(1) - IN GENERAL (1.1) - What is VR.5? (from a FOX press release , via Todd Palino :) Brief Summary: VR.5 is a science fiction/drama series that follows an ordinary telephone lineswoman who tinkers with the technology of virtual reality and is enlisted by a secret organization to aid in assignments that require more than conventional methods of solution. +++ VR.5 is a one-hour science fiction/drama series from acclaimed executive producer/writer/director John Sacret Young ("China Beach") and co-executive producer Thania St. John ("Life Goes On"). Sydney Bloom (Lori Singer) is the daughter of Dr. Joseph Bloom (David McCallum), a neurobiologist on the cutting-edge of virtual reality research and technology. Sydney is haunted by the loss of her father and twin sister in a car accident many years ago. The trauma of this loss was so great that her mother, Nora (Academy Award-winner Louise Fletcher), a psychologist, slips into a coma due to an accidental medication overdose. Her recovery is the key to unlocking Sydney's past. Socially ill-at-ease, Sydney spends her days as a telephone lineswoman for Tel-Cal and her nights as a hacker on a "home-brew" computer system she assembled herself. One night, Sydney inadvertently taps into an open phone line and connects it to her computer modem, bringing the person on the other end into her computer world beyond what we know as virtual reality, what she comes to call VR.5. Utilizing this newfound skill to address issues and solve individual problems that elude conventional solutions, Sydney begins forays into this dimension with a phone call, pulling herself and the person she calls into an environment limited only by the scope of her imagination. As Sydney explores and alters dreams, memories and thoughts, she is subconsciously able to affect real-world behavior. By assessing VR.5 (VR.1 is basic technology, a form of which is used in video games), she has moved through and past the various levels of VR -- at each level, escalating in danger, she becomes closer to knowing and seeing everything. As she goes deeper, she is involuntarily recruited into the enigmatic world of "The Committee," a secret, yet powerful organization with a duplicitous agenda, who enlist her aid in completing difficult and often dangerous assignments, sometimes against her better judgment. Also starring in the series are Michael Easton ("Days of Our Lives") as Duncan, Sydney's childhood friend, a knowing, yet quirky, fun and humorous confidante, and Anthony Stewart Head (the charming neighbor in the Taster's Choice coffee commercials) as Oliver Sampson, Sydney's dashing and dangerous "committee" contact who becomes involved with Sydney in a relationship that takes a "La Femme Nikita" edge. (For a description of "La Femme Nikita," see section 3.25.) (1.2) - Who created the series? (from a FOX press release , via Todd Palino ) VR.5 is produced by Samoset Productions in association with Rysher Entertainment. It was created by Thania St. John, Michael Katleman, Geoffrey Hemwall, Jeannine Renshaw and Adam Cherry. The executive producer is John Sacret Young. John Sacret Young created and was executive producer of "China Beach." He was awarded the Writer's Guild of America Award, his second, for the episode "Souvenirs," which he also directed. He won the Peabody Award for the "Vets" episode that he wrote and directed, which incorporated interviews with Vietnam veterans. Other accolades for his work on "China Beach" include five Emmy Award nominations, the Golden Globe, People's Choice and seven Viewers For Quality Television Awards. All told, the show was nominated for 29 Emmys and eight Writer's Guild Awards, and won 14 Viewers For Quality Television Awards. His additional credits include the screenplay for the Oscar-nominated "Testament," "Romero," starring Raul Julia, for which he also served as executive producer, and "A Rumor of War," a Vietnam-based mini-series that garnered his first Writer's Guild of America Award. He wrote the novel "The Weather Tomorrow" and is now finishing "The Black Rainbow," to be published in 1996. The co-executive producer is Thania St. John. Thania St. John adds her science fiction and dramatic expertise to VR.5 from the hit series "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," for which she served as producer. St. John was also a producer of the Emmy Award-winning and critically acclaimed series "Life Goes On." Her extensive television background includes serving as story editor on BOOKER and 21 JUMP STREET and a writer on "Midnight Caller." St. John graduated from Harvard University and received a Masters degree in Film from UCLA. The supervising producer is Michael Katleman. No stranger to science fiction and drama programs, prior to directing the pilot episode of VR.5, Michael Katleman honed his sci-fi skills directing episodes of "X-Files" and "Quantum Leap." He also directed Emmy-nominated episodes of "Northern Exposure," "L.A. Law" and "I'll Fly Away" as well as numerous other television movies, including "The Spider & the Fly" and "A Fight for Jesse." Katleman made his directing debut on another John Sacret Young series, "China Beach." Prior to this, his experiences included work on the films "Predator" and "Commando." The producers are Jack Clements and Naomi Janzen. The co-producer is Geoffrey Hemwall. (1.3) - Why does Sydney use an outdated acoustic modem? FOX hinted at first that Sydney's use of an acoustic modem to go into VR was only superficial. The following comes from an e-mail message sent to Dave Kliman from FOX . From: VR5@delphi.com Date: Sat, 22 Apr 1995 18:11:39 -0400 (EDT) Thanks for your comments. Whether your letter was positive or negative, we want to thank you for sending your e-mail on VR.5. We've received thousands of messages in the first few days. While we can only response to a fraction of the letters personally, we want you to know we are READING as many of the comments as we can. Your feedback is being shared with the producers of the show, the FOX promotion department, and the FOX programming executives who work on the series. We are also reading the notes posted on the Internet (alt.tv.x-files, rec.art.tv, and rec.arts.sf.tv to name a few). We heard loud and clear from a number of people about the plausibility (or implausibility) of using an old acoustic modem as a way to connect with others in Virtual Reality Level Five. This issue has sparked a debate