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Thoughts on Oliver in Higher Ground.
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You can pretty much thank Eric Mabius himself for this entire post. It only took him posting one pair of photos taken while he was working on ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) that helped me put this entire analysis together. Here are the photos:
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— Eric_Mabius (@Eric_Mabius) January 20, 2017 |
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Now, why I am so excited about them? Well, does this scene kind of look familiar to you?
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While the background may be obscured in both cases, it's very clear those shots Eric took from Higher Ground bear a striking resemblance to the above screenshot from Lost Without You, and both scenes seem to take place in the DLO. And it kind of got me thinking...What if this is a goodbye moment, except the person being told to go---or being allowed to leave---is Shane? Composition holds as much information as any line of dialogue, and a shot-for-shot replica of ShOliver's Lost Without You moment before Oliver left for the wilderness would definitely hold some pretty deep meaning. Double points her departure falls over a weekend, and Shane returns on Monday or Tuesday having some important things to say to Oliver and vice versa---it occurs to me this could also be after she comes home.
So why does it matter? For Shane, separation from Oliver lent itself to several purposes, not the least of which was to grow her spiritually, but one of the things I kind of downplayed was how the activities Shane engaged in were "whatever [Oliver] would do." In addition to returning Saturday and Sunday to the place they both call home, she was imitating Oliver almost as a way of keeping close to him while he was gone. I think the same holds here, but reversed.
So why does it matter? For Shane, separation from Oliver lent itself to several purposes, not the least of which was to grow her spiritually, but one of the things I kind of downplayed was how the activities Shane engaged in were "whatever [Oliver] would do." In addition to returning Saturday and Sunday to the place they both call home, she was imitating Oliver almost as a way of keeping close to him while he was gone. I think the same holds here, but reversed.
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I think in Higher Ground, regardless of what causes them to be separated, that Oliver will get a sense of what his world looks like when Shane isn't in it, and, deciding it's pretty unbearable, will do things to ease that pain a bit. Whether he's conscious of what his actions point to will remain to be seen. But one of those actions would be Oliver going by her house to maintenance her swing. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Oliver might end up trying that bee pollen, ginger and kombucha smoothie that was so important to her as well. I think it might take her absence to finally get him to be emotional enough to seek it out and find the courage to try it.
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We haven't talked about it in-depth just yet ---though look for this to be remedied sooner rather than later---Shane and Oliver's Lost Without You separation did much to bring them closer. I can't imagine her departure to what very well may be New Orleans wouldn't draw them even closer, especially if Oliver is as moved by the experience as I am anticipating.
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I also can't help but think that Oliver might seek some advice from Gabe, or at a minimum draw parallels between their situations. If you think about what little bit we already know, it seems that Gabe is trying to keep his hope alive that Hattie will come find him on those steps. And Oliver knows what it's like to have hope waiting for someone who isn't coming or has yet to arrive. They both know what it's like to write a letter last minute and drop it into a mailbox only to have it inconveniently diverted for a time. Also, I think this shot Eric posted took place in the same suit Oliver is wearing in the ADR pics above:
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At the very least, we might be able to say that what happens in the above picture will take place the same day as whatever happens with Shane. We don't know whether this is before she leaves or when she gets back---as of late I'm leaning towards when she returns, even though it's the shot that sparked this entire theory---but it's interesting that seems to be catching up with Gabe alone.
Anyway, I think above all that Gabe will act as a mirror for Oliver, who could very much use this perspective to process his unexpressed feelings and realize what it's like to be the person who is waiting for their feelings to be reciprocated. In many respects Oliver is blind to how much Shane loves him, because let's not be coy and pretend she doesn't love him with every fiber of her being and to the very depths of his soul. Not for one second has she ever truly given up hope when it came to Oliver in any respect. Yet I think there are still some things causing Oliver to hold back in Higher Ground when it comes to Shane. |
Yep, it was definitely a clue...
