Haha, I'm really happy to see you putting this much thought into discussing the game! I think you're right — my recent story designs have been way too lazy, just locking people in a room and forcing them through the plot, which honestly cuts out the most fun part of hypno content. I'll fix this in upcoming updates.
Also glad to hear you like Ethan! I'm actually working on his new storyline right now, and I'm really happy with how it's turning out — stay tuned for the update!