All Episodes: Ergo Proxy Companion Viewing Guide
Previous: Episode 14:Someone Like You/Ophelia
Next: Episode 16:Dead Calm/Busy Doing Nothing
Nightmare Quiz Show
I really don't care what goes on in this episode past the cute references and the actual information dump. That's all I'll go over. Thanks.
It was Pascal who referred to man as a thinking reed.
The triangle's relationship between its legs and hypotenuse was discovered by Pythagoras. (Actually many other discovered it before him, but his writings are the ones that have been passed down through our history)
Sound is higher pitched as it approaches and lower pitched as it leaves. This is called the Doppler Effect. (The same as light waves being spread out for stars as the universe expands)
4 degrees Celsius is water's highest density.
Nobel invented dynamite.
Astronomical Unites or AU's are the distance between the earth and the sun.
The opening song is called Kiri by Monoral.
The "mistake" could be many things. It could be that the award is 450,000 points after two clues were revealed. (should be 500,000; 600,000 for the first clues, 550,000 for the second, 500,000 for the third) It could be calling the show QQQ instead of QQQQ.... or something else. I never found anything that seemed appropriate, those are other people's guesses.
"You ever seen a blue sky?" Is a strange thing to say. Then again, the domes have false ceilings and outside has always been shown as grey-brown overcast.
"Ergo Proxy" is "close," but the answer is "Proxy One." Who looks exactly like Ergo Proxy. This seems like nonsense, but why is such a nonsequittor mentioned at all? It makes it seem important, but right now it means nothing.
The best guesses that can be made at this point are things like: all the Proxy's look alike until they change their appearances, Proxy One and Ergo Proxy are brothers, Proxy One and Ergo Proxy are clones, Proxy One created all the other proxies, MCQ just used Ergo Proxy's picture to represent this other "Proxy One," MCQ is just messing with Vincent, because, (let's be honest) it's fun to mess with Vincent.
The WombSys image is described as: "Oh yes, it's alive. Although not quite. I don't want to give it all away, but it's not exactly alive. It looks like it's alive but it's a little different."
"moves and grows so it must be alive," this is patently not the definition of alive. Chemical reactions and machines can grow and move on their own. Reproduction and energy consumption are part of the definition of alive. Also possession of DNA and use of water, although none of these are definitive and none really capture what we mean when we think of "alive." Then again, can you think of a better definition?
"Yes, not that the fact is anyone's fault necessarily. I mean that nobody could have possibly foreseen what eventually happened. It took a lot longer for the planet's environment to restore itself to the proper conditions than the creators had expected. That's probably why their calculations got so messed up. Here's a hint. To survive what happened they needed to build themselves a huge dome.
" People, Mankind, Humans, Men and Women. "
No.
Then what are the dome citizens? Are they all autoreives? I would guess not exactly, they are biological, but biological constructs created in WombSys machines. Then they are not exactly alive nor humans. Still. If this rings as a remarkably limited view of alive or human, then you are not alone.
"The plan went into effect in a much harsher "Awakening Environment" than had been originally anticipated. What proved to be the greatest hurdle for the creators under these harsh conditions was the overabundance of data that had been preserved, particularly the "Origin of Species." Within the major cities the need to adapt to an ever changing and fiercely harsh environment was unnecessary. Therefore, despite the fact that they.... the original ... This law... despite their remarkable.... failing, the project was deemed defective. And the program was slated for elimination. But to admit failure, the creators had to acknowledge that the true failure was theirs. "
If you are confused, that's good. These "creators" seem to be the Proxy's, but then, who wrote "the Origin of Species"? Unless the Proxy's did before embarking on their task. And what is this "plan" and "Awakening?"
"Billions of years after the universe was created in the big bang a strangle little planet was born on the edge of an ordinary galaxy. The name of the planet would one day be "Earth." Pools of water began to form, becoming a miraculous ocean with seaweed and fish. Many strange things happened over the next few hundred million years. Later on dry land dinosaurs appeared. Thus began the law of the law of the jungle: eat, be eaten, or run away. Soon we came to the age of mammals. Here, our ancestors were born. In order to catch his prey, one of the ancestors by chance raises the bone he is holding. Yes, this is the moment when the first tool came into existence. (The image of the bone is a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey) Way to go humans!"
