219]

@Gateway7262 No, Wheatley KEPT GLaDoS alive by putting her in the potatoe battery. YOU put her back in power. (you being the player, not you yourself)

[Gateway7262]

@kirby3219 No, in the begining when you are trying to find the escape pod, he does something that makes the floor go up, and if you watch closely, you can see he hits all the switches but one, which my friend says is the Escape Pod switch.

[Gateway7262]

My dear? That sounds like a lullaby to me. Is she giving one last caress to her child? GLaDOS really is feeling bad. Now, you probably think I'm crazy. But I make PARADOXES in my head during Study Hall. GLaDOS wanted to keep Chell to herself by testing her. But she sees how Chell is hurting, and decides to let her free. But, what about the Cores? I mean, they're all crazy. Exept Wheatly.The one Core assigned to HELP Chell.Leading her closer to GLaDOS.And Wheatly brings GLaDOS back to life contin

[Gateway7262]

Wait wait wait, I have a new advancement on your Thesis, whish makes a lot of sense in a 12 year old girls mind.When she leaves you with Companion Cube and that song, I remembered that she can destroy ANYTHING in the Labritories, right Like when she fizzles the cubes.When she leaves you that Cube that at first she made you burn, is leaving you a memo of her mother. Something, in hopes, that one day Chell will piece it together like you.And the song with the turrets?My dear?continued:

[TheMinecrafteriscool]

baisicaly GLaDOS is the mom of Chell

[BearKing011]

I have a feeling its to be debated somewhat like the ending of Inception. First of all, mad props to you on this thesis. It is well thought out, well delivered, and has significant evidence backing it up. I believe it to be a very viable proposition. However, I believe the obvious explanation of the ending is equally likely.

[ToastedFishSandwich]

I found out that the science project was by Chell because I thought it was to do with the potato achivement.

[qwertyman547]

also when GLaDOS said the best solution to a problem is also the easiest one the best thing to do was to give up chell so she could live her life also the easiest

[qwertyman547]

i have a feeling the bydtwd is why chell is a mute cause other whise she would have murmured thats my project! and your aculy smart and u think unlike other people

[yomamajoker306]

in laymans terms in about 450 characters

cave johnson has a daughter named michelle chell is brought to B.Y.D.T.W.D GLaDOS(with no knowledge of caroline:chells mother) fill aperture with gas killing everyone (theory add on part here):caroline breaks through glados and saves her daughter but glados puts here into testing chell tests and tests portal 2: chell wakes glados wakes old aperture potatoes space then glados realeases chell (latin goodbye involving obese androids here)

[tehnoobshow100000]

6:58

[tehnoobshow100000]

very left in a shadow there is this wierd ghost!

[LegoMovieMan44]

Anyone see that it said NASA at the very ending? Thats because of the picture of the earth at the end.

[LegoMovieMan44]

First of all, EVERYONE WHO THINKS Aperture is in Ohio, Or Aperture is in Michigan, You are both right, YES ITS POSSIBLE. After watching an episode of "Modern Marvels" about salt! I found out there is a HUGE salt deposit under Ohio that stretches all the way to Michigan. Therefore Cave Johnson bought the salt mine, and built Aperture Science in it, that is how Aperture is in Michigan and Ohio! See! Facts in real life can help you understand the storyline and the setting in video games! Yay!!!! :D

[DRAGON5918]

Execellent Job! Finally someone who accually does a thesis for portal 2. And very well done!

[lovehina2112]

caroline is indeed the chairman's assistant, there are parts in the game where the potato repeats and answers the recordings while chell is testing. Then wonders how the potato knew what the recording was going to say next.

carolines memories are put into a core.

chell was brought to take ur daughter to work day

caroline is relieved to see chell alive

id like to know what happend next to chell and that other person who escaped in part 1

[awesomeGamer34]

@55deadsilence she never knew about caroline or chell lol

[PinkSneaselGirl]

No, I think you hit the nail on the head. The only other thing I know about is the hidden girl in the picture of Caroline you showed, who is only visible when the original picture is brightened(whuch is what you had up). Some say its Chell, others say its just a statue. But then why would they hide it hmm?

