Extant - Born Again
Did I suspect the Katie that was cavorting with Sean Glass aboard the Seraphim was not the real thing?
I did.
Especially after sideways glances such as those pictured above. Very suspicious looks.
But was this Katie a projection/spirit or some sort of alternate reality version? (On the "previously seen on Extant" lead in, we had Gordon Kern refer to an alternate reality again. This may be telling or just a red herring.) Or was this Katie version 1.0 and if so, where was her Offspring?
Thanks to the shocking ending I think we now know this if the Offspring of Katie. Obviously beacuse we saw the corpse of Katie and the fact that projections can only be seen by the first person.
Right John? It was a little funny to watch John whisper sweet nothings to his imaginary wife. Good thing his robot son was around to snap him out of his reverie. And, of course everyone at the ISEA was able to see Katie 2.0.
Why do I think that it's "Okay" to see Katie 2.0 as the Offspring of original recipe Katie?
Because of this...
The point of egress from Katie's Abdomen.
It made me think of the point of egress from Molly's abdomen. Neither birth was of the vaginal type and in retrospect it looks as though Yasumoto did Molly a favor. If these Offspring are a hybrid of the the Space Spores and a human being it may be they can only be born like some sort of fungi bursting forth and spreading it's seed. A close call for Molly.
So why do we see the Offspring of Molly with the glow eyes? Is it because that's they way he chooses to be seen? Perhaps the Katie offspring chose to hide her glow eyes in order to keep up the subterfuge.
I made the prediction back in my blog post "A Stacked Deck" that we were headed towards an invasion. With the Space Spores growing like fungi on the outside of the Seraphim and the station on a collision course with the Earth's atmosphere it looks as though that is the way Earth will be seeded.
Poor Alan Sparks thinks this is a good thing. Everyone will get a living avatar of a dead loved one. I think rather we'll all be hosts and our bodies will let loose the hybrid offspring of these space invaders. Too bad, I was hoping they would be a benevolent species. Molly's offspring seems to be ok but we still don't know what he exactly wants. (As Kern often warns her.)
Yes, I'm still a little suspicious of Molly's offspring. Why did Ethan choose to break the glass and scare off the Offspring? I don't think it was to break the "illusion" of something that wasn't there such as what he did with his father. Ethan is a lot smarter now and I think he knows there is a threat.
The Offspring boy also said he did what "they wanted," you know the things "Before the Blood."
How they are going to wrap all this up in one episode is beyond me. There is talk of Molly going back up to the Seraphim to change its trajectory. Can they fit all that in one episode and bring us to a satisfying conclusion?
Maybe I'm a little like Ethan because I sense a cliffhanger.
This show has been taking its lumps in the media and there has been no talk of renewal. I've got a feeling we're going to be left hanging and the show will come to a close. I've seen it before and I won't like it but what can we do?
(A fan campaign sending mushrooms to CBS? Yuck.)
Odds and Ends
See the wall hanging behind Ethan? It is not only evocative of galaxies and space but it also suggests the swirls of the Space Spores as they enter the space stations. I should have seen that before! There is also that little spaceman floating within. Is that Ethan and he is only thing that is standing between us and the invaders? Or is it Molly and her venture into space to stop the invasion?
Death Star Alert!
Has everyone seen the tweet picture of JJ Abrams teaser from the Apple I-phone 6 announcement? In the background of his post-it note we get the familiar Death Star architecture. A clue perhaps that Star Wars 7 will see a Death Star?
Do we see similar architecture in Extant? We do!
In fact we've seen it several times. A salute to Star Wars or are we to see the Seraphim as a Death Star of sorts? Why not? It would be cool!
We even get an image behind Sean Glass' head similar to the image of the Death Star coming around Endor before it comes in range of zapping the rebel moon. Work with me people!
Phrenology
We get the phrenology picture in Sam's office again.
