Jump to content

Peter Watts transition from "The Time is Now" to "Exegesis"

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

There's been a lot of discussion about Peter's character arc throughout the years, but after recently finishing Season 2 again, gaining new insights, then beginning Season 3, it struck me that Peter's behavior is unexplained as it relates to the "The Time is Now" to "Exegesis" (his first appearance in Season 3). Toward the end of "The Time..." Peter has finally agreed with Frank that the MG really cares about control more than anything else, and so at Frank's urging, Peter goes to apparently rescue Lara Means. He's of course stopped by some MG soldiers in suits, and then there's the mysterious phone call to Frank where we here a distraught Peter yell, "Frank," and then we're left wondering what exactly went down as car doors are slammed shut.

Which takes us to "Exegesis." While it's plausible that Frank is pissed and distrustful of Peter and believes the MG killed Catherine, there's no explanation as to what happened that night outside of the cabin where Lara had gone insane. Was Peter once again convinced by the MG that they were a force for good? Was his family threatened? After meeting with Frank outside of Jordan's new school, he returns to the car with Mabius in the backseat who asks "What does he know?", to which Peter responds, "Not much. Not yet." Curious what everyone thinks about this. Is it a case of yet another classic hole in the plot and storyline, or something else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/21/2022 at 11:43 AM, davidmarx2000 said:

There's been a lot of discussion about Peter's character arc throughout the years, but after recently finishing Season 2 again, gaining new insights, then beginning Season 3, it struck me that Peter's behavior is unexplained as it relates to the "The Time is Now" to "Exegesis" (his first appearance in Season 3). Toward the end of "The Time..." Peter has finally agreed with Frank that the MG really cares about control more than anything else, and so at Frank's urging, Peter goes to apparently rescue Lara Means. He's of course stopped by some MG soldiers in suits, and then there's the mysterious phone call to Frank where we here a distraught Peter yell, "Frank," and then we're left wondering what exactly went down as car doors are slammed shut.

Which takes us to "Exegesis." While it's plausible that Frank is pissed and distrustful of Peter and believes the MG killed Catherine, there's no explanation as to what happened that night outside of the cabin where Lara had gone insane. Was Peter once again convinced by the MG that they were a force for good? Was his family threatened? After meeting with Frank outside of Jordan's new school, he returns to the car with Mabius in the backseat who asks "What does he know?", to which Peter responds, "Not much. Not yet." Curious what everyone thinks about this. Is it a case of yet another classic hole in the plot and storyline, or something else?

Frank always thought Peter was a "true believer" with respect to the MG, who he did not trust, thought was a cult, and believed was responsible for Catherine's death. But while Peter was enamored w/MG, he wasn't a bad guy (though could've become one I think) and didn't wish ill on Frank at all. He was torn in his loyalties, as I saw it, and did eventually come to have some insight into MG that he hadn't before. Haven't watched it in years, though, so I'm just responding from memory.

"The Time..." was a major cliffhanger episode, so it wouldn't have all been clarified in S3E1 though I doubt the writers had it all figured out either. There were a lot of changes in writers and direction of the show between the two seasons, as you no doubt know.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree. Peter was definitely torn in his loyalties, and it probably was a mix of the difficulty of clarifying what occurred in one episode as well as the shift in writers. Just struck me as odd, "Not much. Not yet," like the MG did kill Catherine and Peter was aware, or at least that the virus was deliberately spread by the MG. It makes me wonder what the group had on Peter. I think it would have been awesome if at some point they showed us what transpired between Peter and the MG soldiers on the night Lara went insane. Where was he taken? What did the MG tell him or how did it threaten him?

Edited by davidmarx2000
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

First off Glad to be here. Haven’t been on an MM forum since the old Fox board where we discussed MM like crazy. Anyway here goes my first post here and I’ll try to answer your questions in order: 

- So first the overall thing is Frank and Peter were indeed close. I don’t think people realize that when the first episode Airs Frank doesn’t know the true nature of the MM Group. On the surface they are a group of Ex law enforcement solving crimes and this is what Frank goes in thinking. Ultimately however it’s shown that The MM Group, The Owls, The Nazi’s, and the Templars are all secret societies wrestling for control after the prophetic apocalypse at the Millennium. 
 

- With the above in Mind, Frank had zero idea about what the group but as season 1 plays out it’s slowly revealed there’s more than meets the eye about the MM group and as the series goes on and Frank is initiated into the group and more and more of the secret of the MM group is revealed Frank grows more distrustful of Peter culminating with Cathrine Dying which pushes Frank over the edge and he has a real hatred for Peter.

- Ok so when Peter makes that call and is helping Lara means when she’s going insane it’s implied this was all a plan by Peter to trick Frank or at the least Peter was playing both Frank and the MM group to save his own family. Let’s examine real quick what happens: A highly contagious and Fatal virus is released and while I don’t think the MM group released it, they knew the possibility it would pop up because they already had a cure for the group members. If you remember Frank already had the cure unknowingly, Frank gave Laura’s vaccine to Jordan and Catherine Died of Marburg virus. That’s why Frank was so pissed. The one think he asked Peter was to tell him the Truth and he didn’t and Frank rightfully feels Catherine died because of that. 
 

-I also want to again point out the MM Group didn’t spread the Marburg Virus, but they knew about it possibly erupting into a pandemic enough to have vaccines ready to go for the group members. Later I think in the 2nd season I believe it’s explained what the group is really about which is Control. They don’t solve these murders for the common good of mankind, they were trying to understand the very nature of evil  by gathering people like Frank and Laura means with abilities and they wanted to be in the last man standing at the Prophetic end times at the MM. Then you later find there’s a faction within the MM group called the Owls who differ in philosophy to the Snakes and both groups are at war. You get the idea that something really Biblical is going down in the episode where all the groups are fighting to get the piece of Jesus’ cross which had his blood on it that seems to give who ever possess it The power of miracles. 
 

I’m about to rewatch the first 2 seasons as I found both volumes season 1 and 2 which I found at a thrift store for $8 apiece. I’m about to Watch Laminations right quick 
 


 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad to have you here SKOT. Perhaps your PC privileges were revoked by the Group all these years until now 😉

I'll definitely swing with your theory. Makes sense. Of course, if we're going off of the literal way things played out behind the scenes, the MM was never originally intended to be a secret society with nefarious motivations, but in terms of the way things played out from Season 1 to Season 3 on screen, your explanations hold true. I'll also be diving into Season 2 again this week. Do you mean "Lamentation" from Season 1, or "Luminary" from Season 2?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using our website you consent to our Terms of Use of service and Guidelines. These are available at all times via the menu and footer including our Privacy Policy policy.