Confused again? Good. So these are humans. And they evolved naturally and are earthlings. So then, This universe takes place here and presumably our history is this history. But then how did the Proxies and current WombSys humans come around to existence and why is this an interference in "the plan" and furthermore what is "the plan"?
"The last tool they made. It's a big one. It was rushed. Not everyone could use it so it was a bit useless. It fostered widespread resentment. Someone used it to try to get away from earth. " "Rocket."
"The apocalypse is at hand. This is "mankind's last best hope" (the images and words here are a reference to my favorite TV show, Babylon5) of escape from a world that's heading for destruction. Humanity's very own trump card. Science had finally made interplanetary emigration possible. This would be the last tool manufactured here on earth. Completed through the fusion of ultimate wisdom, it was a spaceship built in geosynchronous orbit and referred to as the Evacuation Ship. The correct answer was the Boomerang Star. An interplanetary immigration ship built by humans long ago."
Alright. Things are coming together. Humans left earth, but not all of them. Somehow the balance of Proxy's and current autoreivs/humans came about afterwards. Maybe Proxies are the descendants of humans and made dome cities to replace what they lost.
"In the second half of the twenty first century the most promising alternative energy source to fossil fuels and nuclear power was made by compressed methane gas in solid form.
The answer was Methane Hydrate
The accumulated Methane Hydrate exploded in a chain reaction. What percentage of living creatures on planet earth were wiped out.
85%
The plan to restore the human population had a double letter acronym. The letters were what?
PP (Proxy Project)
What would the human race no longer need once their numbers had been restored on the planet?
Proxy
As a result of the double P plan or Proxy Project the number of Proxies that were released across the planet was ....?
300 proxies
What is the "Pulse of the Awakening." Think about your current situation.
Conclusion of the Proxy Project
Carl Gustav Jung was known as the author of Psychology and Alchemy. Jung was also know as the King of what
subconscious
Humanity had a second plan involving the current outbreak of the cogito virus, what was it called?
The Boomerang Project
The Egyption God Ra was the god of what. (Vincent: I don't know what that is)
The sun
Beethoven's 5th Symphony is commonly referred to as the what Symphony
It's Fate
A person who trains the mind is a teacher. What is someone that minds a train?
Conductor"
Answers without questions:
Failure. Schism. Escape/Contract. Substitute. Oblivion. Awakening. Fight. Enjoy. No. Labyrinth.
Always wins - "make sure you remember his face" - Proxy One.
This seemed odd before, but now it is doubly exaggerated.
"That's how it goes. I guess Proxies will fight how proxies will fight.
I think we really wrapped everything up well."
The announcement at the end was that "The enemy we are struggling to defeat seems to have originated from here. We need to put our heads together and take this out." Then the announcer disappears in a flash of blue light, like he has been killed as a Proxy, which makes sense since he is one.
Oooookay. There is not much to interpret here. It really is an information dump, but in case you weren't listening this is what was said.
Humans used Methane Hydrate as a fuel source, it built up and in an enormous explosion decimated the planet to 15% of its life. They then constructed their last tool on earth, an evacuation spaceship. This ship was not able to rescue everyone and caused a lot of havoc. It was called the Boomerang Star and was an interplanetary ship. (This indicates to me that it would reach another planet, but also return to earth)
The Proxy Project and Boomerang Project were started as well, one being the Proxies and their domes, the other being the cogito infection. The purpose of each is not clear. The humans on earth now are not "actual" humans and not quite "alive." And "The Pulse of the Awakening" is the end of the Proxy Project.... "Think about your current situation".....? There are a few problems though, the earth has not recovered as "the creators" (original humans) intended. Also their texts were persevered and probably gave the dome cities instability with their lessons of striving for greatness. Maybe this refers to the Proxies knowing them as well, and rebelling against their designated Project goals.
The final answer is Labyrinth, which may be a reference to the Labyrinth of mirrors that Vincent was in when he discovered himself as Ergo Proxy.