Anyway, finding Chell's name on one of the bring your daughter to work day projects is what really convinces me. It gives Chell a deeper connection to Apeture instead of being a random person

[stenen93]

holy fuck, i started crying when the fat turret started singing, this story is amazing

[Kidorkman93]

WHOA WHOA WHOA.

I never noticed the name on that child's science project before...

// Brain: EXPLODES

[1996BRECHT]

thanks for this vid !

[Triforceguardian1]

@55deadsilence :)

[Triforceguardian1]

@55deadsilence Because she hadn't found the carolin part of her brain yet until the end

[Nobster777]

@55deadsilence she didn't know until the two of you went into the salt mines and had an epitheny of sort

[SuperGmodkid]

I think this is correct why would she call her her girl and have any feelings for her

[Shane100Ronnie]

Come back Chell , come back , all the compainion cubes miss you.

This made me really sad. I wish Chell stayed at Aperture.

[nightflyer9kpoplove]

this made me cry....

[11TechGuy]

Chell is one of the last people in the world.... She was hiding under ground while l4d was taking place

[Goggles447]

Also at the end him and the space core are floating very close to each other but the space core went flying off into space a long time before wheatley did so the fact that you don't slow down in space would mean that wheatley would never catch up to the space core and wouldn't move as slow as he does in the final scene

[Nobster777]

@Goggles447 maybe they can propel themselves somehow, the space one certainly seemed to be

[Goggles447]

@Nobster777 but then why didn't wheatley do that when he was off the manegment rail rather than make chell carry him. I think if he could propell himself then he wouldn't make chell carry him and he probably wouldn't bother waking her up.

[Nobster777]

@Goggles447 you need a lot less force to propel in space because there's no other forces (eg gravity) acting on you, so in space he can, on earth no.

[Goggles447]

@Nobster777 but wheatley doesn't seem to happy to be with the space core so why would he want to catch up to him

[Nobster777]

@Goggles447 doesn't he? i mean its better than being alone

[Goggles447]

@Nobster777 Maybe but if he could propell himself in space don't you think he would propell himself back to earth.

[Nobster777]

@Goggles447 hmm maybe, i don't know, i don't think the creators of portal 2 really thought about it lol ok you win

[Goggles447]

@Nobster777 fair enough i think we are all thinking a little too much into this however that is one of my favourite features of the game, the fact that you can take the story as it comes or you can question and look into the backstory and try to work at what is really happening at aperture. we need more games that have a story on multiple levels like this one thumbs up if you agree!

[Goggles447]

(spoilers) Am I the only person to realise that the portal placed on the moon at the end of the game is on the light side of the moon and is facing earth so when chell let go of wheatley he would have flown straight back to earth instead of floating around in space.

[beejay2525]

This was very well thought out. But why is a companion cube thrown out at the end with her? And why did glados try killing chell in the first one??

[MsWoot100]

@FlabbyJ3000 No she doesn't.

[MsWoot100]

@11panfu The person that you play as in Portal and Portal 2 is Named Chell.

[fbimiro]

at 10:57 i start crying

[11panfu]

hello srry i m asking about this but who is the carroctor (srry i m from finland i dont remeber some words) who is he/she and i dont own portal 2

[Jedislayer19]

He's absolutely right. Having done research of my own I can verify that this is the most widely agreed upon theory in the gaming community. If you look at the left side of the portrait mentioned in the video, there is a little girl trying to hide in the background. That little girl is Chell. When I put all the pieces together for the first time and rewatched the ending: I did cry. Cause the whole thing is just beautiful.

[megacaviagek]

Also: On the painting of cave and Caroline there is a girl hidden in the left. That is Chell. And I got another question: Is caroline really INSIDE of glados and not in her body or did they just re-make caroline's personalty in GLaDOS?

[FlabbyJ3000]

she say "stop feeling so GLAD"

[Bucketchico]

Mah. fucking. GAWD. Dude, You rule... I love to have any kind of stories in mind and this is clearly the most unexpected one. I never thought that Portal could have that much of controversial content. And, as I get really sentimental with some plots, this one almost made me cry... Thank you, Sir.

