Interrupt

Interrupts are an addition to the dialogue system in Mass Effect 2. They allow Commander Shepard to take direct, often physical, action at certain moments in conversations.

Mechanics
There are two types of Interrupts, each corresponding to a side of the morality scale, Paragon and Renegade.

During conversations the player may be presented with an Interrupt icon, either a blue icon in the bottom left corner (right on the PC) of the screen, for Paragon interrupts, or a red icon in the bottom right corner (left on the PC) of the screen, for Renegade Interrupts. Pressing the corresponding mouse button (PC), or trigger (Xbox 360, PS3), will activate the interrupt, allowing Shepard to take some form of direct action. A Renegade interrupt, for example, may have Shepard physically assault another character, while a Paragon interrupt might have Shepard intervene to prevent one character from harming another.

Interrupts are usually available for no more than a couple of seconds, and are entirely optional. However, as with Charm and Intimidate dialogue options, they may allow Shepard to avoid, or decrease the severity of, some conflicts.

Using a Renegade or Paragon interrupt will typically result in a significant number of the appropriate Renegade or Paragon points being awarded. Usually, Not using an interrupt is not considered a moral choice, I.E. not using a Paragon interrupt is not considered a Renegade choice, or vice versa. However there are a few exceptions to this rule in various points throughout the game.

Unlike Charm and Intimidate, Shepard is not required to have any minimum amount of Paragon or Renegade points in order for an interrupt to be presented. All characters will encounter the interrupt at the appropriate time, assuming they made the correct dialogue choices to reach that interrupt as described below (if any).

It is impossible to skip past interrupt chances by using the dialogue-skip button. That button will be inactive for the duration of the dialogue line or cutscene bit where the interrupt becomes available. However, it is possible to inadvertently cause the interrupt to not appear at all if the "fire" button is pressed just prior to the interrupt's appearance.

Freedom's Progress
After finding Veetor, babbling in a paranoid manner about monsters out to get him and watching garbled footage on a wall of monitors, the player is presented with a Paragon or Renegade interrupt, depending on whether a Renegade or Paragon dialogue option is chosen.

Dossier: Archangel
Shepard and the squad try to sign up as freelance mercenaries in order to infiltrate the upcoming assault of Archangel's stronghold. If Shepard is female, the Blue Suns recruiter is dismissive and redirects her to the strippers' quarters.

After Shepard signs on as a freelancer, a young man enters the room and asks to sign up for the assault, flaunting a pistol he recently bought for the occasion.

At the end of the conversation with Sergeant Cathka, who is repairing the gunship, the green light is given for the assault on Archangel's stronghold and all mercenaries but Cathka leave the room. Shepard then notices an electric tool on the bench behind the Sergeant.

After meeting up with Archangel, he hands Shepard his Sniper Rifle so that the Commander can survey the advancing Eclipse mercenaries. Shepard spots several LOKI Mechs coming over the bridge towards the squad's position.

Dossier: Tali
After fighting through waves of geth and passing numerous quarian corpses, Shepard finally comes across a survivor, Kal’Reegar, who is picking away at a Geth Colossus from a distance with a ML-77 Missile Launcher. Reegar points out the different possible avenues of attack, offering to create a distraction while the squad advances. He also mentions that his suit has been punctured, and while Shepard may argue with the quarian over this, Kal'Reegar remains adamant about supplying covering-fire. He then leans out of cover one more time to shoot at the Colossus.

If Legion is in the party during this mission, then Tali will spot it when Shepard reaches her. Thinking it is a stray geth attempting to assassinate them, she will pull a gun on Legion.

Dossier: The Assassin
After arriving at Dantius Towers the squad finds a salarian worker who is gravely wounded. During the conversation he struggles to breathe and asks for help.

After exiting the elevator at the top of the first tower, the squad encounters an Eclipse mercenary having a radio conversation with his team-mates. Shepard catches him off guard, and proceeds to interrogate him in hope of learning the location of the assassin. The mercenary is uncooperative and backs up against a large plate-glass window as Shepard inches closer.

