If you add in Episode Selection, then when you start a new game the player can be asked their name and the term of endearment before selecting an episode.
i.e.
-Would you like to start from the beginning or skip ahead?
[From the beginning]: Variables would be chosen normally like how they currently are.
[Skip ahead]: Goes to setting variables, followed by Episode Select (minus the first episode, since that'd just be starting from the beginning).