Theory on "Home Base" Origin/Purpose/Goal

[SackUSMC27]

My apologies for the length of this post, but I promise you: if you stick with it til the end, I think it’ll be worth your while.

While listening to the recent roundtable episode of the podcast, I had a nice debate with myself about who exactly do Greg and Tamara work for, how this work of theirs originated, and why they’re doing what they’re doing.  It resulted in a pretty comprehensive working theory about this “home base” of theirs, and I wanted to share it with all of you to get your thoughts about it.  Without further ado, here goes:

Whatever your belief about how these magical realms came to be (I still think they were brought to life when the original storytellers crafted the tales; but others think that the worlds existed first and were later transcribed by our storytellers), I believe that some of the magical beings from these realms have crossed over to our world (likely numerous times) during Earth’s past and have revealed their origins, their abilities, or both to humans here.

That point is necessary because I theorize that, in response to seeing what these beings could do, a group of people frightened by what they saw banded together to study magic, its origins, and how to stop it–the very first “home base,” if you will.  Typically, in stories like these, the cliche is to make this group part of a church or other religious organization who are concerned that this new force will weaken their control over the people.  Here, however, I think it can just as easily be a group of scientists afraid of what magic would do here on Earth.  This would also fit in the conflict between science and magic that we’ve already seen demonstrated by Frankenstein and Rumpelstiltskin.

So what is their purpose?  Well I think it is pretty clear that they want to defend Earth from what they view as a magical threat, so they have been working for centuries to advance science primarily to help them in their fight against that threat.  We’ve seen some instances of their success in that field already (the tazer, stopping Regina’s magic), so who knows what else they have in their “home base” utility belts?  I think this whole assumption that all magical beings are dangerous will be a central focus of Season 3, and that it could resolve in either Greg or Tamara experiencing something that will change their viewpoint and get them to switch sides.

That brings me to the piece de resistance–my theory on the goal that “home base” is attempting to achieve: the complete separation of the magical elements of a person from their purely physical form.  I believe that they are trying to perfect a process by which any “intruders” from these magical realms can be effectively rendered powerless.  After centuries of witnessing what these beings can do with their abilities, “home base” wants to end the conflict once and for all by making them just as plain and ordinary as the rest of us.  And do you want to know a secret?

I think they’ve succeeded.  Well, partially anyway.  Thanks to a combination of something we learned at the end of Season 2 and my memories of a key element in “The Golden Compass” novel/film, I now believe that Peter Pan is, in fact, a victim of this procedure–either as a test subject for an early prototype of the process or as an unintended mishap of it.  I think he somehow found himself lost in our world when he was captured by “home base” and subjected to this procedure.  When it was over, though, the magical part of Peter didn’t just disappear: it continued to exist as a separate entity…HIS SHADOW!  A side-effect of the procedure could be that now Peter can rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiipppppppp other people’s magical abilities (manifesting in their shadows) away from them.

Here’s where I start to lose the theory, as the only follow-up I can think of is that Peter has been looking for a way to get back his magic (reattach his shadow) and that, for some reason, Henry is the only way for that to happen?  Not sure about that, but I think it works with what we know from the existing Peter Pan story as well as the info we’ve gotten about this darker version of him in Once.

I think that’s enough writing for one night, so I turn it over to you.  I welcome all feedback about my theory, so praise or deride it to your heart’s content.  Again, I’m sorry that I wrote so much; I’ve just had this theory for a couple weeks and have only now been able to put it all down in writing.  Thanks for sticking with me through it all.

[Josephine]

Don’t apologize for long post.  I know I’ve made quite a few in the past.

Interesting theory.  I see where you’re coming from.  It’s interesting to postulate that Peter was separated from his shadow by the experiments of the Home Office/Base/whatever you call it.  But I get the feeling that the Home Office was created by Wendy.  The reason is the casting of someone older for the role of Wendy.  It seems they did it so they could age her at some point.  I wouldn’t be shocked for her to show up as an adult and showing the formation of the Home Office.  The problem with this theory also is how did they get to be an organization interested in eradicating magic to one most likely run by someone in a magical land.

