Ergo Proxy - 20:Sacred Eye of the Void/Goodbye, Vincent

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The Sacred Eye of the Void

A couple of things immediately hint that something is wrong with what is going on.

The necklace on Re-L is shown, first in the mirror in the opening scene, then when she wakes up during the night and looks at it.

What is more noticeable as odd is the Administrative Bureau treating Raul normally and Raul being submissive again. The dreamlike portrayal of eyes and necklace hint at a dream sequence. It makes sense to be suspicious of the following scenes, and it also make sense that Vincent would not have cause to believe that something is wrong. (He wouldn't know about Raul's changes in personality... which makes it odd that the Administrative Bureau chides him at all...? What about Daedalus, how does he know Daedalus except by stories from Re-L?) What Vincent should notice is Re-L's change in personality. She is much much more docile and pleasant. Vincent probably doesn't notice because this is his imagined or created version of her. And perhaps there is some element of "dream-logic" going on making everything "make sense" to Vincent more than it really does. As Vincent's dream (induced/manipulated/controlled by Swan) it should be an imperfect representation, with some elements of Vincent's own thought style and desires. (in everyone, in Re-L, in Daedalus. Everyone is more calm, laidback, and polite than they actually are. All of the submissive qualitative speech patterns, "sorry, I just, I hope, maybe, I get that feeling, I was wondering, there's nothing I can do" self depreciating, second guessing, are native to Vincent and suddenly acquired traits by everyone else.)

The second shot of Swan shows the chain of her Proxy necklace, which glints. There are a lot of glints in this episode, trying to provide hints at the necklace and other-ness of Swan. The sight of the necklace at the end of the episode seems to tip Vincent off that Swan is a proxy. It may be coincidence and he is realizing it from all of the events clarifying and becoming obvious they were constructed. Just something to keep in mind.

Another quick note: the Administrative Bureau says that now Re-L has returned, the city is saved. They are referring to her retrieving a proxy to power the city, though that hasn't been revealed yet.

Some of the strangeness is explained away by Swan's rationalization: Re-L is more docile because of Vincent's influence as an alternate personality. It is funny, because Re-l is more docile because she is in Vincent's mind, not he in hers.

Some plot points are furthered in this episode as well: Re-l's relationship with her grandfather is spoken of: Donov's one role is to manage the city of Romdeau, and his raison d'etre supersedes his cares for other things, such as his adopted granddaughter. Re-l in real life has a different reaction to his behavior, but the series doesn't pass up this opportunity to reintroduce the conflict and theme.

I'm a bit confused why Pino is shown to be so very emotionally volatile than normal in her first scene. My guess is that she is representing Vincent's ego a little. She is a symbol of his valuing himself (for himself), and is furiously struggling to validate him, but is also a very repressed part of his personality. I'm not sure.

It doesn't sit well with me that Vincent wants to see his other life in Romdeau. I care more about mind than body, so it seems to me that he would not be interest or worried so much about his physical body. If anything, it would be disturbing to see myself outside myself. I would react with "that isn't me" and repulsion rather than desire to find out what happened to "me" and care about that other body/person.... that's my initial reaction anyway. After being stuck for months I'd probably be more used to it and feel differently. Maybe.

Well. Things are making sense plot-wise until Re-L drops her mug and cuts herself. It is difficult for the artists to show the split-personalities and to explain in a few words what is going on. They attempt to do so with the flashes between Re-L and Vincent, trying to show it is still Re-l's body, but Vincent is controlling it temporarily. There is also a lot of repetition of scenes and phrases, illustrating the cyclical, winding, and doubling back that dreams take. After Re-L cuts herself, it all stops being a story that can be told linearly, or being a believable or sensible series of events without being a dream or a hallucination by Swan. I think what happens is that Vincent falls completely for the control of Swan, and so starts to succumb to her spell. He believes he isn't real, and asks her to tell him how to eliminate himself. He disregards that they are drifting between locations and that Swan is easily teleporting around him. I think this is not portraying a realistic dream anymore, but illustrating the state of mind Vincent is in, and the full control Swan now has, rather than trying to be a realistic series of events. That was more an opening plausible construct to get Vincent to this point. (To make things more confusing, this may be a more realistic portrayal of what is actually happening, with the fight between Proxies in a dream reality) Swan wants to see Vincent's desires to control him even further. To the point of being able to kill him.

