Matryoshka

[Guest SouthernCelt]

My puzzle:

After several viewings, I like this ep. better and better; however, I'm still not clear on Alexander's dichotomy. Was he schizophrenic, i.e., had multiple (2 in this case) personalities? Was he possessed of a demon? Or had something caused the development of a personality that was the polar opposite of his normal, presumably original, personality (in the manner of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the radiation perhaps)? I get the point that the fission reaction in the uranium and plutonium that the project was using for the bomb(s) was known in a laymanish fashion as 'splitting the atom' so Alexander wanted to separate his personalities permanently but would have to die to do so. Anyone care to offer anything to make the dual personality issue clearer?

The BIG error (in my opinion):

Alexander exposes himself to the fatal dose of radiation by moving the two plutonium masses into near proximity (to approach critical mass). If the limited time of exposure to the near-runaway fission reaction generated enough radiation to kill him rapidly and contaminate his body to the degree implied in the disinterment autopsy, Agent Lanyard, who was standing within 10 to 15 feet would likely have been exposed to a lethal dose as well and would not likely have lived another 50 years. Besides the radiation directly from the plutonium, he was approached/attacked by Alexander (in the form of Kroll) and was at least briefly exposed to any radioactive particles that Alexander/Kroll had on him from the plutonium. I would have expected Lanyard to have developed leukemia or another malignancy from his exposure and never lived so long. Apparently this is one of those details that the viewer is expected to just skim over w/o much thought.

[Guest ___ L@the_of_Heaven___]

My puzzle:

After several viewings, I like this ep. better and better; however, I'm still not clear on Alexander's dichotomy. Was he schizophrenic, i.e., had multiple (2 in this case) personalities? Was he possessed of a demon? Or had something caused the development of a personality that was the polar opposite of his normal, presumably original, personality (in the manner of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the radiation perhaps)? I get the point that the fission reaction in the uranium and plutonium that the project was using for the bomb(s) was known in a laymanish fashion as 'splitting the atom' so Alexander wanted to separate his personalities permanently but would have to die to do so. Anyone care to offer anything to make the dual personality issue clearer?

The BIG error (in my opinion):

Alexander exposes himself to the fatal dose of radiation by moving the two plutonium masses into near proximity (to approach critical mass). If the limited time of exposure to the near-runaway fission reaction generated enough radiation to kill him rapidly and contaminate his body to the degree implied in the disinterment autopsy, Agent Lanyard, who was standing within 10 to 15 feet would likely have been exposed to a lethal dose as well and would not likely have lived another 50 years. Besides the radiation directly from the plutonium, he was approached/attacked by Alexander (in the form of Kroll) and was at least briefly exposed to any radioactive particles that Alexander/Kroll had on him from the plutonium. I would have expected Lanyard to have developed leukemia or another malignancy from his exposure and never lived so long. Apparently this is one of those details that the viewer is expected to just skim over w/o much thought.

Excellent observation SC! Very good point; I think that the writers likely expect that we will be SO darn caught up in the more tantalizing aspects of the story that we'll miss that logical extrapolation. But, little did they know that YEARS later a team of brilliant experts (well, maybe with the exception of MillenniuMisBliss...) would be cleverly examining and finding such flaws!!!

Good job!

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

they know that YEARS later a team of brilliant experts (well, maybe with the exception of MillenniuMisBliss...) would be cleverly examining and finding such flaws!!!

Good job!

Well L@the, as a great man once said, you can tell how brilliant a man is by the books on his book shelf. Unfortunately, I don't got no books.

[4th Horseman]

Well L@the, as a great man once said, you can tell how brilliant a man is by the books on his book shelf. Unfortunately, I don't got no books.

MIB...this is a direct quote from Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense episode....

I think, at least what i interpret, is that Crowe was trying to "split" off that portion of him that felt that development of nuclear capability, especially for use in wartime was wrong. Yet he was compelled to continue R/D on it. Remember, he leaves that note to his daughter in the hopes that she does not follow in his footsteps...

i as well wonderered about the critical mass scene, and thought it strange that the sphere of influence only included Alexander...

