I just finished my two-day-straight-binge of Part II an hour and a half ago. I’ve been watching explanation videos and reading posts on this sub since then. I absolutely loved Part II and can’t stop thinking about it, but like every single one of you I’m left with a ton of questions - some of which are probably impossible to answer at this time. I hope that some of you can offer your own insights or ideas. Here are a couple of my thoughts and the things I’m struggling with.
The Garden of Forking Paths vs an Infinite Multiverse
In the final episode we learn that at least three of the characters— OA, Hap and Steve— successfully jumped into Dimension No. 3, the (audience’s?) IRL dimension ^((the one with the OA-filmset that the upcoming Part III could take place in)). This is the SAME dimension wherein Michelle accidentally got trapped (and went “missing"), assuming the life of real life actor Ian Alexander, before Karim finally helps her jump back to her mother grandma: into her own base reality/dimension of origin.
While Michelle goes from Dimension No. 3 to Dimension No. 2, OA, Hap, Steve (and potentially others) do the exact opposite. In this process, they assume the identities of the actors portraying them in the real life Netflix series. OA becomes Brit Marling; Hap becomes Jason Isaacs; Steve (maybe?) becomes Patrick Gibson. This strikes me as a possible contradiction or inconsistency, allow me to explain why.
THE GARDEN OF FORKING PATHS
First, we need to talk about those earlier interdimensional character jumps from Dimension No. 1 to new "hosts" in Dimension No. 2 and the fictional framework implied by these events. After these jumps, our characters were transported into other versions of themselves. Another person with, ultimately, the same identity… a different branch sprouting from the same root. They are the same people but on different life paths, and we can know for certain that these other lives stem from exactly the same origin for the following reason: the characters’s birth names are the same.
- OA (Prairie) is Nina Azarova in both dimensions. Prairie and Nina’s stories branched off in different directions when Prairie decided to get on that bus that later crashed. Other than that, they share the same father and they were both born in Russia.
- Hap’s name in Dimension No. 2 remains unchanged: Dr. Hunter Aloysius ‘Hap’ Percy, suggesting that he’s essentially the same person.
- Precisely the same
To start, a short summary of the book: The story takes the form of a signed statement by a Chinese professor of English named Doctor Yu Tsun who is living in the United Kingdom during World War I. Tsun reflects on his great ancestor, Ts'ui Pên, a learned and famous man who renounced his job as governor of Yunnan in order to undertake two tasks: to write a vast and intricate novel, and to construct an equally vast and intricate labyrinth, one "in which all men would lose their way". Ts'ui Pên was murdered before completing his novel, however, and what he did write was a "contradictory jumble of irresolute drafts" that made no sense to subsequent readers; nor was the labyrinth ever found. Doctor Tsun arrives at the house of Doctor Albert, who is deeply excited to have met a descendant of Ts'ui Pên. Doctor Albert reveals that he has himself been engaged in a longtime study of Ts'ui Pên's novel. Albert explains excitedly that at one stroke he has solved both mysteries—the chaotic and jumbled nature of Ts'ui Pên's unfinished book and the mystery of his lost labyrinth. Albert's solution is that they are one and the same: the book is the labyrinth.
- Albert tells Tsun the story of how Ts'ui Pen gave up everything – his governorship, his pastimes, women, fame – and shut himself up in a pavilion to work on his book and labyrinth. When he died, all he had to show for his life was a "mess of manuscripts." "A strange destiny," Albert calls it. Doctor Tsun arrives at the house of Doctor Albert, who is deeply excited to have met a descendant of Ts'ui Pên. Doctor Albert reveals that he has himself been engaged in a longtime study of Ts'ui Pên's novel. Albert explains excitedly that at one stroke he has solved both mysteries—the chaotic and jumbled nature of Ts'ui Pên's unfinished book and the mystery of his lost labyrinth. Albert's solution is that they are one and the same: the book is the labyrinth.
*Albert mentions that Ts'ui Pen's relatives wanted to burn the manuscripts, but that a Taoist monk insisted upon publishing them. Here Tsun mentions that Ts'ui Pen's descendents still curse the memory of this monk, because the manuscripts make no sense. The hero dies in chapter three, and is alive again in chapter four. Tsun starts to talk smack about the labyrinth when Albert interrupts him.
*Stephen Albert claims to have the labyrinth in his possession. Albert explains that the labyrinth is symbolic. In actuality, the book and the labyrinth are the same thing.
*Albert
... keep reading on reddit ➡That was from some twitter user that the official The Good Place account retweeted, but shortly thereafter disappeared, so I wanted to share it. It made my day and I hope it made yours too.
>At one time, Ts'ui Pen must have said; 'I am going into seclusion to write a book,' and at another, 'I am retiring to construct a maze.' Everyone assumed these were separate activities. No one realized that the book and the labyrinth were one and the same.
The Garden of Forking Paths, Jorge Luis Borges (1941)
No one announced the name of the station, “Ashgrove?” I asked a few of the lads on the platform. “Ashgrove,” they replied. I got off.
I just read this story for my short story class and I'm still hopeless confused.
I've spent about an hour diving into a rabbit hole of philosophy and quantum mechanics and future contingency (which seems to come up the most as the takeaway from the story).
I see A LOT of people discussing future contingency but no one connecting it to the story.
