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Life is Strange

"If there's a chance in hell you two dorks can find Rachel... I'll take it." — Frank to Max and Chloe in "Dark Room"

Frank Bowers is a known local drug dealer who knows Chloe Price and Rachel Amber, and the owner of former dog-fight dog Pompidou. He lives in an RV that moves around in various places within Arcadia Bay.

He is a minor antagonist in "Out of Time", and possibly other episodes of the game, depending on your choices. Frank reappears as a major character in the prequel Before the Storm.

For the image gallery, click here. To visit Frank's RV, click here.

Personality[]

Frank is generally perceived as scary and sketchy. He mostly keeps to himself and lives an independent and solitary life in his RV - mainly on the beach outside the city - with his dog and best friend, Pompidou. He doesn't seem to trust people much, which might be the reason for his solitary life. According to his own words, he "trained Pompidou how to be [his] friend,"[1] likely because he actually craves the company of someone he can trust in. Many people at Arcadia Bay seem to disrespect and avoid him and think of him as a liar and loser.[2]

Frank gets angered quickly and tends toward violent and aggressive behavior, especially when under the influence of drugs. His hostile and untrusting personality is probably due to his involvement with drugs.

Despite these things, he is shown to have a good heart as revealed in Episode 4 when he can hand over his account book to Max and Chloe and wish them good luck in finding Rachel. He seems affectionate and loyal towards those he cares about, including Pompidou and Rachel Amber. Episodes 4 and 5 reveal he believes in God and attends church.[3]

Biography[]

The following is what Max wrote about Frank in her journal:

I'll never forget Frank - if only because he's the first and last person I will ever aim a gun at. How did Chloe end up in this sketchy drug dealer's orbit? The weird thing is that when I first saw him threatening Chloe in the junkyard, I was more shocked how un-creepy he looked. I expected some try-hard gangster, but he looked more like a dumpster diving troll. Which I guess he kinda is since we were on his turf, testing out my rewind skills for Chloe's amusement.

Though he didn't look like a serial killer, his vibe (aura, energy, whateva) was BAD. I could literally feel the the hair on my arms prickling. He wanted the money Chloe owed him, so it didn't make sense he would hurt her but I wasn't going to take a chance... So yes, I actually threatened him with David's gun. Ridiculous. Fortunately none of us ended up like "Reservoir Dogs"[4] and I saw that maybe Frank isn't as scary as I thought...

But I don't want Chloe near him EVER again. Since he was wearing one of Rachel Amber's bracelets for WTF reasons, I doubt Chloe will be partying with him anymore. But he's at the top of our suspect list now...

Background[]

He used to attend Blackwell Academy, but was likely expelled. He also used to bet on dogfight matches, but later had a revelation and saved several of the dogs, including his current companion, Pompidou.

Frank grew up in a religious family. His father, who was strongly religious, went to jail when he was young.

Episode One - "Chrysalis"[]

On her way to meet Warren on the Blackwell Parking Lot, she comes across Frank's dirty RV at the inner corner of the parking lot, and his dog Pompidou sleeping in front of it. Max can draw a face in the dirty window of Frank's RV and take an optional photo of it.

Later, we learn that Chloe is in great debt to Frank - she owes him $3,000 she borrowed to cover the cost of repairing her banged up truck, in order to escape Arcadia Bay. Frank is demanding his money from her. It is partially due to Frank that Chloe needed to attempt to steal from Nathan Prescott to get money; in part to pay back Frank, and in part to escape the Bay with Rachel.

Although we do not meet Frank in this episode, he is shown in the ending scene with Pompidou outside the RV during the snowstorm.

Episode Two - "Out of Time"[]

At the Two Whales Diner, Frank's RV is parked in the parking lot outside the diner with Frank sleeping on a chair and Frank's dog keeping watch outside. If Max tries to approach the RV or its occupants outside, Frank's dog Pompidou will bark loudly. Frank will tell Pompidou not to bark anymore and Max will back off.

Inside the diner, if Max speaks to a police officer, he will warn Max to stay away from the RV and tells her that the owner, Frank, is a sketchy character. As Max and Chloe are leaving the diner, Frank will wake up and watch them drive away from a distance.

At the American Rust Junkyard, Frank will investigate the sound of gunshots and breaking glass. Upon seeing Max and Chloe together, Frank will call them "Thelma and Louise" and "Bonnie and Clyde". Chloe tries to ignore him but he continues to mock them, and starts to compare himself to Chloe. Chloe takes offense at the comparison, claiming they’re nothing alike. Frank reminds her that Frank and Chloe both need money and she owes him.

