Just to clarify, the original idea was Bennet's. I suggested that if Tom were to end up in Marus, then AIO needs to make it clear that he is really dead in the 'real' world. Lewis makes it very clear in "The Last Battle" that his characters have all died in a train wreck: their bodies are all there, in England, mangled, broken, and beginning the decaying process. The Pevensies parents are going through the grieving process after burring three of their four children. Lewis doesn't try to cheat death or make life all happy-go-lucky.Trent DeWhite wrote:3. Tom finds Marus and is never heard from again.
I think this idea is brilliant, to be perfectly honest. Like Gandalf suggested, it would be very similar to what C.S. Lewis did in The Last Battle. On the other hand, with such a storyline comes a plethora of questions. How did Tom enter Marus? What happened to his body? How did he "die"? Is Marus equivalent to heaven? I find the plausibility of this particular scenario much more difficult to swallow, although I'd definitely be open to it if the writers offered a reasonable explanation for Tom's disappearance.
If AIO wants to have Tom's death occur this way, it could be a powerful way of teaching about the mystery of Heaven. Having him simply 'disappear' would be wrong and is, indeed, the complete opposite of this method as it obliterates the entire point that should be made here: that death is real and painful but that Eternal Life is better than earthly life in ways we can't imagine.
AIO hasn't done an episode on death since 1995 (unless you count "Plan B"). That's almost 15 years of not discussing that topic, I think we could handle another episode or two on death.
From a production angle, I don't see how they can do Marus since Walker is gone. His voice would be needed for such an intense story line (I don't see how it could simply be lifted).
Having him move away is both unrealistic and would cheapen the entire events surrounding Whit's departure when Hal died. It's unrealistic because there simply aren't very many 85+ year old men who have wives in mental facilities who just decide to up and move. Whit going to the Middle East was believable, but copying that would be excessive.
I think there are only 3 realistic options open to the writers:
1) Have Tom die.
2) Simply ignore him from now on (unsatisfying to be sure)
3) Have a new actor.
But that's just my 2 cents. They could come up with a different option; the writers are clever and I have every confidence that they'll do something creative and meaningful.
Thanks for the welcome back! I do apologize for my misspellings of Marus. I am smiling at the minor point...Good to see both of you posting again, Bennett and Gandalf. It's been a long time. Smile Minor point but the country in Passages is called Marus.
) and the three of them go on an adventure, Tom (who we found has gotten some terminal illness) discovers he is healed in Marus, so he goes back to get Agnes, when both of them die and meet Alice and Timmy in a heavan scene. The end!
