1.08: Rapture

[Dave]

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Creating episode thread: Remember only
this episode should be discussed here,
or the spoiler tag used.
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[Dave]

After nothing much happening for weeks, suddenly there is an episode where there is almost too much information to take in! So much I'm going to resort to cut and paste:

from http://www.tvtome.com/Odyssey5/guide.html
Neil's friends at school are taking a new drug called "Rapture", which appears to boost their intelligence and may even promote telepathy and telekinesis. Neil finds out that his friend Deckard got the formula for the drug from a web site, but in his attempt to get a sample for analysis he is forced to take the drug.

Meanwhile, Taggart's new boss Cynthia Hodge suggests that he had something to do with sabotaging the last space mission, but appears to be happy that the mission failure has hastened the day when manned space flights will be replaced by totally robotic ones. A retired astronaut, Leyton Scott, tells Taggart that a group called "the Cadre" have been trying for the last 20 years to get rid of manned space flight. But then Leyton reveals that he is dying from "Moon Sickness", a strange disease that strikes only Apollo astronauts, which may have something to do with their having brought more than just rocks back with them from the Moon.

Because of Angela's apparent mental breakdown on her last mission, she is scheduled for a psych review. Although the doctor, who is suspicious of her attempt to make him think she just suffered a simple case of post-traumatic stress, appears to be a member of "the Cadre", she is approved to resume spaceflights.

Mendel takes a sample of Neil's blood and analyses the drug, a completely new compound which may enhance ESP but whose molecular structure causes addiction after a single dose and can trigger a massive cardiovascular failure. Mendel and Taggart rush to save Neil's friends, who are now lying comatose in a barn under the control of Deckard, who is using their brains to enhance his own mental power.

I must have seen David Cronenberg's 'Scanners' about 50 times, so I did notice some similarity, (bleeding eyes, raised veins, psychic shock) but I can forgive that. That plot summary from TVTome doesn't include the fact that it was Deckard that Neil used to hack into Prof. Chandra's laptop, and that is where he got hold of the website address, he made a copy of the files. I think Chuck was a little harsh on Neil about that; what Neil did in taking the drug himself was a little rash, and I felt like his father pushed him to it. Not sure about them all being okay again afterwards (reset button.)

I've noticed the little quotes at the start each week are interesting, but I haven't managed to note them down. Also, if anyone videoed this, Edward Scrivens gravestone gave his birth and death dates. I didn't catch them but that would give you your conclusive proof of the actual date, for the first time 'on screen'.

This 'Apollo Moon Sickness' is obviously a cover for getting rid of people who know too much, so anyone think Chuck will get it next? Leyton's daughter was obviously stopping Chuck from seeing him, I don't think Chuck should be so laid-back with people, he isn't with Neil.

I can't understand why the Doctor would have a change of heart about Angela's re-instatement. ("There's been a new development!") Surely, she would be better out of the way. I assume that the 'sentients' and 'the powers that be' have worked out by now that the 'Odyssey 5' know about them. Maybe that is why there was the stand-off between Chuck and Cynthia (you might have sabotaged the satellite, you might be a member of the cadre.) Maybe, they are frightened of what they know. I was a little confused by this episode (just when I thought I knew what was going on.)

 

[Tabitha]

Just caught this episode. It was the one we have been waiting for, and i agree with your assessment that there was almost too much going on.

1) Sarah's story. Still a little drawn out, but I can mostly forgive that because it seems fairly realistic

2) The Rapture drug - yet another development connected to the sentients that we have been given too little information about. It makes my head hurt trying to figure it out.

3) Neil's issues with his dad - I finally get it. I never understood Neil's jealousy of his brother - I thought he would be over that, after all Neil was the one who actually made it onto the astronaut programme, but it is beginning to make sense now. He feels that his dad wishes his brother was the one 'stuck in this mess with him'.

4) Kurt and Angela - not much on this one this week, just Kurt's advice to try and trick the psychiatrist.

5) Angela and the psychiatrist... Still not sure about what was going on there - did she have to see the shrink before she could get back on the program? Hadn't her Dad already got her reinstated?
After last week's episode it was disappointing to see her not appear to care too much wether she got back into space or not.

6) Moon sickness and the revelation of the 'Cadre'
I want to think about this one a bit more before commenting...


Good episode overall. The only thing that really made me shake my head was the weird solution to the brains-as-processing power bit - to jab a knife in their arm? Didn't quite get that bit

My main question from this week: Did the apollo astronauts bring back the sentients from the moon?


