Tuesday 19 October 2010

Episode 5 - Casualties of War 106

Tonight, the CDC works to identify the biological agent and treat the infected persons while the White House and Sterling negotiate with Thomas.

In other events, Simon wants Sophia to turn on Thomas and Collier comes closer to catching Vicky and Carter.

And in real world events, The Event has just been picked up for a full season. Congratulations to everyone involved with the show! Breathe sigh of relief... now

106 comments:

maven said...

First! Good news! The Event has been picked up for a full season! We can all breath sighs of relief for a while!

Tess315 said...

I just seen that. I'm a little behind tonight.

MJCarp said...

Hi. Posted at the end of previous.

Would have liked to have been in the room for that pitch.

MJCarp said...

They just want to go home. hmmmmmm

ObFuSc8 said...

Hmmm...

"What difference does it make? They're all going to die anyway."

Just Thinking said...

Meaning there is a future event that he knows is going to kill them all?

ObFuSc8 said...

No Shawn...It's a TRAP!

;)

Just Thinking said...

Could Leila tell from the pic that the sheriff couldn't be the father? Something genetic?

Black Swan said...

I'm here (a little behind too, not to be confused with having a little.. nm, LOL)

Great news, Maven!

'their all gonna die anyway'.. oh!

Just Thinking said...

Ahh-that's why the photo was important.

ObFuSc8 said...

How long is it going to take Leila to realize the "cops" are fake now that she's seen the pics all over the station?

ObFuSc8 said...

Tess -- do you think that baby from Vicky's flashback is her "son"? I thought he seemed like he was older than 5 in that last Ep.

Maybe they're going to use her saving that baby as the impetus for going rogue.

Just Thinking said...

So the 44's didn't come for any big mission- they just crashed? But maybe they know about future events, so may figure in preventing a catastrophe?

Black Swan said...

Yeah,, her son maybe.. and we've known since last week's promo that this is a trap to get Sean. (I hate it when they show too much in the promos)

Ah, she's getting it now (not quite caught up on dvr)

ObFuSc8 said...

Ah Doc, you need to be intubating your patients now that they are spitting up blood...

Black Swan said...

Those poor people!

Tess315 said...

Ob
Yes that's what I'm thinking.

ObFuSc8 said...

Swan...I realize we've know about the trap, I was making a Star Wars reference..

Hoping to finally get some insight into who this POTUS is.

Tess315 said...

Hi Black Swan.

Tess315 said...

Yeah Pres.!

ObFuSc8 said...

Los Alamos

Nuclear Fission

The Manhattan Project!

Tess315 said...

ahhhh!

Black Swan said...

LOL, OB... gotcha (just a bit slow here)

Hi SG!!! (waving both hands)

MJCarp said...

oh, Thomas works for Apple!

and this dude with the President is a bad dude.

ObFuSc8 said...

Since Thomas and Simon referred to an actual ship, it must have actually existed and likely run on nuclear energy.

MJCarp said...

"It's an order" Presidential?

ObFuSc8 said...

Pardon my barnyard manners, Hi Tess, JT, Swan , Lotto, youalleverybody!

Just Thinking said...

Yes- hello all- was late and had to catch up!

Black Swan said...

"do it" !!! The end justifies the means? What a mess.. look at history!!

MJCarp said...

Ship's captain = Sophia
Simon can't kill Thomas?

Hi back.

Tess315 said...

Hi Ob. :)

ObFuSc8 said...

Are all of Sophia's people Vegan? I thought that was a weird detail in the last Ep, but am not sure exactly what to make of it.

MJCarp said...

Prediction: The antidote will be given, but there will be two deaths (casualties) by end of the night.

ObFuSc8 said...

*waves*

Just Thinking said...

They killed William- I guess they could kill Thomas. Don't think Simon wants to though.

Black Swan said...

LOL, barnyard manners...

Hi OB, LT, JT!!! (oh, oh.. now you'll be calling me BS.. haha, you know how I love that :P)

Tess315 said...

I was wondering about her being vegan last week too.
For those who think Sean's a Inostrankan I think he only ate the vegtables or at least only complimented them at Thanksgiving dinner.

ObFuSc8 said...

That baby/son is like Alex. She even raises him as her own, but Vicky is no Ben. ;)

Black Swan said...

