The Tam Parents

POSTED BY: AnotherSky
UPDATED: Friday, February 26, 2010 00:39
VIEWED: 10633
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PLATONIST

Saturday, May 2, 2009 11:09 PM

I don’t think there is enough canon evidence to judge the Tams as stupid, evil or selfish parents. Certainly not by the scenes in Safe where they are portrayed as willing to provide the best for their children they can afford, the dedicated source box, the dance lessons, etc.

Parents of this social class are competitive in politics, business, and education, that's what their success is based on, and when their done competing at the office, they stage competitive practice for their children through youth sports, selective top rated private schools which have award ceremonies based on achievement, expensive private lessons and so forth. They know the right people. That's what the first scene in Safe is all about; we are essentially at home with the Tams. They represent a typical upper class family in the core.

They were most likely proud as peacocks when their daughter was accepted into the Academy, highly selective and elitists. River probably was rewarded by being taken out to dinner at her favorite sushi restaurant.

Too trusting, naïve, and not questioning the authority which they are partied with is what the Tams are guilty of. They gave up their parental rights too readily, and then out of fear and hypocrisy they were passive, but are lucky Simon was paying attention and willing to question River’s clues, him being top three percent and all. Anything more than that is pure speculation. You can’t always blame Mom and Dad for not paying attention.

ANOTHERSKY

Sunday, May 3, 2009 5:27 AM

Twasn't blaming, just requesting thoughts on what makes them tick. good defense, platonist. Sorry--"selfish" has a rather broad meaning in my family. And it is a possible interpretation.

I like these consistently intelligent and thoughtful replies.

I think the one of the most interesting scenes of characterization for Gabriel is when he hears Simon's been arrested--he goes immediately to get him out and then warns him he will disown him if he "puts a toe out of line" again. you can see how deeply worried he is, but there are a multitude of mixed reasons WHY he could be worried.

Attitudes:
As has been said, effectively,government is out of the picture--the Tam's absolute focus is on the family and their place in society, regardless of that society's larger machinations (ie Blue Sun etc.) I agree about the trust part.
They only recognize things like blackout zones (great name) when they have to, like word dissociation. Someone mentioned Latin America--in some cases quite reminiscent. Literally walls to divide the poor and agitatiors and street scum from the moneyed.

River has a favorite sushi restaurant...now what would she order?...:)

BYTEMITE

Sunday, May 3, 2009 5:32 AM

Puffer fish, and she'd warn Simon that it's poisonous.

ANOTHERSKY

Sunday, May 3, 2009 5:45 AM

Ha ha ha ha! He's a doctor...

Oh, the look on Simon's face...yup, she's a brat.

But is she a risk taker? Or has she calculated the physical risk factor (to the .00000001) versus physical enjoyment of the fish and psychological enjoyment of scaring her brother?

Would he be scared?

I don't think Core sushi chefs mess up often though. Especially when doing so could cause paralysis of some very shiny individuals with lots of cashy money.

PLATONIST

Sunday, May 3, 2009 6:05 AM

Gabriel reacts to his son being in a black out zone as any parent would, by yelling and making empty threats they will never hold to, in other words, he over reacts. The Tams think Simon is cracking under pressure because his arrest for being in such a place is irrational behavior for Simon; he’s a rule follower like his parents. And that’s why they don’t believe him because it doesn’t make sense, its crazy talk and makes Simon look like the village idiot or rather the town psycho. We can’t have that at the Tam Estate now, can we?

Actually, I have River pegged as a Sashimi lover:)

BYTEMITE

Sunday, May 3, 2009 6:13 AM

She'd have every intention of freaking out her brother and eating it... Right up until the point she sees what the original fish looks like.

Then she'd sneak some Tuna off of Simon's plate and dispose of her piece discretely.

As for blackout zones, I think that's evidence enough that not all is shiny in the Core worlds with the Alliance. There seems to be some division between the contented and discontented.

It's too bad we'll never see the cut dialogue acted out, if we could, we could know for absolute certain whether Gabriel Tam said the line tense and nervous or was just stressing the livelyhood aspect.

ALIASSE

Sunday, May 3, 2009 7:00 PM

Okay guys, if you're still there, this is something I raised on the post I started about the Academy, and this wasn't a particular point that really got taken up, but I'm picky enough for it to really bother me - WHAT ABOUT HOLIDAYS? Everything that people have suggested here may be true, but don't you think Gabriel and Regan would have expected to see River during SOME break or other? By the time Simon rescues her it's been THREE YEARS! That's a really really long time to not see your kid - to not want to and expect to see your kid - even if they are at some super-elite academy. Surely that only makes sense if there is some level of coercian?

TDBROWN

Sunday, May 3, 2009 7:10 PM

The next time y'all watch "Safe" hit the pause button on closeups of Gabriel Tam. He has a Phi Beta Kappa key, I believe, but isn't his tietack a Blue Sun Emblem?

"Might have been the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one." -Mal

PLATONIST

Sunday, May 3, 2009 10:17 PM

In the pilot, Simon is positive about the Academy when retelling how River was excited about initially attending, like it was a privilege to be accepted. This leads me to believe that the Tams were lied to about the Academy and its real agenda. When reality set in, like her not coming home on breaks and then the Tams not being able to visit her, they became fearful, but stayed compliant where Simon, not so much, he sought help from the underground.

Simon questioned it and Gabriel and Regan chose not to, making Simon the hero of this storyline and the parents’cowards.

ASARIAN

Sunday, May 3, 2009 11:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by CellarDoor:
It does seem like Gabriel's primary motivation was his own image and societal standing, including having the brilliant doctor son he could brag about,

Fully agreed.

Quote:

... but not once Simon threatened that option.

Well, indirectly Gabriel's position was threatened, of course, by Simon's behavior (where Gabriel, in his own mind, would sooner or later have to disassociate himself from Simon).

Quote:

Comparing Gabriel and Regan to civilians in Germany of that era seems one of the best comparisons I can think of. Not all those people were morons, but they certainly were blinded by their government's promises.

I don't think it's promises so much which blinded them (after they, they're not exactly in want of promises, since they pretty much already have everything). Rather, I think it's simple denial. If there's a Goverment by, or system in, which you have profited greatly your whole life, it's simply hard to swallow when you find out, one day, that they're actually the bay guys (and worse, that you therefore have basically been on the wrong team, too).

--
"Mei-mei, everything I have is right here." -- Simon Tam

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