I don't follow. If there was no Interlude, Episode 9 would have imported the saves the exact same way. The Interlude did nothing special, it barely even used the imported data. I guess you could say it reduced the time between creating the save and importing it, but at once you're beyond 2 months I don't think difference in time matters.
DPC absolutely could have also released Chapter 9 directly, but after how long?
because the various delays have accumulated, the launch on GOG and Steam, the Covid, the new system of saves etc. ...
instead in this way with a flashback slightly hypotrophic broke the wait and anticipated all the phase of importing saves and tests on them
but from the point of view of the story he wanted to tell in it, I don't see the need for the autonomous release, the interlude has become so great adding and repeating passages already seen. but if I compare it to what the flashback of Maya and Josy or the one of the birth of DIKs tells, I don't think it tells so many more things, it probably tells them better (I'm not convinced) but not more
I don't see Sage's talk in Episode 6 as a condemnation of her family, it's a condemnation of herself. Her inability process emotions is a personal failing, and mentioning her family is more about explanation than it is about blame.
The two conversations reinforce each other: one of the things Sage has difficulty talking about his how grateful she is to her family. That's my take, anyway.
she definitely acknowledges that it is her fault, but she turns the responsibility almost entirely on the family, and the words especially about Jade are very harsh. Because we can also understand a parent who is not comfortable talking about feelings, but who even gets angry if it happens....
she would like to talk about her feelings but they have never allowed her to do so. where MC is her biggest exception
sa "In my family, we don't discuss emotions."
...
...
sa "Yeah, but not for me. I've never found that balance."
sa "And what's worse is that I want to be able to discuss emotions with my family."
sa "I wanna be able to say to my dad that I'm sad and have him sit down and listen."
sa "...but I know that dad would shut down if I tried and mom would get angry if I asked..."
sa "...just like me."
sa "So... I bottle it up."
the fundamental change in the next confession is that in that moment Sage becomes the one who doesn't want to ask her parents for help because she already believes that they have done a lot for her and she doesn't want to be a burden to them any more.
I know it's not exactly the same thing, but for Sage it's impossible to talk to them about her own problems instead it becomes possible to talk about Maya's ones, because the conversation will hardly ever get to the personal side of the matter...
sa "I'm so fucking grateful for what they did."
sa "And I've always felt that I didn't want to ask them for anything more than they have given me. Who am I to ask for more?"
sa "They help me a lot, but it's mostly been forced help; you know, without me even asking for it."
sa "So, I have developed a bad habit of declining their help."
sa "And now I'm scared of asking for it. Because I don't do that."
sa "It's not that I'm ungrateful; it's the opposite. I don't want them to spoil me."
sa "I want to show them that they've raised me to become my own person."
