i'm feeling very still and i think my spaceship knows which way to go.

[intrikate88]

There was a post the other day on a2ashes about Narnia allusions and possible clues to the mystery of this world Alex and Sam have been trapped in while comatose/dead/batshit insane/whatever they are. While some symbols certainly are used, most notably Gene Hunt as a guide and associated with a lion, I think what comparisons there are to be made are not

Comments

[ladyfiresprite]

Wow! Being someone who is fairly familiar with the works of C.S. Lewis, I can definitely see these parallels! I agree with this. Wonderful spotting and theories! I would love to see the creators say that some/many of their ideas arose from C.S. Lewis and his works. I'm surprised no one's seen all of these parallels yet. Great work!

[intrikate88]

Who knows if they'll go in this sort of direction, it may be too philosophical as someone on a2ashes said, but I think as a concept, it's about as feasible as anything. I think it has to be more than just coma dreams, anyway, but the clear disconnect of cause and effect (especially in the latest eps: there's a cover sliding off the Quattro with no one pulling it, the intro to Keats has a door opening for him all by itself, Alex chases Shaz into a field of stars- all very purposeful, all lacking a cause) indicates that this isn't the "real world" as we're familiar with it either, so it's probably not straight up time travel. Thank you for thinking my parallels are strong and supported, and who knows, maybe I'm right! :P

[thisiszircon]

This was a really interesting read -- thank you. I'm not familiar with any of Lewis's work besides his Narnia novels (and I read 'A Grief Observed' once) so I'll need to do some extra reading. You make a good case for these parallels.

I did like the Gene Hunt = Aslan parallel too, but I must admit I'm not quite believing in it. Gene Hunt (and his world, and possibly Alex's purpose within it) doesn't seem - to me - to be such an obvious force for good.

Don't get me wrong. I love me an antihero, and if the big reveal at the end of the show is that Gene Hunt is some self-serving villain with no redeeming features then I'll be one disappointed viewer.

But I do think I need some moral ambiguity in whatever Gene Hunt and his world end up standing for. I'm not quite seeing that with these allusions, since they are by their very definition wrapped up in concepts like heavenly reward.

[intrikate88]

I'm glad you found this interesting!

But yes, I mentioned Gene's parallels with Aslan as a guide and lion (and maybe even the entity bringing them into this world) because I had seen it mentioned elsewhere, but he just really doesn't work as Aslan on a detailed level.

This is what problemetizes my comparisons; while as an idea of onion-like worlds growing closer to Plato's ideal forms, that could be something, but as a concept of heaven and rewards? There's murders and rapes and kidnappings and Gene being really derogatory about anyone not him, ffs, this isn't heaven or even the shadow thereof. This world needs ambiguity, as do Gene and the rest of the characters as well. I doubt Gene is a complete villain; he's been characterized as a person of strength and trust and justice too many times for that, and all the current dark hints seem like a repeat of all Sam was being told in s2 of Life on Mars. Whatever the truth is, it's not a simple thing, I don't think, and I don't think they're going to answer all out questions, either.

[ohvienna]

they are going "further up and further in" towards a greater understanding of a deeper reality. Sam has already made the journey to whatever is next; he died in the world he came from, and now he has died in the world he fell into. And who knows what direction Alex will go next?

Thoughts?

Not a clue! But I love this post. I think this definitely adds a lot more to the Lewis connection, which is referenced overtly in the show so it's not a stretch at all to apply these notions to where the LoM/A2A universe is headed. I dig.

[intrikate88]

Yay! All this complicated by all the theology inherent in Lewis's work, and I don't see the show even trying for that. But on a Plato level, could work, or at least enrich this place. So many mysteries.