3x01, "The Unicorn Evils"

[Elizabeth Bear]

It's a really good list. There's one that I think you missed, and I'm not surprised, because it's buried--and it happens during the leadup to his true breakthrough, in Refining Fire--when he speaks (as someone known to both himself and his target, but not present in the room) with his mother's voice.

[kayjayoh]

It's a really good list. There's one that I think you missed, and I'm not surprised, because it's buried--and it happens during the leadup to his true breakthrough, in Refining Fire--when he speaks (as someone known to both himself and his target, but not present in the room) with his mother's voice.

Really? I thought that would have been included in this:

3. Read-broadcast -- perception and verbal output to anyone in hearing range, speaking as someone else.  We've seen past thoughts (Smoke and Mirrors), present train-of-thought (The Unicorn Evils), and (to me most interestingly) from the target's memory, but speaking as someone other than the target (Not Alone).  The data source is present, but the mirror is reflecting someone who isn't there.

[Elizabeth Bear]

I think it's a different circumstance, personally, because in the Refining Fire case, it's impossible to determine the source of the data--but in Not Alone, it's fairly obviously something that's being transmitted through the victim, and far more like the effect in Smoke & Mirrors.

[jennygadget]

I think it's a different circumstance, personally, because in the Refining Fire case, it's impossible to determine the source of the data--but in Not Alone, it's fairly obviously something that's being transmitted through the victim, and far more like the effect in Smoke & Mirrors.

It's a really good list. There's one that I think you missed, and I'm not surprised, because it's buried--and it happens during the leadup to his true breakthrough, in Refining Fire--when he speaks (as someone known to both himself and his target, but not present in the room) with his mother's voice.

Really? I thought that would have been included in this:

3. Read-broadcast -- perception and verbal output to anyone in hearing range, speaking as someone else.  We've seen past thoughts (Smoke and Mirrors), present train-of-thought (The Unicorn Evils), and (to me most interestingly) from the target's memory, but speaking as someone other than the target (Not Alone).  The data source is present, but the mirror is reflecting someone who isn't there.

Reading back through RF:

"Oh, Willy," said Addy's voice, with her son's mouth. The mirror of what she would have said, God willing. "But by God I'm done with you."

So it's posssible that Chaz can mimic reflect the idea of another person and manipulate that as he likes, not just reflect stuff that has actually been thought/heard.

Although that's not clear.  Chaz's breakthrough comes in response to - among other things - The Relative trying to make Chaz see himself as The Relative wants him to.   And The Relative sees Chaz as a substitute for his mother - even if that clearly wasn't the reaction The Relative was hoping for from Addy.

Although that's even scarier, really, that The Relative may have forced Chaz into reflecting Addy.  Entirely possible, however, considering what The Relative's powers were and the fact that the lead up to Chaz reflecting his mother was Chaz being sucked into the Relative's delusions regarding, um, what exactly was occurring.  It's not entirely clear how much of that* was Chaz just reacting as a normal person would under such durress and how much of it was anomaly related, but he does talk about "battering through the projection."

Which suggests that Chaz had an even more immediate need to get the mirror under control, and and even greater psychological need to do so in secrecy.  Because not being able to control oneself might just mean quitting or being committed to Idlewood, as bad as that would be, but being open to manipulation like that....I think if there is any fate worse that death, that would be it.

And then trying to explain that to people.  Not just in terms of picking at wounds that need to heal ("See, my rapist, delusional, murderous** father - who, by the way, is also my uncle - was able to make me think I was first an angel and then the reincarnation of my mother, and I'm a little worried other people might be able to the something similar.  Can you help me with that?") but also in terms of 1) asking the people you love to be your test subjects when you aren't entirely certain that you are safe to be around and 2) making your abilities all official and thus alerting higher ups in the FBI - whom you don't trust - as to what is your greatest vulnerability...before you've even gotten any of it under control.

*prior to his disappearing act, of course.

**I can't remember at the moment if he ever directly killed anyone, but his actions led to Addy's death and while he didn't succeed in killing Chaz it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.