I don’t think we’ve seen the rest of Peter and Wendy connection.  The main thrust of the original story, and also titled “Peter and Wendy” was the relationship between the two and the paths each took:  one decided to grow up and the other couldn’t make that commitment.

It will be exciting to see what the real story is with everything going on between Wendy/Bae/Peter Pan/Henry/everyone else.

Keeper of Rumplestiltskin's and Neal's spears and war paint and crystal ball.

[RumplesGirl]

I think the Home Office is whatever it needs to be in order to recruit people. For Tamara and Greg it needed to be an organization that says they want to eradicate magic. For others it could be an organization to help you find your lost loved ones. Whatever it needs to do to ensure your loyalty, it will be. As for who created it: I originally thought Wendy created it in order to find Bae but now I’m learning toward PP. He created it in order to find Henry by any means possible.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[Phee]

Great post!  First up, for the record, around these forums we usually use the acronym THO as short hand for The Home Office, so if you see that around the place, that’s what that’s about.

My own personal thinking on THO has been that The Darlings founded it to find Bae and PP is the one currently in control of it, maybe with some Wizard of Oz (whose “magic” was really more like the “science” of illusion) and/or Dorothy thrown into the mix along the way, and your theory doesn’t really gel with that, but I’m not 100% committed to any one theory yet, and you’ve got some cool ideas here.

That point is necessary because I theorize that, in response to seeing what these beings could do, a group of people frightened by what they saw banded together to study magic, its origins, and how to stop it–the very first “home base,” if you will.  Typically, in stories like these, the cliche is to make this group part of a church or other religious organization who are concerned that this new force will weaken their control over the people.  Here, however, I think it can just as easily be a group of scientists afraid of what magic would do here on Earth.  This would also fit in the conflict between science and magic that we’ve already seen demonstrated by Frankenstein and Rumpelstiltskin.

I’m hoping they bring Viktor into this storyline in present day SB to keep exploring the science vs magic theme.  Wasted opportunity if they don’t.  The history of science goes back a long way, so they could certainly have the origins of this “battle” between science and magic be a very old and ingrained thing, and along the way, TeamScience has been able to gain a considerable amount of knowledge on how to counteract TeamMagic.

I think this whole assumption that all magical beings are dangerous will be a central focus of Season 3, and that it could resolve in either Greg or Tamara experiencing something that will change their viewpoint and get them to switch sides.

I’d like to see that happen, (there are a few posts in another thread that ponder how Greg may be the more likely one to switch teams).  That theme could be expanded on in various ways.  We already know that the characters in this show aren’t black and white, they’re varying shades of grey, and having GOAT (another acronym used around here = Greg/Owen And Tamara), who currently have very black and white views on magic actually come around to seeing the shades of grey would be in keeping with that and would expand on the idea more.  Especially if at the same time we’re seeing the Charmings having to deal with using less than pure means to save Henry, (we know they’ll continue on talking about the state of Snow’s heart).  It will all tie together quite nicely to raise questions of “what is really good and what is really evil and is it really that clear cut after all?”  Also, ever since mermaids were mentioned being dangerous, I’ve figured it’s a setup for Ariel to come along and be the exception, and if so, that would play into the black/white views theme too.

Thanks to a combination of something we learned at the end of Season 2 and my memories of a key element in “The Golden Compass” novel/film, I now believe that Peter Pan is, in fact, a victim of this procedure–either as a test subject for an early prototype of the process or as an unintended mishap of it.  I think he somehow found himself lost in our world when he was captured by “home base” and subjected to this procedure.  When it was over, though, the magical part of Peter didn’t just disappear: it continued to exist as a separate entity…HIS SHADOW!  A side-effect of the procedure could be that now Peter can rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiipppppppp other people’s magical abilities (manifesting in their shadows) away from them.