[Manzanaconchocolate]

*hole

[Manzanaconchocolate]

You just filled part of the whole finishing this game left in my heart. Thank you.

[boots1622fan]

I swear by the adopted theory. nobody ever think about that do they? Chell [REDACTED]. I mean as much as they look alike, until Valve says anything I'm not convinced. Because holy shit. they retconn so much crap, it makes me furious.

[yellowl1]

What about the fact that chell is asian and the neither Cave or Caroline are?

[davycroket100]

damn !!!!

[TheKoopakirby]

I'm afraid this doesn't work out the way you think it does. Not only was Glados activated in the 80s(From what I've heard) whereas Chell is 26, but the Turret Opera was also improved by Ellen McClain. I'd also like to point out an alternate possibility for the 'Little Caroline is in here too' line. Chell had been out for an undetermined amount of time. GLaDOS could have done a lot of things in that time; like write 'Want You Gone' in advance or back up Caroline in a Personality Sphere.

[friitawafright]

@TheKoopakirby No, work on the DOS started in 1985, GLaDOS was activated in 200-, soooo, yeah

[aelita12345678910]

caroline was put to controll glados and mostly glados is a TOP SECRET artificial intelligence that is able to develope feelings and things that the humans do...dont forget that the technology in this game is shockingly VERY FURTHER than us because if they can make a portal gun then it might be possible to do that on machines.just a litle theory

[DMAN123223]

Well, she did say "She was a lot like you." This is very well done, good job.

[yodaubine]

Goodbye for her means delete...

[MeSoAsianprod]

chell looks nothing like Caroline wtf

[MedozaProdoctions]

in the portrait you can see chell in the background

look carefully in the left

cave and caroline are the parents

glados is based on caves personality (the project) + caroline mind

[12334jetman]

creppy

[EvolutionOfTrance]

amazing..

[Zelchodude1]

why did she call chell her best friend if she is here daughter?

[Hyenna15]

@Zelchodude1 GLaDOS is only a part of Caroline. *Chell's mom.*

Notice how GLaDOS isnt being so harmless to chell? Like Wheatley, wheatley didnt put any portal surfaces

but GLaDOS did.

[Zelchodude1]

@Hyenna15

oh ok

[debit256]

The song is the only evidence that turns everything else turn/appear bias towards your thesis. If it wasn't for that, it would of been far fetched..

[omelfilip]

i agree 100% on your thiesus but one thing that got to my mind is that in the chapter the cold boot whetley shows up a couple times. wuy? you may ask wehtley might be cave johnsons persanality. in the chapter the reunion cave johnson complains how come you cant store a mans persenallity on a disk so he got his men to work on that but instead they put it into a sphere. so in the remberence of cave johnson when he was dead they put his persinnalltiy in the sphere called whetley

[Mantell90]

Amazing, sir. I would've NEVER noticed that.

[NOVAZ3N]

brilliant.

but there are allot of questions that remain and there mostly from the back round story. like at what time did the game take place?

you know stuff like that.

[starbuckfrak2]

@NOVAZ3N its been confirmed by valve tht they're continuing portal where chell gives a portal gun to gordon freeman from half life, so its th same time period as half life 2

[NOVAZ3N]

@starbuckfrak2 ok but uh heh, I haven't played half life 2 so uh when does that take place? :S

[aelita12345678910]

@starbuckfrak2 then the rebels will be allies with glados and they will make robots and beat the crap out of the comb-fuck MY IMAGINATION IS LEAKING AGAIN

[christian0314]

whats if when chell gets out of apreture lab the time period is during half life. And it would be even cooler if she made an apperance in the next half life game

[Hyenna15]

@christian0314 in the ending the turrets sang a song. it's GLaDOS's only gift to Chell. i dont know if there'll be another portal game. since if it ends like this.

[christian0314]

oh i see now why glados was also riducling chell about being an orphan she didnt want chell to know about her!

[haosboss]

Funny story, you know that fat turret in the opera? yes, that IS GlaDOS's voice! her voice actor is an opera singer and voices ALL the turrets.