While Chloe is assuring him that she’ll pay him back, Frank's attention is drawn towards Max, who is hiding David Madsen’s gun behind her back. He approaches her and asks what she’s hiding. Chloe notices Frank has a blue bracelet on his right wrist and interrupts, demanding to know where Frank got it.

Frank claims the bracelet was from a friend. Chloe recognizes the bracelet to be Rachel Amber’s bracelet and accuses him of stealing. When she tries to snatch the bracelet, Frank pulls out his switchblade, pointing it at Chloe and threatening to cut her. Frank notices that Max now has the gun pointed at him and she asks him to step back. However, Frank thinks Max doesn't look capable enough to shoot a gun and tries to step closer to snatch the gun from Max's hands, saying Max is kidding and she should put the gun down. Max has the option to shoot or not to shoot Frank.

Shoot Frank
If Max decides to shoot Frank, a click sound can be heard - the gun has run out of bullets. Frank laughs it off, saying he will remember Max almost shot him. He warns Chloe that she has until Friday to pay him. Chloe hugs Max and thanks her.

Don't shoot Frank
Franks laughs it off, taking the gun away from Max. He warns Chloe that she has until Friday to pay him, and walks off with the gun. Chloe is angry at Max for not standing up for her.

Episode Three - "Chaos Theory"[]

During this episode, Max and Chloe try to break into Frank's RV for more clues about what happened to Rachel after discovering Nathan's cryptic messages in Principal Wells' office, and David's photographs of Rachel and Frank together.

At the Two Whales diner, Chloe tries to come up with a long complicated plan but Max assures her Max has a better plan in mind. Max enters the diner to speak with Frank while Chloe scrounges a distracting treat for Pompidou.

When Max talks to Anderson Berry inside the diner, he gives some background information on Frank, saying Frank used to bet on dog fights and had a change of heart that led him to rescue some dogs and keep one for himself. Anderson speculates that Frank raised his current pet and guard dog, Pompidou "on blood" to attack trespassers and act as his bodyguard. Anderson thinks Frank is a creep and doesn't want Max or Chloe in his company. Max may tell him that she believed Frank and Rachel were representatives of Blackwell, to which Anderson confirms Frank was no longer a student at Blackwell but did represent a facet of Arcadia Bay.

After speaking with Anderson, Max uses the information she learned to speak with Nathan Prescott. She tells him that she overheard that his father, Sean Prescott hired a police officer to help watch over him and Frank which Nathan will deny. Max questions the loyalty of the police to the Prescotts and mentions that Frank may get busted one day. Nathan will agree on that, saying Frank would eventually be busted by the police. Nathan will also accidentally remark that Frank made a "blood oath" with Rachel. Max may rewind and ask Nathan about the blood oath.

This will cause Nathan to panic and reveal that Frank believed Rachel was in love with him, when Nathan believed all she wanted was his drugs and used Frank to take pictures of her to facilitate her drug habit. Rachel thought Frank was a liar and loser, like most in Arcadia Bay. Max may ask Nathan about drugs where Max promises to let everything Nathan has done drop if Nathan hooked Max up with Frank for drugs. Doubtful that Max even used baby aspirin, Nathan told her to use the words "Higher Education" if she wanted Frank to supply her with drugs.

Max approaches Frank and tries to speak to him. Recognizing Rachel Amber's clothes, Frank tells her that hanging out with Chloe, playing with guns and dressing up like Rachel Amber doesn't make her cool or tough. Max asks to know how he knew the clothes were Rachel's. He replies by saying "Rachel looked beautiful in them and she looked like ass". Max tries to goad Frank to show his RV keys which Frank will refuse. If Max spills his food or drink, Frank becomes very aggressive and Max has to rewind. If Max tries to ask Frank about drugs using the code phrase Nathan provided, Frank will refuse to acknowledge it or offer any to her. If Max tries to appeal through Frank's love for Pompidou, Frank will place the RV keys on the table and taunt Max. If Max brings up Frank's love for Rachel Amber, Frank will place a photo of Rachel Amber and the RV keys on the table and allow Max to admire her photo.

