Series Finale Speculation

Well, there's a new banner and "making of" movies on the website. Within a few days, there should be some pictures as well. What can you piece together about the new movie from this evidence?

a lot...not really...

Is... is that a cross around Edge's neck on the banner? Is there going to be a tie in with that somehow?

Is... is that Action's leg on the ground in one of those pictures in the making of section? Where's the rest of him? Has he been dismembered by a group of angry orangutans bent on world domination?

Who is that motorcycle helmet guy? What does he want? I think he's from the future. Or from the new Tron movie. Also, what's up with his arm?

What is Edge doing with Action Jones' glasses? Is he returning them? How did they become separated from their rightful owner. Did Insanity think they were his bifocals again?

When did Garfunkel become a purple belt?

What are those mountains in the header? Are they the Himalayas? Do they have any bearing on the movie at all?

Finally, I'm really excited about that cool scene with the cool lighting in the cool room. It looks cool.

Thanks for brightening my dreary day with hope for that future movie release.

Hahaha.... this rocks, Edge and DaMavster! Well done! It got me way excited... and I was there for most of it! Anyhoo, Zagabeenie - you found out my secret! Garfunkel is a purple belt now! In the time between the season 3 finale and the start of the Final Movie, I was training, and managed to get to the next level of belt. As for Edge and the glasses... you'll just have to stalk him down and get him to talk. Not an easy task. Trust me. Not easy at all.

Alright, I did some poking around, since I have time, and I've got some questions about Edge...

First, an image from New Sight:

I think it's pretty obvious that that is a cross around Edge's neck. Also, we can see him reading a rather large tome earlier that appears to be a Bible. This is the first time we see Edge with that cross around his neck. Did Edge find Christ after witnessing the horrors of battle with Azerberjan? Did those experiences cause Edge to search for a Savior from the evil in this world?

Now, an image from Sharpened Edge:

The cross is gone. This causes me to wonder if Edge found the affliction of blindness more than his new found faith could cope with. Did Edge turn his back on God after being struck blind?

Now, images from The Awakening, The Crimson Edge, and Origins:



No cross. No cross. No cross. Yet we know, from the new header at ActionJones.com, that Edge wears the cross around his neck once again. Did the events in Origins change his mind? Was the revelation that everything is connected, which he learned from Chief, enough for him to realize that there are no coincidences, only providence?

We must know!

Only time will tell the wonders of the New Action Jones Universe!

...or the simple explanation would be that he is wearing it underneath his shirt so it won't get lost and/or damaged accidentally in battle.

Ah, ha! But he can't be wearing it under his shirt! I've reviewed the archival footage intensely for weeks, and there is no evidence to suggest that there is anything underneath Edge's shirt/cloak but flesh and sinew (and maybe hair).

But, doth thine eyes deceive thee?

No

Nice research work Andrew, it'd be fuin to see some more overanalytical but very entertaining digging

And as for Edge, you'll notice he wore the cross after season 1 (when he'd mellowed out a bit and thought about life) and not when he's blind.

I think we can conclude (as Sam suggested) that the cross necklace was and is very important to Edge and is something he didn't want to carry on his person if he ran the risk of losing it and not being able to see it. Plus, after his 100 year hibernation, who knows where the cross necklace ended up...?

And if I may say so myself, Samurai Gukido could have traveled to any time of our lives after the reawakening of Action Jones in order to place the heroes in cryogenic stasis. Who knows what was going on in the lives of the heroes at that point. Possible area for further speculation? Or, perhaps appendix-episodes-to-come?

Very good point and I do agree that there is definitely some story potential there. For instance, Action was put into cryogenic stasis while his Used Camel lot was still fairly new. With Action mysteriously missing, (in the eyes of the world), his partner Abdul Kumar was forced to assume all of the responsibilities of the business himself. Did the venture survive or did it quickly fall in shambles without Jones' business savvy?

Action Jones wrote:

Very good point and I do agree that there is definitely some story potential there. For instance, Action was put into cryogenic stasis while his Used Camel lot was still fairly new. With Action mysteriously missing, (in the eyes of the world), his partner Abdul Kumar was forced to assume all of the responsibilities of the business himself. Did the venture survive or did it quickly fall in shambles without Jones' business savvy?

What?

Edge wrote:

And if I may say so myself, Samurai Gukido could have traveled to any time of our lives after the reawakening of Action Jones in order to place the heroes in cryogenic stasis. Who knows what was going on in the lives of the heroes at that point. Possible area for further speculation? Or, perhaps appendix-episodes-to-come?

Do you know the implications of this and theology? What if I traveled back in time, plucked Edge from the time stream before he was a Christian, and brought him to the future. Is he still saved? Is he no longer saved? Is he destined to become saved before he dies in this future? Or is backwards time travel a load of bunk because there really isn't such a thing as time, only our perception of duration given our limited and finite view of the universe. The mind boggles!

What does it mean to be a Christian? Maybe Edge didn't fully understand. Perhaps there is room to explore how he either begins to follow Jesus or turn his back on religious pursuits.

Well, whatever his beliefs, he doesn't seem too vocal about them. other than wearing the cross necklace (which, sadly is sometimes merely a cultural icon) we have no indication Edge, or anyone else in the Action Jones Universe has found salvation.