Vincent's desired past reveals a lot about his hopes. He doesn't want to be a Proxy at all. He does want power, though maybe that is less important and more convenience than anything. (why not be rich, if you could have it with no detriments?) He focuses more on being adored than commanding. He wants so much to get along with everyone. Re-L, Daedalus, Raul, ... and he wants everyone to get along with everyone else too. He wants Daedalus to be Re-l's brother.... that is too convenient, Daedalus is still making her happy, but the competition isn't there to make Vincent uncomfortable or challenged to win Re-l's attention....

Swan betrays herself a little by telling Vincent to imagine a past he desires, and then telling him its his fault Re-L is confusing his desires with her past. Vincent started dreaming because Swan asked him to, and now it's his fault things have gotten worse?

The dreaminess continues. They have a lot of fun with the looping back and forth, and confusion with the direction of time. If we pretend that Vincent is still controlling Re-L, then the series of events of Pino releasing Ergo Proxy, reflect the supposed "real events" that took place earlier. (Vincent (Ergo Proxy) was released by an infected autoreiv, "You let him go" accusation by Swan, "He's going to kill me!" shout by Re-L)

When Vincent pulls out the pendant from nowhere, it shows that he is knowing it is a dream and lucid controlling it.

"You've lost sense of your own sense of place, that is why you'll never find a place to belong."
I don't know why Swan is talking about this, or if Vincent really is totally dependent on being liked by other people. I know he has been struggling with that, but regardless, it is an interesting theme. People have to find worth in themselves, and not rely on the world's recognition of them. Simply put that is because the world won't know them, won't always validate them, and that it isn't a reason by itself. Everyone has to create their own meaning, and after that, they can turn to achieving additional meaning from serving the world's interests. It is a matter of foundation.

There is a William Swann, whom deals with the psychology of how others see oneself. Things related to self identification and self verification, which seems in line with the themes in Ergo Proxy and this episode.

I can't figure out Swan. I think she is trying to kill Vincent. (her method is to get him to reject all hope, making him have nothing to live for and become suicidal, or at least so lost in pain and loss she can take advantage and kill him. This same conflict was used by Ophelia Proxy back in episode 14.) But she also seems to say some things indicating she is pursuing him romantically. (I can't stand men who have the stink of other women.) She also seems to want to help him reject his Proxy side and face himself. ("just take off the pendant," her later smile when he 'wins,' "Take care") As a psychiatrist, maybe she has made it her goal to help the other proxies achieve peace and face their mental problems? Or maybe she really is just crazy and out to kill like the rest.

The end of the dream is more mixing of earlier parts of the dream. Vincent still is a mind inside Re-L. He kills Ergo Proxy, whom he released (using Re-L's body the entire time?). Pino runs up, I don't know what her position (symbolism?) here is.

Vincent's behavior throughout the episode (and series) continues to reinforce that Vincent cares deeply for Re-L. Earlier in the series it was a blind crush. Later it became a solidified instinct. Now he knows her, and sometimes it is just a need, other times it is a strong desire borne of his relationship with her. After the dream is over, they touch each other and voice their concern, while trading roles on the ship like partners. Re-l too. She shows her vulnerable side to him, the fears she has. I suspect her request for the pendant is from a little push by Swan, and not really her personality to do so.

"I think, therefore, you are. Is that it?" This is a line from Anamnesis, episode 11. It is said by Ergo Proxy, speaking about the self in relation to the external world. It may also have something to do with Proxies, but I don't think that is how it is being used. I would, in a little tinfoil-hat-esque-way, suggest it is playing with the way couples rely and need each other, and become different people because of the other.

Remember Hoody's tall tales? What were they?
"You think proxies are monsters? You don't know much about anything." They are power sources and "godlike" immortals.
"They have the power to change their appearance into any form they choose" The Ophelia dome proxy.
"They can disappear with ease, leaving no trace that they were ever there." Most proxies have a habit of disappearing...
"They can also enter human beings and take control of their mind and body." This happens in this episode, or at least dreams.
"They can summon lightening bolts and scorch the earth with their power." The lightening between their eyes when in a death-lock.
"They can even conjure up flaming planets from the sky!" Well, this might be a slight exaggeration.
"Simply step into the wilderness and you'll find them crawling all over the place." They've encountered something like nine proxies now? Monad, Ergo, Senex, Kazkis, hideout, Ophelia, QQQ, Will B Good, and Swan. (The City Lights bookstore owner was probably just a figment of Vincent's.)


