These past couple weeks of Sims 4 story episodes have been a real doozy, haven’t they? The events of prom week evoked a lot of strong feelings regarding the characters: mainly Casey and Leila. I’d love to take this time to give some writer’s perspective on both of the characters! Feel free to sound off in the comments! I love the many discussions these stories brought up and I feel honored that you all feel the stories so deeply.
The Thought Process Behind Casey Scott
How Old is Casey Scott Supposed to Be?
At this point in the story, I’ve chosen to depict the teenagers at different stages of teen life. While all teens look the same in the game, I made the choice that the weeks or days apart in their teenage life, represent their age and maturity.
I envision Caiden Scott to be around 16 years old. He’s gone through his most immature moments of partying and skipping curfew, and while he’s still in the throes of some of it, he’s also hitting that point where his young adult years are nearing and he’s starting to gain more perspective on life.
Casey Scott, however, is around 14.5 or 15 years old, which in teen years, the difference between a 15 year old and a 16 year old can be staggering. I know personally that at 14/15, I was still walking 5 feet ahead of my parents. And yet by 16, my comfort level started to shift and I started to look at them as confidantes, and not as an embarrassment.
Is He Only Sorry He Got Caught?
Some theories have been that he’s not upset about his actions, only that he got caught. While I can see why this is a very viable theory, I personally, don’t believe that.
Casey has wrestled with his feelings for Leila and the fear of hurting his brother since he kissed her. The guilt of it is the reason he confessed his feelings to Annabelle and ultimately did share his feelings with Caiden. Unfortunately, being young, not to mention, this being the first girl he’s ever truly had feelings for, he dived in head first and made a plethora of mistakes, without thinking about his actions.
Why Won’t He Apologize to Caiden?
In my mind, as a 14/15 year old boy, Casey feels very backed into a corner regarding this entire situation. He doesn’t want to admit what he did was wrong, even though he has everyone telling him exactly that. Of course, that just makes him want to double down further.
The truth is, he’s trying every way to justify what he’s done because Caiden was his favorite older brother, and I feel like in many ways, his idol. By justifying his actions, it keeps him from processing his overwhelming guilt regarding the situation. The thought that he caused his brother so much hurt is too unbearable for him to handle. Thus, he’s not handling it at all.
Did He Truly Mean He was Sorry When He Finally Said It?
Once Caiden told Casey that he’d never trust him again, I feel like a light switch went off in his head. He finally realized that doubling down this whole time and refusing to accept blame was destroying his relationship with Caiden; a relationship he very much valued. Caiden’s words were like a brick hitting him in the head and he suddenly realized “Oh S**t, what have I done?” Unfortunately by then, he had dug himself a hole far too big to dig himself out of.
Will the brothers make up one day?
I can’t give any spoilers but…I do think there’s hope for sure! As long as Casey feels truly sorry for his actions, I believe that Caiden is a forgiving enough sim that nothing is permanently broken between them…as long as no other wrenches get thrown their way!
The Thought Process Behind Leila Harris
From Best Friend to Heartbreaker
There is no character that has had a quicker shift in public opinion than Caiden’s ex-girlfriend, Leila Harris. And for good reason: she cheated on him with his brother, turned the entire breakup onto Caiden being the problem, and, not to mention, the ridiculously cold expressions she portrayed the whole time (I’m still angry at the game for that one!).
I have to say this much: from the beginning, I expected her to be far more distraught. Never once did I imagine that her cheerful trait would make her come across so heartless. Yet, it did. However, despite her terrible choices, her selfishness, and her complete lack of consideration for Caiden (I had to get it all out there! I’m angry too!), there is a side to her story that I completely sympathize with. I’m hoping after you read this, you will too.
I mean, you may still hate her for all of the other reasons above, but maybe you’ll at least see why her actions played out the way they did.
Leila and Caiden: How Their Personalities Shaped Them
When Leila first entered into her relationship with Caiden, she was extremely hesitant. They were also around 14, had just begun high school, and were dealing with a whole new set of challenges: being teenagers! She and Caiden had never had any relationship experience to speak of, except their friendship.
Caiden is a force of nature. He rolls through every moment of life with overwhelming enthusiasm. When he sees something he wants, he goes for it without question or doubt. If it turns out great, awesome! If it turns out he’s trapped in a basement, it’s fine. He’ll make his way out. He doesn’t second guess and he believes in enjoying life to the fullest.
Leila, is the complete opposite. She spent her childhood as a cheerful person, which is why she loved Caiden’s free spirit. She always took school and life more seriously. However, when she was around Caiden, she could expect him to bring out her cheerful side and make her laugh.
However, when she became a teenager, she became a perfectionist. Suddenly, she was far more reserved and in her head than she ever was. Every moment of life became one big question. Was she in the right relationship? Was she focusing enough on her studies? Was one wrong move going to destroy her chance at a picture perfect future? Caiden’s free spirit became overwhelming and terrifying to her.
If his own parents, or even a supervillain like Summer couldn’t slow him down, how could she? How could they continue on a path together when she was creeping along, looking around every corner, while he was barreling straight ahead?
If They Were So Different, Why Did She Jump Into a Relationship With Him and Not Just Turn Him Down from the Start?
The fact is, despite her reluctance, she was attracted to him. From the moment they were kids, she loved his charming personality and she liked the idea that he could take her out of her own head. Unfortunately, as their relationship grew, she realized that none of that lifestyle fit her. She couldn’t change who she was at the core, and she knew their relationship wasn’t going to work out.
Leila tried to express her doubts to Caiden but she didn’t feel heard. In all actuality though, he did hear her (and thus why he spent that weekend with Annabelle while Leila got in her studying!). Unfortunately, though, she wasn’t strong enough to end their relationship and instead proceeded to be with him. She knew he’d always fight for her, no matter what she said, and that she would never be strong enough to tell him the truth. He, in turn, thought everything was better between them. This is Caiden after all: he expects everything to turn out fine!
But WHY did she kiss Casey?
Leila never fathomed the idea that she would kiss Casey, or break Caiden’s heart. However, when Casey expressed his feelings for her, it triggered all of her fears and reminded her of what she wanted. Casey represented the same calm demeanor and ambitious attitude that she was seeking for herself.
Ultimately, by kissing him back, she deep down knew that it would sabotage her relationship with Caiden and give her a way out. She knew how much it would hurt him, but she thought that it would be easier than telling him that everything about him was wrong for her. If she just kissed Casey and was the bad guy in all of this, wouldn’t that be easier?
Okay…but then she told him everything anyways…
In the end, after the events of prom, she realized she couldn’t go through with it. She didn’t want Caiden to think that she was leaving him for his brother. She saw the damage she caused between the two brothers and she didn’t want to cause anymore. She finally found the courage to say all of the things she had been wanting to say to him, but unfortunately, it was horrible timing and far too late.
In those last moments, as she realized she lost not only their relationship, but their friendship, she finally cried. She had realized how terrible she had messed all of this up and that through her actions, she had accomplished the last thing she ever wanted: she lost Caiden completely.
Teenagers are messy, aren’t they?!? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the characters now that you’ve gained some introspection into their actions! Please share them with me and fellow fans so we can all discuss!