Juxtapose that we the image of Charlie wearing the "Doofus cap" for Ethan. It's all suggestive of the theme of what it going on inside the character's heads. What is imaginary and what is real. Sam also says to Molly, "Who am I to say what is real?" Also cool.
I haven't spoken too much on Odin and his subplot. Once again that would be a lot to cover in one finale episode which also makes me think we're headed for a cliff hanger. Kudos to Julie for bringing Ethan back from the dark side. (Star Wars reference!)
"If you can love something then you can be loved." Good on you Julie. To think I've disparaged you in the past. Now I have a feeling she'll be a victim of Ethan's bomb. Not to worry it'll only blow off her legs. She can get another pair.
One episode to go! Can they tie it all up or will they give us a "Death Star" of a cliff hanger and cancel the show?
I can sense the disturbance in the force now.
I could watch this 50 times and still not see what you find important !!!! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat was a compliment right Linda? Yes it was, thanks then!
DeleteFour episodes ago, Dr. Mason called it when he told Molly they didn't have to look for Aliens as they had already been to earth. He studied microfossils in meteorites that had biomarkers of terrestrial bacteria. So is the Fungus outside the spaceship related to Dr. Mason 's find? If the Fungus remains outside the ship it should burn up once the ship re-enters the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteMolly & the offspring could sense each others presence. If the Offspring only wanted to use her as a host, why didn't it protect itself from being cut out of her? Even when it's fetus was being held in that concrete womb incubator he tried to protect her, She wanted to know how he grew so fast. He obviously was sucking something out of the Sheriff but, he was also sucking down those green energy drinks back at the cabin too.
The offspring could get inside the head & heart of anyone he wanted to manipulate & is aware of their disappointments in life. How did he learn he could use the lure of seeing a dead loved one as a tool. The offspring was surprised Molly didn't want to connect with his illusions. Maybe the Aliens are hungry for human emotion. Vicariously feeding off of human memories. A dull species without blood & bodies voyeurs who yearn for their own life experiences.
An energy field appeared when Molly was impregnated with the offspring. Why would a powerful mysterious energy field need a space ship to get to earth? Especially if it was the source of the gooey gold elixir of immortaility. The offspring tells Molly they have to survive. Did the offspring mean he & Molly? Did he mean HIS species? The offspring seemed very bewildered by his own blood. As a little boy, as Marcus & her father the offspring said they had to leave so that he could protect her. Where could he possibly on this doomed green earth want to take Molly to protect her?
Yasumoto sleeps in a cryogenic gel filled vault that preserves him. Twice the show has made reference to Yasumoto's wife asking him to come home early. If Yasumotos's wife & child are cryogenically frozen too & he's hoping to bring them back to life too. Unless he married & outlived 5 families. Maybe the meteorite was a crashed scouting vessel to lure humans into space? Yasumoto said he wasn't alone in the hole for that month. Did he consider the golden goo a living thing or was there alien without blood & body in the hole with him? He concluded that the architect of eternal life & the other alien encounters weren't coincidences.
Loved the scene where Ethan didn't want to wear the Doofas hat. "I'm NOT Wearing THAT!!" Early in the series Ethan voiced his concern about the threat of his family becoming extinct after seeing a display of a extinct species at a museum. Ethan easily saw the correlation between his fathers trance, the odd circles on his neck & the manipulating offspring standing outside & tried to get rid of the threat. But, Ethan didn't recognize the manipulating Odin as a threat.
Is the offspring is a descendent of an ancient species who have been to earth before? I don't think the Faux Katie has a nefarious intent towards Sean. she stated It's Ok. So, I don't think she's saving Sean for a snack later or she would have already disposed of him. Maybe she knows the ship will burn up at re-entry. Maybe the Faux Katie is putting Sean in a safe place. She knows the escape pod is a place of safety. I think the aliens do bond with certain individuals. If they are without body and blood in their original self, perhaps they are HUNGRY or "starved for love", family, and things that humans enjoy and the aliens don't. Maybe they somehow learned through The situation with Yasumoto that they could not only just exist and be extant but, enjoy their existence.