about what exactly is facilitating the VR.5 connection - something that will be revealed in subsequent episodes. If you watch future episodes and have additional comments, please write again at "vr5@delphi.com". We will continue to listen to your input. Thanks again for the feedback. In other words, FOX seemed to be hinting that the computer and the modem don't actually serve as the tool that sparks the connection. Something else was making the connection, and there was a great deal of speculation in alt.tv.vr5 on what it was. (See section 6.5.) Later, John Sacret Young (executive producer of VR.5) confirmed, in an interview, that the modem doesn't make the VR connection. See section 2.9. In addition, the episode "5D" almost said straight out that the modem and the computer weren't making the connection. Dr. Honeycutt talked about Dr. Bloom's trust in the human brain; that there were only a pre-programmed series of tracks that a computer could use; and that a human brain was full of life. "Reunion" proved that the modem and the computer weren't making the connection. The brains were -- and fiber optics were shown to carry brain waves as well as phone lines did. Why have the acoustic modem at all? "It looks cool!" says Vikki Godwin : Oh, on a side note, my husband was having trouble with the old acoustic modem, and I found the perfect answer: Why did they use an acoustic modem? Because it looked cool! This actually satisfied him...:) I stole the line from the guy who wrote the Star Wars Technical Journals. When he gave a presentation at a con, he talked about how impractical the Imperial Walkers really were, design-wise. So why does the Empire use them? "Because they look cool!" This was his answer to any techno-weenie question. It's science-FICTION, after all. Larry Nemecek (who wrote the Star Trek Companion) also put things in perspective. Fans are willing to believe in transporters, warp drive, and all sorts of different things, and then they obsess over Miles O'Brien's rank pips? People make mistakes, and sometimes, technical impossibilities exist to FURTHER THE STORY. The story should be far more important than the special effects used to tell it. (1.4) - VR.5 seems similar to [...]. Am I alone in thinking this? Not at all. VR.5 has been compared to: "The Prisoner" - GOMLB , Mark Chaffe "Twin Peaks" - Lorraine Wong "Quantum Leap" - "Lawnmower Man" - Radde Majeed "Wild Palms" - Greg Berigan "The X-Files" - Lokeria "Sapphire and Steel" - Jonathan Gan "Tron" - Andre Tobiassen "Vertigo" - many; confirmed by members of the VR.5 production team in an online conference as having been intentionally done in "The Many Faces of Alex" -- see section 2.19 for info on how to get a transcript "An Occurrence at - WalterGL ; see section 3.24 Owl Creek Bridge" It even looks like there was a reference to "The Prisoner" in the episode "Simon's Choice." Jon Drukman wrote: My favorite indirect Prisoner ref in VR5 was in the episode with the traitor who was about to executed. Oliver gives Sydney a piece of paper and says "Just call this number and ask for 'the prisoner' - no names..." (1.5) - What episodes have been broadcast? (Episode Guide) The following information is extracted from the 21 May 1995 edition of SFTV (SF TV Upcoming Episode Titles and News) from Lee Whiteside . You can get the latest edition of the listing from ftp.hyperion.com in the /pub/TV directory, or on the World Wide Web at: http://www.indirect.com/www/leew/index.html VR.5 (Fox) 3/10/95 Pilot 3/11/95 Pilot (late night repeat) 3/17/95 Dr. Strangechild 3/24/95 Love and Death 3/31/95 5D 4/07/95 Escape 4/14/95 Facing the Fire 4/21/95 Simon's Choice 4/28/95 Control Freak 5/05/95 The Many Faces of Alex 5/12/95 Reunion These three episodes were produced but were not purchased by Fox. TBD Send Me An Angel TBD Sisters TBD Parallel Lives They were, however, shown in early 1997 on the Sci-Fi Channel in America for the first time. An Associated Press wire story says that the three missing episodes were produced for the international market, and 13 episodes were produced for VR.5's first season. Robt_Martin writes: There was an AP wire story on VR5 a few weeks ago which said that FOX was only committed to nine eps of VR5, but the production company did 13 so it would be an easier sale to foreign television. According to the article, if VR5 was cancelled (as it was), the three eps would remain unseen here. Here's a quote from the AP piece: The episodes were shot after [John Sacret] Young refused a six-episode deal, Fox counteroffered nine and Young's partners decided to make 13 episodes for international packaging. Fox's 10th episode, the season-ending cliff-hanger, airs May 12. William Wood has prepared and maintained a very comprehensive VR.5 episode guide for the first season, including synopses of the episodes and analysis. The following is the last update from 30 June 1995. After that are entries for the three unaired episodes done in a similar format, and written by Augie De Blieck Jr. . An HTML-coded version of this episode guide, along with pictures and links, is available on the web: http://www.nic.com/~augie/episodes/episodes.htm ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? VR.5 EPISODE GUIDE -- FIRST SEASON (1995) ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? HEY!! The following is a veritable cornucopia of *SPOILERS*, so proceed at your own risk. It's also full of Canadian spelling. Such is life. This guide was last updated 06/30/95, and will continue to be modified at irregular intervals during the summer; I'll try to post it every month or so. I've finally added Guest Stars--you guys whined about it long enough! >:) Some role information is based on educated guesses on my part; corrections are welcome. The "Missing Data" segment of this guide has been separated out and will be posted by itself for the time being. Prepared by William A. Wood ("Bitter Guy"). Suggestions/encouragement/abuse: tigger@interlog.com Duplicate this guide all you want, but don't charge anybody for it, and give me some credit, okay? All rights vis-a-vis the show itself reserved. