GUYS GUYS GUYS! So we all know how Pantheon is Odyssey coded, but has anyone talked about how its Oedipus coded too??
For anyone unfamiliar with Oedipus and his story, hereās a quick summary:Ā
Oedipus is the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta, the rulers of Thebes. Around the time Oedipus was born, his parents received a prophecy. It warned that Oedipus wouldĀ kill his father and marry his mother, bringing disaster to his city and family. Fearing that this would come to pass, Laius sent a shepherd/servant to kill his child. However, the shepherd/servant wasnāt really cool with killing a baby (unlike our man Odysseus!!!) and instead gave Oedipus to another couple to raise.
When Oedipus grew older, he learned from the oracle at Delphi of the prophecy. He wasnāt really cool with murder either, so he left his adoptive parents, unaware that they werenāt his biological parents. He set course for a cray place that youāll totally never see coming, Thebes.
On the way to his birth place, he met an older man, his biological father. The two got into a fight, and Oedipus killed his old man. Lacking the knowledge that he had already fulfilled one aspect of the prophecy, Oedipus continued his journey to Thebes.Ā
When he reached the city, he found it was being tortured by the Sphinx. So, Oedipus being Oedipus, he answered the monsterās riddle and saved the city. By defeating the Sphinx, Oedipus had won his fatherās throne and his motherās hand in marriage. The second part of the prophecy had come to pass.Ā
Years passed with Oedipus on throne, and in that time a plague befell Thebes. In order to end his cityās suffering, Oedipus searched for who had killed Laius. When he found that it was he who had killed his father. He also learned that he was adopted. He brought the news back to his mother, Jocasta. She realized that Oedipus was her son, and in her distress over marrying her son, hung herself. Oedipus also finally realized that the prophecy had come to pass, and blinded himself because of everything. The full prophecy had come to pass.
The myth varies, but the gist is guy fulfills a prophecy unwillingly and it sucks for everybody.
Now you might be wondering: what does this have to do with Pantheon? Well, letās get into that! Caspian Keys was created finish the work of Steven Holstrom, to take his place if you will. He was raised from birth to be the second coming of tech genius, to solve the flaw and create the world that Holstrom never finished creating. In a way, Caspian also had a prophecy surrounding him. He was destined to solve the flaw, and create the new digital world, bringing disaster to the old one.Ā
For the first 18 years of his life, Caspian unknowingly continued to further the prophecy, meeting inflection point after inflection point. However, like Oedipus, Caspian eventually learned of this prophecy. Also like Oedipus, Caspian did everything to run from his fate. He ran away from his adoptive mom. He tried to disappear from Logorhythmsā radar, ensuring that he would never solve the flaw.Ā
Now in all fairness, Caspian did meet with the UIs first before running away. But still, he ultimately tried to avoid his fate. Unfortunately for him, the world wouldnāt let him avoid his problems forever. Eventually, Logorhythms caught up to him and convinced him to work with the company.
You might be thinking that the similarities between Oedipus and Pantheon/ Caspian end here, but they donāt. Caspain agreed toward the end of season 1 to work to cure the flaw, but that WASNāT him agreeing to create Holstromās world.
In fact, Caspain agreed to solve the flaw to PREVENT Holstromās dream from becoming a reality. In his eyes, if Caspian solved the flaw he could have control over the UI world, and prevent the UIs from taking over so to speak. Caspian was still working against his preset fate.
So like our boy Oedipus, Caspian eventually fulfills one element of his āprophecy,ā he solves the flaw. Caspian cracks integrity and starts administering the cure with Maddie, however his intent is still to work against Holstromās dream.
We see that intent shine when Holstrom comes back. Caspian didnāt willingly cure Holstrom, and seeks other UIs to cure for the purpose of defeating Holstrom and protecting the world. Caspian, along with Maddie, travels the UI world along with the physical world in order to defeat fate.
When itās clear that there arenāt any UIs who can or will defeat Holstrom, Caspian takes it upon himself to destroy Holstrom. He willingly dies and uploads, knowing itās likely heāll die defeating Holstrom. Caspian gives his life to prevent his āprophecyā from coming to pass. He dies so heāll never become Holstrom, so the world Holstrom dreamed of never becomes a reality.
Throughout Pantheon Caspian tries so hard to not fulfill his fate, only for his āprophecyā to come to pass. When Caspain comes back in season 2, after 20 years, we see the world that he feared. The physical world is becoming a memory, and the digital one is the new reality. The flaw is solved, and UIs can live forever now with concepts humans could only dream of before. Steven Holstromās world became a reality, and who is credited as its savior/creator? None other than Caspian Keyes, the second coming of Steven Holstrom.
In the end, both Oedipus and Caspian become exactly what they feared. The harder they fight fate, the tighter it grips them. (Lmao who would figure that a show called Pantheon would be so Greek?)