[Scedasticity]

**I can't remember at the moment if he ever directly killed anyone, but his actions led to Addy's death and while he didn't succeed in killing Chaz it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.

Depends on your definition of 'directly', but he induced several people to kill themselves starting fires, driving trucks into gas stations, etc.

[jennygadget]

**I can't remember at the moment if he ever directly killed anyone, but his actions led to Addy's death and while he didn't succeed in killing Chaz it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.

Depends on your definition of 'directly', but he induced several people to kill themselves starting fires, driving trucks into gas stations, etc.

Ah, yes, of course.  Then the label definitely fits.

[jimsmyth]

**I can't remember at the moment if he ever directly killed anyone, but his actions led to Addy's death and while he didn't succeed in killing Chaz it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.

Depends on your definition of 'directly', but he induced several people to kill themselves starting fires, driving trucks into gas stations, etc.

While I'd be willing to entertain some equivocation on the term "murderer", that certainly qualifies as "murderous" in my book.

[Foxipher Jones]

This is fascinating...  I'm lurking and reading lately as I've been feeling quiet.  You are all awesome.  Spicy hot brains.

[Lioness]

* A friend of mine used to argue that the bias in favor of unintentional cruelty was essentially a biasing of the culture to value men over women, and that for various reasons of socialization (or who know, perhaps underlying biology - this is one of the areas we have some not entirely bullshit reasons to suspect biology underpinnings) men are far more likely to say awful things by accident, and women, if they say such things, are far more likely to say them on purpose. I treat such arguments with extreme care, but I did think this one was interesting...

One of Juan's frequent sayings, and I don't remember who he got it from, is:  "Boys are stupid; girls are cruel."  (Like all of Juan's favorite sayings, it is neither an endorsement nor a simple statement of fact, and should not be taken as either one.)  I'll be pondering your friend's argument in light of that saying for a while, I suspect.

Still thinking about this episode. Gonna be a while. GOOOD episode. Oh, team.

[Felicia1066]

This is fascinating...  I'm lurking and reading lately as I've been feeling quiet.  You are all awesome.  Spicy hot brains.

Um. Everybody has their zombie protection gear ready, I hope?  O.o

[saoba]

This is fascinating...  I'm lurking and reading lately as I've been feeling quiet.  You are all awesome.  Spicy hot brains.

Um. Everybody has their zombie protection gear ready, I hope?  O.o

I'll check it as soon as I've finished making sure the house has no velociraptor entry points! Thanks for the reminder.

(My fandom sits up nights worrying about this stuff.)

[MadGastronomer]

*whips up some spicy cinnamon jello brains to throw to the zombies while we run away*

[glinda_w]

*whips up some spicy cinnamon jello brains to throw to the zombies while we run away*

Ooooh, jello brains. I no longer have the mold for those...

For the zombies, make them with habaneros instead? (well, fire usually works on zombies, right? *grin*)

[HebrewRose]

What do they do at Idlewood other than keeping the residents from hurting people? Have they done anything to see if there's a way to cure someone? I'm sure they've thought about it, but do we know anything about that aspect of Idlewood?

Um. We know there is some form of therapy at Idlewood, at least for more amenable patients, because Susannah Greenwood appeared to have been coached on power-controlling techniques (How Not To Eat People in Three Easy Lessons?). Also, "putting Mr. Friendly back together". There's also forensic work; the patients are described as being repeatedly interviewed by ACTF agents. We know that Srinivasan works on the staff; presumably they do work on things like how gammas can best remain functioning, if not cured. I also wouldn't be surprised if non-anomalous psychological conditions are treated (Jessi Kelly comes to mind). However, the Reyes Mythology doesn't appear to provide for a cure; there is never any indication that Reyes hopes any patient will one day get better, nor is there any real talk about hope for anyone healing.

[Lioness]

The Reyes Mythology makes me suddenly wonder about the Up the Hall Mythology.  Maybe it's something like, "If we avoid looking Down the Hall whenever we can, and make jokes about it if we're forced to look, maybe the bad stuff won't get us."