User blog comment:AndrewBrauer/Re-Written Episode: Making the Case/@comment-31789809-20170718142925/@comment-32202721-20170719005934

I respect your opinion, and I see where you're coming from, but I honestly couldn't disagree more.

First, Lincoln was left in a pretty lousy position at the end of Making the Case. He still lost to a hamster on a wheel, he embarrassed himself in front of the whole school (and God knows when he'll live that down), and the only thing he was left with was some dinky little consolation prize. Granted, he brought a lot of it on himself, but that just makes it even worse, because he has to live with the guilt on top of everything else.

Second, I understand why you'd find the constant interjections from Lincoln's subconscious repetitive, but that's what depression does to you. It riddles you with persistent, invasive, self-destructive thoughts that never let up. Trust me, I would know.

Third, the sisters did realize that something was wrong with him, didn't they? Luna even confronted him after he shoves Lola and pointed out that he wasn't acting like himself.

Fourth, I don't think it was just Lori yelling at him that prompted him to attempt suicide the first time. That was more the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. The second time was because he couldn't deal with the idea of seeing a shrink regularly; it'd make him feel like even more of a freak, given the stigma attached to therapy, and the price his parents would have to pay for his sessions would make him feel like even more of a burden. He wanted a way out.

As for the last part, I think what made the last hug "different" was that it involved all ten of his sisters, all of whom were weeping over the fact that they almost lost him. It was an overwhelming display of love that no depression-induced mental block could obscure. I don't think he had received anything like that up until that point.

But that's the way I see it; I've dealt with depressive/suicidal thoughts myself, so I'm not exactly the most impartial reader. I think we can just agree to disagree.