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE VR.5 was created by: Adam Cherry & Geoffrey Hemwall & Michael Katleman & Jeannine Renshaw and Thania St. John Executive Producer: John Sacret Young Co-executive Producer: Thania St. John Co-executive Producer: Eric Blakeney (2,3,5,6,8) Supervising Producer: Michael Katleman Producer: Naomi Janzen (2-10) Producer: Jack Clements (2-10) Producer: Mel Efros (1) Co-producer: Geoffrey Hemwall ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? GENERAL OVERVIEW VR.5 is a Fox Television Network show about a reclusive computer enthusiast's quest for the truth about her traumatic past, precipitated by her accidental discovery that she has the ability to communicate via modem with others' subconscious minds in an ill-defined, quasi-virtual realm--an ability that has brought her (back?) to the attention of the mysterious "Committee." The show has currently completed its first season, and its future is uncertain. >:( ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????? RECURRING CHARACTERS Lori Singer (Sydney Bloom) Michael Easton (Duncan) Will Patton (Dr. Frank Morgan)-- episodes 1-4. Anthony Head (Oliver Sampson)--episodes 4-10. David McCallum (Dr. Joseph Bloom) Louise Fletcher (Nora Bloom) Tracey Needham (Samantha Bloom) ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? THE EPISODES 1. "VR.5" (PILOT) Broadcast 03/10/95 Written by Thania St. John Directed by Michael Katleman Guest Stars: Adam Baldwin (Scott Cooper), Penn Jillette (Kravitz), Kimberly Cullum (Young Samantha), Stephen Mills (The Man), Gammy Singer (Nurse Jackie), Kaci Williams (Young Sydney), Matthew Koruba (Young Duncan), Chris Owen, Noah Verduzco. Synopsis: Sydney Bloom accidentally manifests her VR ability, and in the process of exploring it discovers that the co-worker to whom she is attracted is actually a serial killer. Having inadvertently tipped off an enigmatic secret organization called "the Committee" to what she can do, she is given an offer of employment she can't refuse. Observed Data: VR: VR.5 "connection" lasts only a few seconds in real time; "connection" is made with the subconscious mind of the "connectee" (hereafter called "the Other")--their memory of the events in VR is more impressionistic than detailed, BUT it can alter behaviour; Sydney has full recall of VR.5 events; Sydney's software apparently determines the mental "space" for VR.5. The Committee: TC had some kind of hold over Joseph Bloom--Dr. Bloom seemed afraid of them; the same man who apparently frightened Joseph Bloom into fleeing (to his death) is still in the picture, observing Sydney (hereafter known as "The Man"); TC is powerful enough to fix police investigations. Miscellaneous: Sydney is socially maladroit, with voyeuristic tendencies--Duncan appears to be her only friend; Nora Bloom is either in a waking coma or has suffered brain damage; Sydney survived a suspicious car wreck in which both her fraternal twin sister Samantha and her father died; Joseph Bloom was very interested in computers (back in 1978) before they were commonly available; neither Sydney's phone lines nor her computer are secure; Sydney's e-mail address is "CyberSyd@ibnet.com". 2. "Dr. Strangechild" Broadcast 03/17/95 Written by Eric Blakeney Directed by Michael Katleman Guest Stars: Elya Baskin, Tom Towles, Nicholas Casconna, Erik Avari, Aaron Michael Metchik, Kate Zentall, Kimberly Cullum (Young Samantha), Danny Goldring, Jason Azikiwe, Cully Fredrickson. Synopsis: "The Committee" gives Sydney her first assignment: discover the whereabouts of a teenage genius who has run away from a top secret installation after having made a momentous discovery. In doing so, Sydney has to come to terms with her own sense of solitude. Observed Data: VR: VR.5 can be "conference-called"; although Sydney picks the locale, the Other seems to control the events that take place in that landscape--this may, however, be a question of the Other's will and/or intelligence (if one contrasts the VR.5 experiences of Stuart Fisher and Kravitz, for example). The Committee: "Jimmy Lewis" was the mutual contact between Dr. Morgan and Parkens-Hart security; TC would like to appear at least partially benevolent (tough but tender), as seen in the character of "Mr. Bland" at the end of the episode. Miscellaneous: Sydney moves into a bigger, more "TV-ish" apartment--Duncan is now "next-door"; Duncan knows a lot about new-age spiritualism; Sydney seems to have consciously or unconsciously forgotten some parts of her past, particularly the events surrounding the crash. 3. "Love & Death" Broadcast 03/24/95 Written by Thania St. John Directed by Rob Bowman Guest Stars: George DeLoy (Boothe), Kimberly Cullum (Young Samantha), Carl Strano, Louis Turenne, Jessica Hendra, Peter Spellos, Shane Sweet, Sandra Reinhardt, Bethany Clifton, Wendy Westbrook. Synopsis: Sydney's next assignment is to subconsciously prod Jackson Boothe, a troubled Committee employee, into returning to work. She succeeds, but discovers that he is an assassin, and that the Committee may not be as benevolent as she had first thought. The assassin kills Frank Morgan, Sydney's Committee contact, and a file Dr. Morgan had sent to her slips through Sydney's fingers. Observed Data: VR: Sydney seems to be unique in her ability to survive "high-end" VR, let alone in getting it to work; six or seven people (in Dr. Morgan's experience) have died in VR; the Other's subconscious can "remember" VR.5 events from one contact to the next; Joseph Bloom was apparently part of a team that broke through on VR.3 (Flight Simulation?)--he was important in early VR research, and wrote a paper called "Cyberhelix Recombination". The Committee: TC can "disappear" bodies; TC hires assassins (I guess this ain't the "Knight Foundation for Law & Government"!); Boothe mentions two Committee names: Peters and Hayes; TC may have kept the fact that Sydney survived the crash from Nora, allowing her to attempt suicide. Miscellaneous: Nora Bloom seems to have tried to commit suicide by taking pills--Sydney may have been the one to discover her; Dr. Morgan published his Ph.D. ("Human Brain Reaction to 3-Dimensional Stimulus") in 1979, making him an academic contemporary of Joseph Bloom; Duncan knows a lot about secret societies. 