Helix - I've Got A Fushigi!



Who didn't have a fushigi in this last episode of Helix?

As I mentioned in my last blog post,"Fushigi" is Japanese for "Secret" and there were many secrets exposed in this most recent episode.  Let's take a look at them by inividual.

Hiroshi Hatake

I'd say he had the biggest secret of them all and no doubt there will be many more to come.  The biggie of this episode?  Immortality.

So we finally learn the secret behind the silver eyes and it is a characteristic of immortality. Why silver?  Who knows, that's another secret.  But the exposure of this secret lays bare the people behind Illaria and as it turns out they number 500.  Or is it 498 if Candace Sutton and Gunnar Mikaelsson are subtracted?  For that matter, should we add Julia Walker to that roster?  Was she an uncounted member of this secret society?  Was Dr. Hvit a memeber?  How may more silver eyed people are out there that are not a part of the Illaria 500?  If there are others are they the children Hatake kidnapped and released into the world?  Is this part of his experimental cure to inhabit the world to counter the 500?

If you were one of the people that backed the "Immortality" theory then you win.  Then again if the 500 (plus or minus a few) turn out to be aliens or vampires then we can all go back to banging out heads against the wall.

Gunnar Mikaelsson


Ol' Gunnar had a secret or two.  First of all his secret was himself!  Next, he exposed the secret of the rift between Jane and Candace and it was his betrayal.  His punishment was to be chained in an arctic subbasement for eternity.  We learned the immortals can survive just about anything as long as they have a certain amount of sustenance.  So why sustain himself?  Why drink the liquid?  Just die.  

Gunnar wanted to die or to be set "free."  So why didn't he hold his breath for more than four minutes?  (I'm kidding.)  The secret to his freedom turned out to be severing his artery.  I suppose that's the secret to keep the Immortals dead and I take it that's why Sutton had to have her head removed and frozen.  To what end though?  If you are shot dead then you regenerate as long as your head is still there?  Or will your head regenerate a body if it is not frozen?

Also revealed here was to live forever means to die 10,000 times.

Interesting.

I wonder if Hatake's work and his involvement in the Willis Hypothesis makes this a much less painful proposition.   That will be interesting to find out.  So why the Vectors then, to prolong humanity?  Is that was Narvik B was for and Narvik A was intended to wipe out humanity?

Peter Farragut






 It looks like Peter had a bit of a secret revealed also and it was his sentience.  Sure he is a bit brutish and is the new leader of the Vector wolf pack, but at least he can talk and think!  So does that make him an enhanced Vector from the Narvik B strain?  Is that what the "water" was for that Hatake gave him in episode one?  If he is a Narvik B enhanced version, then is this the first step acting as a bulwark against the plans of the Immortal 500?  Was this an Hatake quick fix?  Peter's retained his affection for Julia so we know he has his human emotions.  What happens when he meets Julia again?  Silver eyed people don't mix well with Vectors.

Julia Walker



 Does Julia have a secret?  Oh, indeed she does.  She pocketed two vials of the Narvik strains at the end of the episode.  Why?  Because Alan broke her National Science Award all those years ago?  (Maybe just a little.)  I think Julia sees the value in preserving Hatake's work even though it may mean the end of humanity if held in the wrong hands.  That's a big risk.  Apparently she trusts Hatake enough to pursue his work.  I don't doubt she can see herself working with Hatake despite all the hard feelings.  

The bigger secret revealed here is this may be why Hatake pursued her so energetically.  He had to have back in the Arctic in order to work together to perfect his cure.  This may be the point Candace Sutton missed so badly.  Not that they were related per se, but that Julia was the key to finalizing Hatake's cure as a unique test subject!  Whatever she discovers it may involve Peter.  Will he resist?  Are Immortals the genetic enemies to the Vectors.  He loves her but once they lock eyes that may be a different story and provide a huge road block.

Sarah Jordan



Speaking of roadblocks, Sarah's discovery of the secret behind the "Telomeres" and their lengthening was a big one.  No doubt Hatake will make use of her work but will she allow it?  She also discovered a cure for Cancer (or so it seems).  What if the cure for cancer and the Telomere factor for the Vectors or even the Immortals are mutually exclusive.  Sarah may have the upper hand in this but first they'll have to cure her cancer.  Now there is a standoff,  Sarah says, "Cure my Cancer and I'll give you the secret."  Hatake says, "Give us your secret and we'll cure your Cancer."  

I can imagine all eyes turning to Alan.  I don't envy him. 

You'd better come up a Fushigi of your own Dr. Farragut or we're all screwed.




Comments

  1. Great write up Dave. I'm finding this whole thing very convoluted but very fascinating! Why, however, are there "silver eyes" and then the "brutes"...? When you are infected, is there something that makes you one or the other? Are Hatake and Julia both immortals? If they are successful "converts" then why keep trying on bunches of people? Is it hit-and-miss?

    Is this "neanderthals" vs "cro-magnon"? Does any of this have to do with the elusive "missing link" in evolution? Is this the rise of the plant-people?

