“Friedlander is back?”: GTA 5's Michael De Santa, Ned Luke, reacts to Rockstar's Last Dose update's post

Ned Luke, the real-life actor for GTA 5's Michael De Santa, recently initiated an amusing interaction with Rockstar Games involving The Last Dose after it was revealed that GTA Online would bring back Dr. Isiah Friedlander for the storyline in the continuation of the Los Santos Drug Wars update.

For those out of the loop, Dr. Friedlander was Michael De Santa's therapist in the single-player game, and one had to choose between sparing or eliminating him. Regardless of the option chosen, GTA 5 would include an Internet article confirming his death.

For The Last Dose update, GTA Online is set to retcon that by including the therapist in the new plot. Ned Luke's response to the revelation that Dr. Isiah Friedlander is still alive was amusing, as shown in the above tweet, which is in-character for Michael De Santa.

Most importantly, it does confirm that the canon choice for the Abandonment Issues mission is to spare Dr. Friedlander.

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Rockstar responds to Michael De Santa's voice artist on The Last Dose post

Rockstar Games responded to Ned Luke's in-character tweet for Michael De Santa. They posted a short clip of GTA 5's Dr. Isiah Friedlander stating:

"I think you need a new therapist."

Many players found the interaction to be humorous. It is worth mentioning that De Santa is not currently slated to return in The Last Dose. Hence, he won't be able to help players defeat the villainous therapist.

For context, here is the original trailer that Ned Luke was reacting to. Dr. Isiah Friedlander appears to be the main antagonist in this new Los Santos Drug Wars update expansion and speaks throughout.

The above tweet confirms that The Last Dose will launch on March 16 for all systems supporting GTA Online. Players will have to help the Fooliganz against this new threat in what Rockstar Games describes as a:

"...mind-bending and twisted finale."

It's also the first appearance of Dr. Isiah Friedlander in this game. His fate in this plot is currently unknown.

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Who is Dr. Isiah Friedlander?

His official artwork. (Image via Rockstar Games)

Dr. Isiah Friedlander was an NPC who acted as Michael De Santa's therapist in GTA 5. He wasn't particularly good at his job and didn't care about Michael's troubles. Isiah appears a few times throughout GTA 5's storyline until players get an optional encounter known as Abandonment Issues, which he survives.

In the game's multiplayer sequel, Dr. Isiah Friedlander is interested in psychedelic-assisted therapy, which is why he conflicts with the Fooliganz in the upcoming update. FriedMind Pharmaceutical Corporation is his creation, and it's the organization that players will inevitably fight against in The Last Dose.

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Leaked Last Dose cutscenes

Several Last Dose cutscenes were leaked on December 20, 2022. While the lighting differs from the final product, all voice lines and some animations match what was shown in the recent trailer.

This article won't include spoilers, but readers should check the above video to understand what will happen in the upcoming update. The content shown in that clip is subject to change.