4. "5D" Broadcast 03/31/95 Written by John Sacret Young & Thania St. John Directed by D.J. Caruso Guest Stars: Dan O'Herlihy, George DeLoy (Boothe), Kimberly Cullum (Young Samantha), Jim Holmes, Keith Mills, Kaci Williams (Young Sydney), Matthew Koruba (Young Duncan). Synopsis: Sydney gets a new contact, Oliver Sampson, who pushes her into pursuing Boothe. She conducts her own investigation into what has happened to the body of Dr. Morgan, and discovers that he has been cryogenically preserved. She also discovers her father's blueprint for an organic/molecular computer. Observed Data: VR: Sydney's hardware isn't unique--it can be smashed and replaced; Joseph Bloom taught Sydney, Samantha, and Duncan "brain games"--a possible mental preparation for VR; while in VR.5 with her mother, Sydney sees herself, Samantha, Duncan, and Nora all wearing VR headsets; the Other can become consciously aware of information obtained subconsciously in VR.5 --this may be a result of multiple contacts; Sydney hears her father's voice while in VR.5 with her mother ("Nora, tell her, tell her now!"). The Committee: TC's charter is something like "the unrestricted pursuit of knowledge for the betterment of Man--alternative solutions to social problems". Miscellaneous: Samantha and Sydney may have had fundamentally different weltanschauungen (world views)--Sam saw Buddha as a god, Syd saw him as a man; in general, Samantha seems to have been more aggressive than Sydney. 5. "Escape" Broadcast 04/07/95 Teleplay by John Sacret Young & Thania St. John Story by Thania St. John Directed by Jim Charleston Guest Stars: [the closing credits got cut off for this episode--can anybody help me out here?] Synopsis: A faction of the Committee kidnaps Sydney in order to examine her. In trying to rescue her, Duncan discovers that he, too, can access VR.5. Oliver gives Sydney her father's journal, which was supposed to have been lost in the accident. Observed Data: VR: Duncan has "Sydney-level" access to VR.5; a person can call their own subconscious--i.e., function as their own Other; the Other can be "haunted" by a past connection, in both VR.5 and the real world; Duncan manipulated/tortured Oliver (or did he? Perhaps it was merely Oliver's sense of guilt?), showing evidence that control can be exerted over the Other in VR. The Committee: may be seriously divided into two or more factions with differing methods of operation; whoever kidnapped Sydney not only physically studied her, but was interested in the following intriguing questions: "Were you having sexual relations with Dr. Frank Morgan?" / "Did your father ever take you into VR.5?" / "Did your father ever experiment on you? On your sister?" / "Did your father kill your sister? Did he try to kill you, too?". Miscellaneous: Sydney has two goldfish (Steed & Mrs. Peel). 6. "Facing the Fire" Broadcast 04/14/95 Written by Jeannine Renshaw Directed by Lorraine Senna Ferrara Guest Stars: Shirley Knight, Frank Converse, Meal McDonough, Blair Renshaw, Kevin Carr, Richie Fenner. Synopsis: Sydney, obsessively trying to decipher her father's journal, is assigned to help a test-pilot in a psychiatric hospital. In the process of using VR.5 to help him, however, Sydney plants false memories of child abuse into his sub-conscious--memories that may, in fact, be her own. Sydney also discovers that her father had been a member of the Committee. Observed Data: VR: VR.5 can be relayed to a portable computer; Sydney's own subconscious can forcibly overlay itself on the Other's subconscious, creating false memories in the Other and effectively taking over the scenario; VR.5 can crack "brainwashing" (presumably some kinds of hypnosis). The Committee: TC's seal is a cruciform series of concentric circles surrounded by a motto that reads (in code) "Enter the Labyrinth"; Joseph Bloom may have been in conflict with TC over the contents of his journal. Miscellaneous: Sydney can play basketball; Duncan knows a lot about conspiracy theories; Joseph Bloom's journal was meant to be a legacy to his daughters (or perhaps only one of them); Duncan is now being actively included by Oliver in the missions; Sydney remembers a hand pulling her from the crash. 7. "Simon's Choice" Broadcast 04/21/95 Written by Toni Graphia Directed by Steve Dubin Guest Stars: Robert Davi, Dustin Nguyen, David Brisbin, Jack Rader, William Newman, Robert Phelan, Kaci Williams (Young Sydney), Endre Hules, Edmund L. Shaff, Westin Blakeney, Benjamin Jurand, Yuan Gee Wong. Synopsis: Sydney probes a traitor scheduled for execution in an attempt to discern the motivations for his betrayal. In the process, Sydney must confront her own anger towards her father. Observed Data: VR: Sydney seems to believe that she is the only one that can enter VR.5 (?); Sydney apparently can program a sequence of events as well as a location in VR.5; two Others can share a VR.5 scenario (this was done involuntarily in "Dr. Strangechild")--both are aware of it only subconsciously. The Committee: Oliver apparently did not know Joseph Bloom personally. Miscellaneous: Sydney is a hacker; Oliver's left ear is pierced; Sydney seems to believe, as does TC, that she can access VR.5 because her father "did something to her"; Sydney still owns her childhood home. 8. "Control Freak" Broadcast 04/28/95 Written by Naomi Janzen Directed by Michael Katleman Guest Stars: Markus Flanagan, Tom Mardirosian, Stephen Root, Richard Penn, Carol Kiernan, Frank Whiteman, Johnny Morn, Cynthia Avila. Synopsis: Given the assignment of determining the motives and background of a man holding an airport's control tower hostage, Sydney uncovers a past attempt by the Committee to assassinate Oliver Sampson. Observed Data: VR: Sydney's VR software seems to be some kind of database--she can custom design settings that don't already exist; the Other CAN lie in VR.5, or can at least avoid telling the truth. The Committee: Members don't always know each other (not really a surprise); TC uses their seal on a ring (such as the one Joseph Bloom had) as an identification. Miscellaneous: Oliver lied to the Committee to buy time for his own investigation and, upon confirming that a bomb had been planted to kill him, leaked some version of the truth about Kyle Jarvis to a newspaper-- together these indicate a shift in Oliver's loyalty; Duncan, despite his philosophies, appears to be extremely cynical. 