Facing the Fire

"Facing the Fire" is the seventh episode of VR.5 that aired on April 14, 1995. This episode guide is from the VR.5 FAQ and was originally written by the authors of the FAQ.

Synopsis
Sydney, obsessively trying to decipher her father's journal, is assigned to help a test-pilot in a psychiatric hospital. In the process of using VR.5 to help him, however, Sydney plants false memories of child abuse into his sub-conscious--memories that may, in fact, be her own. Sydney also discovers that her father had been a member of the Committee.

Main Cast

 * Lori Singer (Sydney Bloom)
 * Michael Easton (Duncan)
 * Anthony Head (Oliver Sampson)

Guest Stars

 * Shirley Knight (Dr. Margo Hirsch)
 * Frank Converse (General Jackson)
 * Neal McDonough (Lance Jackson)
 * Blair Renshaw (Aircraft Mechanic)
 * Richie Fenner (Young Lance)
 * Kevin Carr (Unknown)

Crew
Written by: Jeannine Renshaw

Directed by: Lorraine Senna Ferrara

VR.5 was created by: Adam Cherry, Geoffrey Hemwall, Michael Katleman, Jeannine Renshaw, and Thania St. John

Executive Producer: John Sacret Young

Co-executive Producer: Thania St. John

Co-executive Producer: Eric Blakeney (2,3,5,6,8)

Supervising Producer: Michael Katleman

Producer: Naomi Janzen (2-10)

Producer: Jack Clements (2-10)

Producer: Mel Efros (1)

Co-producer: Geoffrey Hemwall

Observations

 * Sydney can play basketball.
 * Duncan knows a lot about conspiracy theories.
 * Duncan is now being actively included by Oliver in the missions.
 * VR.5 can be relayed to a portable computer.

Spoilers

 * Sydney's own subconscious can forcibly overlay itself on the Other's subconscious, creating false memories in the Other and effectively taking over the scenario.
 * VR.5 can crack "brainwashing" (presumably some kinds of hypnosis).
 * The Committee's (TC) seal is a cruciform series of concentric circles surrounded by a motto that reads (in code) "Enter the Labyrinth".
 * Sydney remembers a hand pulling her from the crash.
 * Joseph Bloom may have been in conflict with TC over the contents of his journal.
 * Joseph Bloom's journal was meant to be a legacy to his daughters (or perhaps only one of them).

Questions/Answers/Speculation

 * 1) Did Duncan get around to showing Sydney the "call yourself in VR.5" trick?
 * 2) * (Speculation by William Wood): No; Sydney doesn't seem inclined to share anything with Duncan, and I think he would take his cue from that.