I also think there is another error in the episode, but i will re-watch it before i post...if i remember, when Alexander attacks Lanyard and is K.O.'d by Lanyard using the hatstand, he appears to fall face down, yet the next scene shows him lying face up...i will have to go back and verify...

4th Horseman...

4th Horseman....

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

MIB...this is a direct quote from Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense episode....

I think, at least what i interpret, is that Crowe was trying to "split" off that portion of him that felt that development of nuclear capability, especially for use in wartime was wrong. Yet he was compelled to continue R/D on it. Remember, he leaves that note to his daughter in the hopes that she does not follow in his footsteps...

i as well wonderered about the critical mass scene, and thought it strange that the sphere of influence only included Alexander...

I also think there is another error in the episode, but i will re-watch it before i post...if i remember, when Alexander attacks Lanyard and is K.O.'d by Lanyard using the hatstand, he appears to fall face down, yet the next scene shows him lying face up...i will have to go back and verify...

4th Horseman...

4th Horseman....

LOL, I didn't think it would be long before someone picked up on that quote. In the discussion of "Doomsay Defense", I think Giebelhouse sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, and I thought Stephen James Lang really showed some comic acting talent in that episode.... although Lance, Terry and all involved did an awesome job as well.

As for Matryoshka, I really struggled to get through that episode the first time around, and I don't remember if the second go around improved on that point of view. If it had, I probably would have remembered, so it couldn't have left a very good or lasting impression. I can now say that I have given every episode and honest and fair shake, and that one kind of remains on the bottom rung of the ladder for me. Very good comments on it from all involved though.

[Guest SouthernCelt]

As for Matryoshka, I really struggled to get through that episode the first time around, and I don't remember if the second go around improved on that point of view. If it had, I probably would have remembered, so it couldn't have left a very good or lasting impression. I can now say that I have given every episode and honest and fair shake, and that one kind of remains on the bottom rung of the ladder for me. Very good comments on it from all involved though.

I wasn't impressed or particularly intrigued by the story at its original airing. Once I got the DVDs, I watched it for the second time in series order and did a little better understanding it. (Being able to watch the series in marathon viewings or with little time between eps seems to help keep the interconnections between eps fresher.)

A while back I bought the DVD of "Fat Man and Little Boy" about the development of the bomb and when I decided to partake of a weekend of Millennium recently, I decided to watch 'Matryoshka' again to enable a little better comparison to the straight Los Alamos story. The third watching gave me the newly found appreciation for the story; there was a lot of story packed into that one standard-length episode. I liked the flashback dramatization of the events; sort of reminded me of a couple of the X-Files eps, like the one that dramatized the origins of the CSM. I also liked the inclusion of real-life characters, e.g., Hoover, Tolson, and the references to Edward Teller.

[Guest ___ L@the_of_Heaven___]

Well L@the, as a great man once said, you can tell how brilliant a man is by the books on his book shelf. Unfortunately, I don't got no books.

I've heard 'His elevator doesn't go all the way to the top' and 'He's a few beers short of a six-pack', but I've never heard 'The man's got no books on his shelf...'

Explains a lot... :grin:

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

I've heard 'His elevator doesn't go all the way to the top' and 'He's a few beers short of a six-pack', but I've never heard 'The man's got no books on his shelf...'

Explains a lot... :grin:

LOL, I'm sure you will find going forward that I have a lot in common with the "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" version of Geibelhouse. In fact, if there is ever a movie about my life, I will insist that the part of me is played by Stephen James Lang.

[Guest betweenthelines]

This is the one where it was revealed that J. Edgar Hoover had a hand in helping the Millennium Group become more "modern", right (I only saw it once when I watched Season 3 on DVD...)? I just find it funny how in addition to initating the very first X-File (as revealed in Season 1's 'Shapes'), he also got involved with the Group. Must have been a very busy man, that J. Edgar Hoover ;).

[Guest ___ L@the_of_Heaven___]

This is the one where it was revealed that J. Edgar Hoover had a hand in helping the Millennium Group become more "modern", right (I only saw it once when I watched Season 3 on DVD...)? I just find it funny how in addition to initating the very first X-File (as revealed in Season 1's 'Shapes'), he also got involved with the Group. Must have been a very busy man, that J. Edgar Hoover ;).

Yeah..., and he STILL had time to 'dress' for tea...