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Why So Sure That The Offshore Is Gonna Be Paradise Island?? *SPOILERS*


Yes throughout the series we are completely led to believe that the offshore is a paradise, but we have deliberately not actually been shown any proper scenes of life on the Offshore.

Even when we see Ezequiel with his wife, a lot of the time this is at the Test Centre for the Process, at no time do we see anything of the offshore other than his wife walking into the sea to commit suicide and perhaps scenes of inside their home (although this could have been their temporary live-in at the Test Centre).

Although everyone on the Inland believes it is a paradise, this is only through the propaganda put out by the 3%, how does anyone really know, since no communication is allowed once you are there, even The Cause have no information at all it would seem, and they have obviously been unsuccessful in the past at even getting people through the Process, as in one of the later episodes the higher ups are seen celebrating the fact that just 2 got through this year's Process, so this is obviously unprecedented even for them, a supposedly "threatening" militia group, but who seem to have no answers or other way of bringing down the 3% other than infiltration at this time.

It seems a lot of people on the boards here took Ezequiel at his word that he was previously a part of The Cause, but we know he lies and manipulates people at any time to gain control of them or to find out information to benefit himself (again this seems to be a similar trait with other members of the Council and obviously Aline, and to me this clearly doesn't encourage the image of a society where people all get along just fine, not only this but there is obviously a lot of tension at times among the Agents, shown in flashbacks when Julia was an Agent but also when Ezequiel alters the Food and Numbers challenge, as well as when Aline is showing a more authoritative position and throws out ideas that Ezequiel is forced to agree with. All of this kind of behaviour in a supposedly "perfect society" seems highly unlikely, although the Agents do seem to put on a front on when around the contestants, although this is very similar to that seen in Black Mirror's Season 3 Ep1 Nosedive).

I believe one or two people have suggested it already, but the Offshore could very likely be similar in conditions to the Test Centre, with CCTV absolutely everywhere, freedoms very limited and controlled, a strong military presence, any mistakes or slip-ups in employed positions resulting in harsh punishment, as well as any criminal activity likely resulting in torture or imprisonment, considering they are so comfortable with the fact that many contestants die or are killed ANNUALLY. Also we don't know much about the so called "Treatment and Recovery Centre", but we know that Julia was able to commit suicide with ease here (bearing in mind she's the wife of the man who holds the quote on quote "most important position in this society"), now why would that have been allowed to happen in such a perfect society, was she really looked after, or did someone drive her to suicide? We also know that this is likely to be the place that Michele and Aline are taken to upon arrival at the Offshore, as Ezequiel stated, so I am not convinced that this is such an innocent and healthy place as the name gives away.

Finally, the fact that people thought that Joana's decision at the end was out of character seemed strange to me, she clearly was traumatised ever since she accidentally shot Gersen's son, and she isn't a person who goes along with murder, as shown when she frees the hostages in the Food & Numbers test. I think her comment to Fernando that "they only pick the worst" and then the sterilisation process at the end may well be another hint that there are secrets behind this "perfect society" and perhaps the motives we have been led to believe in this series are actually something entirely different to the reality.

That is my personal thoughts on the matter, I could easily be proved wrong, but not everything adds up as easily to me as some people have commented, interested if anyone else got the same sort of vibe when watching.

TL;DR - The Perfect Society is not the Perfect Society at all.

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Thank you for your thoughtfully written post. I kept expecting the people on the submarine to be poisoned and just fall asleep or explode (not very resourceful, I realize) but I kept thinking surely they have some clue as to what The Offshore offers and means. I guess it is as enigmatic as religious concepts of paradise after death.

Merovingian Goddess
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!

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Great post. I was thinking similar when I watched. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Sometimes its just a different shade.The people know so little about the offshore. Other then only 3 % go every year. Even the agents who live at Center during the process don’t talk much about what it is like. Inlander and Offshores have no contact with each other except the agents and candidates during the process.

I would not be surprised if we find out it's not the glamours place they all have envisioned their whole lives.

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I just wonder, if it's so great there, why would anyone want to work at the centre?

I have a feeling that it's going to be a place where everyone is very bored and depressed - but they are forced to maintain a happy face. A hugely regulated place where order is maintained to the strictest code, but appears the opposite initially. I also think that because there are no children, there will be a lot of relationship dissatisfaction. Particularly because there's no real family there.

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The issue here is I believe this season 1 actually doesn't properly end.
It makes sense though the 3% are drawn like to have the lives o the elite (our elite of our society)
As long as we are human beings we can't be perfect so we can't have a perfect world.
I believe what the offshore may be is a world full of supplies potentially generated by the people of the mainland.
The role of Ezequiel is confusing. If he let michele stays it is possible he is from the cause. However this last episode is messy eventually even about what he asks to joana. Is he in a way TrYing to create an army? Fight the 3%? And he's going to mainland to help the child.
Or he may even sending joana back to fight he cause effectively from the outside.
But there are way too many open holes to have a good theor
So basically Ezequiel may be well fighting the 3% world, and other wise does the plot even make sense?

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So basically I think the only thing that makes sense is Ezequiel is with the cause.

1- Aline once told him he was favouring Rafael. Why would that be?
If he knew about Joana, he would know about Rafael (may be)
2- He went too soft by helping the child of his ex wife
3- He let Michele in. And no one else knows she's the traitor.
4- He tests Joana, by telling to press the button and kill the guy (This is basically the moment he's been as harsh for the whole season. Sounds like he wants Joana out to join the cause from the outside)
5- I just cant answer why he wants to take the masked guy from the cause. But perhaps, there's definitely a power dispute going on.

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I think you're on to something when you say there might be a power dispute going on.

I've wondered why someone of his supposed high position would bother to be with the cause. If the offshore is so amazing and all? And then it occurred to me. He is living with the threat of losing his position. So it appears that there is some form of power hierarchy on the offshore. Now, the way he treated Michele and Joana, leads me to think this is not the first time he's encountered cause operatives - and that he's potentially recruiting.

Maybe doing so to overthrow whoever is in power on the offshore and then take it for himself.

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