OB, vegan.. probably a result of being a 'higher' civilization?

ah, yeah... her son

Black Swan said...

Good one, OB.. Vicki is no Ben.. who's being complimented here?

ObFuSc8 said...

HA! Our orders are to be discreet. Well, you weren't that discreet at AZ FBI field office.

What a good little hacker friend.

MJCarp said...

Orders again. "to be discreet" I don't think that shoot out was too discreet.

ObFuSc8 said...

Swan, Ben definitely >>>> Vicky.

Tess315 said...

oooo

Black Swan said...

i agree OB

Sean is smart!

Black Swan said...

i can't look

Black Swan said...

amazed!! loved that!

ObFuSc8 said...

Couldn't Vicky have just killed Shawn to prevent him from releasing the info about her son?

Tess315 said...

I don't think they want Sean dead. They want him alive.

Just Thinking said...

She didn't know if maybe the FBI agent in the car could send the pic out.

MJCarp said...

Was the sharp shooter dude outside?

Black Swan said...

Good question, OB. Two possible reasons.. for artistic license OR because they can't kill Sean!

Interesting about them pushing for nuclear power knowledge that will help them get 'home'

MJCarp said...

ha ha FBI gal put him in the car!

Just Thinking said...

Hmm- "Carter " is not dead. Vicki is in trouble.

ObFuSc8 said...

8:16 train!

Just Thinking said...

another moving object- maybe they can transport her off it? Like the moving plane.

Black Swan said...

traceable material that can be added to food and water??

ObFuSc8 said...

They got that anitdote to them pretty quickly

Just Thinking said...

Or he whole train?

MJCarp said...

Prediction: Sophia about to kill Thomas. Precedence.

Black Swan said...

ha, 8:16 train... close!

Black Swan said...

oh, maybe, LT..

ObFuSc8 said...

Not stopping the train may just be so no one can get on or off

Just Thinking said...

No- I guess she will just get off- according to next weeks promo.

Black Swan said...

Next week's looks good!

MJCarp said...

are the promos considered spoilers?

Black Swan said...

I don't think so, LT. If it's the promo shown at the end of the show, it is ok to talk about (at least that's how we did it for Lost)

ObFuSc8 said...

Zort posted before that the promos at the end of eps are OK, but that other promo's posted on the interwebz are spoilers

Tess315 said...

Or promos shown during the week on tv before next weeks episode.

Just Thinking said...

Yes- I'd only reference the promo at the end of the ep.

Just Thinking said...

Tess- I think it says any other promos are spoilers.

MJCarp said...

Ok, I think that pretty much clears that up. lol

There's a building coming down.

Black Swan said...

I've gotta set my dvr to record a few minutes more for each episode.. the promo gets cut off.. grrrrr

ok, time for a dumb question from me (big surprise).. Do we know yet what THE EVENT actually is??

Just Thinking said...

Maybe it has to do with Thomas saying "they're all going to die anyway"

ObFuSc8 said...

JT -- nIt's hard to tell right now why Sophia's people came to 1944 Earth. They knew enough to dress in period clothing, but didn't know that our tech was so antiquated. Maybe they were "sightseeing" time-travelers or just scouts of some sort. Not sure why they would have been dressed in period appropriate clothing unless they intended to be there -- unless they had replicators that could just scan the Earth and "make" appropriate clothing before the crash.

Tess315 said...

JT
That's what I was meaning. Any promo during the week is considered a spoiler. :)

Just Thinking said...

Don't you keep having the feeling there is something Sophia knows about that she "cannot" tell them? Like a future event that she doesn't think she should change ?

Black Swan said...

JT, I do get that kind of feeling from Sophia. It seems like she is a bit ahead of the others and the main one who's in charge. She stayed with the others of her group who couldn't run when they crashed in Alaska over 60 years ago.. she said she felt responsible for all of them. She and Thomas were so close at one time, but I think even she knows he's gone rogue and this isn't good. I wonder how old Sophia is? LOL, they age different than us, right?

ObFuSc8 said...

Swan, we don't know what The Event is yet. Seems like it's only Sophia and her people that know at this point.

JT -- I agree. Thomas saying, "What difference does it make? They're all going to die anyway" has moral implications and provides a hint to what The Event might be.

