Simon and River's Parents Involved in River's Abduction
POSTED BY: BrowncoatBear
UPDATED: Friday, January 28, 2011 00:34
VIEWED: 15118
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I am a conspiracy theorist.
For good reasons, I believe that Simon and River's parents were working with the Alliance, and had agreed to let them abduct her and experiment on her. I believe that there was some consideration given to Mr. and Mrs. Tam in exchange for their complicity.
My personal opinion, if I am as fimiliar with Joss' thinking and writing style as I think I am, is that he was intending to build a sub-plot based on a wider conspiracy involving the Tams, and perhaps parents of other "eligible" Alliance children. There are clues to this buried in the screenplays, but I find the most support for my theory in the episode "Safe", which I will detail as this thread evolves.
Does anyone agree? What is your evidence for, or against?
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It's just about general agreement that the parents are complicit in River's use by the Alliance and if there weren't they were at least scared of retaliation from the Alliance and loss of their life style.
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No evidence at all, really. Can't think of anything in the script that shows this.
Having a crazy son going off, yeah, that's there.
What is it you see in the script? Anything the Alliance might have said would have been easy to swallow, how the school was top flight and River preferred to stay to continue advanced studies. Just what parents want to hear.
Interesting conjecture, tho.
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Wow. I never really thought they were involved at all. I always thought they were just cold, detached parents who didn't really care what was happening to their kids. It's an interesting notion, though.
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Really? General agreement? Huh. You'll get none of that from me LOL!
So, I think the elder Tams really did care for their children, but in a selfish and close-minded way. The first scene in Safe is mostly destroys the "evil Tam parents" theory for me. Gabriel Tam is pretty clearly shown as a wonderful father - as long as his children are what he expects them to be: bright and well-behaved and promising. A rebellious son throwing away a budding career, on the other hand, is something Gabriel has absolute no ability to handle. (Kind of like a man held over a volcano, eh?)
OK, so I have to admit I'm a bit biased. I'd rather the Tams be parents who effed up because they had more faith in the system than in their son. I think those would be more compelling characters than a pair of soul-less selfish monsters who sold their daughter for no reason other than personal gain.
As for handing her to the Academy for other reasons... ? Some kind of blackmail or pressure from the Alliance? That certainly seems possible, though like I said, not so interesting to me. I'm opinionated. 
Anyhow, I do like me a good conspiracy theory, and certainly in Joss's verse anything is possible. Please share your own clues BrowncoatBear!
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hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left
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Quote:
Originally posted by BrowncoatBear:
There's no certain answer to what is always going to be an interesting question... Certainly the flashbacks in Safe have a creepyfying edge...
But complicity (and here Simon himself may be guilty) is not the same as quite what you are suggesting - ie that the Parents knew EXACTLY what would happen - that in fact they were in agreement with the plan to experiment on River etc (and what WAS that plan again?).
Unless there was some more direct motive - promotion, share bumping (whatever) for Gabriel's business or something, then that seems highly unlikely.
You are confusing what the Alliance is.
To the Tams and others from the Core - THEY are the Alliance, and so are their friends, neighbours and little jimmy's dog.
It's the reality of everyday life - not goons in a ship with guns etc, which is what they are if you happen to be a Brownie from the Rim etc.
That the Parents wanted rid of a difficult daughter or wanted to sever the claustraphobic relationship between River and Simon... These are definite possibilities - but they are also speculation, there's no sure evidence. You would have to make very clear the dots you are joining up in any workable 'theory'.
That Simon may have encouraged River to go is also a possibility - 1.) It's in his nature to want the best for River, he could easily have thoght that was what she was going to get, and feels guilty later. 2.) Perhaps he got jealous finally (as siblings will) of the 'gifted' one - perhaps he wanted a chance to shine...
Or maybe he just worries now about the very possibility that he may have done so. Again, all these explanations hold up with what we see - because we see so little! Simon's viewpoint is not a neutral one - but the series was not wanting to show ALL the cards - so there are rich questions left for us to eat up!:)
But yeah - maybe the Academy just had a great catalog that year and no/one read the small print.
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I think the only that can really be said is that River wanted to go to a really *really* good school and they had the money to send her. So, they did. The parents then realised that something was going on (probably bad) after some time, but didn't kick up much, if any, of a fuss. Really if only because it was a government run school, and being that they were educated, they would have no doubt realised the repercussions of there actions should they do so.
So, being in line with there standing in society, they silently mourned for there daughter and tried to prevent there son from going down his own disastrous road.
Sure, there's a bit of speculation in there. But, I think all of it stands to reason and doesn't stray too far beyond nor reads too much into what we've seen. And surely anything more, including government involvement, reads far too much into what we know.
----
I am on The Original List (twice). We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"
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Yes, early in "Safe", father Tam is portrayed as a good father. However committing River to the program does not necessarily mean that he does not love her.
Remember, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." If the Alliance program operators pitched him a good story, and fed him a lot of flag waving patriotism b.s., the psychology of Mr. and Mrs. Tam could very simply be that they are offering River for her benefit as well as the Alliance's. Of course it is entirely possible and likely that they may not have been told everything that they have planned for her. This would be a great foundation for a very emotional and dramatic revelation on the Tams part in a later episode.
It is amazing what people can justify in their minds when they are told is for some ultimately benign purpose. Eugenics is a fine example.
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Maybe they are clones? And that's why River couldn't read their true intent. Brilliant, even when I'm tired.
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If I remember correctly, River wasn't known to have psychic abilities until after she had been in "training".
For those who study trauma based mind control, it is well known that such training is reported to increase the mind control victim's intuitive sense.
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