[S3E3] Questions Answers
The Springsteens mention a bunch of Shakespeare during their weird lunch quiz: "Macbeth," "Henry IV, Parts I & II," and "The Merry Wives of Windsor." I took two classes on Shakespeare in college but couldn't answer any of the trivia questions if my life depended on it. Rory also mentions "The Manticore" at the same dumb lunch.
[S3E3] Questions Answers
Thoughts:There are so many things to say about this episode that I don't even know where to begin. Rory's Harvard application finally arrives and she and Lorelai treat it like it's the fucking US Consitution. Lorelai babbles on idiotically about hypothetical answers to extraordinarily simple questions and Rory somehow refrains from punching her in the face.
Everything is fine until the college admissions panel, when Rory finds out that her basic bitch answers might not fly with the snobs at Harvard. Granted, the panel is full of assholes who clearly hate their jobs and want to ruin the lives of every student in the audience.
Since Rory and Lorelai are now collectively freaking out about the application, they decide to consult Headmaster Charleston, who suggests a lunch with a Harvard alumnus who will answer all of their questions. The man they meet with is Darren Springsteen, class of '74. He is, without a doubt, a serial killer, a cult leader, or maybe both?
Vanessa Rule: A big part of how we encourage learning is through the process of coaching. That's a scary word for some people, but there's always somebody who, we talk about coaching as being the fish out of the fish bowl. You don't know you're in water if you're in water. Having that sort of person asking you questions to get you to sort of connect the dots is a really important part of the process. That connects back to the leadership development.
She's now coaching moms in California and other parts of the country. One of the things she says to them is, "I'm just one step ahead of you". Just that connection and that reassurance. A lot of people just need courage. They know what to do once they believe they can do it. But it's shifting from, again that place of powerlessness and, "Other people have the answers. There are experts out there", to realizing that we're the leaders we've been waiting for.
Corwin has translated the probe's message. It sends a series of questions about various subjects such as physics, quantum mechanics, molecular biology, and genetics. He theorizes that it's an intelligence test to determine who is worthy of first contact. It promises cures for every known disease and technological advances if they pass, and threatens to kill them all with a 500,000 megaton explosion if they don't supply all the correct answers within 24 hours.
Ivanova reports that the probe began a countdown to thermonuclear detonation the moment the message was decoded. Sheridan asks if they can disarm the bomb, but Ivanova points out that the hull is seamless. Any attempt to disarm or destroy the probe would result in immediate detonation. The test involves just over 600 questions, some of which have to be outsourced to answer. They wonder about the motives of the race who sent it.
Franklin, agitated, is attempting to examine a Llort patient. The translator is 30 minutes late, and Franklin is frustrated by his inability to communicate with the patient who is in obvious distress. He is snappish with the other doctor (the same woman in charge of Lennier's care after the bomb), but is interrupted by Ivanova asking after the questions. He hasn't had a chance to check back, and Ivanova reminds him of the urgency of their situation. He then decides to do an exploratory surgery on the Llort patient. He opens his drawer and picks up a stim injector, but decides against using it at this time.
Sheridan checks up on the progress of the questions. They have all but 5, and Ivanova asks Corwin to check the reply so they don't get killed over a typo. Sheridan orders the weapons system to power up slowly. Corwin interrupts to report that the Transport Association is on the link for him. Sheridan sets the meeting time at an hour after the probe is supposed to detonate.
Franklin calls Dr. Gonzales on Earth, asking after the answers to the questions. She answers that they have all of the answers but two, and that they need a certain scientist to answer them. Franklin tells her that without them all, they're worthless, and that she'll have a quarter-million dead on her hands. She is aghast at the accusation, and Franklin snarls that they have four hours to live and she had better get on it now, or else. The other doctors watch his irate display awkwardly. The doctor he was working with before asks if he's all right. He says that he is, and asks after the Llort. She says he's not doing well, and Franklin assigns Dr. Estevez to his case. Franklin opens his drawer and eyes the stims again, this time opting to take one.
At three minutes to transmission time, Sheridan again wonders aloud about the content of the message. He asks Ivanova to repeat what the message promised in return for the answered questions. She does so, and his skepticism increases further. He reasons that any species able to answer the probe's questions would already be advanced enough to have the technology and knowledge the probe is offering. Corwin calls two minutes, and Sheridan decides to wait. Due to the anonymity of the probe, he isn't convinced they have correctly interpreted the new alien species's motives.
Sheridan voices a different theory: that their earlier conclusion was incorrect and that it makes more logical sense for the probe to be a "berserker", looking to eliminate any advanced race powerful enough to conceivably threaten its creators. Ivanova isn't sure he's right, but Sheridan holds firm. The deadline passes and the probe fails to detonate, instead moving away from the station. Sheridan decides that, to spare the next people the probe finds, he'll send the answers remotely to a maintenance drone when B5 is safely out of the blast radius. Doing so results in the probe detonating spectacularly.