[VIEW SPOILERS]

Goodbye, Vincent
Another interesting part about Re-L's reflection on her grandfather, is that it is shared by Vincent's role as proxy. "In the end I was simply serving my grandfather's interests." Creators too, end up being demanded by their creations to serve. - Lead us! Be a Holy God! Inspire us! Tell us what to do! - It would be improper of a God not to behave as a God with its creations. Creations will demand that Gods demand reverence. "In the end, I was simply serving my creation's interests."
I am not sure that is how it has to be. I wonder at how it could be otherwise, with Gods walking as one among their creations and their creations expecting their Gods to be far different than our image of powerful beings beyond earthly bounds. What makes a God a God? It isn't just their power, it is their minds. They are beyond human reasoning. They are either tyrants, or tricksters, or unfathomable. They are not weak, needy, or human in their mental facilities.
Ergo Proxy plays with the results, if they were humanlike in their flaws, needs, and desires. What if Gods wanted to be loved. For themselves. What if they wanted to be accepted as normal and understood as... individuals. Could they? And if they couldn't, then what would that do to them? To be so powerful, but so helpless and ... normal. I will talk of this later, as the next three episodes really directly address this much more strongly thematically.

Swan doesn't seem to have a dome. I wonder if she is a ghost haunting a dome that has completely disappeared from existence, or if she is wandering, or perhaps her dome was entirely a mental construct and that is the form she likes to take too. Vincent defeats her. "Proxies will fight how Proxies will fight" I guess. (Nightmare Quiz Show, ep 15 quote)

As soon as Swan asks Vincent to imagine a past he desires, there is a flash of blue skies and green plants... this suggests either that as a Proxy, Vincent knows how the world used to be and what that sort of paradise would look like, or that it is deeply implanted in the Proxies to desire and try to create a world like that. I really do think those flashes are memories of Earth, implanted or not.

I read some theories that Vincent faces his Proxy side and destroys it as a symbol of the id and what he doesn't like about his instinctive desires. It does seem that from here on he is much more a unified self rather than a broken up series of desires, but I think that is more from the journey overall than this confrontational encounter. He does seem to realize his desire to help Re-L and care for her much more directly. He does seem to trust himself and believe in himself much more later. But I don't really think the facing the Id and shooting it is the symbolism going on here. I think it is much more a simple rejection of Swan's control and winning by maintaining his devotion to Re-L and his hope for a good life. Or something like that.

[/SPOILERS]


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If you can't explain to a child, if you can't break it down to the actual fundamentals of why and how, then you are the one who doesn't understand. I think that is basically true for most all things, both technical and emotional. This is why forcing to explain to someone else, to translate by breaking it down to something that can be translated to another, often clears things up for oneself as well. (speaking broadly) This is why children are perceptive. They deal in things stripped of the extra (sort of superficial) layers that bury all the actual reasons and causes.
I assume it is very plainly wrong that Vincent is doing what he is doing when he can't explain to Pino. Pino going along to kill Re-L is only an emphasis, not the cause of that certainty.
"I have to kill her to save her" This is an interesting phrase to me. That sensation of having to do something wrong to do something good.... It usually is the evidence that it is totally false, no matter the "good" that may come of that "something bad". I think if you have to do something bad, either that "bad" isn't really bad, and then it is all good. Or else that something is actually bad, and then it doesn't matter, the wrong outweighs the right.

I'm not very fond of this episode. I think it does a lot more jumping around than is necessary or helpful. However I do appreciate the attempt to portray something very difficult to portray. They didn't really pull it off, but I admire that they tried. I just don't think it's my taste in a premise. To many mind games, not enough reason or substance behind it happening in the first place. Too fuzzy and non-solid rules, yet treated in a cold and factual sort of way that implies it is supposed to make sense. It doesn't add anything and instead detracts from something that could be strongly a mood piece. Things just sort of happen because "dreams." I can appreciate that as a reason when it is an artistic portrayal of feelings. I am thinking of some movies I have seen. Studio Ghibli (Miyazaki) I think does dreams right. A more serious version of dream-like-ness as storytelling method would be something more like Tree of Life, Black Swan, 2001, or Rivers and Tides about Andy Goldsworthy. In all of those I appreciate it, and enjoy it. (even if that is the exception for me)

All Episodes: Ergo Proxy Companion Viewing Guide
Previous: Ergo Proxy - 19:The Girl with a Smile/Eternal Smile
Next: Ergo Proxy - Episode 21:The Place at the End of Time/Shampoo Planet