Brian Davids Explores "Off Ramp" and Its Biggest Question: Is Tom the New Holy Wayne or Just Another False Prophet?
Full disclosure: I just recorded my "Thought of the Week" for the mothership podcast and while I took the stance in my segment that Tommy is masquerading as the new Holy Wayne in order to keep his Guilty Remnant-recovery program going, it's still a question worth exploring.
Below is a list of reasons in support of Tommy being the new Holy Wayne as well as reasons against Tommy being Holy Wayne 2.0.
Below is a list of reasons in support of Tommy being the new Holy Wayne as well as reasons against Tommy being Holy Wayne 2.0.
In Support
Reason #1: As I covered in my Random Takes, Theories and Observations for Episode 2 prior to episode 3, the use of the word, "infect," set off a giant red flag that at the time. The ending of "Off Ramp" would technically explain why Tommy refused to hug Jill if he's actually Holy Wayne 2.0.
Reason #2: Holy Wayne was often portrayed as sick or exhausted in his appearances across S1. This jives with Tom's symptoms since he is also sick and exhausted throughout "Off Ramp." Are these the side effects, or the "price" one must pay when possessing Holy Wayne's gift?
Reason #3: We're 'missing time' from episode 1.10 which supports Tommy's story about what happened after the scene where he was shouting to the heavens upon Christine leaving him with "Lily" at the rest-stop. The next we saw of Tommy was at the end of 1.10, after he had dropped Lily off on Kevin's porch, only to reunite with his Mom. So, for all we know, Wayne could have arrived at the rest stop in time to give Tom his gift and guide him back to Mapleton. That would still put Wayne on the same trajectory where he dies in Kevin's company inside the coffee shop bathroom.
Against
Reason #1: Laurie arrived at her apartment as Tom was asleep on the couch. She turned her attention to a computer playing an early video of Holy Wayne announcing his gift to the world. This could imply that Tommy had been studying Wayne's tendencies and "pitch" in case he needed to utilize Wayne's persona in order to keep his Guilty Remnant rescue/recovery program on track.
Reason #2: Even on The Leftovers, face value can sometimes be exactly that. Damon has trained us to read into everything and for good reason. But, Tommy is noticeably sick during this time period so it's completely plausible that he was simply looking out for his sister's health by NOT hugging her.
Reason #3: Tom and Laurie's crusade to save GR members and return them to their previous life suffered a major setback when Laurie and Tom heard the tragic news of Susan's murder-suicide. That was one of many contributing factors as to why Laurie attacked the insensitive book publisher, forcing Tommy to bail her out of jail. This tragic setback reminded Tom/Laurie of their frustration earlier in the episode where Tommy remarked in regards to their program, "What we're doing, it's not working!"
Keep in mind, Laurie and Tom were counting on her book to heighten awareness and provide real funding for their campaign since they can barely afford a place to host their group counseling. Laurie singlehandedly ended her own aspirations of being a published author which would gain the general public's support via her bestselling book.
So, in order to salvage their work to date, Tom and Laurie utilized a last ditch effort to give their followers (and others) something to believe in as Tom and Laurie's existing program was not effective long-term. The strategy for Tommy to become Holy Wayne 2.0, no matter how bogus, is all they have left to win this fight.
Reason #4: If you're truly gifted, would you really say, "They make sense! They know something." Holy Tom would be the one who KNOWS something, if anyone knows "something."
Reason #5: Tom stated in his closing monologue that Wayne told him where to take "Lily" after Christine left him. But did he need Wayne to tell him to take "Lily" to Kevin's house? Of course not. Kevin took Tommy in as a kid and raised him as his own after his own father wanted nothing to do with him. Kevin's house is the first place Tommy would think of regardless of Wayne's instruction. This debunks his "Holy" claim even more.
Reason #6: If Tommy had this ability all along, why would he put himself at risk by being a spy in the GR? AFTEC shows no mercy for GR members or prophets/false prophets like Holy Wayne. However, the risk is twice as high when you have the GR to worry about, not just AFTEC. I understand he has a personal connection to the GR, but if he had doubts about his program being worthwhile, why risk his life if his abilities were actually real?
Reason #7: If Tom is Holy Wayne 2.0, why hasn't he hugged Laurie to save her the pain she's going through after the loss of her daughter, her unborn baby and family? Why let her unravel like this when she's showing clear signs of imbalance, such as the moment with the bug on the windshield. That's yet another reminder of the guilt that's eating away at her for not just her homicidal drag-racing habits, but everything she's done to alienate her family, something the book publisher painfully reinforced.
