Reunion

"Reunion" is the thirteenth episode of VR.5 that aired on May 12, 1995. This episode guide is from the VR.5 FAQ and was originally written by the authors of the FAQ.

Synopsis
Sydney is reunited with her sister. She learns that her father is still alive, and that a faction of The Committee is hunting them. One of Oliver's oldest allies turns out to be a traitor. Oliver, having been ordered to kill Sydney, rebels against The Committee. The fugitives finally make contact with The Man. Sydney's mother is rescued from her coma, but Sydney gets trapped in VR.7 (?).

Main Cast

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

Guest Stars

 * Louise Fletcher (Nora Bloom)
 * David McCallum (Dr. Joseph Bloom)
 * Kimberly Cullum (Young Samantha Bloom)
 * Kaci Williams (Young Sydney Bloom)
 * Tracey Needham (Samantha Bloom)
 * Turhan Bey (Abernathy)
 * Stephen Mills (The Committee's Agent)
 * Gammy Singer (Nurse Jackie)
 * Matthew Koruba (Young Duncan)

Crew
Written by: Thania St. John

Directed by: Deborah Reinisch

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

 * The Committee (TC) operates within close-knit family ties (generation to generation) and seems to recruit extensively from within families (they like blood-ties), although if Oliver and Sydney's cases are indicative, family members may not be brought in on the secret until their late twenties.
 * It's been 6 months since the pilot (in the show's time).
 * Sydney knew that Duncan could use VR
 * Samantha and Duncan appear to have had a burgeoning adolescent romance.
 * VR.7 was mentioned for first time and has Wolfenstein 3D-like imagery.
 * Fiber optics were used in the Bloom's basement in the episode (instead of a phone).
 * "Time and space do not function the same way" in VR.7 (a person can get trapped in there).

Spoilers

 * Oliver says a The Committee is trying to kill Syd.
 * There's been a "fracture at the top" in The Committee and The Splinter Faction (TSF) is at opposing sides.
 * Sam and Dr. Bloom were hiding in Germany with The Committee.
 * It was The Splinter Faction (TSF) that abducted Dr. Bloom and Samantha 17 years ago (and has presumably held them captive all this time).
 * When Duncan/Syd/Sam link up in VR, we get the truth.
 * We discover (apparently) the secret of how VR.5 works: Dr. Joseph Bloom has a VR computer set-up that is connected to the telephone lines (presumably locally only?), and the key to accessing VR is retinal patterns...i.e., if the patterns are recognized, the owner gains access to the system.
 * The VR system has only been up and running again since Dr. Bloom and Samantha started hiding in their old house (Dr. Bloom's secret lab), six months ago.
 * VR can definitely be used to "reprogram" memories, although it seems to work imperfectly.
 * Nora tried to erase memories + replace with good ones.
 * People in VR.6 can work in teams to erase such conditioning because they have access to each other's subconscious minds, which overlap to form "the truth".
 * The car accident never happened--it was a combination of VR reprogramming and the actual abduction of Sydney's father and sister.
 * Nora Bloom did not attempt suicide, either--she got lost in VR while reprogramming Duncan and Sydney's memories.
 * The woman who looked after Nora was part of the Committee.
 * A man named Abernathy was a colleague of Oliver's father (who apparently died for him), and became Oliver's Committee "Keeper" (mentor/control agent/father confessor)--he was also the first known member of The Splinter Faction (TSF).
 * The Man is apparently on the "good" side of The Committee, and considers himself Sydney's "Keeper" (and now Oliver's, too--but what about Duncan?).
 * Joseph Bloom may be insane, having fractured his personality with VR.8 (like Alex).

Questions/Answers/Speculation
The following contains SPOILERS.


 * 1) Why didn't Dr. Bloom just examine Sydney in VR if he was worried about her loyalties?
 * 2) * Joseph seems to be insane, and very, very fearful; when Sam initiated contact with Syd, he chose instead to flee.
 * 3) Could Samantha and Joseph "eavesdrop" on Sydney's VR trips (she was using their system, after all)?
 * 4) * (Speculation by William Wood): Yes; this is probably the source of the voiceover when Sydney is in VR.5 with Nora in 5D.
 * 5) According to Fox's material on the show, VR.7 is telepathy, "without the need for a computer." If this is the case, why were Sydney and Nora hooked up together by computer? Shouldn't it be VR.6?
 * 6) * (Speculation by William Wood): VR.7 is a deeper version of VR.6 that uses "different parts of the brain," but still works through the computer system--the Fox materials are out-of-date/wrong.
 * 7) (Speculation by Lisa Cunningham): How come Samantha knew who Oliver was, if he was ignorant of her? Is there an exchange of knowledge when VR.8 is used, rather than just a one-way copy (i.e., did Sam get some of Alex's memories)?
 * 8) (Speculation by Lisa Cunningham): What is the exact nature of the retinal ID system? If it was wired into the phone lines 17 years ago, wouldn't that part have been replaced by now?
 * 9) * (Speculation by William Wood): I think Joseph's system is tapping ALL the local lines looking for a VR signal, and connecting with that signal in order to "screen" the call and activate VR.5 upon recognition--if the retina pattern doesn't pass, the system activates a lethal subroutine to burn out the user's mind (a fairly paranoid set-up; it may not have been so nasty in 1978 when Joseph was still sane).
 * 10) (Speculation by Lisa Cunningham): Should Sydney trust Samantha?
 * 11) (Speculation by Lisa Cunningham): Oliver indicates that TC likes blood-ties; does Duncan have any?
 * 12) Does Oliver know that Duncan can access VR.5 in Facing the Fire? (Moved to this episode because of spoilers)
 * 13) * In this episode, he does know it.
 * 14) * (Speculation by Lisa Cunningham): The Man would know--he disconnected both Duncan and Syd in 1978--and it's possible, therefore, that The Committee always knew; also, Oliver would be tipped off because how else could Duncan have found the hospital? See also Q/A #1 in Escape.
 * 15) * (Speculation by William Wood): The fact that Oliver "catches" Sydney using VR.5 on him in The Many Faces of Alex indicates that he is cognizant of having been in VR before, and Duncan is the only real candidate for providing the "experience". It is important to remember, however, that VR wouldn't work until Joseph returned to L.A. and got his computer up and running again... It's quite possible that TC wrote off both Duncan and Sydney as candidates. It's also possible that The Man, whom Oliver did not appear to know, did not share his information with many people--TC is a "need-to-know" organization.