The Big O Showtime: The Show Must Go On

And with that, we have come to terms. This was a hell of a finale, resolving the remaining mysteries and bring closure to our characters. Not to mention delivering the requisite giant robot action as well. It's kind of amazing how fitting this last episode is.

Things begin with Big O and Big Fau staring each other down. The fight begins but Big Fau sidelines Big O's attacks with a forcefield. Nothing Roger can throw at Big Fau seems to have any effect. But Rosewater isn't content with that, ordering the military police to target Big O. Dastun arrives at the scene and is disgusted with this, after all the times Big O has saved the city they're going to attack him. He's informed by some douchey higher-up that the military police exist to serve the new order, Rosewater's order. And with that, Dastun rips off his badge and abandons the cops. He steals a tank and goes to help Roger.

Epic Staredown! 

This is certainly the culmination of Dastun's arc. All series he's tried to the best he can for the people of Paradigm but was constrained by Paradigm Group or upstaged by Roger. He resolved his issue with Roger back in Episode 21 when he decided that he would protect the people while Roger dealt with the attacking force, only for that too to be hampered by internal policy in Rosewater's endgame. Quitting the force shows Dastun is more dedicated to his principles and purpose than to upholding Paradigm Group's law. This actually inspires his men as they too all quit and fire on Big Fau.

Back in the fight, Big Fau is still winning. He cracks Big O's neck exposing Roger's cockpit and then drags him to the edge of the ocean. Dastun's tankfire distracts him for a moment allowing Roger to pull Rosewater into the ocean with him. But apparently Big Fau was designed to operate underwater, and he escapes leaving Big O to sink to the bottom.

Norman, have you seen my brain anywhere?

I promised I'd talk about Rosewater, so let's do it. Like everyone else who pilots a Big, he's a foil for Roger. We can see this visually (Roger wears black, Rosewater wears white) and they're thematic foils as well. Like I said last episode, Rosewater discovers he's another tomato but doesn't accept it. He's still operating under the delusion that he's Gordon's only child and the true dominus of megadeus. He cannot accept reality and so seeks to remake it according to his will. Anything that stands in the way has to be destroyed. Roger, on the other hand, had the same revelation but was able to accept it. His existential foundation was pulled out from under him but he was able to continue on. It all goes back to the recurring idea of accepting who you are now. Rosewater has always seen himself as the Heir to Paradigm, the true dominus of megadeus so anything that contradicts that must be false (to him) and will not detract him from what he sees as his destiny. Roger has no memories and has never questioned who he used to be, he always acts in the present. So when he's revealed as a tomato, it doesn't affect him as much. He knows he who is now and that's all that matters.

There's also a class element at play. At the beginning of the fight, Roger tells Rosewater to feel the people's fury meaning he represents the common people. This gels with what we've seen before. Roger has often worked for people outside the domes and shown contempt for those who live in them. He himself lives outside the domes, shows respect to everyone, human or android, and never talks down to his employees. Hell, one of Roger's best friends is the robot Instro and robots have only been shown as subservient in the setting. Rosewater represents the rich. He's the feudal lord of Paradigm, living in luxury and exercising his will on the people. He has no friends, just pawns. Rosewater only acts selfishly and puts himself above, literally saying he's a god. This dichotomy can be seen clearly in the scenes showing the repairs of the two's respective Bigs. Rosewater is above his workers, watching them work and treating Beck, the one responsible for the repairs, like a dog bringing back a frisbee. But for Big O, Norman is down working with others to repair him and Roger is out trying to save the day. One is using people to build an oppressive weapon, the other has people volunteering to rebuild their defender.

 But enough thematic parallels, Roger's about to drown. Somehow this has the effect of waking up Dorothy, freaking the hell out of both Beck and the audience. And despite this being the final hour of revelation, this isn't actually explained. But no matter, it's revelation time! Gordon takes Angel down to Basement level 666 (heh) and she's still confused by how she's just a Memory. He doesn't really have the answers, but once they walk out into the basement they dissolve into light. This seems to affect Roger as all of Paradigm's history is revealed to him. It turns out that the burning city dream was true, including the part about him being a soldier piloting Big O. But then that's wiped away and Paradigm begins again. This time as the New York scenario from the premiere, with Roger again as the bum. But then that is wiped away and Paradigm begins once more, now as the version we know. And Roger's true nature is revealed as well. He's been a robot the whole time.

Buy your own Negotiator today! 

Yep. Roger is a robot. That's why Roger doesn't ever age. But on top of that, we see that Paradigm has been going through cycles. Starting then beginning again. The two versions of pre-Event Paradigm we've seen were both true. We already know that Paradigm is a stage, but this tells us that this isn't the first version of the play. And Roger has beein in all of them, serving as Negotiator between actors and directors. All of this is connected to the book Metropolis, the one everyone assumed Gordon wrote. Before he's dissolved into light, he offers the book back. He's imploring the writer to finish the story. It's time for the play to begin again.

Before we can get to the final revelation though, there's still a fight to finish. The newly awakened Dorothy rushes off to save Roger, waking him from his experience and keeping him from drowning. Together they take on Rosewater. Facing him, Roger brings up most of the parallels I did above and activates Big O's biggest super mode. Meaning a giant freaking doomsday cannon erupts from his chest, demolishing Big Fau and most of the city. But Rosewater still isn't down and that when's the fourth Big arrives.

Big Venus.
Where was she when Morairty was causing trouble on
the Enterprise's holodeck?

The 4th Big, Big Venus, rises from the ground, everything dissolving into light around it. Rosewater refuses to believe this, but Big Venus just dissolves him with no effort. And here's the final revelation. It was a holodeck the whole time and Angel was the director. She was the one who wrote Metropolis and has been directing the different versions of Paradigm. The Angel we've been following has been what we've assumed everyone else was, someone who lost her memory and constructed a new identity. But now she's been restored and is using Big Venus to bring this version of Paradigm to a close. Damn. Did not see that one coming.

But in a way I should have. It's been emphasized again and again how Roger has no idea he is, how he keep changing roles in the different versions of Paradigm. Angel has been the same way, she has keep no definitive role throughout the whole series. She's gone from femme fatale to pawn of Rosewater to Roger's lover to enemy spy. She fits no part in the play, so she must be from outside it. And given that Angel is the one in charge behind the scenes, that would make her God. That fits with the overall Gnostic themes of the show, but we'll get into that more next time.

As Big Venus collapses the holodeck's program, Roger has one last thing to ask Angel. He asks here to leave the memories of all the people intact for the next incarnation of Paradigm. He also brings up more of the determinism vs. free will stuff, which again we'll get into more next time, and Angel seems to listen. Because we end on a repeat of the very first episode's beginning with Roger again explaining his role as Negotiator. He's sure of who he is now and heads into a new Paradigm. The Show must go on.