4.09: Miracle Day: The Gathering

[TheEndIsNigh]

I can't believe I have started this episode's thread but here goes. (and what happend to last week)

Obviously if I'm wrong, would any passing moderator stuff this post where it belongs.

A bit of an improvement this week.

Allowing for the 'unfortunate lesson' in social disorder at the beginning where the chemist is ram raided, I think this was possibly the best episode of the series so far.

I still had some issues with the sub plots, but the story line progressed sufficiently for me to be able to ignore them.

 

[Dave]

Two months later, and global recession has become global Depression. Esther nursed Jack to health and has been collecting blood samples from him in Scotland; Gwen continues to hide her father from police raids, while also selling stolen painkillers; and Rex is back working at the CIA; Jilly Kitzinger moves to Shanghai to work for the Families. Oswald Danes finds Gwen through the men who smuggled Jack into Scotland, forcing Esther and Jack to come to Swansea, where what Danes knows of Kitzinger's activities leads them to conclude the Blessing is located in both Buenos Aires and Shanghai. Rex's attempts to locate a descendant of a witness to Jack's repeated murders in Little Italy are foiled by Charlotte at the CIA. Gwen is forced to take Oswald with them as she and Jack smuggle their way into Shanghai, where Jack's blood is being physically pulled to the location of the Blessing. Esther meets up with Rex in Buenos Aires for their half of the mission, but they are being tracked by Charlotte.

Allowing for the 'unfortunate lesson' in social disorder at the beginning where the chemist is ram raided, I think this was possibly the best episode of the series so far.

I still had some issues with the sub plots, but the story line progressed sufficiently for me to be able to ignore them.

I wasn't fully focussed on the TV so you may well be correct. It certainly uses all the characters now and has all the threads coming together.

I agree about the ram raid moment and I also still can't find myself interested in whether Gwen's father lives or dies, there seems to be much more important things happening.

What is the 'thing'? The Blessing? Captured alien that feeds on blood?

It was lucky that Rhys got that inflatable globe for Christmas.

 

[PTeppic]

I was almost literally holding my breath when Plod turned up to search the Cooper household. So many things going on I have no idea how they're going to sensibly close them all down in a single episode and still have time for a cup of tea as things return to order.

But, what in the name of RTD's beard was "The Blessing"? A big hole in the crust?

 

[Ursa major]

Not just the crust but all the way through the mantle and core (where it swerves around the Racnoss ship), then all the way up and out the other side.

 

[PTeppic]

Just in passing, Shanghai is over 230 miles from the Buenos Aires antipodean point. And, presumably, vice-versa

 

[Ursa major]

But which coordinates did you use?

I thought I'd look up Buenos Aires's position. As I was recording for the coordinates from Wiki, and before I could confirm the figure for the seconds for its longitude, I inadvertently clicked on something that took me to the Spanish language version of the page. I thought I must have misread that seconds number, because it had changed. But, for once, it wasn't my mistake. Here are some of Wiki's coordinates for Buenos Aires, by language:

English : ....34°36'12"S ..58°22'54"W
Spanish : ...34°36'30"S ..58°22'19"O
French : ....34°38'38" ....58°26'06"O
German : ...34°36'S .... ..58°23'W
Croatian: ...34°36'S .... ..58°22'W
Hungarian: 34°36'36".. ..58°22'12"


Having pointed that out, Shanghai is generally shown to be three degrees closer to the equator than Buenos Aires. Not that this is such a big deal: your calculations won't have taken into account the need to avoid passing through that Racnoss ship.

 

[PTeppic]

Oh (shoot). Need to find some trigonometry site that can allow for Racnoss ships at the core... Any suggestions?

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

But which coordinates did you use?

I thought I'd look up Buenos Aires's position. As I was recording for the coordinates from Wiki, and before I could confirm the figure for the seconds for its longitude, I inadvertently clicked on something that took me to the Spanish language version of the page. I thought I must have misread that seconds number, because it had changed. But, for once, it wasn't my mistake. Here are some of Wiki's coordinates for Buenos Aires, by language:

English : ....34°36'12"S ..58°22'54"W
Spanish : ...34°36'30"S ..58°22'19"O
French : ....34°38'38" ....58°26'06"O
German : ...34°36'S .... ..58°23'W
Croatian: ...34°36'S .... ..58°22'W
Hungarian: 34°36'36".. ..58°22'12"


Having pointed that out, Shanghai is generally shown to be three degrees closer to the equator than Buenos Aires. Not that this is such a big deal: your calculations won't have taken into account the need to avoid passing through that Racnoss ship.

I believe this lack of consensus was common (well more so at least) during the cold war. I seem to recall that soon after the US had 'decent' spy satellites they discovered that Moscow was in fact miles away from the 'Official' Russian position. It was done to throw the missiles of the track, as it were.

Could be wrong.

However if I'm right it would make sense for any country to massage the published co-ordinates of its major cities.

Of course London (and Paris) couldn't do this being on the prime meridian, although I understand that it is some way south of its actual position. Somewhere nearer to Brighton, which we in the UK really know, is actually on the Isle of Wight.

 

[PTeppic]

However if I'm right it would make sense for any country to massage the published co-ordinates of its major cities.

Apart from Milton Keynes. For some reason everyone gives out extremely accurate coordinates for there, and the middle of the town has buildings laid out in concentric circles...