Gonna Be a Long Night: Panam Palmer

Whew. If ever there was a moment in Cyberpunk 2077 where the energy shifts, it’s when Panam Palmer hits the scene.

Last week, we had to take a break (a bout of COVID and a cold, and then another virus that brought us both down back-to-back) from The Corpo and the Streetkid. We’re cleared up, and now we’re back (roughly 95%).

We didn’t hesitate upon our return to dive headfirst into Panam’s chaotic, fiery, and somehow still deeply layered introduction. She doesn’t just enter the narrative—she tears into it, heart first and middle finger raised.

Meeting Panam feels like driving into a sandstorm with the top down—electrifying and chaotic. You know this character will leave a mark when V stumbles upon her elbow-deep in an engine, bristling with distrust and anger toward Rogue. Boy, does she! Panam doesn’t have an off switch, whether it’s her stormy entrance or zero-to-sixty intensity.

"Panam Palmer." Picture from Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red.

Brian and I spent a good chunk of the episode unpacking the Nomad culture Panam represents, her estranged relationship with the Aldecaldos, and that unforgettable mission in Rocky Ridge. It’s a double-cross turned vendetta turned full-blown ambush—precisely the kind of kinetic storytelling that keeps me returning to Cyberpunk 2077.

Also, the fact that she pulls a “we’re not done yet” move and drags us into a second fight right after recovering her rig? Classic Panam.

However, what struck me most during our conversation was just how layered she is. She’s not just a hothead. She’s tired, betrayed, driven, and holding onto her dignity with both hands; even when she’s doing something reckless (looking at you, Nash ambush), it never feels hollow—desperation, pride, and grief all rolled up in leather and attitude.

Lastly, of course, there’s Rogue. The toxic undercurrent of their dynamic adds an extra layer of tension to everything Panam does. Rogue's cold-blooded fixer energy hits a nerve, and we’re just caught in the crossfire.

"Rogue Amendiares." Picture from Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red.

All this to say: Panam might exhaust me, frustrate me, and even make me skip dialogue to stay on her good side, but she’s one of the most compelling parts of the game.

Strap in. It’s gonna be a long night.