Force Majeure... some questions..

[The Old Man]

Originally posted by Laredo...

Posted by: Laredo Today, 02:09 AM

While I'm not new to Millennium, I didn't get to watch many first time it aired, and I recently picked up the boxsets, suffice to say I'm hooked.

My girlfiriend and myself sat down to watch this episode and were left feeling a little confused. Is there any defined reason the two girls killed themselves? Was it because the man in the iron lung would not make May 5th? Or was it an offering to the event out of fear? I wasn't sure quite what the motive of the two girls was by the end, and whether it was the phone call which was the catalyst for their actions.

Also, the inbreeding of the new humans that the man was creating, it was meant to be an incestuous line? I presume that because Noah's remaining family would imply a similar situation this is why the Iron Lung man took this choice despite the genetic risks - biblical event over scientific fact?

Posted by: HighPlainsDrifter Today, 04:33 AM

if i remember right, the two girls killed themselves knowing that Iron Lung Man was dying. The children are clones that where made in his image. A good website that explains the episodes are https://www.fourthhorseman.com/Abyss/Episodes/Episodes.htm

Posted by: Laredo Today, 10:46 AM

QUOTE(HighPlainsDrifter @ Jun 20 2007, 04:33 AM) *

if i remember right, the two girls killed themselves knowing that Iron Lung Man was dying. The children are clones that where made in his image. A good website that explains the episodes are https://www.fourthhorseman.com/Abyss/Episodes/Episodes.htm

Actually the wonderful Abyss was the first place I went, but didn't really feel it answered the question with any more certainty than I had. But I presume then we are to assume that their methods of death in form they took (in relation to the predictions of May 5th) were done, not as self-immolation for the upcoming event, but to show their suicide didn't deter them from their conviction or belief in the upcoming event, or their faith in their father figure.

I'm not trying to be pedantic, I love that episode, but just felt that given the first half centers around their death, I never felt it was clear just as to what the deaths signified to their belief, themselves or their father figure.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

yes it does seem vague, but my thoughts about it was they did it for their father. If i remember right i thought the family would be taking up residency in what they consider the Ark, in the basement of the atrium in Idaho

[Guest Jim McLean]

yes it does seem vague, but my thoughts about it was they did it for their father. If i remember right i thought the family would be taking up residency in what they consider the Ark, in the basement of the atrium in Idaho

Ooh, I exist again. :)

Yes, it was vague, and I think quite how the family intend to exist after the event, be it inter-breeding or with any other surviors is probably not relevant to the story as such, especially as the Iron Lung man has such a devotion in the "to the letter" accuracy of the OT's account of Noah.

I was just a little surprised that there was so little resolution to the girls suicide, as it was so thought out and specific, for it to be merely because the Iron Lung guy wouldn't surviving, didn't see to entirely add up.. given Peter said posture was indicative of an offering... as I said, maybe it was an offering of acceptance to the ILG's prediction of the future, and a statement that without him, they wanted no part of it.

Yes, vague end to a brilliant tale.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

i am gonna try and watch it today and repost

[Guest Jim McLean]

i am gonna try and watch it today and repost

Great, as I would love to hear some in depth thoughts on the episode - surprisingly little to be found on the net!

[Guest Laurent.]

Yes, vague end to a brilliant tale.

Indeed it seems to be the case with a lot of Chip Johannessen's episodes (the writer of Force Majeure).

surprisingly little to be found on the net!

I also had this problem when I first became interested in Millennium... there are not a lot of in depth analysis and discussions about the episodes. This Is Who We Are is by far the best place you're going to find to quench your Millenniumistic thirst.

Welcome to the board!

[Guest Jim McLean]

Indeed it seems to be the case with a lot of Chip Johannessen's episodes (the writer of Force Majeure).

I'll bare that in mind for the future!

I also had this problem when I first became interested in Millennium... there are not a lot of in depth analysis and discussions about the episodes. This Is Who We Are is by far the best place you're going to find to quench your Millenniumistic thirst.

Quite honestly, I didn't really expect to find any active Millennium communities still running - so I'm very happy.

Thanks.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

ok i re-watched it. Here are things i find intresting: Noah believes that even though he is three years away that things are now beginning "The Thousand Days Have begun". With him dying and the thousand days, i think they committed suicide. THen again how come the other children didnt kill themselves? I wonder where they are hiding at until its time to go to the Atrium? Did Hoffman join in with the children to save himself? or is he planning to help repopulate after the MM?

once again more questions than statements of observation. i did enjoy the episode

[Guest Jim McLean]

ok i re-watched it. Here are things i find intresting: Noah believes that even though he is three years away that things are now beginning "The Thousand Days Have begun". With him dying and the thousand days, i think they committed suicide. THen again how come the other children didnt kill themselves?

This was my query. I think some of Frank and Peter's hypothesis cloud the issue with red herrings. They talk about the two kids maybe having been expelled from the collective, but the rest of the story doesn't adhere to that.

I think the other children didn't kill themselves because like the suicide pair, they were utterly loyal to the father figure and they also believed in the thousand days... just even twins are human and those two were unable to cope with the death of the father figure and/or the reality of thousand days beginning. Maybe their love for the iron lung man was so great that the thought of having to suffer the toils ahead were meaningless.

Question is, was there choice of deaths acting out prophecy intentionally, or was prophecy merely fulfilling itself?

I wonder where they are hiding at until its time to go to the Atrium? Did Hoffman join in with the children to save himself? or is he planning to help repopulate after the MM?

Clearly he will be repopulating with them given the hand gesture, but no, I don't think it was really to save himself - he could have gone to the Atrium on the 5th anyway. I think it was to be with people who thought like him. He wanted like minded understanding all the way through the episode. This was the only resolution he had.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

i think Hoffman really bought into Noahs beliefs. He was on his knees beside the iron lung as if Noah was his savior. Hoffman was a odd duck, but he knew what he was doing