Update
Reason #8: Reader, Greg Williams, alerted me to the post-jail hug that Tom gave Laurie. Once they walked back to their car, Laurie continued to cry about their current state. As we saw with Nora's hug from Wayne, the "relief" appeared to be instant. This might be the most convincing reason why Tommy is NOT what he claims to be. Thank you to Greg for making up for my oversight on this one.
Conclusion
Holy Tom is a false prophet, one that was born out of desperation after Laurie's book fell through as well as their existing recovery program. The program almost cost Tommy his life and led to the tragic murder-suicide of one of their patients (Susan) and family. Tommy knew Wayne's operation inside out so if anyone can pretend for a short while, it's him.
Furthermore, he even explained to Laurie why they were losing, "(The G.R.) are giving them something; we can strip it away, but once it's gone, we have nothing to put back in its place." Laurie then said, "Well, let's give them something." That's when they hatched this plan together as Laurie saw the video of Wayne as well.
But, once this plan fails, I think Tommy has spent enough time in the GR, even as a spy, to be seduced by their ways. Meg has clearly set her sights on Tommy as luring Tom to The Guilty Remnant (by way of a potential pregnancy) is the ultimate payback for Laurie turning her back on Meg and The GR, only to declare war against them.
Remember, in a post-departure world, you have people/cults/prophets/authors popping up all over the world that are claiming they have the answers as to how everyone should live their lives. Companies, perhaps entire towns, have been launched with the intent of capitalizing on people's loss. However, we've yet to really spend time with someone who's truly a false prophet. Tommy makes for an interesting choice since we know him and feel for him. When this faux-Wayne approach inevitably fails, it'll make Laurie's loss of Tom, her last connection to her pre-departure life, that much harder, especially with Meg on the winning end.
What do you think? Is Tommy the new Holy Wayne or just a false prophet?
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I love how maddeningly ambiguous this topic is. At this point, for me, both options are equally plausible. And it's also not very simple. Even Wayne wasn't sure if his powers are real or not ("I think I may be a fraud"). Tom's belief and disbelief in Wayne was constantly warring in him - he did follow him, and did as he was told, but at the same time never let Wayne hug him. Likewise, right now he's not sure whether to believe in himself or not.
ReplyDeleteMaybe their encounter at the bathroom never happened. Maybe it did, but Wayne was a fraud so there was no 'power exchange'. Maybe there was, but Tom's been afraid to use it (which is very believable, given his past feelings about Wayne). I think the video can be proof both ways: maybe it's rehearsal, maybe he's studying it to get some clarity on the powers and whether or not it's real. Same with the car scene: maybe they concocted the whole story, maybe Laurie knew about it beforehand and they just decided that now it's time to embrace it.
I think your reasons #6 and #7 would be more valid if Tom immediately embraced the whole thing and went "Okay, I'm the new Holy Wayne, I can heal, I'm special, I'm awesome". He doesn't have the confidence of Wayne, and his belief, both in Wayne and himself is *extremely* shaky. He seems to have alcohol problems, he's lost, he doesn't know what to think. He doesn't KNOW if it's real, because he doesn't know if Wayne was real.
So it's not as black and white as these pro and con points make it out to be, and that is why it could go either way.
Nobody is suggesting that it's black and white. The very fact we have reasons to support both outcomes means it's intended to be unclear. The episodes wants us asking this question since it doesn't confirm nor deny whether Tommy is for real or not. Until I have definitive proof that Tom is "Holy," it's a question worth exploring. The items above are any/all the clues I could find that support both conclusions. I haven't read or heard any episode-related posts/podcasts yet, but I'd bet anything that someone associated with the show has said that it's meant to be ambiguous for the time being.
DeleteAnd remember, in my very first post, I said the questions are always more satisfying than the answers (in most cases). I'm not trying to find the answer as much as I'm trying to raise the question and gather the evidence that we've been provided thus far. I've given my take on what Tommy is or isn't and I simply want to hear everyone else's take based on the reasons for or against.
DeleteBrian, I completely agree that the questions are more interesting than the answers. In fact, if they never reveal if these powers are real (and I don't just mean Wayne/Tom, but also Isaac, Virgil, Kevin Sr., David Burton, whoever), much like they will never reveal what happened at the departure, I will be totally cool with that.
DeleteI apologize if what I said felt like I was attacking you, English is not my first language and I don't always easily find the appropriate words or phrases to express exactly what I want to say, so sometimes my statements can be stronger (or weaker) than what I really mean. I simply feel like if you make a list of pros and cons, and there are over twice as many cons, then it's seemingly easy to draw a conclusion, when really it's not. I also still think some of the cons, such as the video, can be used as pros if you shift your point of view, which is brilliantly done by the creators.