9. "The Many Faces of Alex" Broadcast 05/05/95 Written by Jacquelyn Blain Directed by John Sacret Young Guest Stars: Markie Post (Alex), Jeannine Renshaw, Kathleen Misko, Mark Phelan. Synopsis: Sydney is assigned to a blind contact by an increasingly careless and world-weary Oliver--a contact that turns out to be Oliver's former partner and lover, who may know the whereabouts of Sydney's "late" father and sister. Observed Data: VR: Sydney's father seems to have achieved VR.8 (personality transfer), but may not have accomplished it successfully yet; Sydney can be "kicked out" of VR.5 from within. The Committee: Oliver only started working for TC officially in the last five years, although he was probably working for them unawares before that; TC must be truly international if they were hiding the Blooms (Sam & Joseph) in East Germany; TC seems to have overlooked Alex's feelings for Oliver. Miscellaneous: Oliver seems to have become completely disenchanted with TC; Sydney's father and sister seem to be alive; Samantha may have been publishing monographs under a pseudonym; both twins may have been told that the other was dead; Duncan and Samantha smooched in the sixth grade. 10. "Reunion" Broadcast 05/12/95 Written by Thania St. John Directed by Deborah Reinisch Guest Stars: Turhan Bey (Abernathy), Kimberly Cullum (Young Samantha), Stephen Mills (The Man), Gammy Singer (Nurse Jackie), Kaci Williams (Young Sydney), Matthew Koruba (Young Duncan). Synopsis: Sydney is reunited with her sister. She learns that her father is still alive, and that a faction of The Committee is hunting them. One of Oliver's oldest allies turns out to be a traitor. Oliver, having been ordered to kill Sydney, rebels against The Committee. The fugitives finally make contact with The Man. Sydney's mother is rescued from her coma, but Sydney gets trapped in VR.7 (?). Observed Data: VR: We discover (apparently) the secret of how VR.5 works: Dr. Joseph Bloom has a VR computer set-up that is connected to the telephone lines (presumably locally only?), and the key to accessing VR is retinal patterns...i.e., if the patterns are recognized, the owner gains access to the system; the system has only been up and running again since Dr. Bloom and Samantha started hiding in their old house (Dr. Bloom's secret lab), six months ago; VR can definitely be used to "reprogram" memories, although it seems to work imperfectly; people in VR.6 can work in teams to erase such conditioning because they have access to each other's subconscious minds, which overlap to form "the truth"; "time and space do not function the same way" in VR.7 (a person can get trapped in there). The Committee: there is a fracture at the very centre of TC; TC seems to recruit extensively from within families (they like blood-ties), although if Oliver and Sydney's cases are indicative, family members may not be brought in on the secret until their late twenties; a man named Abernathy was a colleague of Oliver's father (who apparently died for him), and became Oliver's Committee "Keeper" (mentor/control agent/father confessor)--he was also the first known member of the splinter faction (hereafter "TSF"); it was TSF that abducted Dr. Bloom and Samantha 17 years ago (and has presumably held them captive all this time); The Man is apparently on the side of TC opposing TSF, and considers himself Sydney's "Keeper" (and now Oliver's, too--but what about Duncan?). Miscellaneous: the car accident never happened--it was a combination of VR reprogramming and the actual abduction of Sydney's father and sister; Nora Bloom did not attempt suicide, either--she got lost in VR while reprogramming Duncan and Sydney's memories; Samantha and Duncan appear to have had a burgeoning adolescent romance; Joseph Bloom may be insane, having fractured his personality with VR.8 (like Alex). ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? THANKS FOR HELPING/ADDING/PARTICIPATING Jonathan Gan / raquele@eskimo.com Lisa Cunningham / searchme@earthlink.net ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Jonathan Gan listed all the new things he learned after watching "Reunion:" - People from TC took Sam; not an accident - It's been 6 months since the pilot (in the show's time) - Sam has lived 17 years with TC - Sydney knew that Duncan could use VR - "Wolfenstein 3D"-like imagery in VR.7 - Fiber optics were used in the workshop in the episode (instead of phone) - There's been a "fracture at the top" in TC, says the stranger - We hear that there are factions in TC for the first time in the show; Oliver says a renegade faction is trying to kill Syd - Sam and Dr. Bloom were hiding in Germany with the Committee - Abernathy worked with Oliver's father - Committee operates within close-knit family ties (generation to generation) - VR.7 mentioned for first time - Lies; when all three (Duncan/Syd/Sam) together, we get the truth (and several here had predicted that earlier) - Woman who looked after Nora was part of the Committee - Nora tried to erase memories + replace with good ones - Mysterious man changed stories Lori Olson has made available a 3.3 MB video clip of the last VR.7 scene from the episode. It is available at her WWW site at http://pearl.sri.com/vr5/vr5.htm Here are synopses of the three episodes which didn't air in the United States. [Special thanks to David Shaler and Lisa Cunningham and Jeff Bryer.] 11. "Send Me An Angel" Broadcast N/A Written by Naomi Jenzen & Jeannine Renshaw Directed by Jim Charleston Guest Stars: Armelia McQueen, Barbara K. Whinnery, William Forward, Tracey Needham (Samantha Bloom) Continuity: This episodes comes directly after "Simon's Choice." Synopsis: Syd takes a vacation from the her work for the Committee and returns to her house in Pasadena. There she discovers a tale of a mysterious haunting and fire from the previous inhabitants. While exploring the house, she starts to remember bits and pieces of her past and finally brings Duncan in to help her sort out the memories. She finally brings her mother to the house to see if she can break through but the child who lived there previously shows up. Syd realizes that the house is on fire and Oliver, who has been watching her, breaks into the laboratory at the last minute and rescues Nora as Syd carries the child to safety. Oliver tells Syd that she must explore these mysteries herself as it is the only way she will ever be able to put her past to rest. Observed Data: VR: The machinery is located in the Bloom House's basement which takes retinal scans of people who can be used for VR in the future. Nora's apparent illness is not caused by pills and sunglasses, but rather from VR somehow. Dr. Bloom taught his two daughters a rhyme to help them remember how to get into his secret room downstair where he experimented with VR: E is to Enter the closet ourselves N is to Never tell anyone else T is to Tap with your knuckles times three E is for effort when turning the key R is Run back the latch and find me The Committee: The front door of the Bloom House incorporates a window designed after the Committee's symbol. Miscellaneous: Samantha Bloom is alive. At the end of the episode, we see Mr. X/Syd's Keeper in amongst the crowd gathered outside the Bloom House. 