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[Poppin]

[Question][Spec] Why was everyone caught off guard?

[m0r1arty]

At the party in the teaser, a big noise is heard (possibly an earthquake) and then you see everyone watching the TV. Some time must have passed between the noise event and the news station being able to put a report of some sort together.

It is suggested that they then go up onto the roof. Once up an explosion is seen, a pretty big one too.

They then make their way down to the ground level just in time to see the SoL's head being chucked towards them.

So the SoL episode is fairly late on in the trailer, much has happened prior to this, quite a bit of time must have passed.

The 'creature' might have used deep underwater crevasses to make its way to New York and come up through the sewers, it might have flown to New York or might just have swam at such a rate of knots that the military weren't ready for it.

It's all speculation at this point.

I think the idea is sort of like a simile of 911 where something so disastrous occurs at such a quick rate it takes everyone by surprise.

Just my 5 Euros

-m0r

[Slusho Addict]

My theory is that the party location and the liberty head scene aren't in the same place, but the teaser trailer is cut to make it look like they are.
If you assume the everything from the rooftop to the street is in real time in the teaser, it doesn't make much sense.

I don't know what causes the explosion, but I don't think it could be the monster on the island, as it wouldn't silently be wandering through the buildings before something went boom.

The monster already has to pass under a bridge before it gets to the SOL, I don't know if that would go unnoticed or not. Alternate theory is it buries out of the ground, but I don't think that'll be the case.

Here's where the explosion seems to take place, along with other locations.

[TheAirman]

Re: [Question][Spec] Why was everyone caught off guard?

[Lasher]

TheAirman makes good point. The only thing that I could add to it all would be that there must be some sort of base close or in NYC itself now. Though I live here and I couldn't tell you where. All I know is since 911 there has been a pretty steady presence of Military in NYC sometime you see alot of em sometimes almost none. But they are here. The Airports have em always. In full gear toting M16's and all. Plus they are almost always at the bridge and tunnel entrances.

Closest Military base I know is Westpoint but then I think thats simply a college. I know LaGuardia Airport has a marine Terminal for military purposes. Every now and then I'll see fighter zooming by. Even a blackhawk heli (atleast I think its a blackhawk) hovers around too sometimes.

The quick response that does happen can easily be explained though. DC is only 40 min on a commercial jet. I'm pretty sure that and fighter could easily make the trip in 15-20 min. Though don't quote me on that I havn't done my research there.

[Melampus]

Re: [Question][Spec] Why was everyone caught off guard?

[Slusho Addict]

Re: [Question][Spec] Why was everyone caught off guard?

[Melampus]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Good call about Lily's hair. Excellent attention to detail!

[fleabit]

Just because the military knows about something dangerous doesn't mean the public is going to know anytime soon. Perhaps they well know, but feel people spread out at their homes is better than running around on the streets in chaos.

[Euchre]

This whole timeline issue is interesting, but I'd like to make a point here (as I know I did elsewhere before) - the stills on 1-18-08.com are not necessarily in correct time with the time shown in the TV. Likelyhood is in fact that they are not. I wouldn't therefore take the two times in juxtaposition as canon.
Another point about the 'mascara running' - we don't even know if the shot with the two faces is just heavily shadowed or if that is in fact mascara. It's been noticed that this is in the dim reddish light of the streetlights. Her hair is a far more important indicator - just take note of that in the trailer. For those thinking the party goes from initial blackout to all being silent in front of a TV to the WHOLE contingent being on the roof in as short a time as the trailer lasts - let's be realistic. There are obviously time gaps there.

And why is the perception that this is a massive (and impossible) surprise being taken from what the partygoers see? They do not encompass the whole of NYC. Things could obviously be happening when they are starting the party and not be aware of it - like the head being ripped off the SoL. This could also explain why so shortly after they become aware of it there seems to be a military response. If those guarding the harbor saw something going at the SoL, they could have given the military the alert quite a bit before the downtown explosion - and a good head start on response. The comparison with 9/11 is a fairly good one - we know in retrospect that early alerts were being sent when 4 planes vanished from radar, and scrambling of fighters was done very near the time the first plane hit the WTC. During the following hour the public still knew very little.

[hurrikenux]

To help answer some questions...

Yes, the government would know if there was something incoming as there are sonar stations set up (this has been the case since U-Boats in the WW's). Think in some apocalyptic movies in recent years, there is a meeting of the "minds" to determine what exactly is heading our way since its movement and size does not match any known craft. They may have even mistaken it for a whale or other normal sea creature that lives off of those waters. Sonar does make a different reverb off of organic material than it does off of a metal surface. They would know this as well. EDIT - I meant to clarify that the situation these other movies portray is not far off from the truth. All branches of military need higher-up approval for just about everything. Often times these decisions end up in the hands of the diplomats even after its already too late. Think only of past events (9/11), it was known that planes were hijacked and where they were located/headed (we do have "eyes" in the sky...countermeasure decisions were made a little too late. [EDIT - I also see others have touched on this]

The SOL head issue could be a simple as this thing just moving way too fast for anyone to react to. It may be one of those "what the ___ was that?!" situations. No one and no turret/ship is standing there with weapons pointing at the Statue island ready to fire.

[Slusho Addict]

Another mascara pic here:

[john locke]

I think the key to this question is the "its alive" quote i think grumpypants was either
a, something that washed up and was believed dead (with the part on view resembling a whale or other sea creature that is known)
b, that grumpypants arrived in the city by sea as a "gift" from tagruato!
hence the delayed response from anyone inc military.
IMO it will probably be the former

[OliMango]

The whole mascara thing...why would she be crying? I mean, when you see a monster, unless it's about to kill you, you don't just start baling.

Maybe this hints us that someone she knew died. Jamie, perhaps?

[m0r1arty]

Or she's a closet Goth who decided that since she's sure to die she might as well dress up for the event!

-m0r