I'm thinking that either Sophia's people are from an ALT/parallel universe and ours will cease to exist, or that "future" step in homonid evolution -- Homo eventum, and that Homo sapiens at later become extinct.

Either way, Thomas knows that the Avias passengers and maybe all of these humans will cease to exist and as such doesn't seem to think it's morally wrong to hurt or kill them. Sophia doesn't seem to agree.

Black Swan said...

Thanks, OB. So, are we back to 'science' vs 'faith' again and also the idea of free will, human variables that can change things in ways we'd never expect?

MJCarp said...

The scene with Thomas opening the back of the radio and finding tubes is almost identical to Spock Kirk (can't pull the episode name out). Which leads to the "no interference" rule.

Also, I think Thomas means that they are all going to die of old age, naturally before them, so "what does it matter." (paraphrase)

The Event must be what brought down the ship. The point where these two worlds collide.

Just Thinking said...

Yes-that is the ep where Kirk has to let his new girlfriend die to preserve the timeline.

IDK LT- it sounded like more than just the fact that "humans don't live as long as the 44's, so their lives don't matter "kind of thing.

ObFuSc8 said...

Lotto -- I don't think Thomas was just referring to them dying of old age. Thomas was using that as a justification for what he did, infecting the Avias passengers.

Every living thing will at some point die, but only a psychopath would use that as a justification to kill. Thomas may have questionable moral reasoning but doesn't seem to be a psychopath.

Just Thinking said...

LT- I think the Trek episode is City on the Edge of Forever.

Black Swan said...

There are definitely moral implications of using biological warfare.. just as bad as nuclear bombs, but I think it's too early to know if it will be part of 'The Event'. It could be, as the next step in modern 'warfare', as we've seen with the new paradigm of terrorists and their tactics. The civilization that they come from is so advanced, they know, help, and wait for us to catch up so they can go "home". At this point, it seems to be their only agenda; to get "home" and to be free.

Interesting ideas about homo sapiens becoming extinct, Ob. It does seem to be the main quarrel between Sophia and Thomas.. weather or not humans have any value or worth, other than as a vehicle for them to enable their wish to go home. Sophia is more patient and has more sympathy. I'd like to see more of her time here. Especially when they showed her meeting with The Pres and first lady, they showed her feeling like there really was not such big differences and I think she has some empathy for us mere Earthlings, lol. Thomas is more impatient and also has had more experience being out in the real world here. He knows the realities of how cruel we humans can be to each other.

I like thinking that Sean is the 'human variable' who will be the one to make a difference in the human race surviving and also in helping Sophia and Thomas's people to get home, and this is why he is so important.

ObFuSc8 said...

Ah, the Temporal Prime Directive.

That Star Trek TOS Ep was City on the Egde of Forever. The Enterprise had passed through a temporal displacement and McCoy (who had gotten an accidental overdose of a medication becoming paranoid) ran into the temporal gate to escape, ending up in 1930's Earth but somehow managed to change the course of time.

Kirk and Spock have to go through the portal into 1930 to stop McCoy. But since the past changed, their tech doesn't exist/work (to locate McCoy) so Spock & Kirk a have to stay in 1930's Earth until they find McCoy.

Kirk falls in love with Edith Keeler who gave them jobs at a shelter and rented them a room in her building. It turns out they have to let Edith Keeler die or she would have organized protests which postpone the US entry into WWII, allowing the Nazi's to win.

MJCarp said...

Thanks JT. That's it.
"I am endeavoring, ma'am,
to construct a mnemonic memory circuit
using stone knives and bearskins." ha ha

Still feel like Sean and Leila are an awkward couple.

The President may have given up his moral stance in ordering the execution "ends justify the means" and the First Lady calls him on it.

While predicable that Vicky would take out all witnesses, never, never turn your back on wounded enemy.

How long before Vicki's silver-headed boss figures this out? Didn't catch all of the message about 'safe house"? not sure

MJCarp said...

Thanks Ob. One of my favorites, ever. Saw that when it originally aired, only child permitted in room with dad where the rule was SILENCE! That rule enforced here for 6 years and why I watched alone.

Catastrophic nuclear failure aboard the 'ship' seems unlikely. That would be hard to hide and certainly have killed many. So the ship would still be where it landed? or at Inastranka? Why has no one come to rescue? They seem to know how to get back to the future (pun).

