Phantom Pain

Something that has been on my mind for a while has been the character names used in the Pulp Musicals series. Obviously, there are some characters that are based on real historical figures, and some that have been created specifically for the series. The naming of these characters is important for any story, but I've found that some of the choices in Pulp were clearly made with very symbolic intent. For the sake of brevity, I won't be discussing characters based on historical figures. Let's dive in!

Sia, the first Traveler that we meet in the series. This name actually has a number of origins and meanings. The most well-known being from the Greek word Athanásios, meaning "immortal". While we don't have any reason to believe that the Travelers are immortal in any way, they certainly seem to be long-lived. That being said, there is a line in the Ghosts of Antikythera song The Beginning of the End that I was reminded of with this meaning:

What is this "ascension" that Sia refers to here? We get no further context to this, but I can't help but be reminded of a Timelord's regeneration. This is something we may simply need to wait until Pulp 5 for for more information.

There is, however, a significantly more meaningful origin for Sia's name from ancient Egyptian mythology. Sia was actually the name of the ancient Egyptian god of Perception and Wisdom. Needless to say, this must be the inspiration behind Pulp Sia's name, given that one of her defining characteristics is her expertise in the magic way of Perception.

Speaking of mythology...

Our beloved vilian Kal, or Kalfu, is also very clearly inspired by a mythological entity of the same name. In Haitian Vodou, Kalfu (or Kalfou) is a Lwa (or Loa) whose name literally translates to "crossroads". Per his name, he has control over the crossroads and access between mortals and other Lwa. Perhaps this will be further emphasised in Pulp 5 in acting as the one who controls access between commoners and royals such as Itzal. He is also associated with shadows and misfortune.

Furthermore, the Lwa Kalfu also prefers gunpowder-infused rum!

Next up is Ahlaam, who sadly bears no association with gods or spirits. The origin behind her name is rather simple. It's an arabic name originating from the Quran meaning "dreams". This is further emphasised in A Spell is Just a Rule Made With Magic:

It also fits her characterisation very well, as Ahlaam is a very hopeful, optimistic, and cheery person.

Dakkar is another straightforward origin, as he is written to be an analog of Jules Verne's Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar. The name Nemo is also latin for "no one" or "nobody", which is why we were blessed with this tongue-in-cheek joke in Dropped from the Clouds:

While Addison Arvad's first name may not bear any significant meaning that I am aware of, her last name certainly does. Arvad is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "exile" or "voyager". Both of these meanings fit Addison's character very well, especially the latter. In the song Antikythera, she writes in her journal extensively about her joy of traveling and exploring the world.

Another name of similar origin to discuss is Taavi. It is a Finnish and Estonian name, originating from the Hebrew name David. While we know very little about him as a character in the world of Pulp, the meaning behind his name fits perfectly while offering no further clues on who he was. It means "beloved", which reflects his relation to Ahlaam as her beloved that died at some point in the past.

Finally, the name that we can finally put a face to; Itzal. The meaning behind this name is rather simple. It is of Basque origin and means "shadow". Beyond the obvious parallels with his army that arrives on Lincoln Island...

This also has very clear associations with his daughter Margaret, who often speaks of being "in the shadows".

Sia even refers to the shadows during Ipomoea, Part 1:

With this in mind, it's seems obvious that her father Itzal was the shadow that she felt suffocated by all this time.

Bonus Round!

Samuel Stratford. The origin of the name Samuel comes from Hebrew, meaning "Name of God". One could read into the idea that Samuel is the "God" of the story that we hear, due to his writing, but I personally think that's a bit of a stretch.

What is interesting, however, is a lesser-known historical figure that shares some similarities with him. William Samuel Stratford was an English astronomer born in England in 1789. He won a silver medal from the Royal Astronomical Society, and was also the secretary of the society for a time. He would go on to be the Superintendant of the HM Nautical Almanac Office.

It's plain to see some of the parallels here that may have inspired some aspects of the character and Pulp as a whole. His penchant for writing combined with his associations with both the Royal Astronomical Society, and the HM Nautical Almanac Office. This could all be a coincidence of course, but is interesting to note nonetheless.

Anyway...

I may never recover from the fact that, in The Great Moon Hoax, Samuel ascends the spiral staircase to follow Margaret and listens to her talk about her Phantom Pain.

Major spoilers for Searcher in the Shadows below this point!

Today's theory is a bit of a wild one. We're going to discuss speculation about the future of a certain character after the ending of Episode 4...

The young man with a pencil has unfortunately written in his notebook for the last time. Or has he? Samuel's demise was unexpected, emotionally devastating, yet strangely fitting in a melancholic way.

You see, it becomes clear during Episode 4 that Samuel feels like he no longer belongs on this journey, like a spare part. He allows Kal's words to dig to his very core and questions whether he truly is just an observer to all the great things his friends are doing. In the end, he isn't afraid anymore and finally decides to act. Although, in doing so, he ended his own story so that the others' could go on.

Which is... quite a raw deal for Samuel, isn't it? It's for that reason that I don't personally believe his return would be unwelcome. If written in the right way, I think it could even elevate his arc.

