Original artwork, not a still
You will be baked, and then there will be cake.
— Portal ‧ 2007
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The sentence is the cheerful-threat joke Portal is built on, with 'baked' and 'cake' set a clause apart. It carries the cake plot's main twist before the player knows it. The wall graffiti that says the cake is a lie, left by Doug Rattmann, and this announcement together produced a catchphrase that outlived the game.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for PortalShow the scene
GLaDOS says this in Test Chamber 18 of Portal (2007): 'The experiment is nearing its conclusion. The Enrichment Center is required to remind you that you will be baked, and then there will be cake.' Throughout the game she promises Chell cake as the reward for finishing the test chambers, delivered in the same bureaucratic tone as every other announcement, so the threat slides in unnoticed. It is one of the first signs that the cake is not a reward. Ellen McLain voices GLaDOS.
Sources (3)
- Wikiquote: Portal (game)Test Chamber 18Reference checked
- Wikipedia: Portal (video game)Gameplay and leadReference checked
- Wikipedia: Still AliveleadReference checked
Context reviewed