With Frank's keys now placed on the table, Max snatches the keys in front of Frank and tells him that she's taking them. Frank will become aggressive and demand to have his keys back. Max will be forced to rewind to the point where the keys remain in Max's inventory and Frank doesn't know Max took the keys. Upon returning to the parking lot and the RV. Chloe hands Max a bone to attract his dog Pompidou and unlocks the door. Max has the option to throw the bone towards the street or further into the parking lot. If Max throws the bone on the street, Pompidou will be hit by a truck.

Inside his truck, Max finds several items that prove a romantic relationship between Frank and Rachel Amber including photos of both of them and love letters from Rachel addressed to Frank. If Frank took Chloe's gun in Episode 2, it's lying on a desk in his RV and Max has the option to take it back.

Episode Four - "Dark Room"[]

In this episode, Max and Chloe visit Frank in his RV to gather more clues about Rachel. They need the key to his account book to work out when Nathan received drugs from Frank in order to dose Kate.

Their confrontation is complicated and can diverge in a number of ways. If Max attempted to shoot Frank in Episode 2, he will be armed with a knife. If she did not attempt to shoot him, he will be armed with David's gun. Chloe may or may not be armed during this sequence. If Max attempted to shoot Frank before, Chloe will be armed with David's gun. If she didn't stop Warren from beating up Nathan, Chloe will be armed with Nathan's gun. If Max has done neither of the above, Chloe will not be armed. Chloe may also not be armed if Max tells her to get rid of her gun prior to the confrontation. Frank will also be easier to deal with if Max chose to allow Chloe to steal the $5,000 from Principal Wells' office and pay off Frank with it.

There are three possible permanent outcomes of this event:

  1. Frank and Pompidou both die after being shot, and killed, by Chloe. Max and Chloe steal his account book key from his dead body.
  2. Frank is wounded after being either stabbed or shot in the leg by Chloe. He begrudgingly agrees to give Max and Chloe the account book key.
  3. The situation is handled well and no one gets hurt. Frank agrees to give you the account book key and becomes an ally in the cause to find Rachel.

In order to get option 1, Pompidou has to attack after feeling like Frank is being threatened and Chloe has to be armed. Max has to say something to upset Frank, which escalates the situation and causes Pompidou to attack (if he has not been previously injured).

Option 2 occurs if Max says something to anger Frank and escalates the situation, but only after she asks Frank to close the door to his RV, preventing Pompidou from attacking. Option 2 will always occur if Max allowed for Pompidou to be hit by a truck in Episode 3 as he will not be around to come out. This means that Frank cannot be killed, but the situation still can be negotiated peacefully (even without giving him the money).

Getting Option 3 requires Max not to say anything that could possibly anger Frank (Max is allowed one mistake if Frank was paid off). She cannot insult him nor can she implicate herself when it comes to breaking into his RV through mentioning things such as Pompidou's name or Rachel's letter. This may require a bit of trial and error by Max.

If Max tells Frank that she also loves dogs, he will mention that Pompidou's former owner was a very bad person, but that he's dead now implying that he killed him.

If Pompidou had been killed in Episode 3, Frank will also mention that he beat the driver of the truck hitting his dog and that he's lucky to be alive.

Click here to see all possible outcomes.

Option 3
Frank will send Max a friendly text message later in the game to motivate her.

Options 1 & 2
Frank will not text Max.

Episode Five - "Polarized"[]

If Frank is not killed during Episode 4, he can be found injured in the Two Whales Diner, with Joyce tending to him. It is possible for Max to talk to Frank and tell him the truth about what happened to Rachel Amber. Frank appears visibly distraught over her death, and even more so if he is told that Rachel was overdosed, meaning that Frank indirectly sold to Nathan the drugs that ultimately killed Rachel. Frank will also remark that his dog Pompidou always hated Nathan. He also appears in the maze area of Max's nightmare, searching for Max.

If Chloe is sacrificed, he can be found watching Chloe's funeral from a distance with Pompidou.

If Arcadia Bay is sacrificed and he wasn't killed by Chloe earlier, he is likely to have died in the diner due to a gas explosion caused by his RV, although the diner itself is shown to be still standing after the storm subsides, leading to the possibility that he may have survived. However, Life is Strange 2 reveals that Joyce died in the storm and since Frank was with her, it is highly presumed that he too had died.

Associated Deaths[]

  • Rachel Amber (Indirectly Caused) - Frank provided the drugs that Nathan and Jefferson used to overdose Rachel.
  • Kate Marsh (Indirectly Caused, Determinant) - Frank provided the drugs that Nathan and Jefferson used to drug Kate, which lead to her being filmed and the following humiliation which caused her to attempt suicide.
  • Other Dark Room Victims (Indirectly Caused) - Being the local drug dealer in Arcadia Bay, he probably also supplied the drugs for other victims of the Dark Room Conspiracy.