    I'm absolutely adoring this show. It could do without the cheap thrills of Sergio, though... He is an interesting character, it would be great to see him develop past the age of thirteen. :-p I find it difficult to believe that he would change his allegiances so quickly.

    Can't wait till Friday!

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    1. Why did Sergio change his allegiance so quickly? He's smitten! It was love at first handcuff. I actually like the dynamic between Julia and Alan a lot more. It's genuine. They hugged each other like they truly meant it and they bicker like, well, like they truly mean it! Sergio and Alana seem manufactured. I'd say Sarah and Alan have more depth to their relationship.

      I wonder if Julia is semi-immortal? That's to say a human/immortal hybrid that may well be improbable if not impossible. Maybe you don't have to die 10,000 times if you are like Julia whatever she is. Jim Reid said Sutton thinks she is the "abomination", Hatake seemed truly heartbroken over her evolution. It has to be one or the other right? Full fledged or hybrid immortal? I'm leaning towards hybrid.

      "Rise of the Plant People" sounds like a good name for either a rock band or movie.

      Hmmm, do you think they could introduce a missing link angle to this story? It's so over the top sometimes I wouldn't be surprised if there was something to the alien theory. I hope not. But missing link, hmmm?

      Glad you liked the write Ingrid!

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  2. Dave, absolutely love your write ups. I was thinking Immortals for awhile. This show is so much fun!!!!! Makes me work my mind!

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    1. Thanks Tanila. I appreciate the kind words. I have a lot of fun with this show too. It makes my mind work AND it shuts it down on occasion.

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  3. I've actually coming back around to the show. The characters are finally gaining some depth and the mysteries are fun. But I get so distracted by things that shouldn't be distracting. People zipping all over the polar landscape. In a blinding snow. At night. Alan and Julia taking that vehicle 50 miles (or did I hear wrong?) fending off bullets and bad guys, finding the Helix version of Fringe's Inner Child, allowing him to self-destruct, finding the viruses and leaving a blazing mess behind them. Then going back another 50 miles arriving in what seemed like the same night. Really? This Arctic lab has an MRI? OK, I'll give that to them. And I'll try to get past these irregularities and become more engrossed in the story.

    Now...that creepy suicidal immortal... Very Prometheus like...Zeus was not very happy with him at all. Prometheus is credited with giving fire to man which was used rather dramatically by Alan and Julia.

    If Jay was mortal then could Julia be the first true hybrid and as such might be the subject of Hataki's experiment and thus the mouse instead of the scientist. I love all the questions and am not looking for too many answers at once...and that we all look at the enigmas from a different perspective. Keep doing what you are doing; I love the insight.

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    1. Of course it has an MRI, they're experimenting on humans!

      Yes, Linda I feel your frustrated pain. I often laugh out loud at what goes on in the show and more than once my wife has asked my if Helix was a comedy.

      Not a comedy, just a little over the top at times.

      I think all that zooming around in the Sno-Cat is the writers way of building tension and raising the narrative stakes. Hopefully as the show matures they will see such frivolities aren't necessary. At least I hope so.

      Prometheus went on to do bigger and better things after he was unchained. This guy has to get his mythology straitened out. Oh wait, are you saying Alan is Hercules or is it Julia? Julia would be cool.

      Yes, I think Julia is the unwitting mouse. She'll work side by side with Hatake until she gets it. Then he will cry more silver tears and claim it was all for her. She'll spurn him and then he will experiment on someone else, accidentally kill this person, apply the cure to Julia and plead for forgiveness.

      Thanks for the feedback and I'll keep on truckin'. (Or snow-catting around the Arctic if need be!)

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  4. I've decided to quit analyzing the show and just roll with it at this point. Giggles and all. Love Linda's point about the parallel to Finge's inner child!! And this one talked! I didn't notice anything odd about his teeth, by the way.

    Something I am disappointed about. The set up for this show was an isolated artic base with limited communications. That claustrophobia and inability to escape added to the tension of the early episodes. We were locked in the closet with the boogie man with no choice but to deal with him. Now everyone is wandering around all over the arctic. Why don't they all just leave and torch the base with the vectors inside?
    Because TV.

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    1. Leave the analyzing to me my friend. I'm happy to go down the rabbit hole in service of the blogosphere world. Well, unless there is some hybrid/mutant thingy at the other end that doesn't file down it's teeth. Then I'm turning tail.

      I remarked on Facebook that Gunnar didn't have long spikey teeth because he's been chewing on his chains all this time.

      See that, an answer for every thing.

      You're right about the early feel of the show and it's cramped paranoia. I think they realized they can't stay in the Arctic forever and the had to write their way out sometime. I bet the base will get torched but someone will sneak a Vector out and the virus will spread. Maybe it will be Peter. Either way Canada will be infected (sorry Ingrid) and the CDC will really have it's work cut out for it.

      So, yes, "Because TV," but if the show is to survive they have to leave ABS sometime. Maybe it will turn into a road show like Falling Skies used to be and they will end up chasing the Vectors across the frozen tundra until they reach warmer climes.

      I wonder if Peter can drive a Sno-Cat? Now that would be funny to see!

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