What do you think of the hug Tom gave Laurie when she got out of jail? To me he seemed super hesitant; first touching her shoulder, then letting go, then touching and letting go again, then finally hugging her for maybe two seconds before putting just one arm across her shoulders. And what is the reason Tom has been afraid to use his supposed powers: is it that he wasn't sure if it's working, or is it the price he has to pay?
I think he may have hugged Laurie to help her transition back to everyday life after she left the GR, but in my opinion, if the hugs are real, the bottom line is this: it may take your pain away, but it doesn't guarantee you will be painfree forever (as we see on some of our hugged characters such as Nora or Christine).
Excellent read Brian! I couldn't agree with you more about how the questions are always more satisfying than the answers. This gives us more room to explore our theories and options as to what WE believe could be the concluding point. Not everyone likes the fact of this but for those of us who do, we share a great common interest. Mystery. I enjoyed this very much! Looking forward to the next one!
ReplyDeleteAmen, sister.
DeleteIn response to Reason #7: Tom did hug Laurie after he bailed her out of jail, but nothing happened.
ReplyDeleteGood catch, Greg! Yes, that's another reason AGAINST.
DeleteI added your reason against to the post and credited you. I can't believe I missed this. I dug through every Wayne episode in S1 for evidence yet I overlooked the most glaring sign right before the scene where Tommy announces said "gift."
DeleteAnytime, Brian! I truly enjoy your critique every week!
DeleteI actually think that Meg luring Tommy back to the GR isn't the ultimate payback...
ReplyDeleteBut getting pregnant with his baby sure would be.
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DeleteYes, I mentioned that in my "Thought of the Week" on the podcast which I recorded on Monday before writing this post. Thus, I generalized Meg's vengeance in this post since the topic was more about Tommy's "gift." Thanks for your feedback and for reading!
DeleteWhether it's real or a manipulation, it seems to be a power that only works if the person doing it believes he's actually doing it. Tom has his problems, but he doesn't have Wayne's delusions of grandeur. And since Wayne was far more charismatic and savvy about human nature than Tom is, for him to try and fake it is asking for trouble. At the same time, even if Tommy lost faith in Wayne a long time ago, it's clearly obvious that Wayne could trick people in to it, and so it is possible on some level (probably only on the psychological terms his mother has laid out for him.)
ReplyDeleteTom's act at the end of S2E3 was a little shaky, but it seemed to be working for the small recover group in front of him. If he wants to expand this charade beyond that, he will either immediately be called out as a fraud, or have to genuinely start to believe he can do it in order to convince everyone else.
Brian, I hang on every word when you discuss my favorite show.
ReplyDeleteI have a completely different theory about what's next for Tom.
First and foremost, I believe Tom's story. But let me go back to Holy Wayne (I also believed he was legit too). Wayne was always sickly, as you pointed out. I believe his human contact with others, whether it was hugging or sexual (remember he had quite the concubine), when done with intent, had a negative effect on his health, which he knew would ultimately lead to his death. Yet he did it anyway. This is why he knew when he would die, and this is why he died with the pain literally and figuratively pouring out of him. This is also why Tommy wouldn't hug him. Tom had too much respect for what HW was doing, and didn't want to contribute to HW's ultimate death.
Now recently. Remember the story Tom told group: "Taking his gift would come with a price. But I accepted it anyway."
I believe Tom hasn't wanted to use the gift because he knows it will kill him. Laurie knows too, and that is why she hasn't wanted him to use it either. And, the hug outside of jail wasn't with intent.
Now, onto Meg. If this season is about hope, I believe the tables will turn on her. By raping Tom, her intent wasn't there, but because of the nature of the encounter, she is still going to be the one who is affected.
Great stuff, Lisa. I look forward to seeing how this plays out. Thanks for reading.
DeleteAlternatively many of you could be missing the point that perhaps these "holy hugs" need to be telegraphed as in perhaps Tom or Wayne could give people they knew regular non holy hugs that are just like anyone else's hugs but if you want a special post departure event psychological pain and trauma removing holy hug you basically have to seek it out or wait for one of these "holy" characters be it Wayne or Tom to make the offer and ask you if you want it?
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ReplyDeleteI agree with this synopsis and conclusion. It is compelling and even if the show doesn't always follow through on certain storylines - like where is Kevin's dog? - it still makes sense. If Tommy was really the heir apparent to Holy Wayne, he would have said and done something about it before he did.
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