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Remember that set pic I posted of the box that Holly gave him? Martha said something to me about it that didn't really process until recently that I shared in the Props Audit, "It's to remind him how close he came to disaster."
Something tells me that, having saved his life in ways we have yet to fully explicate, Oliver is going to be afraid that he will become dependent upon Shane in the same manner Holly became dependent upon him after he saved her fromthe blizzard. Forget that the situations were infinitely different---his subconscious mind will create a wall that will have him thinking twice and cause him to push Shane away, creating that tension I was concerned about before.
That being said, I think there's hope for some real growth here, not the least of which is the idea that if Shane does go to New Orleans, a moment where Oliver will have to let her go, it will be a moment of triumph for him. If you think about it, despite being left by women "who truly mattered," the only woman he has tried to prevent from leaving was Shane---at least twice. His actions demonstrate that he is afraid that if Shane leaves his orbit, she might not come back. He truly wants her around, and that's been the reality since day one. So to entertain the possibility that with his feelings for her truly at a point where he might finally be able to utter the word "love," and at the same time let Shane leave his orbit, is a really big deal.
On the other hand, if she leaves without his blessing, or because she thinks she needs to go to New Orleans for whatever reason on her own, then there might definitely be some interesting tension Oliver is forced to contend with, especially if, as I suspect is the case, she leaves without him actually explicitly expressing his feelings for her. As Oliver has said before, "the saddest words are those left unspoken," and leaving them that way could prove mighty dangerous given what I suspect Shane might be encountering while away...
Something tells me that, having saved his life in ways we have yet to fully explicate, Oliver is going to be afraid that he will become dependent upon Shane in the same manner Holly became dependent upon him after he saved her fromthe blizzard. Forget that the situations were infinitely different---his subconscious mind will create a wall that will have him thinking twice and cause him to push Shane away, creating that tension I was concerned about before.
That being said, I think there's hope for some real growth here, not the least of which is the idea that if Shane does go to New Orleans, a moment where Oliver will have to let her go, it will be a moment of triumph for him. If you think about it, despite being left by women "who truly mattered," the only woman he has tried to prevent from leaving was Shane---at least twice. His actions demonstrate that he is afraid that if Shane leaves his orbit, she might not come back. He truly wants her around, and that's been the reality since day one. So to entertain the possibility that with his feelings for her truly at a point where he might finally be able to utter the word "love," and at the same time let Shane leave his orbit, is a really big deal.
On the other hand, if she leaves without his blessing, or because she thinks she needs to go to New Orleans for whatever reason on her own, then there might definitely be some interesting tension Oliver is forced to contend with, especially if, as I suspect is the case, she leaves without him actually explicitly expressing his feelings for her. As Oliver has said before, "the saddest words are those left unspoken," and leaving them that way could prove mighty dangerous given what I suspect Shane might be encountering while away...
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And, obviously, this isn't even considering pics like this of Shane and Oliver very much looking like they are getting somewhere in their relationship. The thing is we don't know whether this is before they get things worked out or after. Does he walk her to her door and awkwardly wave goodbye, causing them both frustration at another opportunity missed, or is this the evidence of a couple very much hitting their stride? Only time will tell, but for now we'll just let that be and ponder the possibilities.
What are you thinking about Oliver's possible plight in Higher Ground? Got anything to add? Let me know in the comments! And once you're done sounding off on that, check post from earlier this week speculating about the Higher Ground timeline and digging into the photo gallery. Still Pondering, ~C |
P.S. If you're a night owl or a hacker, you might have caught onto the most recent synopsis of Higher Ground released by the network overnight, which blows the details of this speculation to bits, but is still on par thematically with what could take place. I could barely handle the information. Good luck to you! haha
More From Speculation Week:
#1: Time & Tone | #2: Visual Aids | #3: At Home, By Himself | #4: Far & Away | #5: What Else To Watch For
More From Speculation Week:
#1: Time & Tone | #2: Visual Aids | #3: At Home, By Himself | #4: Far & Away | #5: What Else To Watch For
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