Avatar Theory

[Guest KTL]

(Sorry for my bad english)

This is just an interpretation, but every time I watch the Mikado I come to the conclusion, that the Avatar Killer is non other than Captain Bachman! When Frank tells the story of Avatars murders, he says

Stil covered with blood, [Avatar] was seen heading into a public park. Forty police officers were sent into the park. They searched all night, finding no one. The police gave up the search at dawn. Days later, a letter arrived with a swatch of bloody clothing. Avatar accurately described dozens of officers who were searching for him in the park - down to the badge numbers. He was that close.

He certainly wasn't hiding in the bushes, or on one of the trees - the officers would have found him, despite the darkness of the night. He wasn't a civilian either, because - again - the officers would have picked him up. That's why I always thought, Avatar was a police officer. One of the forty officers searching for the killer. That's the only way, he could have seen the badge numbers of the cops, and not be found.

Then, we are introduced to Captain Bachman, who is leading the police investigation in the Internet Killer case. In the webcam discussion with Frank, Peter, and Roedecker Bachman drops this.

I was a homicide detective when Avatar was active. I know the fear he inspired in this city, in this department and, the truth be told, in me.

If the police were using all their resources in the search for avatar, forty police officers just for searching for the park, Bachman could have been there that night also.

Michael Perry says in the audio commentary, that Bachmans attitude towards Frank and Peter is due to the technology between them. But I always thought Bachmans cockyness towards Frank and Peter is similar to Avatars taunting and cockyness toward the police. He knows they can't get to him, and he's the only one seeing the whole picture - he knows, he's the guy they're looking for, and don't even know it.

Later, Avatar sets a trap for the arriving police in his Hellhouse. His plan goes so well, as if he knows police protocols - how they're going to raid the R.V., in witch way the officer is going to approach. Bachman sends out the patrol cars to find the R.V.

I think, even if its not Bachman, Avatar is/or was a police officer. That would explain his ability to slip through the fingers of law enforcement. Just remember what Frank at one point says in The Mikado: "He's been two steps ahead of us all along."

Greetings from Hungary

[Guest Jim McLean]

Love it. I'll bear it in mind when I next watch the episode. Even if wasn't intended, it's a curious and very rational analysis. I like rational and curious analysis!

BTW: English was fine!

Edited June 26, 2008 by Jim McLean

[ethsnafu]

Yeah I'm loving it too,

Whilst I believe it was not the intention of the writers to hint that the Avatar was a particular member of the cast nor do I believe that the narrative even attempts to lay the foundations for such fan speculation I am extremely fond of supposition and adore those who look beyond intention and solve Millennial mysteries creatively.

I shall certainly ram this in my DVD player tomorrow and enjoy it with a new perspective.

Best wishes,

Eth

[Raven Wolf]

And another vote for.... YES, this sounds like a great theory! Makes sense to me!

BTW, your English was better than a lot of America born local folk I know!

[Guest Laurent.]

Great theory! Sadly, there's no way to confirm or infirm it.. but actually there is no need to do so. Best argument I've heard about this particular aspect of the plot.

[BillQS]

Interesting theory, but like others have said, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with authorial intent.

Avatar appears be based on the real life Zodiac killer who murdered several people in the late 60's and early 70's in and around San Francisco. The case was never solved and it was popularized in a best-selling book by Robert Graysmith. The police had a central suspect, who worked in a hardware store, but who died without ever being officially charged or conivcted of the crime.

(Several people, myself included, believe the police had the wrong suspect, because despite much circumstantial evidence, every time a piece of evidence that would firmly establish this suspect as the Zodiac Killer came up, the tests on this suspect would turn out to be negative. This did not stop Graysmith and various other amateur investigators and occasionally the police to hound this suspect mercilessly until his death.)

Zodiac used to use cypher's as clues to police and one break in the case occurred when they found that to disguise his handwriting, Zodiac was using letter-tracing from a movie poster. I think the writers never intended to have Avatar caught in order to feed of the same mystique as Zodiac.

However, it is a novel theory.

Bill

[The Old Man]

Great theories guys! I have to say that one of the many finer points of this episode was that the killer got away this time. I think if Avatar had been caught or killed, it wouldn't have worked as well.

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

I believe I read a similar explanation in a commentary by Kevin Paterson, who wrote a few of the virtual season four episodes.

The actor who played Captain Bachman also played a creepy guy in the X Files episodes Tempis Fugit and Max.

This is one of the few Frank-Black-with-a-gun episodes!

[ethsnafu]

This is another reason why I would love the cast to revisit the episodes one day and record some new commentaries with a few of the fans involved. I know other franchises have used a similar format and it would be a wonderful opportunity to put theories like this one to Michael R Perry and see if there's any grain of truth in our thinking.

Eth

[Guest WaveCrest]

Great theories guys! I have to say that one of the many finer points of this episode was that the killer got away this time. I think if Avatar had been caught or killed, it wouldn't have worked as well.

I agree totally. It made a refreshing change with Avatar not being caught. It cemented The Mikado as being an excellent and well written episode.