[VIEW SPOILERS]
[/SPOILERS]
////////////Reactions:
I hate this episode. The information isn't terribly original and is not presented well. It's nice to have a history of this version of earth given, and lots more information about what is going on with Proxies. Vincent makes me laugh a few times. I still hate this episode a lot. That is about it.
All Episodes: Ergo Proxy Companion Viewing Guide
Previous: Episode 14:Someone Like You/Ophelia
Next: Episode 16:Dead Calm/Busy Doing Nothing
You didn't get it, right?
ReplyDeleteThink again and inform yourself about what it's happening with the awakening. Because there ARE beings like proxies on earth already. More to the point, the creators aren't those who you call "humans" Don't be silly. He's talking about the originals creators, those who came before the Anunnakis. New world order and many other things, the relationship with Vincent, as the rider Death. It's about our near future, my friend, the whole serie is about how they're controling us, through society, religion, sex, drugs, media, medicine. And how they ones who teared apart our dna, have been trying to turn everyone of us into something similar to autoraves. The Cogito virus, which is called "virus" from the system's perspective, is the awakening that is taking place on humanity now. But humans are not the only one who're awakening now. Beings like Proxies, trully exist. Last judgement... dissapointing, because this serie is plenty about this kind of information. This chapter is trully amazing, for hints that is constantly giving away.
Inform yourself.
I'm not ignoring you, I saw this comment a few moments ago. Hopefully I'll be able to give a full response in the near future. It'll hopefully be a thoroughly interesting discussion for both of us. (if you ever return and see my reply)
DeleteMy first impressions are: Why do you think this? and Why do I think you are incorrect?
The ending "inform yourself" is particularly confusing because that is exactly what I am always seeking to do!
SPOILER HEAVY RESPONSE
DeleteAlright so, here is my more full response:
I am not familiar with Anunnakis, nor did I discover things in Ergo Proxy that led me to look them up, but I'm also not familiar with them so maybe there are a lot of references I didn't see because I didn't recognize them.
I don't think Vincent is ever called anything close to "rider Death" he is certainly the Agent of Death, but agent implies 'delivering,' 'servant,' and 'avatar.' Similarly Proxy implies 'messenger,' 'conduit,' 'translation,' and 'proximity.' "Rider Death" would have many more meanings and connections, but I don't think there is any translation in the source material or reference to such a symbol.
The original creators (within the universe of the series) are definitely humans. I don't know what to add since it is spelled out in the guide right there. They speak of the evolution of man reflected in our textbooks today. They speak of inventions our history has made, then talk of humanity and mankind escaping on the Boomerang Project. They speak of humanity creating the Proxy Project and as the cogito virus as part of the Boomerang Project. It says plain and clear "humanity did these things." And other parts of the series say "Proxies did these things." So humans created proxies, and proxies created the characters we've met. I don't see any reason to question that since it isn't really left open to question?
In regards to control - I do see that humans created the proxies that created the sub-humans that probably have to some extent created the autoreivs. In that sense there is control being exerted, and to some extent the series is about the way control continues and lasts over creations. I see that being presented in forms of "programming" ala the "awakening" and in forms of religion with references to "gods" and "creators" and imagery of worship and divinity. I see control in the form of rigid bureaucracy, laws, and social pressure. I didn't see any dialogue on control through sex, drugs, or medicine. Perhaps in the sense of the proxies being doomed to die in sunlight, and the subhumans not being innoculated against the diseases of the outside world, but that seems to be more background detail than actual commentary or examination of ethics by the series. What is opened to discussion is the manipulation of DNA/nature/nurture for the purpose of creating cookie-cutter people with predetermined roles in society, and whether that is a happier society.
But that is where my agreement ends. If anything the series is about the complete and utter /lack/ of control creators have over creations. *Nothing* _any_ of the creators intend, come to pass as they planned it.
Furthermore, nowhere were the subhumans being turned into autoraivs, they started out like autoraivs in the city of Romdeau. That's how they were created to begin with. At the end, they are being manipulated (the irony) to be more free to think, emote, be independent, and /less/ like autoraivs.