ObFuSc8 said...

I think Vicky knows Collier/Shawn have Carter and is going to go after them.

Lotto, I'm not sure what you mean by message about the safe house.

Vicky (on the phone) said, "No they got Carter too. I'm the only one left. I'll wait for orders at the rendevous point. I gotta go."

ObFuSc8 said...

Lotto -- City at the Edge of Forever is one of my fav TOS eps too!

Thomas felt that accelerating the US govt's ability to create nuclear fission was an important enough step in getting his people home, that he left the Inostranka escapees to further this.

You're right in saying that there's no evidence of nuclear fallout at the Inostranka crash site. But it's hard to tell at this point what caused Sophia's people's ship to fail. I'm sure their ship used an enormous amount of power, especially by 1940's standards and couldn't have run on fossil fuels. If the ship used a nuclear reactor they may have ejected it before the crashed.

Alternatively, attaining the ability to harness nuclear fission may just be an initial step toward whatever type of power Thomas/Sophia's people need. Maybe the next step would be nuclear fusion or even cold fusion?

ObFuSc8 said...

Thomas is making it pretty clear that he sees human life, history and development as expendable.

Thomas What does it matter? They're all going to die anyway.

AND

Simon: Do you know what they're going to use this for? This country is at war, Thomas.

Thomas: I don't care what they're going to use it for. It's what we're going to use it for that matters.

Thomas left the rest of the Inostranka escapees, and by 1945 had integrated into human society and was working at Los Alamos. He's been using his knowledge to "boost" human scientific advancements. It seems that he's been relatively discreet while doing so, avoiding drawing too much attention to himself.

But when we have seen Thomas he's been well dressed -- he was in a suit today. I think Thomas has also used his advanced knowledge to discreetly make the money, so they can get all the resources they'll eventually need.

In 66 years, Thomas/free Inostrankans have been able to secretly put together enough money, resources and supplies to manufacture the tech to teleport that Avias plane and manufacture both a bioactive agent and an antidote.

MJCarp said...

Sean via Twitter: "Thanks for your help, Rick$$$! Your lead worked. Consider it payback for that soybean trading algorithm I programmed for you sophomore year."

Rich Dollars, Richie Rich, Richard Bucks. Don't know if they gave him a name in the credit roll. He needs recurring role.

Thomas has Widmorian ways.

So, who was Vicky talking to? not the silver-haired dude, someone else. Yes, the rendezvous point. So, she's picking someone up? This third party working to get Sean has what motive? Have we established that they are faction of government?

sorry late ramblings.

I still see actors and not characters with exception of the creepy President's advisor and Vicky's assassin friend. Wondering if the actors are just as in the dark as we.

and Ob I know you must have been rolling eyes during the medical scenes. Even I was distracted by lack of protocol, editing, acting, etc. So you have quarantined patience just get up and run out the door? Mad people grabbed by staff easily could have pulled a mask. Didn't buy any of that.

maven said...

Thought the episode moved along well. I know Vicky let them go so she could keep her "son", but it seemed like a complete about face for her character who was a cold-hearted mercenary bitch.

I wonder if the 44ers are immortal. Or do they just age so slowly they seem like they go on forever. The life span of humans must be "alien" to them. Thomas must have been referring to that when he said "they all die anyway". Haven't seen an old 44er yet.

Next weeks episode looks very interesting.

The Kharma Initiative said...

LT, love the story about watching Trek with your dad. "City on the Edge of Forever" is always voted a fan fave.

I'm guessing most folks have already seen this posted on lostargs but just in case Zort is allowing me to post here too:

A bunch of us LOSTies are working together to help a Tennessee family rebuild their flooded home. We've got some terrific prizes to give away in a charity raffle, most of them LOST-related, including Damon Lindelof's own signed "Locke's Secret" screenprint! (crazy, I know) You can see all the details and how to donate here.

We've already achieved a bit more than a third of our goal, but there's still a ways to go and we're nearing the end of the raffle. So if you've already heard about the opportunity and been waffling or procrastinating, now is the time to chip in!

Thanks for any support you can provide, even if it's just to tell your friends/family/co-workers about the benefit. Jeff, Lee, Kimberly, and Tyler are hurting for help so we had to do something.