12. "Sisters" Broadcast N/A Written by John Sacret Young Directed by John Sacret Young Guest Stars: Colleen Flynn, Willie Carson, David McCallum (Dr. Bloom) Continuity: This episode takes place after "Dr. Strangechild." Synopsis: Syd investigates the mind of a bank teller who she discovers is stealing. She finds in the VR experiences that she enjoys the sense of danger and excitement related to the excursions she becomes involved with throughout this woman, Janine. This episode also explores Syd's lack of control of the events in VR as well as setting her on a quick course in self-discovery. Observed Data: VR: Sydney tells Duncan what the levels of VR are which are what we see in the opening credits. Morgan shows up in all the permutations of Syd's VR experience, further enforcing the idea that VR picks up on your subconscience and that Morgan was definitely in hers. Miscellaneous: Duncan admits to idolizing Syd's father. He describes the relationship between the Bloom sisters as being one based on one-upsmanship. David Shaler described the episode: There was no VR sequence between Syd and Nora, and there was no mention of her dad being with the Committee. This episode doesn't look like it was redone at all to reflect the new direction the show was taking, maybe because they never intended it to be seen, but it gives you a really good idea of how the writers intended the show to be like originally. 13. Parallel Lives Broadcast N/A Written by Jeannine Renshaw, Thania St. John, John Shirley, John Sacret Young Directed by Guest Stars: Penn Jillette (Kravitz), Billy Burke, Will Patton (Dr. Frank Morgan), Tracey Needham (Samantha Bloom), David McCallum (Doctor Bloom) Continuity: This episode takes place after "The Many Faces of Alex." Synopsis: This episode plays with the concept and characterization of almost every character we have met so far. Much of the dialogue is taken from earlier episodes but it is said by the wrong character under very different circumstances. It involves Duncan waking up to discover that Sam was the one who survived the crash as a child, not Syd (who only appears in one very brief scene), and that the lives of each character are substantially different. It is extremely convoluted and literally requires the viewer to keep track of VR inside VR inside VR. Concepts of reality are toyed with throughout. Observed Data: VR: It is possible to have a VR sequence within a VR sequence within a VR sequence. Miscellaneous: Doctor Bloom is alive and testing Duncan for some unknown reason. Duncan now believes that Sam and Doctor Bloom are alive. Syd is using Compaq computers. (1.6) - Where can I see VR.5? From 10 March 1995 to 12 May 1995, FOX television affiliates broadcasted VR.5 Friday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific time (U.S.) and 7 p.m. Central/Mountain time (U.S.). However, VR.5 is now on hiatus and it isn't the case any more. It is, however, on the Sci-Fi Channel Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. now, except when interrupted for movie marathons of one sort or another. And this fall it will move to Thursday nights. Here's how we stand... By country: (Contributors include Andre Tobiassen , Grail , Linda Willard , Lars Johnsen , and Kathy Chyla .) U.S. : Currently and for the foreseeable future, rerunning (all 13 episodes) on the Sci-Fi Channel. CANADA: Currently not on the air. However, select stations did rerun the series, complete with the 3 episodes not shown in the U.S. NORWAY: VR.5 was introduced in Norway in mid-May, 1995. The ratings were "fairly good, considering it's replacing X-Files for the summer," according to Lars Johnsen. The series was rerun in the summer of 1996. Other countries have aired it as well, including Britain (where for some strange and inexplicable reason "Sisters" was not shown), Australia, and India. Sweden, France, and Belgium seem to be seeing it right now, too, from all accounts. (1.7) - Where does VR.5 stand right now? Was it cancelled? Only one season of VR.5 was broadcast, starting on 10 March 1995 (when the pilot was broadcast) and ending on 12 May 1995 (when the season finale was broadcast). Unfortunately, FOX chose not to renew VR.5 for a second season. For information on Virtual Storm, the Internet-based effort to promote VR.5, see section 7.17. The numbers below are from Troy Heagy 's sci-fi Nielsen ratings lists (in the U.S.). They've been arranged in a chart so you can easily compare results. All dates are in 1995. "Share" means percentage of TV sets tuned to VR.5. Pay attention to VR.5's rank -- 1st place means the most watched show. Week of Rank Rating Share Viewers (estimated) ================================================================= 10-16 April 91st place 4.0 8% 6.5 million 17-23 April 90th place 3.6 7% 6.1 million 24-30 April 85th place 5.2 8% 6.8 million 1-7 May 81st place 3.6 8% 6.5 million 8-14 May 84th place 5.2 8% 7.3 million (season finale) ================================================================= A member of the VR.5 production team, Vrwatch , wrote this about the VR.5 ratings situation on 7 May 1995: VR.5 is dead last in its time slot. Began with terrific numbers, took second its first couple of weeks with a 15 share. Now hovering around a 7 share (compared to the 23 share any of the ABC shows get on Friday night, and the usual 15-17 or better that X-Files regularly pulls). Here's the relevant list of 8-14 May 1995 sci-fi Nielsen ratings, from Troy Heagy : PRIME-TIME Ratings: May 8-14(Mon-Sun) SHOW Net/Rating/Share/Viewers in millions 34 Lois & Clark ABC/10.1/18/18.1 41 The X-Files FOX/ 9.4/17/15.5 (tied:ABC Step by Step) 77 Star Trek:Voyager UPN/ 7.1/10/ 8.7 (see note below) 80 Sliders FOX/ 6.6/ 9/ 7.7 84 V.R.5 FOX/ 5.2/ 8/ 7.3 (finale) -- seaQuest DSV pre-empted -- Earth 2 pre-empted 93 shows SEASON FINALES Season rank/Show/Date/Finale Rating 58 Lois & Clark May 21 64 seaQuest DSV May 21 71 The X-Files May 19 + "The Secrets of the X-files" @ 8 PM! 78 Earth 2 ?????? 