After bypassing their way into a small room, the squad finds several salarian workers locked inside a room together with the dead body of an Eclipse mercenary. One of the salarians is terrified and threatens the squad with the dead mercenary's weapon, warning them to stay back.

Dossier: The Justicar
After talking with Samara at the crime scene, Shepard is instructed to question Pitne For regarding the location of the local Eclipse boss. Shepard confronts him about previously lying to the Commander regarding his involvement in local criminal affairs.

Inside the Eclipse offices Shepard finds Elnora, a young asari mercenary, hiding behind a table. Elnora begs Shepard to let her go, claiming that she is only a rookie who's joined the mercenaries by mistake and has not done even anything wrong. She then pulls a gun on Shepard.

Right outside Captain Wasea's office Shepard runs into Niftu Cal, a volus from Pitne For's crew, who has been pumped full of biotics-enhancing drugs by the Eclipse mercenaries. He boasts about his new-found powers and proceeds to claim that he will personally defeat Wasea.

Dossier: The Professor
Soon after entering the quarantine zone the squad encounter a batarian plague victim. He accuses humans of spreading the plague before having a coughing fit.

During Shepard's first meeting with Mordin, the professor attempts to analyze the situation in order deduce the identity of Shepard and his squad on his own, rapidly thinking out loud as he often does.

After Mordin is brought aboard the Normandy and told about the situation with the Collectors he tries to figure out how they were able to abduct entire colonies without a trace, again doing so rapidly and out loud.

Dossier: The Warlord
Shepard meets a wounded mercenary shortly after the start of the mission. The man is soon radioed from Headquarters, requesting to know his status. Shepard can use Charm or Intimidate to convince the mercenary to reply with false information, which allows the Commander to continue interrogating the man. Otherwise, Shepard can tell him to remain silent - in which case he tries to inform the Blue Suns about Shepard anyway, leading to an interrupt.

If Intimidation is used instead of telling the mercenary to remain silent, Shepard will earn +5 points to both Renegade and Paragon. This also allows the Commander to question the man further. Also note that triggering this interrupt will not forfeit the +2 Paragon points received for choosing the friendly dialogue option at the very start of this conversation.

Shepard brings Grunt's tank aboard the Normandy, and proceeds to open it. Once awakened, Grunt charges Shepard and slams the Commander against a bulkhead. In that short fraction of time, Shepard manages to pull out a gun and point it into Grunt's abdomen. Grunt begins to threaten Shepard with the various types of physical harm he can inflict.

Garrus: Eye for an Eye
The squad arrives at the warehouse and encounter a volus claiming to be Fade. When Garrus makes it clear that he is looking to make someone "reappear", rather than dissappear, the volus refuses to cooperate. Garrus draws his weapon and the volus commands his two krogan bodyguards to open fire.

After Harkin sets up the meeting with Sidonis and attempts to leave, Garrus stops Harkin. When Harkin says that killing isn't "Garrus' style," Garrus draws his gun and prepares to shoot him in the leg.

After dealing with Fade, Shepard and Garrus travel back to the wards to meet with their real target, Sidonis. Garrus sets up to snipe Sidonis while Shepard distracts him in conversation. If Shepard tells Sidonis that Garrus is trying to kill him, Sidonis attempts to run away.

Grunt: Rite of Passage
After meeting with the Urdnot clan leader, the team can head upstairs to speak with the shaman, who is engaged with Gatatog Uvenk in a heated conversation regarding Grunt. The Shaman is not at all dissuaded by Grunt's origins, yet Uvenk will continue voicing his distaste on the matter.

Jack: Subject Zero
Shepard and the squad find Aresh, a former subject of the Teltin project, hiding in Jack's old cell. When Aresh explains that he wants to rebuild the facility and restart the project, Jack goes into a confused fury, hits Aresh with some biotics, and finally puts a gun to his head. Depending on Shepard's next dialogue choice, a Renegade or Paragon interrupt appears.

Jacob: The Gift of Greatness
After moving beyond the Gernsback the squad comes across a woman speaking incoherently about people from the sky coming to save the ship's crew. As she talks, Shepard spots a group of armed men sneaking up behind her. One of these men aims his weapon and prepares to fire.

