skieswideopen (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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tv_talk2014-02-04 01:43 pm
skieswideopen) wrote in tv_talk2014-02-04 01:43 pm
Entry tags:
Intelligence: Home Base + Primer
This is the homebase post for discussions of Intelligence! (The 2014 US version; not the older Canadian show by the same name.)
Discussion Threads
1.01 Pilot
1.02 Red X
1.03 Mei Chen Returns
1.04 Secrets of the Secret Service
1.05 The Rescue
1.06 Patient Zero
1.07 Size Matters
1.08 Delta Force
1.09 Athens
1.10 Cain and Gabriel
1.11 The Grey Hat
1.12 The Event Horizon
1.13 Being Human
If anyone's looking for caps for icon purposes, you can find some here.
Also, a primer for anyone who missed the show when it aired.
Introduction to Intelligence
What happens when you take a man and stuff a computer chip in his head? Besides a lot of cool special effects?
The Premise
Intelligence is about Gabriel Vaughn (Josh Holloway), a former Delta Force operator with a particular genetic quirk that allows scientists to implant a computer chip in his head that gives him mental access to the information grid. They then assign Secret Service agent Riley Neal (Meghan Ory) to protect him and keep him in line. The former she's happy to do; the latter...not so much.
The Characters
Gabriel Vaughn. Highly-decorated soldier turned human computer. Courageous. Skilled. Occasionally reckless. And desperately searching for his CIA agent wife, who vanished seven years earlier while undercover in Mumbai.
Riley Neal. Secret Service agent. The youngest women ever assigned to Presidential detail, and the only one who made it through the vetting process to be considered as Gabriel's protector.
Lillian Strand (Marg Helgenberger). The director of US Cyber Command, with deep roots in the intelligence community.
Dr. Shenendoah Cassidy (John Billingsley), the neuroscientist who created the chip, and his son, Nelson Cassidy (P.J. Byrne), who also works as a scientist on the project.
Amos Pembroke (Eldon Henson). Yet another technician working on Clockwork.
Chris Jameson (Michael Rady). Cyber Command all-purpose extra body, good with a gun or a computer.
1.06 Patient Zero
So what'd you all think?
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
- I really liked the beginning! Nice use of Gabriel's chip and touching on its limitations.
- Also nice use of Riley's protective role. And she was totally right about the gloves.
- I wonder how Cassidy feels about the fates of the three test subjects who preceded Gabriel?
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
I also like how they finally addressed the other test subjects that came before Gabriel.
Oh and that bad general (or whatever his rank was) is the actor who plays Art on Justified!!!
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
I think it's a bit of a challenging situation for him not just because she's a woman, but because he's the guy who's used to protecting other people - former Delta Force and all that. So it probably seems a bit silly to him to have a bodyguard. But yeah, her joke about him being pretty was funny.
And yes! So glad we're finally getting something about the previous test subjects. I wonder if they figured out the genetic mutation before or after they performed the surgery on Gabriel? Did the others have it too, or was their lack of that mutation why things went wrong? Was it a pure fluke that it worked for Gabriel, and then they went back and figured out why, or did they pick Gabriel because he had what they needed? (Plus, I really do want an episode where they touch on how Cassidy feels about the first three. Maybe he can mention the guy who was paralyzed or something?)
Oh, THAT'S where I know him from! (I'm slowly working on catching up on Justified, btw. I watched the first couple of episodes from this season last weekend.)
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
Eh, I don't know. Science isn't my strong point but it doesn't seem logical. (not that a lot of TV shows care about that much sometimes) It would be enough for a working theory and for them to say they "think" it's the genetic mutation that makes it work in him. And now we know that the girl who has the other chip, who was a success too also has the mutation so at this point the theory is more sound.
I'm guessing the genetic mutation thing is in there as a reason why we don't have an army of people like Gabriel at this point. If it's isn't always a success even with the mutation, that would be even more reason not to try it on more people too quickly. Of course we have no idea how common the mutation is either. Hmmm...
I'd like to have them go in deeper with the other test subjects especially the one that was paralyzed. That would be interesting. And Cassidy's feelings on the whole thing, yeah I'd like an episode with that too.
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
Obviously, though, on a meta level, the genetic stuff is there to explain why they picked someone who's "difficult" (reckless, insubordinate) for this very important role, and why they don't have dozens. The scientific details don't have to matter for storytelling unless the writers want them to.
I hope we eventually meet the guy who was paralyzed; I think that could be an interesting conversation.
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
Again, I'm not in any way a science person but I have a recessive hereditary disorder caused by a defect in the B1 subunit gene ATP6V1B1 (yes i just clipped that from the internet)…probably. I was part of a study years and years ago when they took my blood and a bunch of my family members blood to to add to the study.
They didn't actually tell me about it after or anything and what I've read about it is confusing and seems to change every few years. And sometimes people that have the defect don't always have the same symptoms as others with it and sometimes those with a different defect have those symptoms. Eh… and there could be other mutations in other genes not yet identified involved etc. whatever.
Anyways I think what I'm trying to say is genetics and mutations etc. are way more complicated than x mutation = this success or defect or whatever.
I'm just saying that it's not good science to say that just because Gabriel has a specific genetic mutation, that's the reason the chip works in him in not the others. They may say it's the reason but it would only be a working hypothesis and a relatively week one at that because they don't have enough data unless they've experimented on more people than they've claimed. Though now with an another success they come closer to being able to say it's the mutation.
I have no idea why they would have been looking for people with the mutation to use the chip on though, unless is was part of another study or something.
But the science doesn't really matter in this. It's about the characters and the story and I've really been enjoying that :)
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero
Because going around saying it's the gene that makes it work with out any other data seems clumsy, also the whole human subject (even voluntary) thing is a little iffy ethically.
Of course maybe the reason they haven't voluntarily put the chip in anyone else is that they know that the gene may not be the only connection and that even with he gene there are no guarantees.
Usually I don't actually think that much about the science in TV shows, I rarely care. At this point I'm just over thinking it.
And why don't I have more than one Intelligence icon uploaded? I know I made more than one ;)
Re: 1.06 Patient Zero