Hey Paula, thanks so much for your well thought out feedback. I just want you to know I spent 45 minutes responding to it last night only to see Google wipe it out when I tried to preview it. Aargh.
DeleteNot to worry I'll get to it soon. Again.
Ok, Paula, let's try this again.
DeleteTo your first point. I think Dr. Mason was speaking in general terms. Earth has been "seeded" since time immemorial. Much like Carl Sagan used to say we are the stuff made of stars. "Stuff" has been hitting Earth ever since.
Will the fungus on the outside of the Seraphim burn up in the atmosphere? Probably. But not the stuff inside, specifically where Sean Glass is located. That's the beauty of their plan. While Molly will be trying to stop the Seraphim from reentering, the escape pod with Glass will be reentering the atmosphere safely carrying Sean home along with the space spores! Clever!
How did the Offspring learn to take on the identities of dead loved ones? Like any infectious virus or bacteria it looks for the weakest point of the host. For us it was our sad memories. The difference with Molly is that she moved beyond her grief and was able to resist the hallucinatory effect of the "possession." Not a weak point! Good for her!
I think Yasumoto considered the "golden goo" as an essence of something greater. Not a sentient form but something that was part of a greater living thing. His definition of "The Architect of Life" may be misleading. At first I thought it was an alien being but now I think it was more along the lines of what Carl Sagan was saying. Perhaps the Space Spores were able to survive for so long because the ran into the same thing. That way, the Spores and the "Architect" are two separate entities.
Yes, Ethan didn't recognize Odin as a threat. He was looking for threats that came from without. Not something that can from within. His heart. He was seduced like many other characters have been in this show. Pretty much a constant theme I'd say. Seduction.
Faux Katie may have not have had any ill will towards Sean but she did for original recipe Katie. I think she is using Sean. What's the first order of survival? Self preservation! She'll count on Sean wanting to save himself and bring the space spores safely to Earth aboard the escape pod.
Now that's nefarious!
Yes I agree that, sounds reasonable!! That While Molly is trying to stop the Seraphim from reentering, the escape pod will be reentering the atmosphere safely carrying the space spores! So perhaps the plan all along was to have Molly redirect the ship as a ruse or distraction.
ReplyDeleteThe offspring said he couldn't stop "THEM" from coming, only Molly could. Will he attempt to help Molly be "SAFE?" by pretending to be Molly and going with her to redirect the Seraphim? Or perhaps his purpose in telling her she was the ONLY one, was to get her to return in the first place to make sure they have a tricky back up plan to get the fungus to earth. I am still so curious about the two flashback scenes in which Yasumoto's wife said to come home early. I can't help but, wonder if that has some signifigance. If they decide to definately not give us a season two. I hope they will tell us a little more about Yasumoto's family and his obvious soon to be demise.
A few silly points, twice they have made reference to the worms they were doing experiments with in the ship. Can't see why they can't negotiate with the fungus to take over the worm bodies instead. Just a thought..... :) If it's just a matter of their survival any creature should do.
I agree there is more than one alien species at work here. But, I think there are at least two entities out there. Could be up to four. Between the fungus, originator of the golden goo, that mysterious energy field, and the species without blood and bodies.
Can't wait until Wednesday......YAAAY
The Offspring may be incubating Molly in space while the rest of Earth will become the petri dish for the invasion. She'll be safe while the rest of humanity will be infected. Grim!
DeleteI think the fungus would rather occupy a space faring race rather than a terrarium based one. I think they can survive but they want to flourish. Worms don't cut it.
