Annotated 49-10
FB: Heralding apocalypse, a storm forms around a cyclops colossus.
Someone objected to the idea that Xanna’s backup would’ve been getting signal from them in the first place, but that strikes me as one of our more believable details. HR clearly needed internet access to do what he did in the basement, and the idea of Carol building some kind of shielding in there after he tubed himself doesn’t make a lot of logistical sense. In general, companies like Hurricane have great connectivity and wi-fi; they’re just pretty tyrannical about monitoring employee use of it.
This is the last we’ll see of Daniel, Chrissie, and Lia until the battle’s over. In a deleted scene from the script, they run back to their car and take shelter there as the winds grow worse and worse. As the name “Hurricane Studios” starts looking like prophecy, Lia and Daniel cling to each other and essentially confess their feelings, while Chrissie tries to face what’s coming with courage. The scene had some stuff going for it (I feel like sometimes Guilded Age could stand to be a bit more relationshippy). But Penk and the others at the capital would likewise be helpless against a power far beyond them around the same time, so we cut for redundancy.
Is it intentional that the clouds in panel 3 look a lot like bony claws?
Probably!
Oh. A hurricane. A hurricane is kind of like a Blizzard.
Yes, it took me this long.
I’ll confess that the metaphysics of this scene are not 100% clear to me, but I’m even more intrigued by the following question: How much previous understanding HR had about what it was going to happen once he transcended all the way? I understand that no one could have known exactly what would happen if somebody actually achieved apotheosis, but those ominous clouds are not a good sign. Was HR aware that his little technosorcery project could upset the balance of his own place of existence?
HR hoped that, having achieved godhood in one world, he could return as a god to another. He may not have counted on some of his energy “leaking” back to Sepia World while he was still consciously in Arkerra. But if Arkerra had fallen to him, Sepia World would be next.
He’s the one eye.
One eye.
One eye.
He’s one eye. One I love!