# New show: Forever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864 "2014-09-29T14:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/141 "2015-01-11T02:33:23Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > IIRC, the conductor was killed with a fast-acting poison, and then the throttle was set to maximum. > > In retrospect, knowing about Adam, he could have poisoned the conductor (so it _looks_ accidental) and then undone the brake and maxed out the speed himself. Sure, he dies in the crash, but what does he care? He’s immortal, and gets to tweak Henry. Assuming he’s actually immortal like Henry. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/142 "2015-01-11T03:55:50Z")
Um… I don’t want to spoiler it, but it was later confirmed that Adam is, indeed, immortal like Henry. In a fairly graphic manner at that. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/143 "2015-01-11T04:30:21Z")
Oh right! I forgot about that. Nevermind then. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/144 "2015-01-11T05:16:41Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > IIRC, the conductor was killed with a fast-acting poison, and then the throttle was set to maximum. But the conductor is _in the middle of the train._ He or she is four or five cars back from the “throttle.” ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/145 "2015-01-11T15:58:32Z")
Adam wasn’t the one responsible for the subway crash, though. (Henry thought he was, at one point.) ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/146 "2015-01-15T15:29:00Z")
Good episode on Tuesday (just got to the DVR last night). It was interesting to see Jo working through a ripped open wound about her husband, and how she shuts others out but lets Henry in. Still trying to figure out if they’re just being good friends or if they’re going to end up something more. I would kinda like to see them just friends, but with Jo knowing Henry’s secret and being ok with that. Henry needs more friends than just his adoptive son that he can fully trust. I also liked the prison scene with the priest (did we ever find out why the priest was in jail?). Took Henry’s condition to it’s logical conclusion. Would’ve been interesting to see what happened to the priest, but I’m sure that padre felt vindicated after seeing Henry disapparate. Didn’t like the stuff with the gung-ho major crimes detective. Sure, there are bad cops, but he was over the top. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/147 "2015-01-15T16:24:44Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I also liked the prison scene with the priest (did we ever find out why the priest was in jail?). Took Henry’s condition to it’s logical conclusion. Would’ve been interesting to see what happened to the priest, but I’m sure that padre felt vindicated after seeing Henry disapparate. Slept with Magistrates wife. Plus, he is catholic in pre emancipation UK. Not like the need a reason. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/148 "2015-01-15T17:34:09Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I think that’s true, actually. I remember being surprised that Henry wouldn’t show for the wedding of the man he considers his son. He was probably present, just not part of the ceremony and not introduced to his new daughter in law. Just, you know, standing anonymously in the back. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/149 "2015-01-16T00:19:45Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > Didn’t like the stuff with the gung-ho major crimes detective. Sure, there are bad cops, but he was over the top. I dunno about that… Chicago has had some epic police corruption in the last half of the 20th Century. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/150 "2015-01-17T01:42:38Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I dunno about that… Chicago has had some epic police corruption in the last half of the 20th Century. Only the last half? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/151 "2015-01-17T02:06:15Z")
I only have direct experience of the latter half of the 20th Century. I am aware of considerable prior to that, but don’t have the exact details. I guess, really, epic police corruption is nothing new. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/152 "2015-01-18T23:44:49Z")
I also could have said “only the police?” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/153 "2015-02-04T05:14:42Z")
I had some concern that a plot involving Nazis was going to be trite but I was quite pleased with the character development here. The initial victim turned out to not only be a good man, but a great man. It was heart-breaking to find out who his murderer was. More of Henry’s backstory, which starts to explain why he was on a slave ship in the 1700’s, and how he got his watch from his father. Backstory on _Adam_, which illustrates how immortality can truly be a curse if the wrong people find out, as well as some _proof_ he’s about 2,000 years old. Also, Adam isn’t evil nor is he entirely without empathy. He’s still very dangerous, and he operates under a different morality/ethics, but he is not inherently malicious. Backstory on _Abraham_, as well as the touching support Henry gives to his adopted son attempting to find more about his biological parents. The darkly humorous moment when the dockworker asks “which container do you want to look at first” and Jo says “How about the one that’s bleeding?” A couple things in a spoiler box, in case someone hasn’t seen the episode yet: [spoiler]What the frack did Julian do to Adam, that Adam tortured him to death? Was it selling the stolen Nazi art for profit, instead of returning it like Hoss did? Something even more personal? I don’t think it was just for kicks, I think Adam had a reason involving some sort of revenge and wanted Julian to really suffer. Also - the “Roman dagger” Adam refers to, from “44 BC” I presume belongs to Adam, as in, he was probably the original owner, and it clearly holds some importance to him. I also wonder if Adam was in the container torturing Julian until he heard that they were about to open it, then killed Julian and himself, Adam disappearing from the scene. After all, the container was _bleeding_, implying that Julian had been alive until quite recently. [/spoiler] Finally, the expression on Abe’s face when the nurse/saleslady from the life insurance company tries to sell Henry on the protection against “sudden, unexpected death”. Oh, yeah, Henry has “coverage” for that. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/154 "2015-02-04T10:58:07Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > What the frack did Julian do to Adam, that Adam tortured him to death? Was it selling the stolen Nazi art for profit, instead of returning it like Hoss did? Something even more personal? I don’t think it was just for kicks, I think Adam had a reason involving some sort of revenge and wanted Julian to really suffer. I would need to go back and rewatch old episodes, but I think that it’s possible that Adam is like an immortal version of [Dexter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_(TV_series)). Outside of rigging the train crash, I believe that everyone he has taken out has been someone who does bad things. In this particular case, the victim is a guy who was trying to subvert a task that would have given something back to those who suffered during the Holocaust. Adam just revisited some of the horrors of Mengele’s handiwork on him. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/155 "2015-02-04T11:55:30Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I would need to go back and rewatch old episodes, but I think that it’s possible that Adam is like an immortal version of [Dexter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_(TV_series)). Outside of rigging the train crash, I believe that everyone he has taken out has been someone who does bad things. That would make more sense than my theory (which I will still persist with until its proven otherwise\*) of him not being a killer at all, it just appears that way to us (and Henry). I also am disappointed in some of the acting, or maybe it’s the direction, where there appears to be an emotional disconnect. Several moments that could’ve been played a bit dramatically stronger seem instead to be skipped over or thrown away. It’s frustrating to not feel affected by what ought to be significantly weighted scenes driving the arc. \*_Which it may never, if the ratings are anything to go by_ ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/156 "2015-02-04T14:07:59Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I also am disappointed in some of the acting, or maybe it’s the direction, where there appears to be an emotional disconnect. Several moments that could’ve been played a bit dramatically stronger seem instead to be skipped over or thrown away. It’s frustrating to not feel affected by what ought to be significantly weighted scenes driving the arc. Agreed, the actor playing Abe seemed to really coast through the end of the episode. His lines said, “This is a really big moment in my life.” But his acting said, “Oh is it Friday? Maybe I should go out for dinner after we finish filming this scene.” ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/157 "2015-02-04T14:22:13Z")
I disagree about Adam. He callously killed the innocent cab driver (stabbed through the seat) just to hijack the cab and plunge Henry into the river. I think after so much time he doesn’t have much respect for life. He doesn’t take a life for fun, but if it’s the most expedient thing to do, he’ll do it without a second thought. StG ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/158 "2015-02-04T17:17:06Z")
My WAG is that Adam is either Longinus or Servilius Casca . ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/159 "2015-02-04T17:25:31Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I would need to go back and rewatch old episodes, but I think that it’s possible that Adam is like an immortal version of [Dexter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_(TV_series)). Outside of rigging the train crash, I believe that everyone he has taken out has been someone who does bad things. I’m not sure we have a good idea why Adam rigged the train crash. There might even have been multiple motivations at work. > [@](#): > > In this particular case, the victim is a guy who was trying to subvert a task that would have given something back to those who suffered during the Holocaust. Adam just revisited some of the horrors of Mengele’s handiwork on him. Or Adam tried to get his Roman dagger from Julian and was rebuffed. Adam might well care more about material objects, which can last centuries, than human beings, that last mere decades at best. We don’t really know what motivates Adam. Is Henry the only other immortal he’s found? Why does Adam seem to kill so casually yet turn around and do something nice for someone else? Initially I thought Adam a distraction but used sparingly he becomes more interesting. I think there are some people Adam kills for deep reasons - anger, revenge, and so on. These are likely the ones he tortures. Others he kills merely because it’s convenient, like the cab driver, and those are the ones done quickly and with minimal fuss. Adam does seem to have some sort of morality or ethics - not harming other victims of horror such as Abe, for example, or even helping them - but it’s not _our_ ethical system. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864/160 "2015-02-04T21:10:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > My WAG is that Adam is either Longinus or Servilius Casca . Yeah, 44BC really perked my ears:eek:. I mean a dagger made the year that Ceaser was put down? My initial thoughts were that he would simply reply to Morgan that he would not hurt Abe, because he was also a Jew who had been crucified during Titus’s little vacation down in Jerusalem in 70 AD, but the show’s take was better. Please don’t make him old Julius. Brutus on the other hand has potential. Best of all, just simply a Centurion who was in charge of security and got blamed. It will avoid a trope common in immortal fiction, of being famous historic figure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-show-forever/699864.md?page=9)