Billy is running for his life. He makes it to a payphone and dials 911. Before he can answer the operator his world is turned upside down. Literally Billy is taken to a dark mirror dimension. He is screaming for answers when he is faced with his doppelgänger. This made me wonder. Does the monster not only have the power to possess a body but also take the form of someone that you trust? If it wants Billy to bend to its will it must earn his trust.
So many questions left to answer. Billy brought the female lifeguard to the monster. Will she be another host? Will the town soon be dealing with an army of evil doppelgängers? The Upside Down always appears so dark and dead. Is the Monster intent on stripping our world of life and color? Is it trying to build a replica of its own world? Darrell and Addi would love to hear your thoughts and theories about chapter two. www.goldenspiralmedia.com/feedback. Until next week. Keep your eyes open for all things strange.
After spending six weeks at the commune, Eddie asks Locke about his father, but there's nothing much to talk about, according to Locke. Eddie then asks Locke about the greenhouse he is never let into. He claims there are too many secrets in this "family." When Eddie observes several large bags of fertilizer being taken into the greenhouse he says he knows what's going on, and he wants in on whatever they are blowing up. Locke laughs but says he will talk to Mike and Jan and will try to arrange answers to Eddie's questions.
Robert is at the dining table with Sir Anthony Strallan, Tom Branson, and Matthew, and he says how nice it is to have men in the family at last. Strallan says that Lady Edith, he then corrects it to just Edith, says that Tom is interested in politics. Robert jokes that Tom is their tame revolutionary, and every family should have one. Matthew questions if he actually is tame, and Tom replies that he is tame enough for a game of billiards. Tom and Matthew drink their wine and go. Robert tells Strallan that they are getting used to Tom, and he hopes Strallan will too. Strallan says that he and Robert haven't spoken since the engagement, and he understands why Robert was against it. But he hopes that Robert knows that he will do his level best to make Edith happy. Robert says that he does and it was never at all personal, to which Strallan agrees and says that he understands that it was because of his arm and being too old. Robert tells him that the thing is done, and there is no reason to "rake it over". Sir Anthony Strallan asks him if he is happy, and Robert says that he is happy that Edith is happy and that Strallan intends to make her happy, and that is enough happiness to be going on with (in other words he is still not thrilled with the situation). Strallan looks unsure about unraveling that answer.
Isobel and the Dowager are being taken to the picnic in the chauffeur-driven car of Sir Anthony Strallan. Violet thanks him, but he says that it was on the way. He tells Isobel that he wishes that she had let him sit in the front seat, but Isobel says that she prefers it and has ridden in the front many times. Violet calls her a "wild thing". Strallan assures them that there has never been a safer method of travel, to which Violet amends "or a faster one". He describes Edith as a "speed fiend who likes to go at a terrific lick". Violet asks if he thinks that he will be able to keep up with her, to which Strallan replies that he'll try. Isobel asks if Violet knows about Eryholme and what it is like. Violet answers that her late husband kept the shooting there, and they sometimes had luncheon in the house. She says that it is nice enough, as a retreat from the world, but that she wouldn't have thought it suited to much else.
O'Brien is in Cora's bedroom, explaining the misunderstanding. Cora believes that she must have said something that Mr. Molesley misinterpreted. But O'Brien tells her that she never says anything to Molesley other than requests to pass the salt or get out of the way. Cora is unconvinced and feels let down, especially as it is right on top of the wedding. There in a knock on the door, as Mrs. Hughes has been sent for, and O'Brien is dismissed with a thank you. Cora gets right to the point and tells Mrs. Hughes that she understands that she isn't well. Mrs. Hughes questions whom Cora has been talking to. To her query Cora responds that it was not Dr. Clarkson. After a pause, Mrs. Hughes tells her that it is not confirmed that she is ill, but she admits that she has had a test, and she is waiting for a result. She goes on to insist that she is perfectly capable of functioning in her job, but Cora cuts her off to convey that there is only one thing that she wants to say. She lets Mrs Hughes know that if she is ill she is welcome at Downton for as long as she wishes, and Lady Sybil will even find her a suitable nurse. Mrs. Hughes is a bit stunned, but Cora continues to say that she doesn't want her to worry about where she will go or who will take care of her, the answer she says is here and they will. Mrs. Hughes has been moved to tears and doesn't know what to say. But Cora replies that there is nothing more to say until they know where they stand one way or the other. Mrs. Hughes sincerely thanks her. 041b061a72