Plotlines

Episode seven, and we can already see the finish line, yet the pace picks up once more.

The cryogenic facility is an interesting detail, as it’s introduced mainly in the context of being used for the probe. However, it’s so large that a full human can’t be sent, only something much smaller, like a brain. By this point, we understand that it will be Will.

But there’s another detail that may have been overlooked in the conversation between Wade and Jin. Wade plans to use the cryogenic facility for himself—he wants to freeze his body and be woken up every few years to continue overseeing the facility and essentially the survival of humanity.

This establishes a kind of time machine, because that’s exactly how the cryogenic facility and the concept of “going into cold sleep” is handled. It’s an interesting aspect, since cold sleep is often just treated as freezing and that’s it. But if you take a step back from the narrative and view it from a broader, chronological context, it can actually be seen as a form of time travel. The book presents and even calls it that way several times. I’d be thrilled if this idea is introduced in season two, as it’s crucial for Jin and Saul’s future development!

Will is now preparing for his self-induced suicide, and the dialogue between him and Saul is brilliantly written. Even Auggie’s farewell is well done—without getting too sentimental, they simply show the bottle, which works so well. And Saul and Will—Saul not wanting to let Will go until the very end—is handled in a way that feels refreshing, unlike what is typical in other shows. While Saul sheds tears, it’s not overly emotional, and I think that makes it even more powerful and impactful.

This is reinforced when Jin misses the chance to say goodbye after learning that the star belongs to Will. She arrives too late and can only watch as the cryotank, containing Will’s brain, is sealed.

We also briefly revisit Ye Wenjie after Tatiana, who wasn’t forgotten by the San-Ti, is sent to kill her. But before this happens, we see Ye Wenjie meeting with Saul and telling him a strange joke:

“So Einstein dies. He finds himself in heaven, and he has his violin. He’s thrilled. He loves his violin more than physics. Even more than women. He’s excited to see how well he can play in heaven. He thinks he’ll be amazing. So he starts tuning up, and the angels rush over.

‘What are you doing?’ they ask.

‘I’m getting ready to play.’

‘Don’t do that. God won’t like it. He’s a saxophonist.’

So Einstein stops. He doesn’t play. But it’s hard for him. He loves music. And there’s actually not much to do in heaven. Sure enough, from high above, he hears a saxophone playing. It’s playing ‘Take the A Train,’ do you know that one? Einstein knows it too. He thinks, I’m going to do it. I’m going to play along. We’ll sound amazing together. So he starts playing ‘Take the A Train.’ The saxophone stops, and God appears. He walks over to Einstein and kicks him in the groin, which hurts, even in heaven. Then he smashes Einstein’s beloved violin to bits. Eternity without music. Heaven becomes hell for Einstein. And as he’s lying on the ground in pain, an angel comes over and says: ‘We warned you: Never play with God.’”

I find this line “Never play with God” very interesting, as it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Is Ye Wenjie implying that the San-Ti, with their methods and the Sophons, are like gods and therefore should not be challenged? Or is it more about how humanity shouldn’t develop too far? Like the joke suggests, one shouldn’t try to play at God’s level, or believe they can match him. When I watched this scene for the first time, I found it a fascinating detail, and I watched it several times in a row because of how Ye Wenjie delivered the joke—it was so gripping.

We have one more episode, and the final episode always reminds me a bit of the third season of Dark. Why that is, I’ll explain in the last post!