Does it even exist there? I always felt that the characters occupy a fictional world where, perhaps a bit like Narnia, salvation is represented, but not the way we know it.

To be perfectly honest, for Edge to be a Christian, that would mean there was a Calvary somewhere in the past of that universe. Which, I just don't think fits. I would contend that the Action Jones universe is a sub-creation (like Tolkein's middle earth or Lewis' Narnia...though not in the same caliber..) and that while salvation and redemptive themes drawn from the truth of Jesus Christ may be and are present, there is not such thing as a "Christian" in the AJ universe, since it is not a real place. just as there is no such thing as a "Christian" in middle earth, even though redemptive, Christ pointing themes are rampent.

Thats just my input. Any thoughts?

Quote :

Does it even exist there? I always felt that the characters occupy a fictional world where, perhaps a bit like Narnia, salvation is represented, but not the way we know it.

Well said Chief. You've inspired me to create yet another Universe (world, setting, whatever) for Lore where Christ and God exist, but not as we know it from reality.

Wouldn't that be blaspheming?

Red Claw wrote:

Wouldn't that be blaspheming?

Blaspheme
verb, -phemed, -pheming

1- to speak impiously or irreverently of
2- to speak irreverently of God or sacred things

I don't think that it constitutes blaspheming, though perhaps I wasn't clear with my earlier statement.

I am designing a new setting for Lore where God exists, but due to creative license on my part, His role in the universe is more direct than in reality. I am not suggesting that my way is better or that I can make a better world than God.

God created humans in His Image. The significance of this has been debated for centuries, so take my two cents for what it's worth:

1-God created man as a lesser being than God, but with many of the same characteristics
2- God is creative. His universe attests to that daily
3- As an image bearer of God, man is also creative. Man just needs to remember to worship the Creator of creativity, and NOT man's ability to create
4- Lore is an imaginative and creative system, designed by several Cedarville students exercising a God given trait
5- Lore requires a "setting" for the story to take place in
6- God created the setting in which His creations live
7- Given the above as true, why can't I create a setting for our creations to live in, so long as I acknowledge it is a lesser work than what God has done in reality? Chris has done the same thing with Action Jones, Ted Dekker did the same thing with Thomas Hunter, and CS Lewis did the same thing with The Chronicles of Narnia.

I guess I just got the implication that you were possibly going to demean God's soveriegnty in this new Lore world, that's all....

...how did we go from lighthearted banter to serious theological issues? And I'm not so sure about incorporating God into Lore. Before you all start panicking about what I mean by that, let me clarify. As a personal rule for myself I don't put "God" into my fictional writing as a character on the forefront. My reasoning for this is that I don't want to, for the sake of my story, be tempted to make "Him" act in a way that would be convenient for my story and possibly contradict "His" nature. If I did make a mistake or use my literary license irresponsibly and unconscionably, then someone not well versed or familiar with who God is could possibly be mislead. So I usually have "Him" (in some form or another) working in the background and intervening in such ways that I do not blatantly say "It's God!", but in a way that one could not possibly believe was mere coincidence. So I suppose I wouldn't be opposed to your idea if it was incorporated in a way like this Andrew. (I have a feeling that I'm going to have to further qualify my statements later.) So that's my point of view on the matter. You can call it editorial cowardice if you want to, but I would rather not have "God" as a "character" in my stories than have "Him" possibly act out of character.

Well said Sam, and I agree with you.

Though, Andrew, I don't neccesarily disagree with you.

Representing God in fiction takes a lot of wisdom and sensativity to spiritual truths, it also takes a certain conviction. (the conviction that it is ok and does not pose a problem).

However, when I think about it, even Lewis doesn't use a God character (does Dekker in the circle trilogy?...I mean, does He call him "God" or just, the creator..?) Lewis used Aslan as a representation of Christ. A vehicle to present Christ's character and actions in a fictional world. However, Aslan never came right out and called himself "god" (as far as I know).

I like your perspective Sam, integrating god into fiction by alluding to Him. As in Tolkein's writings (excluding the histories and appendices where he does get pretty specific about his "god" character) "God's" influence as largely behind the scenes and alluded to. Things like Gandalf saying that we just need to decide what to do with the time given to us. Etc.

Thats what I kind of think the AJ universe has (on a monumentally less significant scale). It is a universe sub-created by hearts and minds owned by the true Creator, thus some underlying essence of Him and His truth pervades the fictional world, though He Himself, or a fictional stand in....is not mentioned.

PS Sam, Can you please write an "About You" paragraph or two about yourself. I'd like to put it up in the about us section!

Thanks Chris and yes I will work on that short bio over the weekend. I thought for sure that I would get at least a few criticisms over my view. I'm happily surprised.

Andrew, I don't want what I said to be taken as a discouragement for you. I simply wanted to caution you a little.

Dekker has "the Creator, Elyon", but He does not appear as a character. His son, referred to as "the boy", is a representation of Jesus. He is divine, but he is human, too. He grows, he laughs, he loves His people. He dies for them. And he sets them free from their sins to have fellowship with Him. The Circle Trilogy is really about Jesus and His Church, a bunch of dirty, wandering sinners on their journey through life.