Peebee is Beloved To Me
In general, I know that Andromeda gets a lot of hate from the Mass Effect community. And I feel like within the group that hates on Andromeda, there's also a lot of hate for Peebee. I'm not sure if the general public opinion is that she's annoying or if it's just a loud minority, but either way, I feel very strongly that she does not get enough appreciation. So I wanted to make a small post talking about why I love her character!
She's certainly a big trope of a character. The sarcastic, aloof loner type. But I feel that when you look beyond the surface level of her character, she's actually handled really well. Her humor can be hit or miss. You probably need to have a tolerance for quips. But when you get to know her, you come to find that her constant humor is a way for her to deal with the difficult stuff.
For those who don't know, the short version of her story is that she has a passion for seeing the unseen and doing things nobody else has done, which is probably an effect of her psychology- her compulsion to avoid staying in one place for long, because she struggles with feeling like her safe spaces can be taken away at any moment. The one person she grew close to, who convinced her to come along on the expedition to Andromeda, turned out to be an abusive and manipulative person. Her sense of safety and comfort was taken away. So, she finds herself alone in a new galaxy, and chooses never to stay in one place for very long, and never to get to know anybody personally.
Of course, that changes upon joining Ryder's crew. If you check in with her frequently, you can watch her grow more comfortable and almost envious of the "found-family" vibe that the ship has, having convinced herself that it wasn't something she could have. That her place on the ship was temporary. You, as the player, can show her that she deserves to have a family too.
If you go the romance route, this journey is even more touching. She'll flirt with you constantly and even offer to hook up with you, seeing your relationship as nothing more than a fun fling. Giving her the temporary feeling of closeness while still being able to pull away and hide at a moment's notice. You can go along with this but then grow your relationship later on- or- you can turn down her advance and insist that if the two of you have a relationship, you'd want it to be real. Both routes are valid in the romance, but have different vibes.
In the end, it's such a pleasure to watch her grow more and more comfortable around you. You literally see her getting in closer proximity to you at her every opportunity. She'll talk about "Investigate" topics that she wouldn't talk to you about before. And she takes things more seriously instead of just replying to everything with a joke. It's such a good development to witness.
So, if you find yourself playing Andromeda again, and maybe weren't much a fan of Peebee, give her another shot! Show her the time and understanding to allow her to grow. Or if you weren't much a fan of Andromeda as a whole- give it another chance! It's a really fun game once you know what to expect.