Epilogue - Smoking Mirror

Norman sees a virtual duplicate of himself.

"Smoking Mirror" is one of four possible endings to Norman Jayden's story in Heavy Rain. It is his worst ending.

Characters

• Norman Jayden

Ending

Norman Jayden talks with himself in an ARI environment. He discusses what he will do next and that things are worse than they appear. He panics when he sees the person he was talking to was himself. He is later found in a motel room surrounded by several empty Triptocaine vials. He is seen trembling and bleeding from his nose with widened eyes. Norman then dies, having overdosed on Triptocaine.

Transcript

Familiar voice: What are you going to do now?

Norman: I don't know. Resign...? Try to forget...? I don't know...

Familiar voice: Is Tripto part of your plan to forget?

Norman: It's the most effective way I've found.

Familiar voice: Except it's not a solution.

Norman: For the moment I'm not looking for solutions. I just want to forget.

Familiar voice: I'm afraid things may have affected you more than you think, Norman.

Norman: Why do you say that? I'm OK... I'm getting through this. Let's just take it easy, see what happens when it's all over.

(Norman stands up, turns around, and is shocked to see himself standing there.)

Other Norman: It may never be over, Norman.

(Norman is seen in a motel room on the floor, clutching his head and bleeding from his nose with multiple Triptocaine vials next to him, painfully dying.)

Requirements

• Norman survives.
• Shaun dies. This means that:
  • Norman must give up on the final puzzle or accuse the wrong suspect.
  • Ethan must not complete enough trials to locate the warehouse, go to the wrong place, or be arrested in "On the Loose" after being arrested in "Fugitive."
  • Madison must die (either before reaching the warehouse, or before Shaun is rescued if she reaches it alone) or fail to locate the warehouse.

Trivia

• This can be considered Norman's worst ending because it shows a death that is entirely his fault and that it was his own guilt that caused his undoing.
• Some players consider this to be Norman's second worst ending after "Uploaded." However, Norman does not die by his own hand and it is possible for Shaun Mars to live if he gets that ending, as Ethan and/or Madison can still arrive and save the boy (and Norman, even if he dies confronting the Origami Killer, will save Shaun if he arrives alone).
• This is one of five epilogues to have a death scene, the others being "Helpless," "Origami Blues," "Tears in the Rain," and "A Mother's Revenge."
• This ending along with "Helpless," "Dead Heroine," and "Unpunished" are considered by many to be the worst combination of endings. This is because all the main characters except Scott die, including Shaun and Lauren.
• It is impossible to get this ending if Norman reaches the warehouse: in all such scenarios, he saves Shaun and/or dies.
• If all the requirements for this ending except Shaun's death are met, Norman will get the "Resignation" ending instead.
• Some players report that you get this ending if you allow Norman to take Triptocaine in the game. This is untrue - you'll get this ending only if Shaun dies and Norman survives.
• The dialogue between Norman and his duplicate suggests that Norman's fatal overdose is accidental.
• Despite being in the ARI environment, Norman is not seen wearing his glasses as he does in other chapters, which is an early hint that something is not right. It is possibly a sign that as a result of overuse, his brain was altered to the point where he could see the ARI environment even without the glasses.
• The motel at which Norman stays is the Saranas Motel. Its name is never mentioned, but can be found in the game's texture files. It is also the same motel at which Ethan stays in "Origami Blues."
• Norman's motel room is much cheaper and more run-down than his room at the Westfield Resort. This symbolizes how his life has gone downhill since he failed to save Shaun.
• A glitch can occur when loading this ending via chapter select. When Norman is in the ARI environment, the map may load incorrectly and appear as a black void, and a second Norman model can be seen in a T-pose floating in the background. After Norman stands up and sees his duplicate, the rest of the ending plays out normally.

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