MovieChat Forums > Screamers (1996) Discussion > Theory about 'ace' jefferson (spoilers)

Theory about 'ace' jefferson (spoilers)

posted 19 years ago by SolonJhee
21 replies | jump to latest

Perhaps it is a little wicked, but we can perhaps come to think jefferson was a robot :
-He is found on the ground, begging for HELP...
-He BLEEDS, is KILLED BY another robot, and KILLS OTHER robots, and as they say in the movie, the second variety robots can actually kill each other and bleed.

Yes, there seems to be only ONE model (a girl) of the second variety robots, but aside from that, there are good reasons to think Jefferson was a robot, too.
Tell me if I'm totally wrong, if you have points I forgot that would invalidate/validate this theory.

--

"Twelve milkmen is theoretically possible. Thirteen is silly",

[–] telephonius 19 years ago

I just don't see it...of all the characters, it just does not make any sense. He had crash-landed on the planet early on in the plot, with a cargo full of ammo to go fight on another planet.

[–] SolonJhee 19 years ago

yeah I know, but he's discovered after the crash, and he's lying on the ground, begging for help...

--

"Twelve milkmen is theoretically possible. Thirteen is silly",

[–] lightproof 19 years ago

"the second variety robots can actually kill each other and bleed"
true, but they dont have heart so their pulse rate is flat-lined. it means they can't be located and attacked by type-1 robots. jefferson is not robot, because he was attacked by type-1 when he was rescued and when he was watching virtual girls :)
correct me if i'm wrong

[–] SolonJhee 19 years ago

I didnt notice that, ure probably right.

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"Twelve milkmen is theoretically possible. Thirteen is silly",

[–] sirius_cobra 18 years ago

Actually he is found inside the ship.

[–] small_doors 18 years ago

jefferson is also attacked when they are by the fire with the "david"... proving his pulse...

[–] Harlesden_P_Ruffkins 18 years ago

Perhaps his type can fool detection and can be attacked by type 1. He is the only one that survives the crash, what is the point of this in terms of the plot?

But it does beg the question, what is he for if never actually does attempt to kill anyone ever, and puts up little resistance to being killed by another robot?

Perhaps his type was designed to be annoying and weak?

[–] Clemicus 18 years ago

hmm would there of been a type that held them back? (Perhaps his type was designed to be annoying and weak?)

[–] Clemicus 18 years ago

as far as I can remember, when they are outside, it was the around the camp fire scene, the type 1's go for a band, around one of their wrists.

[–] CaptHazelwood 18 years ago

actually, i just finished watching it, and the type 1 didn't go after jefferson, it went after weller, and this commented on in the movie by jefferson to weller, and from the footage, it's apparent that it was after weller. the little kid acts as a "tagger", and singles out weller's character. so i guess jackson could might be a screamer since the attacker avoided him as a target, hard to say really, but still way freaky movie.

[–] jkr527 18 years ago

I finished watching it too, he was going after jefferson, because after hendrickson was yelling at him Softly to get up so hendrickson saw the sceamer heading toward him. also from the vantage point of the screamer it saw two human beings in its attack formation, also the wristbands work (I think only on humans),plus the screamers were developed on the planet, he came from earth.

[–] gg_uaw9669 18 years ago

If I remember the original short story, there were 3 types of swords, a "David", a "Wounded Soldier" and a Seductress type.

I've....seen things you people wouldn't believe; Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.

[–] zombie-32 18 years ago

I thought that of the droids the Type-2's were the teddybear to go with the Type-3 "David" since you saw it move by itself at the end of the move, while the "wounded soldier" was a Type-4 with the female being the Type-5 series. Both the Type-4 and Type-5 were advanced enough that the earlier types could not tell them apart from real humans

[–] tripydrt 18 years ago

Jefferson can't be a robot because Weller's character saves him when they first find him by shooting a screamer right before it bores into Jefferson's face. It was right next to the plane after they pull Jefferson out and he runs back to the plane for some reason. The Type 1 was going for him specifically, since they make the shot out to show Weller being the hero. You know the shot...a gun pointed and then the camera focuses on the shooter's face.

[–] Godsmistake 18 years ago

His type of robot is made as an improvement of the david. since soldiers are too often not aloud to take civilians with them. they created a soldier model of david that alliance sodlier trust and recruit with them. There is also the neb version.

I'm just the coolset dumb dude you'll ever meet *put on matrix sunnies*

[–] ss5mmyers 16 years ago

It wouldn't make sense. 1) He already made it inside the bunker and no sabotage until days after they'd left? 2) Why would he be enjoying porno glasses? 3) The Becker robot killed him awfully easy for him to be a robot. 4) Why would he try to save Henrickson from the Davids at the NEB bunker? 5) Why would he try to help Becker when he was calling for help? 6) Why would he try to protect Ross from the screamer in the basement? I'm sure there are others but you see what I mean.

[–] estiej 16 years ago

Jefferson most probably wasn't a type-2 screamer, but his character (as was Ross's) was intended to create a doubt about who is and who isn't human.
In a way type-2 (soldier Becker) is better than real people, Jefferson and Ross. He is intelligent and can easily quote from Shakespeare finding appropriate words in each situation, as in contrast to human Ross who can only manage 'get off my back' every time he's bullied.
And type-4 (woman Jessica) approaches humanity in the way she is able to love and sacrifice herself.
So, the intention of the movie, unfortunately understated, was to play with the ambiguity of what it means to be human. Instead we got another horror movie.

[–] rogerdemarco30 15 years ago

Jefferson was obviously human. Like someone else pointed out, he crash landed on Sirius 6B. The "Screamers" were only found on that planet.

[–] Net-ViperX 14 years ago

Hes not a robot nor is he meant to be worried about in that regard. The Nebs are the ones that are meant to create tension about who could be a robot, Jeffersons character is there for a completely different reason.

Jeffersons primary purpose is to help us learn about whats going on at this planet. All the soldiers in the bunker have been there for years and know all the details, so some new guy was needed as a reason for the main character to explain things out loud, for the benefit of the audience.

Jefferson is also the off planet proof that the official line from high command about making peace with the Nebs is a lie. He makes the main character realise hes being screwed over by his superiors and therefore kicks of the events of the movie to achieve a seperate peace with the Nebs.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] invertedme 13 years ago

Not possible, since the lower-level screamers went for him before he had his tab on. I think you are definitely supposed to wonder about him. You're supposed to wonder about everybody, probably even Hendrickson.

One of their goals was to get inside of Command, and he did fairly early on and easily. If he had been a screamer then there probably wouldn't have been anything else to tell.

We can be fairly certain that Jefferson and Ross (and probably Hendrickson) were human since a type 1 screamer went after each of them at one point.