Relationships[]

Friends[]

  • Pompidou - Pompidou is Frank's closest and only friend in Arcadia Bay. Frank saved him from his former owner who trained him for dog fight matches. He has a caring and loving connection to his dog, and values him a lot. Pompidou has a great impact on Frank's life, helping him to become more at peace with himself and to become more "humane". 
  • Chloe Price (Determinant) - Frank was originally Chloe's enemy as she borrowed money from him, presumably to fix her pickup to be able to drive away from Arcadia. He becomes aggressive when she is late returning the cash. If Max and Chloe carefully placate him in "Dark Room" they are able to become friends with him due to a shared belief that Rachel is alive.
  • Max Caulfield (Determinant) - Max was originally one of Frank's enemies, as she pulled a gun on him to prevent his aggressive behavior towards Chloe. If Max shoots, he becomes enraged at her, creating tension between them. If Max and Chloe carefully placate him in "Dark Room" they are able to become friends with him due to a shared belief that Rachel is alive.

Family[]

  • Father - Frank only saw his father once, referring to him as the bastard and that time he quoted the bible saying he wants to "enter his house justified." Frank interprets this as him saying he wanted to do the right thing and goes on that he wants to do the same. He says maybe Max is helping him get there. Max can hear this in the Diner in "Polarized".

Enemies[]

Romantic[]

  • Rachel Amber - Frank was in a relationship with Rachel. Rachel had a great impact on his life and he treasured her a lot. Frank loved her deeply, evident from her pictures which he keeps close to him, and his soft attitude towards mentioning her. He is evidently missing her a lot since her disappearance, and despite his hostile relationship with Max and Chloe, he is willing to help them after realizing they could find her. Whether Rachel truly reciprocated his feelings or not is unknown but heavily suggested that she didn't truly reciprocate his feelings towards her; while she may have had some interest in the beginning, it was quickly demolished and she began using him for high-quality illicit drugs concerning expense of none. This is evident by Nathan claiming that she was with him in order to obtain drugs for free because she had a apparent drug-addiction, he adds that Rachel thought Frank was a "liar and a loser", just like most people in Arcadia Bay believe due to his status as a drug-dealer, and titled Frank a "dumbass" because he believed Rachel was in love with him. Jefferson, whom Rachel was truly in love with, reveals that Rachel used Frank for her drug-addiction; thus making the claim earlier told by Nathan very possible. (See here for more information on their relationship.)

Clients[]

  • Nathan Prescott - Nathan procured drugs for recreational use for the Vortex Club, but also for the purpose of assisting Mark Jefferson in the Dark Room conspiracy. Frank became more agitated towards supplying Nathan with drugs due to the reckless ignorance and attitude of the teenager. Frank refers to him as "Rott" in his accounts book.
  • Stella Hill - Stella purchased recreational drugs from Frank in order to keep herself motivated and focused on her school work. There is also a possibility that she used them in order to distract herself from her family background while at Blackwell. Franks refers to her as "Dachshund" in his accounts book.
  • Chloe Price - Chloe often purchased drugs from Frank and took loans to feed her newfound drug-addiction to cope with the loss of her father. Frank refers to her as "Bulldog" in his accounts book.

Memorable Quotes[]

"Hey, it's Thelma and Louise. Or is it Bonnie and Clyde?"
— Frank to Max and Chloe in "Out of Time"
"I was eating those beans—are you fucking insane? I WAS EATING THOSE BEANS!"
— Frank to Max in "Chaos Theory"
"God, I hate you Blackwell shits. You act like you own this town... like I'm your puppet. Nobody owns me, you understand that?"
— Frank to Max and Chloe in "Dark Room"
"How the hell did you know about that photo? That's my favorite picture of her... I can look at it anytime and she'll always be there for me. I can't stand not knowing where she is... not hearing her voice... or her laugh... anymore."
— Frank to Max and Chloe in "Dark Room"
"Rachel... Oh, God. She was the one good thing in my life, Max. I know she was too young, and... I expected her to leave me, just... just not how it happened. I would never have stopped her from going after her dreams."
— Frank to Max in "Polarized"

Symbolism[]

Name Meaning[]

With its Latin origin, the meaning of the name Frank is "free". People with this name are meant to have a deep inner desire to use their abilities in leadership, and to have personal independence. They would rather focus on large important issues, and delegate the details. This matches with the independent and solitary life Frank leads, living in an RV on the beach outside the city, and running his own drug business.