89 Sliders tonight 95 Voyager May 22? -- V.R.5 May 12 5.2 NA Deep Space 9 Jun 17 NA Babylon 5 Jun 21? Notes: - (R) means rerun - Ranking is based on the rating - 1 Rating point=954,000 homes/96.4 million homes have TVs - Share is percentage of sets tuned to a particular show - Viewers stats based on log/diary entries - Statistics collected by A.C. Nielson Co. from ~4000 households According to "Entertainment Weekly" (2 June 1995), via Mike Rosen , VR.5 finished 131st with 8.1 million viewers. For comparison, "Sliders" tied for 107th with 10.4 million viewers. (1.8) - When is VR.5 taking place? VR.5 takes place in the present time (as of its original airing.) We learn that "The Many Faces of Alex," broadcast on 5 May 1995, happens in May, 1995. It looks like the action each week happens at about the same dates as when the episodes are broadcast. "Reunion" said it'd been six months since the pilot, when Sydney first went into VR.5. (1.9) - What do VR.5 fans call themselves? There is no set name for fans of the show. Although the topic was once broached and put up for a vote, no definitive answer was ever reached. With the advent of the Virtual Storm, VR.5 fans who helped (and continue to help) in the effort to bring VR.5 back to television have called themselves "Stormers." (1.10) - Is VR.5 being shown anywhere in the world right now? Yes, it is being shown in Sweden, as well as in America on the Sci-Fi Channel. (1.11) - What questions does VR.5 raise? (Missing Data) William Wood compiled the "VR.5 Missing Data" list below, which is tied to the VR.5 Episode Guide in section 1.5. Here's the 30 June 1995 update. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? VR.5: MISSING DATA--REVEALED? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The following are the principal questions raised over the course of the first ten episodes of VR.5; some have been subsequently answered, and I've listed those answers here. The other questions remain open to speculation. I've included some of my own ideas, but they're by no means meant to be authoritative. If you have other ideas (I'm sure you do), perhaps you could drop me a line. I can be reached at: tigger@interlog.com These questions are now numbered for your convenience. If you mail me your theory and include the number of the question, perhaps I can start keeping track of the various theories and give credit where it's due. If you have ideas for additional questions, I'll consider those too. Enjoy! Bitter Guy AKA William A. Wood ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? A SHORT GLOSSARY OF ABREVIATIONS AND TERMS ANS = a definitive (?) answer provided by the show (mostly from "Reunion"). Other = the "unwired" half of a VR.5 connection--the person contacted by phone. SPEC = speculation; this is attributed to someone in square brackets ([WAW] for example), which preceeds the speculation; the list of "speculators" to date is at the end of this document. TC = The Committee, especially the "good" faction. "TMFOA" = The Many Faces of Alex, episode 9. TSF = The Splinter Faction, i.e., the "bad" (worse) Committee members, such as Abernathy. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? MISSING DATA--ANSWERS AND SPECULATION 1. "VR.5" (PILOT) a) Why does Duncan live on the roof of Sydney's building? SPEC: [WAW] I have no idea, but it is presumably a voluntary situation, as I'm sure Syd would let him sleep on her couch if he asked. b) What is the hardware/software/wetware ratio that makes up VR.5? ANS: it appears to be mostly Dr. Bloom's hardware, with software determining location (at least initially), and wetware serving as the key to unlocking the system via retinal indentification. c) Does Duncan remember being passed over in the shower by Sydney in VR.5? 2. "Dr. Strangechild" a) What happened to Penelope (Sydney's bird)? SPEC: [WAW] she probably died in the fire that forced Sydney to change apartments. 3. "Love & Death" a) How does Sydney program VR.5 locations she hasn't seen (i.e., "Boothe's Room")? SPEC: [LC] Sydney can defer to the subconscious of the Other, [WAW] presumably in the expectation that the Other will automatically fill in the details of a supplied title. b) Did Boothe kill Samantha and Joseph? ANS: no. SPEC: [WAW] but he may have thought he did--he may have been the assassin in the German train station that killed the fake Joseph Bloom in "TMFOA"; [LC] Sydney may have projected her subconscious fear that Boothe killed them upon learning that he was an assassin. c) Why was Nora wearing gloves and sunglasses to commit suicide? ANS: these were subconscious clues that Nora had actually been using VR when she went into her coma--i.e., wearing the VR visor and gloves. d) If Nora never realized that Sydney was alive, where did Sydney go after the crash? If Sydney discovered her mother's body, what was the time lag between crash and return home? ANS: Sydney didn't find her mother--those were false memories. e) Where did Sydney grow up? SPEC: [LC] with Duncan's family? [WAW] we have no evidence that Duncan even has a family--after all, he lives on a roof! f) What do Dr.Morgan's last words--"It's not what you think"--mean? SPEC: [WAW] they seem to be a reference to the file he had downloaded to her computer, and which was subsequently erased; perhaps Morgan was more sympathetic to the pain Sydney would feel upon learning that her father was a member of TC than Oliver turned out to be. g) Why is the car in the crash flashbacks different in this episode (sedan) from the one in the pilot (station wagon)? ANS: it doesn't really matter, because the crash never actually happened. SPEC: [LC] the scene was reshot when the pilot was picked up by the network. 4. "5D" a) Why was Dr. Morgan preserved? Who did it? SPEC: [WAW] TSF is probably responsible, but why is still a mystery. b) Why does Sydney have so much baseball equipment (bat, ball, glove) on hand--she's such a loner, and baseball is a team sport: when (if ever) did she play? SPEC: [LC] if she grew up with Duncan, he would include her in neighbourhood games. 