Either way, that's enough of my rambling in an attempt to justify writing about this theory. Let's get into the meat of it.

In the very first verse of the Pulp story, in Planet Earth, 1835, Samuel is introduced as a young man with potential. In the context of Episode 1, this carries a clear meaning. He is the one with the potential to shake the world with his and Rose's imagination, his access to the New York Sun, and his hope in something greater.

As we reach Episode 4, it may seem that that potential is spent. He tried to find meaning and contribute to the Brick Satellite in Episode 2. He put his skills to use as a captain's clerk aboard the Ellen Austin in Episode 3. He now finds himself with no clear purpose on Lincoln Island. However, I would argue that that potential was never about the Hoax, or setting Margaret on her journey. It was something more.

In Masterpiece Containing Masterpieces, Addison first introduces the titular phrase. In literature, it was a phrase used to refer to the Nautilus, Captain Nemo's submarine. It's used in the context of the story in the same vein. But then, in the reprise of this song, Margaret uses it in a different way.

Margaret tells Samuel that he is the true masterpiece containing masterpieces, reassuring him that his actions made all of this possible. And at the end of the day, a masterpiece containing masterpieces sounds very much like something with potential to me. Clearly, on the surface level, it would seem that this use of the phrase is isolated in this moment, used specifically by Margaret. But let's run with it for a moment while we look at the bigger picture. Let's say that Samuel is the subject of the phrase in all instances, at least in a thematic sense.

The snippet above furthers this theory in two ways:

It proves that the phrase is not only used to refer to the Nautilus. In this instance, it wouldn't make any sense as they are clearly talking about something waiting for them at the gate. Furthermore, Addison may have some knowledge of something "waiting at the gate", but Samuel most certainly wouldn't.

The second point is the crux of this theory. It is the speculation that Samuel is the masterpiece waiting at the gate. In a very literal sense, when looking at previous evidence, it makes sense. But that isn't the only evidence.

Unfortunately, we still don't know very much about the gates, like, at all. All we know is that they are a physical (or metaphysical) thing, or a location, and we know that they are important. So, we're not going to discuss what they are or what they do. Instead, let's take a look at something Addison says before referencing the gate...

At first glance, a nonsensical lyric. Alright, we'll circle back to that.

"You know where to find me."

The phrase that Samuel used so many times. One poignant and meaningful enough that he used his last moments of peace to write it on the final page of his notebook. His last words.

So, what do these two points have to do with each other? Nothing... until we take a close look at one of the videos on the Pulp Musicals YouTube channel. The series of videos "Transmission" features our favourite girl M.A.I.A. pumping out the voice of the Narrator, Matt Dahan. In Transmission #9, I noticed something interesting.

Was Samuel's return hinted at all this time ago? Samuel, a masterpiece containing masterpieces, waiting at the gate. The gate, infinity's door. Furthermore, the booklets are very clear about a 'Radio Layer', which the Narrator is clearly speaking on in the Transmission. "To be continued." is always the last line of any episode, spoken by the Narrator. Searcher in the Shadows broke this tradition.

Samuel is now on the radio layer, having passed on.

Young man with potential / Imagination, twenty-seven years old.

All that being said, we know for a fact that Samuel most certainly died during The Arc of History. So, how would all this be possible? Look no further than the mouthful of a song, A Spell is Just a Rule Made With Magic (Reprise).

During Sia's argument with Ahlaam and Dakkar, she mentions being a Child of the Gates. What does this mean? The booklet very clearly capitalises it, indicating that it is a proper title. Could it be someone that is born, or reborn, through the gates' actions? This interpretation brings us to a singular conclusion in my mind:

Samuel is reborn as a Child of the Gates, and he is waiting there for his friends. The masterpiece containing masterpieces, a young man with limitless potential, that's what he means when he says that they know where to find him.

However, I would like to wrap all this up by saying that I don't personally believe this theory to be the case. While it's been very fun and interesting to come up with, and there seems to be a lot of evidence to support it, it is just one interpretation. Given the nature of musicals (and especially Pulp Musicals), it's very easy to blur the line between plot and repeating themes.

I do believe that Samuel should return. Not permanently, and not without consequence, but to end with a truly triumphant final chapter. And, of course, so that Rose and his friends can say goodbye. I have my own concept for how I would have it play out, as I'm sure everyone does.

Either way, thank you for taking the time to theorise with me. I greatly appreciate anyone that reads through my theories in full, and rest assured that I have plenty more waiting on the printing press.

With the ending of Episode 3 and now Episode 4, Pulp Musicals has introduced the concepts of orreries, the Blazing World, and time travel in its overarching story.

After some thought, there are a few dots that I've connected in my hunger for Pulp Musicals lore. To preface this, I could be completely off the mark but it is a fun idea after all. And that's what this is all about, imagination running at breakneck speed.

Ultimately, this theory boils down to Margaret (as most things do in this series). To get to that point though, we need to talk about a few things first where I will explain my thought process...