I absolutely agree that the Cogito virus bears close resemblance to the seeds of free thought and independence produced in the sub-humans; Re-L, Daedalus, and Raul, but also the random characters like the autoreiv disposal unit and the secretaries.
SPOILERS END
That was all about examining the in-universe reason and symbols.
DeleteAbout the series discussing the potential for actual super-humans and creators and "awakenings"... Well I guess it's possible, but because of my own beliefs I would find that disappointing. I would prefer to think it is commenting on the nature of "creation" "souls" "humans" and "gods" and making us question what we believe makes humans humans, and what gods could actually exist as. I guess regardless of what the ideas the series was created around, it caused me to ask those questions and I love it for it.
As for whether I think it is possible Proxies exist today, whether there are creators and Gods and and Last Judgements, whether our societies are being controlled through subversion of our own systems and cultures, whether our DNA is currently being manipulated and torn apart - no I don't.
Not even a little bit.
I think there are possibly interesting unexpected processes at work, born of simple consequences of systematics. (see Godel, Escher, Bach) I think there are some entities that have obvious agendas that are exerting stronger influence than we realize. (The biggest companies and politicians in the US) But I do not think it is far outside the realm of everyday experience. I do not think there are secrets kept hidden except through simple boring oversight.
Much like we are poor predictors of what the future will look like and the progress of technology (read any book, watch any movie that tries its' hand) we probably will continue to be surprised by why and what our own societies contain and are driven by. Humans compose large societies with distinct segments. They interact, contributing and being effected by each other both individually and as groups and as groups of groups. Systems are complicated and hard to understand. Therefore the results we get are often hard to understand.
Why are the things popular that are popular? Why do we go to war? Why do we have movements in literature, music, culture, beliefs, and outlook? Where did they come from? How does the past influence the future and technology change the rules of the game?
I tend to think the answers are found in the simpler details, compounding themselves and interacting in ways we don't notice because of the complexity and our own lack of experience. This is bottom-up rather than forces greater than us exerting top-downwards forces beyond our perception. There is probably a little of both going on, but I really really cannot accept that those top-downwards forces are concentrated beings anything like traditional concepts of gods, supernatural spirits, aliens, illuminati groups, or conspiracy theories. The top-down forces I guess might exist, but probably don't have agendas, and are more like subconscious zeitgeist or what we notice as patterns in generations.
Theoretically, what if the top-down forces were concentrated? Unless they had individualized control over people's minds and furthermore enough manpower to upkeep their monitoring, then the idea would propagate beyond their control, one way or another. I have observed humankind's overall shared traits of questioning and thinking such that I am able to be sure that such truths wouldn't be able to be kept secret and the evidence would build up to be widespread and damning. Therefore, without such evidence in presence, I do not worry that I live in such a world. (though I do try to keep my eyes, ears, and mind open for awareness and contact that would lead to changes of my perception to more accurately reflect reality)
DeleteFurthermore, there is a certain commonality shared by conspiracy theories, supernatural beliefs, and secret societies that makes it clear to me that they appeal mainly to a non-realistic side of the human psyche. And I am a great advocate of rationale, thought, and discussion.
What if they /do/ have such control over our minds, thoughts, awareness etc? Well then, we were overcome long ago and they have no reason to remain hidden. I am already acting out their bidding, and truth be told, I don't think I mind. Of course, that is the joke I suppose.
Creepy stuff?
Or harmless?
Would we rebel if we knew? Why? They don't seem to be affecting our lives very noticeably now do they? I don't even notice. If the argument is that "I don't notice because I'm being manipulated" well then I may just as easily be a piece of code in a simulation or the puppet of a god's dream or any other situation where the whole world is controlling me for someone else's sake. Or else maybe the world was created for /my/ sake and you all aren't real and /I/ am the dreaming god.
I think, somehow, these are all a little too specific, convoluted, and unlikely. I think, somehow, that reality is more like she appears, which is what is generally assumed by most everyone I meet and through history as far as I can tell. With the perhaps added caveat that it is even more rational and simple and prone to occam's razor that previously expected.
And when it's all said and done, it's not such a bad world to be born into.