Reverend Leonard Carson is a supporting character in The Dark Pictures Anthology's second installment, Little Hope. He was the reverend of Little Hope's St. David's Church from 1968 to 1973. He was voiced and motion captured by George Weightman and was modelled on Leonardo Patane.
Appearance[]
Carson is a man with a white complexion. Despite being in his early 40s, Carson looks very young, about in his 20s or 30s. He has brown eyes and medium long dark brown hair, neatly combed to the left and half covering his forehead.
During the Clarke family funeral, Carson wears an all-black tuxedo, against which the clerical collar stands out prominently. As can be seen in the photos, on a casual basis Carson wears traditional clerical clothing.
Personality[]
Carson appears as a respected member of the community. He is well known among Little Hope residents not only for his status, but also for teaching children and offering local parents assistance in dealing with their troubled children. Thus, Anne Clarke trusted Carson enough to talk about the problems of her youngest daughter Megan and let him be her mentor. As befits a reverend, Carson is religious and often quotes from the Bible, as is evident in his writings.
However, while Carson presents himself to the public as a man of faith, he is secretly fond of the occult, which he concealed as a purely academic interest. Moreover, at one point Carson conducted satanic masses, for which he was subsequently arrested.
Biography[]
Carson was born in the early 1930s and became the reverend of Little Hope in 1968. He earned a good reputation with Little Hope residents for teaching children and offering advice to parents in dealing with children who had an interest in mystical sciences such as astrology and the occult.
In September, 1971, Anne Clarke struggled to deal with the behavior of their adoptive daughter Megan. At her wits' end, she reached out to Reverend Carson for help in disciplining her. Carson agreed to become Megan's mentor and they began to see each other on a regular basis after Sunday service. In January 1972, Carson presided over the Clarke family's funeral following the fire that killed them.
Two years later in October 1973, Carson was arrested after parents voiced concerns about an increasingly disturbing pattern of behavior. This occurred shortly after an alleged "satanic mass" that Carson was accused of conducting by an unknown girl. Those closest to Carson called the accusations false, arguing that his interest in the occult was purely for academic purposes. Whether he was convicted of the charges, as well as what became of him after, is unknown. However, the list of pastors reveals that he was stripped of his position in the church.
Little Hope[]
| Chapter Appearances | |||
| Diversion | Absent | Family | Debut |
| Darkest Dreaming | Absent | Lost | Absent |
| Reunion | Absent | Troubled History | Absent |
| No Escape | Absent | Pursued | Absent |
| Vince | Absent | Surrounded | Pictured |
| Playing Tricks | Absent | Low Point | Absent |
| Confrontation | Absent | Reflections | Absent |
| Off Track | Absent | Ruined | Absent |
| Another Way | Pictured | Heavy Burden | Absent |
| The Crossing | Absent | Full Circle | Pictured |
| The End | Absent | ||
Prologue[]
Carson briefly appears at the end of the prologue, where he is seen reading a prayer at the funeral of the Clarkes.
Main Story[]
As the protagonists make their way through Little Hope, they can find secrets related to Carson and his dark secret. At the end of the game, when it turns out that everything was Anthony's hallucination, Carson is revealed to be the prototype of Carver.
Relationships[]
Anne[]
As shown in Anne's dialogues and her correspondence with Carson, she trusted him enough to accept his help in solving problems with Megan.
Megan[]
Carson became Megan's moral mentor at Anne's request to help deal with her rebellious behavior, which however didn't help. Furthermore, Megan disliked and even feared Carson (possibly after learning of his fascination with the occult), as she drew him as a monster, and cried in the comic upon learning that he would be her mentor.
Trivia[]
Secrets[]
- Carson is associated with some secrets:
- He is depicted in Child's Drawing, Church Photo and Newspaper: Minister Arrested.
- He wrote Reverend Carson's Letter, Homily, and Occult Flyer.
- He appears to be carrying the Old Bible.
Facts[]
- Anthony recreated Carson as Reverend Simon Carver in 1692.
- He is also supposedly recreated as Mayor Samuel Carver.
- Carson was a reverend for about five years, from 1968 to 1973.
- According to the newspaper, Carson is a minister in the Diocese of Pleasant River.
Other[]
- Carson shares the same face model as:
- Simon Hillary/Adam Jones from Hidden Agenda.
- Abe White from The Inpatient.
- Devin McCrea from Shattered State.
- Cooper from Man of Medan.
- Simon Carver from the same game.
- Jeff Whitman, Andrew Collins, and a student from The Devil in Me.
- Carson's exact role in Little Hope, as well as whether or not he was truly an antagonist, is never made clear. He did study the occult, and Megan seemed to be afraid of him, but his true intentions and what transpired after his arrest are not revealed.
- It is possible that Anthony holds Carson responsible for Megan's strange behavior and consequently for the fire. This can be confirmed by the fact that the protagonists can blame Carver for the witch trials and Carson's arrest, which Anthony may have learned about from the newspaper.
- If Carson lived up to 2019, he would be 88 or 89 years old.
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| Protagonists |
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| Supporting Characters |
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