Smokescreen

[Sander]

The latin guy said that the pattern and everything around it is just a smokescreen. You guys think he's speaking the truth or was he just making up a excuse to get protection?

[LordJohnny]

I think its a smokescreen, but not 100% sure. Of course maybe the hispanic guy was misleading Olivia so she wouldn't know what they were really up to.

Nina Sharp has to be using Olivia's talent to eliminate all of massive dynamic
s competition.

[Fringeling]

The Hispanic guy seemed somewhat trustworthy. AFterall, he said MD would kill him, and they did. He also knew he could trust Olivia due to Johns' words, and he was probably correct. So whose to say he wasn't right about the smokescreen thing? Which brings us to the smoking woman glyph ....

[edubby2003]

I think he is telling the truth but not all of it. Everyone has their own motives

[D-Roc]

I'm not sure on this. Although I think there's a bit of truth to both sides of the coin.

The writers threw a lot at us in that one scene, followed by a meeting with Nina and hospital guy being killed by his own imagination. I have to keep reminding myself that the fact that he saw JS doesn't necessarily fix JS as an MD associate. Just like the fact Young saw butterflies, doesn't mean he was really killed by butterflies.

What doesn't seem to be in question is the idea that there are those out to cut MD's beanstalk, and that MD would do anything to protect their overarching goals and interests.

With that said, I would speculate that MD somehow killed their own man (was he taking a prescription of Extenzalife? Could someone have spiked his medication?) with a view to triggering a chain of events which would see Olivia unearth another threat to MD's foundation.

I think this could work, because MD also have access to JS's memories..memories which no doubt contained his business dealings with the guy in the hospital. Whatever they were working on (probably something involving Extensalife), I'd say this was a massive threat to MD - one they wanted to extinguish.

After all, there seems to be a pattern emerging - someone dies or is in great peril, Broyles puts Team Olivia on the case, they somehow solve the case through the amazing mind of Dr. Bishop, incomplete information is retrieved (the encryption key, Little Hill, the equation) or someone is taken out of the 'game' (Fischer, Esterbrook, hospital guy).

Olivia is being played like a fiddle and Nina Sharp looks like she plays. That said, I still think MD are the lesser of several evils in all of this.

[bballkid1337]

I'm not sure on this. Although I think there's a bit of truth to both sides of the coin.

The writers threw a lot at us in that one scene, followed by a meeting with Nina and hospital guy being killed by his own imagination. I have to keep reminding myself that the fact that he saw JS doesn't necessarily fix JS as an MD associate. Just like the fact Young saw butterflies, doesn't mean he was really killed by butterflies.

What doesn't seem to be in question is the idea that there are those out to cut MD's beanstalk, and that MD would do anything to protect their overarching goals and interests.

With that said, I would speculate that MD somehow killed their own man (was he taking a prescription of Extenzalife? Could someone have spiked his medication?) with a view to triggering a chain of events which would see Olivia unearth another threat to MD's foundation.

I think this could work, because MD also have access to JS's memories..memories which no doubt contained his business dealings with the guy in the hospital. Whatever they were working on (probably something involving Extensalife), I'd say this was a massive threat to MD - one they wanted to extinguish.

After all, there seems to be a pattern emerging - someone dies or is in great peril, Broyles puts Team Olivia on the case, they somehow solve the case through the amazing mind of Dr. Bishop, incomplete information is retrieved (the encryption key, Little Hill, the equation) or someone is taken out of the 'game' (Fischer, Esterbrook, hospital guy).

Olivia is being played like a fiddle and Nina Sharp looks like she plays. That said, I still think MD are the lesser of several evils in all of this.

It might be possible that the Latino guy used to work for MD, which is where he got his info. The last thing MD wants is a double-agent.

[D-Roc]

It might be possible that the Latino guy used to work for MD, which is where he got his info. The last thing MD wants is a double-agent.

Certainly possible.

I wonder whether there's anything in the order of George Morales' "smokescreen" suggestion?:

OLIVIA: I'm told you wanted to see me.
GEORGE MORALES: Yes. I want to make a deal. I'll tell you everything I know.
OLIVIA: I'm not sure what you have to trade. Under Title Eighteen of the U.S. code, we have you for possession of chemical weapons on top of suspicion of murder of Mark Young.
GEORGE MORALES: I want protection.
OLIVIA: You mean immunity.
GEORGE MORALES: No, I mean protection. From Massive Dynamic. You need to move me from here right now.
OLIVIA: What are you talking about?
GEORGE MORALES: I didn't kill anybody. Why would I? That guy was a treasure trove of unbelievable things. Massive Dynamic killed him.
OLIVIA: Massive Dynamic killed Mark Young?
GEORGE MORALES: That's right.
OLIVIA: Why would they?
GEORGE MORALES: Maybe as a warning to any employee who's thinking of doing the same thing.
OLIVIA: Maybe? I think it's easy to invent a story that you think I want to hear.
GEORGE MORALES: Really? Did I invent ZFT? Flight 627? The Northwoods group? John Scott? The Pattern? The whole thing is, is a hoax. It's all a smoke screen so Massive Dynamic can do whatever it wants to whoever it wants. Do you understand that? Massive Dynamic is hell, and its founder, William Bell, is the devil. And I can prove all of it, but only if I get protection.
OLIVIA: So why me? Why do I get the privilege of your cooperation?
GEORGE MORALES: Because I know I can trust you.
OLIVIA: You don't even know me.
GEORGE MORALES: John Scott told me about you. Immunity and complete protection, and I will tell you everything I know.

So assuming George is telling the truth, what benefit would MD (or anyone for that matter) gain from creating these events? I can see logic in it - for instance, flight 627 allowed the masterminds to 'demonstrate' their technology (the body melting toxin)..whilst the MD-created auto-pilot ensured that the world actually got to see what took place on board that flight. However, this doesn't necessarily pin the blame on MD..as someone may have chosen that specific flight/aircraft to draw attention to MD. Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. Then again, flight 627 could have been MD's doing, a move with showcased their capabilities whilst the world 'marvelled' at their auto-pilot brining the plane to land safetly.

Another thing..does George wanting protection disassociate him from Mr. Jones (who is possibly ZFT)? After all, the people he works with are loyal to the end. Same goes with Nina's people. That said, being loyal to the end might not mean being above hatching a deal.

[Sander]

Would be cool if the pattern is real but is just a smokescreen for something far more disastrous.

[The MELd]

I definitely think Hispanic guy doesn't scratch the surface. And I also don't believe that MD is the *only* Big Bad here.

Nina et al seem to be going up against other factions, thus, they want whatever is in Liv's head before the "others" get to her.

I think Hispanic guy *thought* he was telling the truth, as far as he knew it. But should Olivia take what he said at face value - hells no.

Like D-Roc said, I think MD may be the slightly lesser of the *many* evils here...