An orrery is, as we all now know, a model of the solar system. The orreries in Pulp Musicals are especially important, as the Travelers use them for navigation. But that's not all, we learn that very few orreries capable of time travel. Or more specifically, we know that they are definitely capable of time travel to the past.

We've seen both kinds of orreries at this point, both time travel capable, and not. The Antikythera's orrery is the former, while the Nautilus' is the latter. Other than being explicitly told what kind of orrery each one is, as Addison does to Samuel in Masterpiece Containing Masterpieces, I believe there is a feature that divides the two.

When the Antikythera's orrery is first introduced in Ahlaam and the Orrery, it is described as featuring a "glowing sun". Fastforward to Episode 4 during Dropped from the Clouds, it no longer shines.

The main change that has occured between these points is that the orrery was used to send Rose back in time. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that the glowing sun is what gives the orrery its time travel power. Especially when we consider that this feature is not mentioned when the Nautilus' orrery is described, despite similar phrasing.

This feature is mentioned one more time though, and that is what fuels this theory. Once again during Dropped from the Clouds, and immediately after the Narrator stating that the glow is gone, Rose hands the orrery over to Dakkar. He then makes this observation:

Once again, we can make a reasonable assumption about this. The glowing sun is called a firestone. So, let's do a brief recap of what we know so far:

There are (at least) two types of orreries used by the Travelers

A regular orrery cannot be used for time travel, while the other can (at least) be used to travel back in time

The distinctive difference between the two is that the latter has a glowing sun at its center

This glowing sun is called a "firestone"

Okay, so what does all this mean? Nothing, really. It's largely just speculation based on information we've been explicitly told. That being said, remember those dots I mentioned connecting? Here's another one, courtesy of A Spell is Just a Rule Made With Magic...

Huh, that's interesting. There's no denying that a "fire burning in her chest" could simply be wordplay based on her longing for a place called the Blazing World. However, the wording is interesting. Especially when we also consider one last piece of evidence. During Masterpiece Containing Masterpieces, Addison says the other orrery capable of time travel was "lost long ago".

Let's cast our minds back all the way to Episode 1 for a moment. During Margaret and the Moon, Margaret explains her feeling of being completely alone, of missing something. She describes it as a sort of "phantom pain", saying that something inside her was, that's right, "lost long ago".

Now, here comes the crazy thought as a result of all of this...

What if orreries, or at least time travel orreries, are the result of a traveler dying or ascending? Maybe, when a traveler dies, they become an orrery. And the 'special' ones have a firestone that remains intact. Or maybe every traveler (or perhaps just those capable of movement) has a firestone and these orreries are the result of it being extracted in some way.

Perhaps Margaret's firestone is, or will become, the other orrery that was lost, and that's why it's paramount that she reaches the gate.

I would like to reiterate that I know this is all quite a stretch. All of these associations could easily be entirely coincidental. But I had a lot of fun thinking about this possibility, and I hope you had fun reading it.

No, not the time travel that put Rose Stratford on Lincoln Island. At least, not in Episode 4.

One of the things that stuck out to me during my many listenings of Searcher in the Shadows, was this interaction:

This occurs during Arrival, Part 1 when Rose meets Ahlaam again after Ahlaam saves her in the future and sends her back in time.

It might not seem strange at first glance, but consider the following...

We go on to learn that Ahlaam does not travel back in time with Rose, she stays in the future/present and moves the Antikythera to Lincoln Island. This means that this Ahlaam, at this time, has not met Rose before (to our knowledge).

Furthermore, how do the Travelers know so much about Rose, her friends, and their adventures? Them knowing about Great Astronomical Discoveries is somewhat plausible, given its popularity (it reached John Herschel halfway around the world). But how do they know about other things? Her printing press plate, for example.

This theory relies on a handful of points:

Ahlaam has met Rose before this point in Episode 4

The Travelers know a lot about the core four and their adventures

There is a second orrery with time travel capabilities that was "lost long ago"

I propose that, at some point in the future, Rose travels back in time to sometime before this episode. She meets Ahlaam, but does not stick around very long.

(This would mean we would actually be able to meet Taavi, which is exciting!)

However, there are still unanswered questions...

When Ahlaam saves Rose on the Antikythera, she says "You must be Rose", as if she has never met her before. We know this is obviously not true; she quite literally was with future Rose on Lincoln Island right before that! Is she acting like that so as not to panic Rose further? Could it possibly affect the future if Rose goes back in time knowing that she'll meet Ahlaam during those two weeks? Or was it just a plothole?

If Rose goes back in time, why does she do so? Surely it must be important if this is (supposedly) the only other use of traveling back in time. Is it to save Samuel? Is it something to do with her being the "key"?

Interestingly, this does not mean that Rose is out of the picture after traveling back in time. Since Sia can certainly move herself and others forward in time, her and Rose could go back only for Sia to move them both forward again.

Ultimately, I suppose all we can do is wait for further episodes of Pulp Musicals in our future to find out. If you've read this far, thank you for listening to my ramblings and let me know what you think.