Unlocked all memories and encrypted messages (huge spoilers, don't click this unless you've unlocked

I'm not a person who tend to be surprised, but I was yelling out "whaaaaaaaaaaat" by the end of that.

So unless I missed something it seemed like those transmissions from the Milky Way travelled 2.5 million light years in 600 years, which seems like a bit of a stretch even for the lax scientific nature of Mass Effect. However ignoring that it is interesting that there is nothing after those transmissions, no "Crucible has fired", or even to indicate that life continued on in some fashion, which makes me wonder, could they actually be going with a Refuse ending? I have to admit I would be quite impressed if they had the guts to even think of doing that.

It was a really interesting side quest. Probably among my favorites with how deep into the lore it went. 
I don't think the Benefactor is The Illusive Man though. Too much goes against him being the one. Personally I suspect that the Benefactor may be a group of powerful people in the shadows, like the Illuminati in the Deus Ex franchise. I bet that more will be revealed about them in a sequel or maybe a DLC that will connect MEA to the next game if they do that. 

The Nexus and Arks weren't faster than any other ship at the time. Considering how long it took to get to Andromeda they moved in FTL slower than most ships in our cycle. 
We know that the Nexus and Arks had communication equipment set up to communicate with the Milky Way once they got there, so it could be the equipment was destroyed in the Milky Way. Considering they use QECs, that is something that can't be fixed.

I don't think it is just an Easter Egg, considering they linked some important plot stuff to that side quest like Ellen Ryder being alive and Jien Garson being murdered and the murder covered up. 

It seemed like a Cerberus thing to do, but didn't Bioware say they weren't involved or something? I think that at the time they'd be too busy with Shepard and the Reapers. A lot of Cerberus resources went towards those. Also, Bioware's probably aware how many people hated them.

I don't think so, only Cerberus operatives we seen in ME:A are a few defectors.

The Liara message plus the Alliance/turian distress call hit me really deep in some feels. And the reaper cry at the end of the turian call sent a chill down my spine.

I have to wonder, if the hyperion just avoided the reapers what does that mean for the Quarian ark? Are we going to be seeing a lot of shellshocked survivors with horror stories coming from it? Could be interesting.

I think it was well done, but sadly we don't learn more about the "Benefactor" (I think it's not only one person, because I am sure Asari, Turians, Salarians etc. etc would not easily follow a human groups invitation to join them on a voyage like this (humanity isn't the most trusted race around after all), so I guss the A.I. leadership was NOT human only!), but yeah:

TIM is probably one of them (he might even be the top contributor), but not the only one

Still with TIM being in the loop it's even more strange that the A.I. is so badly equipped (most of their stuff has some flaw or other - like those damned A.I. Helmets (!) or the unarmed Nomad/Tempest...the crappily equipped Nexus (can't even generate enough power on its own for most systems!) and Arks (which have no equipment etc. on board, most of that is on the Nexus, so if that is lost? Well fuck you!))

Also: We never learn why the former A.I. leader was killed (might have overheard something, but I only remember learning that she was killed and that's it!)

greetings LAX