This is a really cool idea!  Assuming the Shadow is PP’s, (which we don’t have confirmed yet, but I’m in the camp who is assuming it), there has to be a story to how they got separated.  An experiment by THO gone wrong would be a delightfully dark way for it to have happened.  And would also parallel what happened when Viktor tried to “fix” Gerhardt with science, and instead ended up creating a monster.

Here’s where I start to lose the theory, as the only follow-up I can think of is that Peter has been looking for a way to get back his magic (reattach his shadow) and that, for some reason, Henry is the only way for that to happen?  Not sure about that, but I think it works with what we know from the existing Peter Pan story as well as the info we’ve gotten about this darker version of him in Once.

I’ve had a little pet theory that PP is after Henry as a means to regain his humanity, which doesn’t really fit with this theory.  I think at the end of the day, PP needs Henry to “complete” himself somehow, whatever that ends up meaning.

There are a bunch of ideas being thrown around right now and we’re really all just guessing.  I’d like for S3 to start now so we can get some more actual info, pretty please.

[RumplesGirl]

My own personal thinking on THO has been that The Darlings founded it to find Bae and PP is the one currently in control of it, maybe with some Wizard of Oz (whose “magic” was really more like the “science” of illusion) and/or Dorothy thrown into the mix along the way, and your theory doesn’t really gel with that, but I’m not 100% committed to any one theory yet, and you’ve got some cool ideas here.

The problem I have with this is how did PP get a hold of THO if it was formed by the Darlings? When I originally thought they formed it, it was because I thought Wendy and her brothers were taken by PP but now we’ve seen that Bae sacrificed himself. I can see Wendy forming THO to find Bae, but how does PP play into it now? I’m always down with Dorothy being thrown into the mix. That’s one of my favorite theories, that she is running THO in this world.

 

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[kfchimera]

I liked those theories of Wendy and the HO, or even Igor (Victor’s buddy) rounding up people from realms where folks were missing, but now I think it all boils down to PP was manipulating GregOwen and Tamara (GOAT).

None of the “science” stuff they had was actually science, but magic all along, that taser, the cuff, even the “app for that” they followed in the mines.  Magic all of it!  They were, as Rumpel says, merely unwitting pawns of the real big bad, PP.

So unless it turns out that GOAT are actually playing PP, something neither Gold or PP realize, and there is actually an anti-magic organization out there, at the moment it feels like the HO is just over as a plot development other than GOAT learning they’ve been duped.

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

[Phee]

The problem I have with this is how did PP get a hold of THO if it was formed by the Darlings? When I originally thought they formed it, it was because I thought Wendy and her brothers were taken by PP but now we’ve seen that Bae sacrificed himself. I can see Wendy forming THO to find Bae, but how does PP play into it now?

Another little theory I’ve been toying with is that PP got wind of the fact that Wendy was looking for Bae, and he brought her to NL again to prevent her efforts, and she’s still there being held captive in present day.  That doesn’t answer how he could have gained control of THO in our world though, just how he could have known about it. Hmmm…I suppose there would have to be someone already on PP’s payroll who could infiltrate…maybe he sent Felix out of NL…he went to the remaining Darlings, pretending to be someone who knew how to find Wendy…and once he’d weaseled his way in, he took over.  Perhaps?

[RumplesGirl]

Another little theory I’ve been toying with is that PP got wind of the fact that Wendy was looking for Bae, and he brought her to NL again to prevent her efforts, and she’s still there being held captive in present day.  That doesn’t answer how he could have gained control of THO in our world though, just how he could have known about it. Hmmm…I suppose there would have to be someone already on PP’s payroll who could infiltrate…maybe he sent Felix out of NL…he went to the remaining Darlings, pretending to be someone who knew how to find Wendy…and once he’d weaseled his way in, he took over.  Perhaps?

I do like the idea of Wendy still being around somehow because casting Freya (who is almost 20) as a 13 yr old was too mind boggling for her NOT to come back. I wonder if PP brought her back in order to be a “mother” to Henry until PP’s plans are ready. Wendy’s role in NL was as a mother figure to the Lost Boys but they didn’t get a chance to develop that with how they portrayed Wendy thus far.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

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