Colour Symbolism[]

Frank is heavily associated with the colour red. His red shirt symbolizes aggression, tragic circumstances and anger. The black and white colours on his jacket could also be associated with death. Whether that means he is in part responsible for someone dying, or whether he comes close to death because of drugs (or Max nearly shooting him), there is no firm evidence about the true meaning of the colours.

Tattoo Symbolism[]

TBA

Spirit Animal[]

Frank's spirit animal is probably a dog.[5] With his furry companion close by, he exhibits many dog-like traits in himself. He is fiercely loyal to those he cares about; he keeps Pompidou after rescuing him from the dog-fights, and takes good care of him. He also speaks affectionately of Rachel Amber and is truly saddened by her disappearance and news of her death if Max decides to tell him about Rachel's death and Nathan's involvement. Frank wishes to branch out from his drug business, as evident from the business manual in his RV and his lamentation when he regrets selling drugs to Nathan if Max decides to tell him Rachel died of an overdose by Nathan; this fits in with the resourcefulness and willing-to-learn attitude of those who have dogs as their spirit animal.

Inconsistencies[]

Main article: Inconsistencies (Life is Strange)
Frank Inconsistency2

Episode 4 / Photo of Frank and Rachel / Episode 5

Though Frank never had a scar tattoo on his throat throughout the series, he clearly has one in the ending of Episode 1 and Sacrifice Chloe ending while watching Chloe's funeral. Although it is possible he could have applied and removed a removable tattoo sticker, there's also a photo of Frank and Rachel Max can find in his RV in Episode 3, which clearly shows him with that tattoo again. This is very contradicting, but probably a design mistake.

In Episode 2 of the prequel game Before the Storm, its shown that Frank has his beloved dog Pompidou as a young puppy after receiving it from Damon as a gift, which contradicts the story in the first game about him saving Pompidou from a dog fighting ring. It's possible that Frank slightly fabricated this story in the first game to cover up his past relations with Damon given the ending of BtS, as Pompidou would have been put into a fighting ring if Damon had not given him to Frank.

In Episode 4, mentioning Pompidou's name implicates Max and Chloe for breaking into his trailer, as they are not supposed to know that name. However, in Before the Storm, Frank introduces Chloe to Pompidou as a puppy and says his name several times.

Trivia[]

  • Hitman from Mulholland Drive - Frank Bowers

    Hitman from Mulholland Drive.

    Frank seems to be modelled after the Hitman from Mulholland Drive.
  • His last name "Bowers" may be a reference to Stephen King's IT where the leader of the bullies is named Henry Bowers. His first name is believed to be a reference to "Frank The Rabbit" from Donnie Darko.
  • Frank has a lot of tattoos including a buck with an arrow in its neck (chest), a black bird and snake/dragon head behind it (neck, right side), playing cards and dice (neck, left side).
  • Frank's RV has the number plate "BRKBD", a reference to the television show Breaking Bad, in which drug cook Walter and his accomplice Jesse cook Crystal Meth in an RV.
  • He is apparently very skilled at picking locks, having taught Chloe at some point.
  • Frank's tattoo of a buck with an arrow through its neck could be a form of foreshadowing, as Rachel Amber is said to be represented by a spirit guide doe, and Frank's actions (his temper and drug dealing) indirectly led to her death.

References[]

  1. Frank will say this in Episode 4 when Max and Chloe are trying to get his client list if Max says that she loves dogs and wishes she had one trained as well as Pompidou.
  2. This is mentioned by Nathan to Max at the Two Whales Diner in "Chaos Theory".
  3. During the meeting at the beach, if the player picks Help or else from the available dialogue options, Frank will say: "You snobby whores! Don't come into my home and judge me! That's why I go to church!" Another option, No Bullets, leads to him saying: "I'm not afraid of anybody except my maker!". In Episode 5, if the player decides to not reveal the truth about Rachel, at the end of the conversation Frank will say: "Thanks for trying, Max. So, I guess we just wait for the Lord to lift us up... or not."
  4. A reference to the 1992 American neo-noir black comedy crime thriller.
  5. Dog Power Animal Symbol Of Loyalty Friendship Unconditional Love
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