Kasumi: Stealing Memory
Once Shepard and Kasumi reach Donovan Hock’s vault and obtain the graybox, the host himself addresses the duo, explaining that he has been expecting Ms. Goto all along. As Hock details his own brilliance and their inevitable doom, Shepard eyes a particular sculpture.

Miranda: The Prodigal
After crash-landing in the cargo area at the start of the mission, the squad is approached by an Eclipse mercenary who informs them that they're too late. He explains that his captain, Enyala, is moving in on Oriana and that Niket won't be helping Miranda. Miranda angrily accuses him of lying, but the mercenary simply points out that this conversation is pointless and has given his snipers time to get in position.

After arriving at Dock 94, near the end of the mission, the squad finds that Niket has betrayed Miranda and is attempting to return her sister to her father. After a brief conversation Miranda draws her weapon to shoot Niket.

Mordin: Old Blood
About halfway after the squad has infiltrated Clan Weyrloc's hospital-turned-base, a Weyrlock Clanspeaker hails Shepard from atop a ledge overlooking the squad's position. He begins raving about the coming glory of Clan Weyrlock, revealing that Mordin's old assistant Maelon is working on a cure for the Genophage. Shepard then spots a flammable tank just underneath the krogan's position.

Once the team finds Maelon at the end of the mission, he reveals that he is working voluntarily and that all the atrocities he has committed during his experiments were necessary. After a brief exchange, Maelon pulls his gun on the squad before Mordin blindsides him and brings his own pistol to bear, claiming he must end the experiments, and Maelon.

Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi
Shepard visits Diana, mother of the girl murdered by Morinth. During the conversation, Diana breaks down in tears.

Tali: Treason
Shepard locates the body of Rael'Zorah, Tali's father, on the quarian ship Alarei. Tali runs up to the body and frantically tries to find masked signs of life or any indication that her father is not really dead.

Thane: Sins of the Father
Captain Bailey sends Shepard to talk to Mouse, a criminal contact in the upper Zakera Ward, to find information about the people who hired Thane's son. Mouse is not eager to reveal the identity of his clients, as he is afraid for his own life.

Shepard tells Bailey that Kolyat's employer is Elias Kelham. Bailey eventually agrees to bring Kelham in for questioning. During the interrogation, Shepard will have the option of using a Renegade interrupt three times.

You will only receive Renegade points for the third interrupt.

While following the target, Shepard runs into a stock boy who asks who the Commander is.

Shepard and Thane reach Joram Talid's apartment, only to find Talid on his knees with Kolyat Krios holding a gun to his head.

Citadel: Crime in Progress
On Zakera Ward Level 26 of the Citadel, Shepard encounters C-Sec Officer Tammert, a volus named Kor Tun and a quarian named Lia'Vael nar Ulnay. Kor Tun claims that Lia'Vael stole his credit chit. Shepard decides to look into the crime and finds the credit chit was left at Saronis Applications. After clearing Lia'Vael's innocence, Kor Tun says that the quarian could have stolen it and Tammert threatens her.

Overlord: Vulcan Station
After arriving at the override controls in Vulcan station, the squad shoots the arms off a LOKI mech, which begins to run around aimlessly. Shepard then contacts Dr. Archer to report success.

Overlord: Atlas Station
After preventing the VI from uploading itself to the Normandy, Shepard discovers David Archer hooked up to the core via a series of intrusive tubes and clamps, begging for mercy. Dr. Archer argues that the experiment must continue, and Shepard is given a choice: free David and deliver him to Jon Grissom Academy, or continue the experiments.

If the decision is made to deliver David to Grissom Academy, Dr. Archer draws a gun and shoots at Shepard. Shepard will dodge the attack and put a gun in Archer's face.

Interview with Khalisah Al-Jilani
At the far end of the Zakera Ward Level 28 on the Citadel, Shepard meets Khalisah al-Jilani, a news reporter whom the Commander met during Mass Effect. Khalisah wants to make a follow-up interview, and confronts Shepard about the Commander's decision to let the Destiny Ascension be destroyed, or sacrifice human soldiers to save the ship.

Striking Ms. al-Jilani does not nullify the +2 Paragon/Renegade points you get from your initial response when meeting her.