5. "Escape" a) Who did Duncan call the last time he used VR.5? If it was Sydney, as is suggested, how did she answer? SPEC: [LC] Duncan and Oliver are already working together--Oliver put the phone to her ear. b) If the letterboxing at the beginning of the episode indicates that the events occurred in VR.5, what does it mean that the scene in which "Oliver" catches Sydney in VR.5 with Duncan is NOT letterboxed? Did Oliver fool Duncan in VR.5, through subjectivity and ambiguity (Oliver states "There is no truth" three times)? Did he, in fact, play a role (possibly a passive one) in Sydney's abduction, stepping in only when it got too rough? ANS: it would appear that Oliver is, in fact, a "good guy". SPEC: [WAW] however, I think the abduction was actually conducted by the "good" Committee (TC), because the questions put to Sydney reveal an ignorance of events that TSF wouldn't have. Oliver may have reluctantly agreed to it (under orders), and then put a stop to it when it got out of hand (more evidence of Oliver's growing rebellion?). c) [LC] Where did Oliver get Dr. Bloom's journal? 6. "Facing The Fire" a) Who pulled Young Sydney from the sinking car? ANS: the hand on her shoulder was a subconscious memory of being disconnected from VR by The Man. b) Does Oliver know that Duncan can access VR.5? ANS: he definitely knows in "Reunion". SPEC: [LC] The Man would know--he disconnected both Duncan and Syd in 1978--and it's possible, therefore, that TC always knew; also, Oliver would be tipped off because how else could Duncan have found the hospital? See also 5a above. [WAW] The fact that Oliver "catches" Sydney using VR.5 on him in "TMFOA" indicates that he is cognizant of having been in VR before, and Duncan is the only real candidate for providing the "experience". It is important to remember, however, that VR wouldn't work until Joseph returned to L.A. and got his computer up and running again... It's quite possible that TC wrote off both Duncan and Sydney as candidates. It's also possible that The Man, whom Oliver did not appear to know, did not share his information with many people--TC is a "need-to-know" organization. c) Did Duncan get around to showing Sydney the "call yourself in VR.5" trick? SPEC: [WAW] no; Sydney doesn't seem inclined to share anything with Duncan, and I think he would take his cue from that. 7. "Simon's Choice" a) What determines the balance of control between Sydney (or Duncan) and the Other? SPEC: [WAW] intelligence and willpower/need. b) Why wasn't Ky uncovered during Simon's trial? He didn't seem hard to find. c) Was Simon actually a member of the Committee? If so, how could he be tried for treason? How "legitimate," or connected with the government, is the Committee? SPEC: [LC] yes, he belonged to TC, but they cut him off because he was both a traitor and an expendable asset. 8. "Control Freak" a) Who tried to kill Oliver? Why did they use such an indiscriminate method when they have been known to employ professionals who work "up close and personal" (like Jackson Boothe)? Why did they only try once? SPEC: [LC] the bomb may have been used to disguise the fact that Oliver was the target; there may also have been other attempts on his life that we don't know about. b) Does Oliver have a cover? How does he wield authority without one? 9. "The Many Faces of Alex" Are Joseph and Samantha actually still alive, or are there minds just tucked away in somebody else (like Nora, maybe)? ANS: yes, they're still alive. SPEC: [WAW] but VR.8 "copies", complete or incomplete, may exist in other people. b) If Joseph and Samantha are not only alive, but together, why would they let Sydney grow up alone? ANS: they have been prisoners until recently, and Dr. Bloom was afraid that Sydney was a Committee stooge. c) Is VR.8 a one-time, permanent transfer or does it make "copies"? ANS: the example of Samantha and Alex seems to indicate that it makes copies. d) If the crash in which her family died isn't real, who programmed Sydney, and why? ANS: Nora "reprogrammed" both Sydney and Duncan in order to hide their knowledge of VR. e) If the crash is fake, how much of Sydney's last 17 years is real? f) Is Duncan a traitor (i.e., does he work for TC)? How did TC know where Oliver and Alex would be? SPEC: [WAW] Duncan is probably not working for TC proper--he just helps Syd either directly or indirectly, through Oliver. Oliver may have told Abernathy where he was going, or Abernathy's people might have been tailing Joseph and Samantha, or Oliver could have been traced via his cellular phone, or Sydney's phone could be bugged, etc., etc., etc. g) Who took Alex from the safe house? Who tried to kill Oliver and/or Sydney? Who killed Alex (in reality and/or in VR.5)? ANS: TSF and/or Abernathy. h) [LC] The implication is made that Dr. Bloom also transfered his mind via VR.8, but too whom? 10. "Reunion" a) Why didn't Dr. Bloom just examine Sydney in VR if he was worried about her loyalties? ANS: Joseph seems to be insane, and very, very fearful; when Sam initiated contact with Syd, he chose instead to flee. b) Could Samantha and Joseph "eavesdrop" on Sydney's VR trips (she was using their system, after all)? SPEC: [WAW] yes; this is probably the source of the voiceover when Sydney is in VR.5 with Nora in "5D". c) According to Fox's material on the show, VR.7 is telepathy, "without the need for a computer." If this is the case, why were Sydney and Nora hooked up together by computer? Shouldn't it be VR.6? SPEC: [WAW] VR.7 is a deeper version of VR.6 that uses "different parts of the brain," but still works through the computer system--the Fox materials are out-of-date/wrong. d) [LC] How come Samantha knew who Oliver was, if he was ignorant of her? Is there an exchange of knowledge when VR.8 is used, rather than just a one-way copy (i.e., did Sam get some of Alex's memories)? e) [LC] What is the exact nature of the retinal ID system? If it was wired into the phone lines 17 years ago, wouldn't that part have been replaced by now? SPEC: [WAW] I think Joseph's system is tapping ALL the local lines looking for a VR signal, and connecting with that signal in order to "screen" the call and activate VR.5 upon recognition--if the retina pattern doesn't pass, the system activates a lethal subroutine to burn out the user's mind (a fairly paranoid set-up; it may not have been so nasty in 1978 when Joseph was still sane). f) [LC] Should Sydney trust Samantha? g) [LC] Oliver indicates that TC likes blood-ties; does Duncan have any? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? KEY TO SPECULATIONS AND ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS [WAW] tigger@interlog.com [LC] searchme@earthlink.net ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Karen also asked: Why did Sidney go to the railroad guy's house, planning to ask if Morgan had e-mailed him the file on her father, and then do nothing but talk about trains and DNA?