Alec Burdock

Alec, a character from the Wishful Thinking book, is the former studio head who oversees Northbridge News and Your Character's boss. He is first seen in Chapter 1.

Appearance

Alec has short black hair with gray strands, black eyes and slightly tanned skin. He wears a yellow short-sleeved collared shirt with a gray tie.

Personality

As Tony simply puts it, Alec is a jerkwad. Alec says he rose to the top by working hard, making himself valuable to the right people, and he didn't let anyone stand in his way. Helping people was never part of his strategy to get ahead, so he feels no need to help you or anyone else.

Chapters

Wishful Thinking

Chapter 1: I Can Only Imagine
Chapter 2: On My Mind
Chapter 3: Thought Process
Chapter 4: Good Idea
Chapter 5: Don't Think Twice
Chapter 6: Mind Games
Chapter 7: Bright Idea
Chapter 8: Birdbrained
Chapter 9: Hold That Thought
Chapter 10: One-Track Mind
Chapter 11: It's Not What You Think
Chapter 12: Second Thoughts
Chapter 13: Mind Over Matter
Chapter 14: Think Again

Relationships

Your Character

In Chapter 1, you decide this is the day to ask Alec, the most powerful man in the company, for a promotion. He laughs at your initiative, tells you to interview him as a test, and even if you pass his test, refuses to promote you. When you are hit by lightning, he assumes you died and starts looking for your replacement until Aubrey tells him otherwise. When Alec overhears you talking to Anna Koishi, he decides to promote you to Junior Reporter and gives you your first assignment. Noting the friction between you and Ellen, he decides to put you two together to interview Charlie Carmichael. In Chapter 8, because you stuck up for Jaime when he fixed the power for the studio, Alec assigns you to cover an unknown story happening in the Old Quarter of the city. When you blow the story out of the water, he tells you he is impressed. In Chapter 9, he promotes you to lead reporter after firing or suspending Ellen for her actions.
In Chapter 11's premium scene, he mentions to Charlie Carmichael that you were very un-Lydia-like in your interview and worries how editing will fix your demeanor.

Aubrey Watson

As the studio manager, Aubrey answers to Alec, but also tries to calm and smooth tensions over in the studio.

Ellen Thompson

Ellen has no problems arguing with Alec about her job. He tells her that he has the right to tell her how to do her job (i.e. interviewing guests) because he is her boss. He irks her by putting you and her together because the drama would increase ratings. If you follow her in Chapter 7, you find she has been stealing Alec's bottles of sparkling water called Eau d'Brillance. In Chapter 9, if you tell Alec that Ellen was snooping in his office, he says that some of his files are missing and when he calls her in to his office, he fires her. If you tell him that she scared Anna again, he suspends her for the rest of the month and tells her that when she comes back, it may be on a "trial" basis because of her attitude.

A premium scene of Chapter 14 reveals that he made her always wear flat shoes because of his Napoleon complex. Whenever they were standing next to each other, she had to squat slightly, so that they would appear to have the same height.

Charlie Carmichael

If you decide to follow Alec and Charlie in Chapter 11 (premium scene), you see Charlie handing Alec an envelope full of $30000.

Trivia

He has the same character model design as Martin from the LoveHacks series, and also shares similar personality traits (for example Alec doesn't appear misogynistic; his attitude extends to men as well).
In Chapter 8, Aubrey mentions that Alec fired the former head of PR for "breathing too cheerfully".
The name Alec is of Greek origin and means "defender of men". It's a short version of the name Alexander.
In Chapter 14, he thunders toward you, when Carmichael asks him to stop you.
- If you remind him that you are live on TV, he will reply that he has "several fake identities ready to go, and a very forgettable face." (This is an Easter egg to all the miscellaneous characters that have his resemblance).
- If you tell him his ex-wife is there, he is momentarily distracted before exclaiming, "Wait a minute, Sheila can't be here. She's living in Fiji with our dogsitter!"
If you gathered enough evidence, he is arrested in Chapter 14 and will serve three to five years in prison as estimated by the cop who arrests him.
A premium scene of Chapter 14 reveals:
- He is always wearing platform shoes to appear taller.
- He has grammar deficiencies and puts apostrophes in wrong places, but constantly edited June's work.
- He has a bald spot. Maggie spent every morning filling it in.
- He is on a 100% meat diet.
- He rents out the studio's rooms to any of his friends who wanted to use the equipment.

Memorable Quotes

(Thank you to the PLL Wikia for letting us use their template for this memorable quotes section!)

Alec [to himself]: Dear God, if I'm making a mistake here, please strike this girl with lightning again. Amen.

Alec [to MC]: And my ex-wife says I have no sense of right and wrong. Ha! We'll show her, MC. We're men capable of firm disciplinary action.

Alec: Haven't any of you ever, ya know, committed a felony before? Look in your hearts and you'll find that you have!