| |
Palomino answers:
Physically, Harding and Tic-tac shapeshift differently (unless the special
effects were changed mid-season). Harding gets very bright and seems to blend
from one face to another, and gives off a yellowish light. Tic-tac's gives
off a bluish light and his features seem to "bleed" from one face to the
next.
Killing is done rather quickly and unemotionally by Harding. In ID, we hear
that Hank was apparently tortured before he was killed, because "ear
witnesses" from the trailor park tell the sheriff about the horrible sounds.
It does not seem in keeping with Harding's personality. Harding didn't show
any concern for how the podsters felt, and didn't mind if they were scared or
upset by what he did. Tic-tac, in his brief appearances, seemed to show a
great deal of concern and caring for the podsters, and it is more believable
for him to torture the abusive foster father. In this episode Tic-tac risked
being caught to exact his revenge, and even stayed around to pose as Hank
infront of the sheriff to explain the disappearance.
Harding is quick and jerky in his movements, but Tic-tac is deliberate and
smooth in his movements. Harding seems to put people on edge and makes them
nervous, while Tic-tac has a calming, soothing effect.
...And then, of course, the other difference is the tic-tacs - that we never
see Harding popping.
I find Harding entertaining, but not trustworthy or of good judgement.
Although I think Tic-tac is a little scarey at times, he has a very fatherly
side, and uses better judgement. I actually like the Tic-tac character.
I hope they actually carry through with making them separate characters, and
the differences were not just results of poor writers' continuity.
JenLev
but i'm leaning towards the two shapeshifter end of the spectrum at this
point...it might explain a lot of the inconsistancies that ocurred as the
season progressed? and pierce in the white room doesn't seem very clear
regarding the eventual fate of the alien they studied for 3 years?
rocklowery
Tictac also does a better job of covering his tracks, i.e. posing as Hank. He
does slip up though with the Dr. but that is understandable since he didn't
know there would be a fire at the institute that would kill Topolsky. He
definately has a stronger connection to the podsquad than Harding, as was
indicated by the photo of all three of them that he burned in that symbol.
palomino
Harding seems to be Nasedo, but he is also the most neurotic. It makes me
wonder if he was the one held in captivity. Tic-tac is the more functional of
the two - emotionally as well. I hope Michael-lovers don't hate me for this,
but don't these two contrasting characters remind you of Michael and Max?
karst
Tic-Tac seems to need more effort to shift. At the end of ID, he seemed
staggered and sweaty after the shift. The difference in shifting style seems
to show more effort - Harding shifts faster, and seems almost energized by it
(the look on "Pierce's" face at the end of Destiny).
kim648
There are a lot of good things you pointed out as differences. I'm also sure
they don't change their attitude with each character they shapeshift into,
since they seem to act physically the same. I was thinking that maybe they're
two different types of aliens. The fact that Tictac is constantly is poping
the pills and Harding never needs them is interesting.
(....)
I think that it is very likely that Harding was the one tortured and not
Tictac. Harding is the one with the psycological problems and he does a quite
a hate for Pierce. Tictac is much more normal and more likely to be Nasedo.
Nasedo is nice to humans, like Tictac(seeing Liz in SH). It is possible
Tictac is able to kill Atherton if he threatened Tictac, since he did kill
Hank..who threatened Michael. It could have also been Harding, also, to screw
up his life, but I think Harding had been somewhere else for a while before
he came recently.
lorrilei1960
I do think there are two Nasedo's. However, my theory about the tictacs that
Tictac pops is a little more... boring. I think it may just be a habit he
aquired...like smoking or chewing gum. He was really pooped before he
shapeshifted into Herder Man because he had just buried a guy in record time.
Maybe the tictacs relax him... like a good smoke after...well, never mind.
8/8/00
jenlev
the nasedo/tic-tac issue seems like the 'hide the pea in a cup game'... just
when you think you know where (who/which) it is...it turns out to be
somewhere (someone) different.
elizabeth in Texas
I think Tic-Tac is the better of the shapeshifters...he seems almost fatherly
as the rancher at the end of SH when he tells Liz and Max to get on home. And
I also think that he was the one who left the message in the Frazier Woods in
ITTW.
naiveyetchubby
The alien at the end of Blind Date is "Tic-tac", and was *possibly* Doug,
Liz's dream guy. I don't think there was anything sinister about him burning
the picture of the Pod Squad at the end of the ep ... Anyway, I think that
same alien was the one who left the signal for them in the woods, and was the
one who helped them find the orb in Sexual Healing. I did think that the
shapeshifter in Crazy was the same as in the previous episodes, but now that
I think about it, his inadvertantly or intentionally doing away with Topolsky
doesn't fit with the way he was, IMO. The shapeshifter in the previous eps, I
think realizes that some humans can be trusted and I think he would find
Topolsky at least an ally if not a totally helpful individual in the state
she was in.
tanchel
Now that I understand, I agree completely: this is *not* the same alien as
Nasedo. The shapeshifting characteristics are too different, the timing is
off somehow (if this were our Nasedo, where's Tess? I always thought those
two were basically inseparable.).
palomino
ORIGINALLY POSTED BY SHAPESHIFTER:
Originally posted by Palomino
...Tic-tac ... gentle, calming ways (when not killing).
Harding ... quirkiness and unpredictability.
Definitely two people (or two writers)...
|