[haosboss]

Mind=BLOWN

[ShuttleAdventure]

why did GLaDOS kill the people in bring your daughter to work day?

[bdpickett]

I doubt you're the only one to come to this conclusion. I'll say this, it makes for interesting fanfic ideas.

[GoldAndTheBeautiful]

i think this is true.. nice video

[chiefgreentazer]

That was awesome and touching

[matty1haze]

dude THX!

[KateBlackford]

Summary of this video:

Chell Johnson

Oh yea I dont think that much time has passes actually, becuase the state of the shack looks pretty intact. Unless Glados has been keeping up with it, there are still people around.

Glados earlier in the game mentions a deer, and some people, so the world hasnt quite gone to hell yet.

[bdpickett]

@KateBlackford

Dude, that was a lie. She'd only been active a few minutes to an hour and she was talking about things she had seen the previous day.

[1895jake]

I done the game 2 times!

[rdurica]

The last words that GLaDOS said - "It's been fun. Welcome back."

Welcome BACK?!?!?!?!

[GabuEx]

@rdurica I'm pretty sure it's "don't come back", not "welcome back".

[TheNielsJensen]

@Pie4Pigs exactly.. also notice that later in the comic he said he had a "hunch" (page 24) and also on page 22 he says that "is has to be her"

I think this Thesis have it completely figured out.

[splashfaceify]

@YOURDOOM The thing you have to remember is how long Chell was in suspension. Did you listen to the guy?

[BreeVanity422]

Beautiful song -3 ^_^

[Takiado]

so sad :(

[Pie4Pigs]

Very impressive work. Here's something I have do add. Know that ratman comic? Turn to page 22. See where it says different test subject's names? Look at chell's last name. It's been removed. Interesting, isn't it?

[wliley55]

Best theory i've heard awesome

[YOURDOOM1996]

Im surprised nobody has noticed somthing. At the end of Portal, you blow up the facility and when you get to the surface of the earth, you are in a city like enviroment. and there is a parking lot. But in Portal 2, you come out at the desired entrance and it is completly diffrent. Its a wheat field. Nobody has noticed this but i find this completly weird. What could be the meaning of this? i have no idea, u guys come up with one.

[GabuEx]

@YOURDOOM1996 Two ideas come to mind:

1. A lot of time has passed since the first one, during which that went away; or

2. They blatantly retconned it and were hoping we wouldn't notice. :P

[harrisjac3601]

@GabuEx It says youve been in hibernation for a couple of hundred years at the start.

[Saurus4444]

@GabuEx Well, there is a third ideia... that Aperture Science laboratories are so fkin huge that they go all over the wheat field and keep going further more under the earth

[linkgun1]

@GabuEx or where we killed the boss last wasnt the same place we defeated wheatley, therefor it may be another way like a backdoor in to Aperture

[boots1622fan]

@GabuEx OOOOOOOOOOOR IT'S A DIFFERENT PART OF THE FACILITY? Don't know about you but I live in Texas and we've got city and country right next to each other here.

[Randomidus]

@YOURDOOM1996 I figured it was to show the sheer vastness of the facility. The entrance is in a semi-urban area, but the back entrance is in a wheat field in the middle of no where. From the glance of it that you get as it's falling apart this isn't too implausible. Time probably was probably a factor as well, but I think it mostly showed that the facility is literally miles and miles across.

[QceanWeaver]

@YOURDOOM1996 Considering you are the only one alive in the facility in Portal 2 and everything has fallen into disrepair, I just assumed it has been a really long time since the first game. GlaDOS even says something to that effect.

[pivot1nerf2starwars3]

@YOURDOOM1996 well the underground complex is friggin masive or maybye that was the entrance to the facility coming of a highway in the countryside

[HARDGURTHm]

cool! I'm so GLaD I watched this

[Sxrlup]

I loved this at the 'fat turret sings' part

[DarkAngel31678]

That has to be the most accurate theory I've heard for a video games story line.

[GothamMan10]

Excellent thesis. (& cool beard.)

[weldon29]

That was interesting.