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Question about END OF THE WORLD (Spoilers)

posted 10 years ago by Deluge69-663-991830
4 replies | jump to latest

Spoilers-

From what I saw, it seemed that Halley's Comet was in a direct path that would have hit the Earth.

And it was the Time Tunnel that made it veer off course.

Now, looking at the whole time travel scenarios, the world was to be destroyed by the comet, but the intervention of the future tunnel prevented it.

But, if the world was destroyed back then, there would be no future and no time tunnel that would later prevent it. Almost like an OUTER LIMITS. For Irwin, this actually had some real thought-provoking ideas.

Again, you can't take the science too seriously, and 'time travel rules' should be consistent - without making them up as you go along for establishing crucial plot points

The professor's original data that the comet will hit was correct. Even Doug agrees it's all accurate (though he knows it must be wrong), and is confused.

Then, the tunnel pulls the comet towards it, nearly entering the complex, so the intervention of the future time tunnel altered the comet's initial collision course, causing it to veer past the Earth.

Doug and the Prof. conclude that some "dark unseen force out there" had something to do with it - the Future Time Tunnel.

That would make this intriguing episode even more brilliant, especially for an Irwin Allen. Wish there would have been more.

Anyone else ever ponder this?

[–] dtmuller 10 years ago

I have to say that, no, I never thought about that. When I watch that episode, what always bothers me is that, in 1910, nobody thought the comet would collide with Earth. Astronomers predicted--correctly--that Earth would pass through the tail of the comet, and that the tail contained cyanogen gas. That was related to cyanide and some people believed the atmosphere would be poisoned and we'd all die. But we can set aside the historical inaccuracy because, after all, this show is not exactly the best source for historical information.

If we take it all at face value as you describe, that the comet was on a collision course and the Tunnel saved the world, that does create a causality loop: the existence of the Tunnel saved the world, making it possible for the Tunnel to exist. I'm not sure that's really what the writers had in mind. That is, I'm not sure the Tunnel is what deflected the comet. I always took it to mean that there was some undiscovered asteroid or something that deflected it. If the Tunnel really did it, then I'd think they'd have Ray or Kirk or somebody say, "We just saved the entire planet! No one can ever say this project wasn't worth the money!"

But I do like to look for causality issues in the show. So far, I've seen two other loops: in the Pearl Harbor episode, Tony's memory of what he did that day enables him to cause his younger self to do exactly what he remembered. And in the Jericho episode, Tony and Doug's knowledge of the Biblical story is what gives Joshua the idea to send two spies into the city, creating an important part of the story that they relate to Joshua. So your theory would then be a third loop.

[–] Deluge69-663-991830 10 years ago

dtmuller-

Great to get a response. You're mostly likely right about how the comet was knocked off-course at the last moment.

But, it's an interesting thought. Watched it with a few friends who wondered if it was the tunnel that inadvertently prevented the collision. That would have made it an intriguing episode that introduces possible 'time loops' (which many recent movies have tried cashing in on).

And that memorable moment where Swain says, "Was it the tunnel that altered its course?" Jerry says, "It must have been. The tunnel going out-of-control saved the Earth." Kirk says, "And you still think we should scrap this project?" Ann "Just Maybe". You get the gist. Might as well rewrite history. TIME TUNNEL did.

Remember that final bit where Tony encounters Doug before they met, why didn't Doug recognize him when they later met? Could hear him saying, "You know Tony, something really strange happened in '58'. This guy, who looked and even dresses like you . . .

Another 'Time Loop' that was never later revealed. Cool Scene, nevertheless.

While we're here, how about those many episodes where Tony and Doug kill soldiers in battle? Would they have died otherwise? And that could be a loop that could alter history drastically? When Jiggs was accidentally transported, he gunned down a few soldiers.

If the show went on, and they attain more tunnel control, maybe they'd have to be sent back to prevent themselves from what they did; things like that. They'd need Harlin Ellison, Richard Matheson at that point.

And to see a lot more of the Underground Tic Toc Complex - Living Quarters, Labs, Recreation, Restaurants, Bars, conference rooms; etc. How Ann spends her free time alone. Would have needed a way higher budget.

In spite of the shows quirky flaws, It had great potential, and had those moments. Doing Time Travel requires different sets, locations, time periods, and so on for each episode, which is very costly. Seemed they did the best they could then.

END OF THE WORLD was always a personal favorite. And CHASE THROUGH TIME was a stand-out. Sometimes TT delivered, but did slip into formula.

Ironic, how CHASE THROUGH TIME is the one and only episode where they didn't appear in a battle or chaotic danger. They landed at Grand Canyon in the 1500's -nowhere. However, that's when Duval Plants the bomb, escapes through the tunnel, and ends up where our hero's are. Never the dull moment with Irwin & Co.

What other episodes do you feel stand-out?

[–] dtmuller 10 years ago

That brief ending where Tony goes to 1958 had a lot of problems for a segment so short.

1 - Why did Doug look exactly like his 10-year-older self?

2 - Why didn't Tony notice that Doug was driving a very old car that looked brand new?

3 - Why didn't Tony realize that maybe he didn't get back to 1968? When no one recognized him and Jiggs claimed never to have had a mustache, and knowing that he's been traveling in time, wouldn't he even suspect that maybe he was in a different time?

4 - Why did Doug and his car vanish when Tony did? (If you never noticed that, watch carefully next time.) A group of us were watching The Time Tunnel and discussing each episode here, and I was surprised that several believed that Doug transferred with him and it was the 1958 Doug we saw through the rest of the series. They couldn't figure out what happened to Doug of 1968. As for me, I chalked it up to sloppy SFX work, and 1958 Doug was supposed to just keep driving off.

But why didn't Doug remember? I don't know, but given that the stranger just "vanished" in 1958, and knowing that they were working on a time machine, you'd think there would be a detailed report of the incident on file and they'd all be aware of it. Even if they didn't specfically remember that the guy looked like Tony, you'd think at least one of them would have said, "Well I guess now we can close the book on that bizarre 1958 incident!"

As for the cost of the series, with all the sets and props, one of the key selling points for Irwin Allen was that they could use stock footage for a lot of the expensive stuff, making it cheap to produce. Have you seen Destination: Moon? Every time I watch that, I have to laugh when I spot "Tony and Doug".

All the folks they killed along the way? Not a problem! Remember that this show uses the "Self-Consistency Principle", which claims that you can't change history, because everything you do was part of history all along. Of course, the problem with that is that nothing they do is of any real consequence.

It's a fun show, if you don't think about it too much. One of my guilty pleasures.

[–] ronaldt49 10 years ago

Enjoyed all entries on this subject, but they made me think of another more recent program, Sliders. Time travel is not a concept, but the possibility of parallel dimensions where things may be somewhat different than what has happened on our little piece of the rock.

Whether discussing time travel or parallel Earths, the plots can be amazingly similar!!!