Who was Thomas Veil? SPOILERS
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Nowhere Man
saint_pat — 14 years ago(June 05, 2011 11:33 PM)
Can somebody help me out here? I've seen the series right to the end. It's revealed Tom was an FBI agent codenamed Gemini who was investigating the Organization. Gemini was caught and reprogrammed to believe he was a photographer named Thomas Veil.
However I'm left with some questions regarding perceived inconsistencies.- If Tom Veil never existed, then how do we explain his father in Episode 10? Jonathan's memories and photograph seem to confirm Tom's existence.
- How do we explain Tom's mother, Mrs. Jonathan Veil?
- How do we explain Tom's friend Larry Levy whose own memories match up with Tom's?
- If all the other victims of the Organization (like Ellen Combs) have been implanted with false memories, why does the flashback confirm Ellen's account of events prior to her erasure?
Any answers would be greatly appreciated.
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ckanelevy — 14 years ago(June 06, 2011 10:27 AM)
There are several possibilities. First, we don't know for sure that this ISN'T Thomas Veil. The FBI agent story could likewise have been a cover for something else or simply another way for the organization to play with his mind. Second, Tom's parents could have been plants. Larry Levy might actually have thought he had a friend named Thomas Veil. Matching memories can be implanted in several people. I didn't mind that part of the show, but I had problems with the whole thing about the photograph not really showing what Tom thought (why would the organization leave behind evidence of hanging Senators anyway)? Another problem I had was the episode where we're told that anyone can be made to double for anyone else. If that's true, than all of these characters might not be who they say they are.
Keep in mind that Nowhere Man was basically a remake of "The Prisoner," so many of the same themes like not understanding the true "reality" are repeated here. Mostly though, I though it was a very entertaining show that I wish had continued for at least one more season. -
saint_pat — 14 years ago(June 08, 2011 11:17 PM)
I don't think the FBI agent story was a cover. From what I've heard from the series creator, it seems he had decided the truth about Tom from the beginning. That begs another question though, are we to believe that all the other victims of "erasure" have been implanted with false memories? Is this why no one seems to remember them, because they weren't who they thought they were?
I might have thought Tom's mother was a plant were it not for the fact Tom's dad remembers her. By the end of episode 10, it seems fairly clear Jonathan Crane is not involved with Them.
What you say about Larry might make sense, since in the video in the final scene, Gemini is being brainwashed to believe that Larry Levy is his best friend.
I think I can explain the photograph part. The Organization didn't intend to leave behind evidence, it was just a test. Once they were satisfied Tom believed his false memories, they intended to retrieve them. What they didn't expect was that Tom would escape and hightail it out of there with the negatives. No wonder they were so desperate to get them back.