The Frogs

[BeatriceEagle]

So.  In case someone on this board hasn't heard yet, "The Frogs" is the Easter Egg in today's new content.

And I have a Theory.  Frogs are a metaphor for the anomaly.  Not only are they mentioned, y'know, a lot in the Easter Egg, but also...it just makes sense.  Or at least it could make sense.

Frogs have different stages of development: tadpole and frog.  It's also possible (some people have raised this point) that the anomaly has two (or more!) stages of development.

So.  Just a thought.

[BruceCohenPDX]

You know, the character who isn't what he/she appears to be is common in tv writing; the character who is waiting behind a mask to leap out and perform acts of great evil is a necessary part of a show about FBI profilers who look for people like that.   I think the frogs are a reminder that kissing a princess might get you a frog, a princess, or an extremely pissed-off Tars Tarkas with 4 huge knives, one in each hand. (green princesses in leathers are a special case).

Incidental note to producers: you probably know this, but I'll remind you anyway, the traditional way to conceal the frog wrangler's phone number is to use a number on the 555 exchange.  Not only are no such numbers given out to the public, dialing one gets your incoming caller id and the particular number you called recorded.  It used to be, though I don't know if they still do it, that a production would request a number from the phone company, and they could ask how many hits (and from what area) they got on that number after the show aired.

[Emma Bull]

Thanks, Bruce! We used the 555 trick (it being traditional) with the Living Word of God easter egg. I hadn't known that bit about production calling the phone company after the show aired, though. Cool!

We figure whatever fan photocopied a script for pass-around must have been conscientious about hiding the phone number. After all, 555 isn't a real phone exchange or area code in Beto's universe... *g*

[Elizabeth Bear]

It's all about the transformation, isn't it?

[nebula]

Interesting link Bea.

Also, not all tadpoles survive to become frogs.

[Malthus25]

So, the script was (putatively) written on 11/22/07, going by what you can see thru the blackout.

And Gina the Frog Wrangler's number is 310-869-?, with ? probably being 9999, but it could be 4444, 7777, 2222, or something else entirely.

310-869 is (some portion of) LA. I did a little Google searching, no hits. [A couple of pages with 310-869-* numbers and frog-associated businesses elsewhere].


Changing subjects slightly: "The Frogs" is the title of an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes. In the play, the frogs are the chorus heard when crossing the Styx. I don't know if this is relevant, but it is interesting.
[There are other elements of the play that might fit this piece, but to my mind all other fits are sort of strained].

Anyone have any clue what "Judge Crater's mark" might mean?

[MadGastronomer]

Malthus, the authors have already quasi-acknowledged the nod to Aristophanes in another thread.

[Emma Bull]

In the play, the frogs are the chorus heard when crossing the Styx.

And that whole crossing-the-Styx thing is not anybody's favorite way to spend Saturday night. 

[glinda_w]

And that whole crossing-the-Styx thing is not anybody's favorite way to spend Saturday night. 

Hm. And it's Chaz. Why am I getting a sense of foreboding about this one?

[Emma Bull]

You can comfort yourself with the recollection that the team's job is to prevent lots of other people from crossing the Styx before their previously scheduled departure time. So maybe it's safe after all to ask for whom the frogs toll?

Yet another possible thematic influence in the script is that the frogs are an introduced species that proved highly successful, like rabbits in Australia. Hmmm.

[BruceCohenPDX]

The frog chorus in Aristophanes' play always reminded me of a cheer at a high school pep rally: "Brekekekex, koax, koax".  A dream sequence in which cheerleaders play frogs might be interesting.  Or weird, which works too.

[MadGastronomer]

Somehow, I cannot manage to see either Chaz or Hafs as Dionysos.  Or his slave.  On the other hand, being divine, Dionysos didn't have to die and got to come back from Tartaros.

[Elizabeth Bear]

Judge Crater is one of Beto's cats. ;-) He's quite active in animal rescue, you see, and his (the actor's) somewhat spoiled cats are notorious on the set.

[Cinderberry]

Hang on. Wait. There're actors? 

[Elizabeth Bear]

That's who uses scripts! Did you see that Shadow Unit: The TV show thread? :-)