Videod it - I'll look over the Ed Scrivens bits later. This week's quote was from the surrealist Escher, and was saying "I don't do drugs, my dreams are scary enough", or something like that

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Tabitha
6) Moon sickness and the revelation of the 'Cadre'
I want to think about this one a bit more before commenting...

My main question from this week: Did the apollo astronauts bring back the sentients from the moon?

After thinking some more, I still think that the 'Moon Sickness' could simply be a cover for why some people near to the truth have suddenly lost their mind,

But, there could be something out in space that is intelligent.

The 'Cadre' may not necessarily be 'evil', they may want to save the future of the Earth too.

My speculative theories are that 'Project Big Sky' may have been an attempt to either:

1) make contact with this intelligence, (but it was hijacked by the Leviathan sentients instead, and what we see is a battle between them.)

2) to boost the influence of this intelligence, (the Levianthan sentients are one and the same thing, and they take over.)

or, 3) to attack this intelligence (someone [the cadre] realises the threat, tries to defeat it, but ultimately fails.)

 

[Tabitha]

Cadre could well be trying to save the Earth - interesting perspective...

Something else that has been playing on my mind is the question behind the octogenarian Apollo astronaut. I was wondering if perhaps he really did have demensia (sp?), and in fact he was involved with the 'wrong' side - what did he really know about Bright Sky?

Perhaps I am just expecting a double-cross where there isn't one, but it is hard to pin down many of the motivations and allegiances of the minor characters in this show, isn't it?

 

[Krystal]

This episode was awesome! The thing about the drug was incredible, that Neil's girlfriend sure is into drugs. The scene when Neil was droping blood from his eyes was so gothic. The powers the drug give the persons that use them were pretty amazing. And Sarah's story wow! specially when Paul find the medication in the closet. Also it was cool to see more about Hodge and Chuck confrontation. Interesting thing about The Cadre and wonder what Hodge have to do with it, it sure get her attention. Also wondering why Hodge make the doctor change his evaluation to left Angela continue in the program. What purpose she have in mind? Strange also that after Leyton(the old astronaut) begin to tell Chuck all that things his "condition" get worse. I don't know but that daughter of him don't inspired any confidence to me. Looks like one that could easily be buy.


Interesting theory about The Cadre and definitely could make sense. The thing about Angela also is strange, specially I'm looking forward why Hodges decide to let Angela in Nasa, that really make me wonder. This was the episode that really spin for me the interest about Hodges characters so many possibilities with what she truly is involved. So I'm really looking forward to see where all this will end. Following the association of this with the X-Files, maybe Hodge in true is a "Skinner", I remember that at first Skinner looks like he was against Mulder and Scully and that maybe he have his own agenda, and at the end he was all the time at their side.

Krystal :rain:

 

[RangerOne SG13 SOR]

The very fact that Hodge pretty much knows it was chuck who destroyed the satallite with the magnetiser but has failed to report it to the authoritys confirms she is well involved with some sort of "black- ops" or a "hidden faction". She herself cannot go public.

Again we are faced by more unkown and hidden agendas.

Both Chuck and Hodge now have stale mate scenario, wether they are both on the same side remains to be seen.

The skinner view is a good one, we shall just have to wait and see.


One thing bugging me is the adverts for oddessy on sky1 are showing a lot more than we have not seen yet.

GRRRR I WANT TO SEE THAT EPISODE

lol


Ranger

 

[Tabitha]

Yep, the Skinner perspective is interesting. Although Hodge seems a bit more hateful than Skinner ever was. What did we really learn about the Cadre this week? It is their (unstated) goal to kill the astronaut program in favour of unmanned space-flight - and why? So that they can put whatever they want in space? The fact that this Cadre have been in existence for a very long time makes me wonder what the connection between whatever aliens did this to Earth, and Nasa really is.

I have just had a thought - and i really hope I am not right - I have a horrible feeling that Roswell is going to be brought into this at some point. That is, to explain how the aliens first happened upon Earth & why the Cadre's plot has been so long-lasting.

 

[RangerOne SG13 SOR]

Originally posted by Tabitha
I have just had a thought - and i really hope I am not right - I have a horrible feeling that Roswell is going to be brought into this at some point. That is, to explain how the aliens first happened upon Earth & why the Cadre's plot has been so long-lasting.

I sure as hell hope not, if the crux of the plot derives from Roswell I will not be happy.

Ranger

 

[Tabitha]

Ditto

 

[Krystal]

Originally posted by Tabitha
Although Hodge seems a bit more hateful than Skinner ever was.