Cosmically Yours

Tess315 said...

Here's a thought what if the plane was grabbed out of the sky not to save Sophia or the President but to save Sean. He sneeked onto the plane and it appeared he was being chased.

maven
Vicky still seems like a cold blooded killer to me. She took out all of her people last night. I wonder how she was recruited as an assassin to begin with? Seems like she might be in over her head.
Interesting thought about them being immortal. Or at least Thomas' contempt for the short lived humans.

The original series of Star Trek is the first series I ever collected, on VHS no less back in the '80s. I'm slowly getting them converted to disc.

Tess315 said...

One more thought. I don't think Thomas wants Sophia out so their leader can be free or so they can talk strategy. I think he's staging a coup and is going to take Sophia out or at least attempt to.

Just Thinking said...

Hmm- but didn't Thomas and Sophia seem very attached before he left in 44? There is an emotional bond there- also, Thomas VERY upset when he thought the president would kill the detainees. More than just needing them for some kind of going home plan I would think- he cared about them, which probably included her.

Do Thomas and Simon seem to act like brothers to you?

Tess315 said...

Thomas seems a little bit full of his own self importance. He may not want all his people dead but he may be willing to kill or at least control Sophia to be in charge. I think he was upset because he misread the President.

Simon and Thomas might be brothers. Simon did call him brother, but I thought it was a term of endearment. Maybe not though.

Tess315 said...

There's a new post at Truth Seekers.

Zort70 said...

Just watched the episode and we seem to be at a point where a lot of questions / plot points for the pilot have been answered but we have one new one to follow.

It is a very "24" way of dealing with the plot to have mini arcs within an overall story.

Love the reference to the Manhattan project, so does this mean they are from the future or is it still a bit to vague to call ?

Zort70 said...

Hi Tess, the President has also been tweeting to say that Avias 514in Brzil might not be as damaged as everyone thought !

Zort70 said...

I've added some screenshots of the episode as well.

Tess315 said...

Hi Zort
I seen that tweet. Looks like he's trying to give himself an out for the passengers bring alive. But how will they get them to go along with the story of the plane crashing in Brazil?

maven said...

Good point, Tess: How do you shut everyone up on Avias 514? Especially when everyone wants to make a quick buck to tell a story!

When Sophia got on the train, I thought for sure she's be transported somewhere.

I'm liking the 44ers integrating in our society and "changing" things for their own good.

Do you think the 44ers were heading to a different time and place when they crashed in 1944? I know they were in period clothes, but it seems they were not prepared to be there having landed in a time when our technology couldn't help them out. Of course, they probably weren't even thinking their ship would crash. (Have we seen anything from the crash scene that indicated what kind of craft it was?)

ObFuSc8 said...

maven, Tess -- So far, it seems the Avias passengers are all suffering from a brief period of amnesia. As long as they don't remember anything, all the govt will have to do is tell them that they were rescued from the plane found in Brazil and brought back to the US. The problem will come when/if any of the passengers remember what happened.

Zort -- I don't think we can yet say for sure whether the Inostrankans hail from the future. They could be from a parallel/ALTverse that was more technologically advanced (as we are seeing in Fringe). Or possible even our universe, but a remote planet where they evolved separately but somehow became more scientifically advanced (and just have kowledge of future events).

maven -- though the Inostrankans are age very slowly, I don't think they are immortal since they can be killed. We saw Maya kill William and both Sophia and Thomas are afraid they will all be killed if the US govt finds out what the Event actually is.

ObFuSc8 said...

Lotto -- Tee hee about the medical scenes. It's pretty much something I've come to expect from most non-medical shows, and even a lot of the so called medical dramas.

I'm not sure when TV writers/producers decided that sticking a loooong needle into the side of someone's neck to inject them with a sedative was a good idea -- but we've seen that on too many shows to mention. Sure, it's dramatic, but in reality, it's a lot easier to inject a sedative into someone's thigh, bum or shoulder. If you were to actually inject someone like that in the neck, you'd probably end up perforating their airway, jugular vein or worse yet a carotid artery -- all of which would quickly herald death.

And while it plays well on TV, I don't know that our govt or CDC actually have any sort of bio-containment facility with the capacity to even hold 10-20 people, much less 183. 183 beds is the equivalent of a small to medium sized hospital.