Miss Me? [02.04.07]

[Alissa Brooke]

This is why I left. <3 *shoots negativeness posties*

ITS ALL SO SERIOUS BUSINESS!!! lawlz.

Edit: This is, of course, in regards to the mini-argument-thing a page back. I am too lazy to quote and stuff like that. Yeah.

Honestly, with the way things were when I stopped coming here, I'm surprised you haven't killed each other yet.

So, now that D-train is out of the picture. Can I have Jonas?

[hyemew]

Wow, just got back from a weekend away. I still have the creeps from that video. It wasn't "bad" per se, more like so totally different from anything ever seen before that I don't even know what to make of it. And it was DEFINITELY creepy.

What's with brainwashed = jivetalkin' though?

[Terryfic]

To get this thread a little be back on topic (I am sort to blame for dragging it away), but one of the more interesting theories I have seen is that this video was shoot back when Daniel was at home. His clothes have changed since he disappeared, and he is wearing a shirt we have seen him wear in the series before, so it can’t be something new that OpAphid gave him to wear (unless they shop at the same stores), likewise the quality of this video is similar to that of the footage OpAphid took of Daniel.

I would like to further expand on this theory by toss out the idea that this video is digitally reconstructed from the surveillance footage OpAphid made of Daniel. The weird movements and speak patterns are not because he is drugged or brainwashed, they are off because they had to stitch together conversations they recorded at his home. I think this would be an interesting idea as it would tie together the dangling plot thread of what was the point of the video surveillance in the first place. It sounds a little out there and requires some technobabble to make sense, but that all kind of seems in the spirit of what OA is all about.

[hyemew]

I love your suggestion terry, but feel if that indeed is the case a lot of fans would be horribly confused. Not that it's all that hard to understand, but just because that's the way it goes.

[hookedonmonics]

hyemew said:

What's with brainwashed = jivetalkin' though?

Like I said- scooby doo the movie. On the first live action scooby movie, when all the college students were brainwashed, they used over-the-top youth slang.

I think it's probably (in this case) a way to show that someone who is out of touch with youth culture is in control of Daniel's speech. It should be obvious to bree that daniel is not himself.

Or, we can always fall back on the clone theory. Maybe realDanny is on a plane right now, on his way to join realJoanie and Tachy on the beach in fiji.

[harlequin]

so what the heck happened to "you dont need to watch Op-Aphid to follow the series?"

aside from that, they have violated the whole computers being a safe haven. it is now apparent that the order can see Bree's vids and bree can see theirs. there is no longer any reason for either to post because they will be giving eachother away.

i say bree just does the damned ceremony its not like it will be the end of the world and just end it all already. or give up for good, move to some other country and never post a vid again.

on a side note does anyone see jonas "comforting" bree in a soon to be video? i mean they have already slept together (which Bree wasnt all that bothered with despite her lack of clothing) and last time she was upset she went and snogged daniel.

[Imparfaite]

I think if the footage and voice splicing was real, it would look like a bad dub over. His mouth matches with the words. Again, if the videos itself were spliced, he wouldn't have the same outfit throughout and also, the video cuts would be really jerky. I really don't think that's a plausible theory.

I think it's safer to assume that Daniel may have had the chance to get some new clothes or the Creators didn't really take his clothing into consideration for this video. I think it's more the latter. But I still think he's being brainwashed by OpAphid.

If there is anything consistent in this series, it's been that things tend to be as they appear the first time, no matter how many times you twist it around and try to look at it a different way. Well, I guess I should clarify- for me, this is the case.

[flwright]

I think Terry's onto something. Daniel's speech pattern resembles that of a TV character from the late 80's, long before most of us were born.

The character's name was Max Headroom. He talked jive, he seemed like he was drugged, and he was "computer generated".

I just doesn't seem right for Daniel to talk of pizza and ice cream and spin art. Especially spin art. It was also way out of character to put himself down (Junior college and employment at Gas N' Eats). It sounds like something Bree's Mother would say.

Put together with stolen snips of conversations and a computer animated talking head, Max HeadBeast is being used to lure Bree into the Ceremony willingly. Don't be fooled Bree!

Gotta Go to Work,
FLWright

<edit> Link to Max Headroom Chronicles

[trash180]

Excellent, FLW!
...and a fun theory Terry.

I was sooo NOT creeped out by this. Hilarious, actually. It's like he learned to talk from watching Color Me Badd videos...or D#ck in a Box. Probably more like the latter, as the producers seems to watch the youtube top ten as much as they read the phorums (or more?).

"Yo gurl, after Cowboy and I take some more of these pharmacuticals from the warehouse we're gonna wrangle up a few honeys (homies?) from the local rest stop and have us our own ceremony. Issalllgoood. "

Oh...also, he says "We have Daniel". I suppose that's just so we realize that he's not speaking for himself? Also, did anyone figure out the backwards stuff at the end? Maybe it's how all the Op videos end? I dunno.

"They treat me better than you do"
Ooooh SNAP! NO he didn't!
ha...D in a box.

[Terryfic]

Max headbeast's d#ick in a box!

Ok, I didn't care that much for this video, but this is clearly the best thread we have had in a long while. But now how do the gayliens fit in?

[curiousgeorge]

Postscript:

First of all I would like to apologize for using coarse language and my part in leading the negative tone that this thread took. I get a little too excited sometimes, get diarrhea of the keyboard, and really need to cut down on the caffeine. More beer, less coffee is always a good thing.

So, I fired off a peremptory strike (the irony of that term does not escape me...) at the phorum to address the Who Sees What issue and my usual litany of grievances, updated to include this video's event. I got some of the usual phanwanking, some support, and a response from (I have to assume) Miles.

His response:

1) We think about the logic of "posting videos on the internet," "who sees what," and "the video blog format" constantly... obsessively.

2) Right now we are limited technologically by the website. Either we post in the video comment section where the videos remain "unseen" until we have the characters deem that they've "seen it," or we post it in the main feed on the left and all the characters see it.

3) So... right now where are we at? OpAphid is watching Bree/Jonas/Daniel/Gemma videos. Bree/Jonas/Daniel are (as of today) watching OpAphid videos. We will do our best to stick within this logic structure and you will see how it impacts the plot.

4) Moving forward we will have technological solutions coupled to story rationalizations to allow us to have "public" and "private" video feeds. This will allow for more storytelling flexibility.

Hope this addresses your concerns.

The Creators


I really have no response to that other than to be polite and wait and see how it plays out.

Finally, I was really disheartened to read (in other sections) that phorum newbies asking about the ARG were rudely told to go read the, previously unrequired reading, ARG threads. Now, this is NOT the creators doing this but I think it just reinforces the points Terry made above about SOME of those people.

[kleenex]

Woah this was insane. How do you brainwash someone, by the way? It seemed to me like he was definitely brainwashed and not being forced to say those things - but who would actually believe that and listen to him - is OpAphid that naive to think that Daniel's speech would actually convince anyone? Unless they didn't actually plan on convincing Bree, just scaring her and letting her know they have Daniel ....hmmm, wonder what their end game is....

[hyemew]

However the Order does it, they work very quickly...