While this week’s episode was titled “Fear,” I think they should have gone with something else. Fear certainly permeated through just about the entire crew. Everyone, save Jen, had hallucinations that stopped the commercial cold (and really? A candy company has ten billion to spend on a commercial?). Donner was the only one able to overcome the paralysis that the hallucinations caused. I don’t necessarily agree with the title, however, that their visions were created to induce fear, but rather another emotion.
Ted and Donner are experiencing unique reminders of Mars. Zoe of a crying baby. Evram of a child whom he believes he caused her death. We saw some new visions, but I think that the shared theme will end up being regret. Personally, I think regret can be a much more powerful emotion that fear. If we let our bad choices overwhelm us, we can easily be stopped from making new ones. That is what happened to the team, until Donner woke them all up.
I wonder if there is any significance to Jen and Wass not yet having hallucinations. At first I thought it might have something to do with her baby bunny (who was absent this week), but that doesn’t explain Wass. Beta has specific motivations for everything that happens, so there has to be some reason. Or I could simply not haven given it enough time.
At this point, I’m actually more curious as to the “why” than the “what” when it comes to Beta. Is it there to help, or not. Is it purposely making things worse for the crew, or is it just kinda screwing around for fun? There has to be some kind of final purpose to everything, but I believe we will stay in the dark for a while, unfortunately.
The rest of the crew, will not, however, be in the dark much longer. Donner and Zoe confirming their shared dream was the first step in the inevitability of that fact. I’m curious what it will do the to the commraderie that has built up since Ted and Donner joined the mission. Ted — Mars visions be damned — is actually doing a good job at leading this team, and effort that will soon be wasted when they find that he’s been lying to them all along.
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Clacked by Ivey West 
on Sep 07, 2009 @ 01:33 EST5EDT
did you notice that the dude in nadias hallucination was nadia? did she have a sex change? that really was a weird realization. i love the potential of this show and hope it gets a chance…anywhere!
That’s exactly what I thought!!! lol thats probably her twin or something like this
Modwild I noticed a similarity too, didn’t realise it was actually her though. I was thinking perhaps a brother. Just watched those scenes back and I think you might be right — good eye.
*POST AUTHOR*
If Nadia turns out to be a dude, this won’t be Grey’s Anatomy in space, it will be As the World Turns in space….
If Nadia was a man before, it will be quite a surprise to all soon. (I think parts grow back in space. Vasectomy fix, Hysterectomy fix, etc.)
Zoe appeared to be having one of many possible honest reactions to her situation. Jen’s reaction seemed honest too. (Silent soothing, “I’m here for you friendship”.)
Ajay’s reaction seemed so out of place in such a time, so odd, so dishonest to the story. Can you imagine some male co-worker showing up to your place with that speech?
He opened his mouth and an open sewer came out. “You made the right decision, you must never look back and feel regret.” – How dare he tell her how to feel? Who is he to offer that? “Your babies soul was meant to move on, another body another path.” What a foul, festering lie from the pit of hell. By his rationalization any murder could be justified. Can you imagine a killer going to court with that defense? “That person’s soul was meant to move on, another person, another path – so I just helped it long.” – Just a grosteque rationalization.
What a putrid speech.
Grotesque.
The present does not need more Ajay. Now we have a possible reason for him being booted from the ship. He proved unworthy. I guess we’ll need to see the reason Jen’s husband got booted.
Maybe Nadia has a twin brother or something.
What I don’t get is why is this a six year mission? They are getting to Venus in less than two months. What are they doing there and why will it take them so long to get back? Any ideas? (other than the fact that six years is a nice length for a tv show)
Also, I’m beginning to think that Beta will prove to be that girl who was left on Mars. I can’t think of another reason for her to show up every episode.
Rose — The six years is to explore seven planets. Venus is just the first stop of many.
Oh! I wonder how I missed that. I thought they’d be doing something specific on Venus. Thanks!
I thought the “guy” in the hallucination looked an awful like Nadia as well, pretty weird. So it’s possible that her former self is haunting her current self? LOL, Bsgfan.
I also felt that the “peptalk” of Ajay’s was not very positive, and for sure not one that I would appreciate in that situation.
As for Zoe’s unprofessional behavior, I agree, wow. Astronaut career suicide. Check out the ASCAN to commandments: https://www.ashos.org/astro_ten_commandments.html
I really thought Ajay would be the one to pull them out of their collective hallucinations and bring the commercial home for the benefit of the science and research they so desperately needed. While Zoe was in the bathroom puking–five years ago–and the door was left open, we saw Ajay tell Donner, “It should be me to bring them home.” I thought for sure the writers were using that as foreshadowing for the present situation, meaning it would be Ajay to talk to them and bring them out of the their hallucinations. It was kind of a disappointment when the show turned in a different direction. Oh well, I guess we can’t have everything.
I think it’s more than just regret, it’s guilt.
Shari, I agree, guilt, remorse, regret, these are the things that can criple a person.
What defines us is not how we react when things go well, but how we handle life when we have to cope with things that have gone wrong.
This is especially diffcult as in Donner & Ted’s case, that the decision was not theirs to make, but an order. Perhaps, Donner is further down the road to forgive himself and Ted is still struggling.
Eve’s struggle, well that just baffles me. She seems to be fixated on the Mars mission and other than being married to Ted…I don’t get the connection.
*POST AUTHOR*
I think it something different with Ted. If anything Donner had a considerably greater emotional attachment to the individual(s) left on Mars than Ted did.
I think there’s more to Eve that will come out, maybe that she’s, maybe unwittingly, an active “arm,” if you will, of Beta.
Guilt is right Shelia, but its also worth noting that Ted is the only one who seems to be actually fearful during his visions.
I’d like to know how the mystery double doors bring Beta or a Beta connection. What’s in there?
what the hell does Zoe say?
“fode” or “vode”
and what does it mean? Just another of those obscure acronyms never explained.