I don't really need this information for a test or a paper, but I'm just genuinely curious on what this story means, future contingency in the story, or any interpretations.
ALSO, I saw that this story is related to Coherence (2013) which was a mindfuck of a movie so feel free to help me with that connection as well.
Character Basics
| Full Name: | Echo, of the Forking Paths |
| Race/Ethnic Group: | Wildhunt Shifter (Raven) |
| Class/Occupation: | Open Hand Monk |
| Character Nature: | Tabletop D&D 5th Edition Fantasy |
Character Details
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 29 |
| Facial Features | Rugged, somewhat birdlike features. Black hair that resembles the feathers of a bird. Eyes have small, birdlike pupils. Clean shaven |
| Distinguishing Marks | Tattoo of the Travellers of the Forking Path on the back of the left shoulder. The symbol is that of a Kirin, reared up on its hind hooves. But instead of a horn atop its head, it branches out and looks like a tree. |
| Significant item | Escrima sticks and a short brown or grey cloak/cape made of a giant elk hide |
| Body Type | Average height, Runner's Build |
| Color Scheme | Lots of earthy tones, browns, greens, greys |
| Gear | In addition to his significant items, he wears nice leather boots he made himself. He wears robes with the symbol mentioned above emblazoned appropriately on his tabard/monk robes |
| Animal Companion | None |
| Action/Pose | A balanced confident stance with his escrima in one hand, a confident and serene expression on his face |
| Others | Used to a nomadic lifestyle, he carries most of life's necessities with him while travelling. |
Character persona
| Alignment | Lawful Neutral |
| Personality Traits | Non-confrontational, and somewhat of a neat freak who tries desperately to keep his boots clean, easy going monk who believes in letting nature take its course. He has a proverb or lesson for every situation that has been drawn from his time in nature. |
| Ideals and Goals | His monastic order acts as a retreat and shelter for shifters or other shapechangers to learn to balance themselves with their more bestial traits and come to terms with who and what they are. As such he believes the natural world is more important than all the constructs of civilization |
| Bonds and Flaws | He is the last of his monastery and has taken it as his duty to ensure its name lives on in legend. He doesn't do well with more professional conduct and remembers every insult he's received, imagined or otherwise, and holds a silent resentment towards anyone who's ever wronged him |
Others
| Visual concepts | https://imgur.com/bO59eMN |
| Backstory | The Travellers of the Forking Paths are a monastic order of shifters and other shapechangers that traverses the wilderness together in pursuit of acceptance and |
This episode has a lot more going on than meets the eye if you're really paying attention. At this point, when Prairie says "each Movement we received, the Angel Hunter received as well." Hap says "Face, elbow" as he performs it. If you know the full sequence of Movements, there's no other one this could be referencing. It's clearly the beginning of the 5th...which is before Evelyn even shows up.
https://preview.redd.it/u2li7vdpl2541.jpg?width=596&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa78bb6f9dc59ec4f557e0ed06410402253b78db
www.theome.ga Away, written by u/deciocoelho (Décio Coelho) and in-part by u/mikeyz0 (Mike Zottoli), inspired by The OA Netflix Original series, created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij.
This is a re-post of Décio's. We have collaborated to work on it some more and are bringing it to you new and improved...just because we love the show and love you guys and want to show it! And also help spread good vibes about the show, just like u/fleetingfilms is working on. I don't know about you, but I'm stoked to see what their team is putting together!!!
Inspired by Part 2, I've recently been trying to map out my own "forking paths" to uncover any new possibilities created by all the choices I've made in life, but I've quickly come to discover that each of the most impactful events would all need their own map. It's hard to know what would have happened if my mom hadn't died, if my dad didn't get remarried, if I never came out and pursued love at various times instead of putting off my personal goals. But it's still something very interesting to think about, considering the Many Worlds theory and alternate realities.
I often wonder what other versions of me would be doing with their lives, where I might have gone, what I might have done, and how much would be different.
Has anyone else tried this? I think it takes a lot of creativity and thought, but I plan to maybe make a project of it, maybe even work on it for a few years and keep track of my dreams as well to see if they tell me anything.
This is my first post. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the posts and threads! Thank you all!
I finished watching Season 1 again last night in preparation for Friday.
Looks like that Nina/Prairie/OA's dreams are premonitions of when her forking paths converge.
Nina at age 7, Prairie age 21, OA age 28.
So, what happened at age 14? I wonder if this will be part of the story line in Season 2.
So I'm about to make a gravel path to my wife's workshop in our backyard. The primary reason for this is where we are at (north Texas) gets a ton of rain and with a couple active dogs we can end up with muddy land instead of lush grass.
So my plan of attack is: edged with pressure treated landscape timber staked with 18 inch rebar then I setup my layers: landscape fabric, 2 inches of .5 to 1 inch crushed limestone then 2 inches of 3/8 in local native gravel and THEN and inch of brick sand and tamp that sucker down.
So my question: does this sound smart? Would this path hold up for 5-10 years? Am I overthinking this? Am I the idiot they always said I was?
Thanks for your input!
Husband and I are renting a car and driving from Cape Town to about the George area (our safari is in Oudtshoorn) on the Garden Route in March. What are your favorite places to stop and visit along the way? Should we keep going past George (and spend less time in actual Cape Town?) Our plans aren't really set in stone yet so I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!