Yeah, you got that right. Well, anyway I'm shooting at the wind. Is just that she's presented like the obviously bad person that I think maybe they are trying to make it look that way and change it later. Well, as RangerOne say we will have to wait and see.

I have just had a thought - and i really hope I am not right - I have a horrible feeling that Roswell is going to be brought into this at some point. That is, to explain how the aliens first happened upon Earth & why the Cadre's plot has been so long-lasting.

Me too will be very dissapointed is they use Roswell again, I think that theme have been used till the point of no more please.

Krystal

 

[Dave]

Just to say that I agree with those points too.

Originally posted by Krystal
...just that she's presented like the obviously bad person that I think maybe they are trying to make it look that way and change it later.

...will be very dissapointed is they use Roswell again, I think that theme have been used till the point of no more please

I think Hodge and the Cadre will turn out to be 'nice' guys in the end. It's a question of motives -- why would they want to see the world destroyed?, and if they have some other motive, what could it possibly be?

Roswell has been in everything, they even had it in 'DS9'!!!! No, this series has been 'fairly' original so far, I hope they keep it that way.

 

[Tabitha]

I think the thing that throws the spanner in the works for me re: the Cadre being good is the fact that we have seen humans working with the sentients (the ep with the bugs and the little girl), so I don't think we can assume that there isn't some vested (but so far unknown) interest for those humans in the project that will end up being involved in the big boom.


I forgot about the Roswell trek ref

Oh please please please lets hope that doesn't happen. Actually scratch that - I could deal with an Odyssey 5 Roswell ep IF it turned out to be a total hoax - a red herring if you will. It didn't really have anything to do with aliens and WAS a weather balloon.

 

[Annette]

I have to say this was a good episode BUT I am getting so confused with all the different 'themes' as it were. Its getting to the point where I'm lost with the storyline. (that could be due to the fact that by the time its on I'm too tired for it to sink in)


annette

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Annette
I am getting so confused with all the different 'themes' as it were. Its getting to the point where I'm lost with the storyline.

I think that the unfinished story arcs, open questions and different running 'themes' are a plus point... with the proviso that they do actually keep track of them and retain continuity, and that it actually does go somewhere in the end.

So far, so good. I was glad that the fact Hodge knew Chuck used the magnetiser on the satellite was brought up in this episode, I thought they had just forgotten about it.

But, I still have this horrible feeling that they will cancel the show without closing the story!

 

[Tabitha]

Briefly - Odyssey 5 has been picked up for a 20 ep second season (I think). So we should at least get some expansion on what has happened so far...


/edit - I am totally wrong here. I got my info confused - no second season has been confirmed as of 24/11/02. Sorry!

 

[Annette]

One thing I forgot to mention that bothers me a little - do you think that Sarah is responsible for her sons 'eventual' death? (thats if he does die this time round). It seems a bit irresponsible to give her son drugs which are not necessarily going to prevent the stomach cancer or could they be the catalyst (as in actually making things worse)?

Just a thought

Annette

 

[Tabitha]

I can definitely things going that way.
I also think she might end up putting the rest of the crew in jeopardy somehow by focussing on her son.

 

[Dave]

I see it moving that way too, but I don't understand why he doesn't already have the Cancer. The specialists have not told her that it is a particularly fast disease, only that it usually isn't detected until it's too late. With all the Doctors she has seen, and tests conducted, if he did have it, they would have found it. He should have it already, if he is to die, her husband leave her, start a relationship with her boss, and re-marry -- all before the shuttle mission.

Maybe she has also changed his diet, and such, enough that he won't get Cancer in this timeline?

I can see her husband leaving her in this timeline because of her obsession, but I can't see her boss being as sympathetic to her over this obsession as he would have been about her loss.

 

[Krystal]

Originally posted by Annette
One thing I forgot to mention that bothers me a little - do you think that Sarah is responsible for her sons 'eventual' death? (thats if he does die this time round).

Yeah, that is a good possibility this time around. I understand that what she suffer losing her son in the future have to be very devastated to her. But when they came back, they notice that some things have changed. Ex: the death of the Director, Kurt's bet, etc. Probably the most logical would be trying to prevent it from happening maybe checking him sooner but definitely giving him the medicines she use was extreme and could easily make the illness worst this time around.

Originally posted by Dave
With all the Doctors she has seen, and tests conducted, if he did have it, they would have found it. He should have it already, if he is to die, her husband leave her, start a relationship with her boss, and re-marry -- all before the shuttle mission.

Good points, I think it will be ironic that after all her obsession this time, the boy would be healthy and later get something else because of all the things she try to do. That truly would be bad Karma.

Krystal