True, a poor worms life couldn't be all that exciting. They all died in one of the Episodes......Maybe the naughty aliens get to inhabit bugs and live "A BUGS LIFE"
DeleteBye the way....Thanks for responding. I guess I look at everything metaphorically. I hope as minor as it seems, I would like to find our what was up with the Green Energy Drinks the offspring was chugging down too
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I look at everything metaphorically too. I've been doing it since Fringe. Or maybe Lost. No, the X-Files. Or was it Buffy? Maybe Babylon 5.
DeleteVery interesting comments guys! I love the metaphorical view esp your last write up on religious references Dave. I see where you're going on the fungus reentry idea but I'm not in agreement. Catch me if I'm wrong but didn't the entity make hubby ask Molly not to leave? While offspring wants her to go? Seems like two agendas possibly....
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing male/ female energies & gender roles that do not harmonize and wondering if they would by the end. As a way of protecting the human species...I am curious to see if this resolves in the finale
Also Offsprings eyes and skin had a coptic pattern that glowed when he was being himself rather than hiding of projecting, did anyone notice this?
Isake from.FB watch party
Hi Isake, I'm familiar with your name from the FB group. Good to hear from you.
DeleteI think your right about the Offspring having John telling Molly not to leave. But it seems like the same agenda to me. By having John interact with the Molly projection it keeps him in place while the Offspring manipulates Molly. (For either good or bad.) As we have Kern often repeat, we still don't know what the Offspring's motives are.
You don't have to agree with my "Reentry" theory btw. But I do have another theory where Molly goes into space and when she returns "triumphant" we don't know if it is the original Molly or a copy!
Maybe the male/female energies don't interact or can't interact because the Space Spores are basically asexual.
I like your take on the "coptic pattern" of the eyes. I didn't notice the relation. Something to watch for.
Thanks for the feedback Isake!
I had the same thought about whether the real Molly will return or not. I can't wait to see how her alien encounter changes the course of human history. Also, I'm with Isake on the Eye thing, because in the original promotion of Extant It shows details of an eye. Of course I am probably reading more into what the promo meant. But, the promo showcased various earth life forms, flora and fauna, from the cellular level all the way up to the complex human eye. This series covered so many concepts. What is human conciousness? When is a life form sentient, Is one life form valued more than another, therefore more disposable than another? And why humans memorialize their dead and can't accept that life ends.
ReplyDeleteWell, the spooky part is not accepting that life ends. It makes up so much of mankind's mythology! Ever read the book, "Childhood's End"?
DeleteI think there will be another series sequel. Plenty of room for speculation here. I noticed an intact capsule being blown off to the side after the explosion. Where is it heading? What is in that capsule? Surviving spores? If the capsule isn't hurdling to earth.....will some unfortunate future space explorers encounter it? Wouldn't the Offspring be able to sense they survived and take additional orders from them?
DeleteWhat about the older couple who picked up the offspring and said "IT'S OK"? The Offspring responded to that and their reassurance they wouldn't hurt him. The offspring breaking the glass twice. Was the offspring learning revenge?
Are they going to download Ethan's Essence back into a physical form? Probably isn't even possible if he's in every technological device. While his father was uploading the ISEA system into him, Ethan was smart enough to upload himself into ISEA's system very rapidly. He had already shown himself to be able to lock his father out and do things he wasn't programmed to do. As he told Molly, he could even control Ben. He was willing to do whatever it took to save his mother. I still want to know what happened to Yasumoto and his family. What is that Golden Goo Elixir Stuff? Maybe it's the blood of some other species? Maybe they will find out that the green Energy drinks the offspring was sucking down has a similar consistency of the golden goo. It's just missing a few chemical compounds.
Again is the source of the Golden Goo Elixir out there in space looking for his lost Elixir? Perhaps the meteor was on it's way to another destination and diverted by the space spores on purpose. Maybe the meteorite spaceship crash was the result of a Alien Space Scientist having too much golden goo to drink.
P.S. Odin will not be happy to learn that Ethan is EVERYWHERE!!!
ReplyDelete