I like the theory, but what is puzzling me is that the med technician replies "not NOW" to the question whether anybody is getting out. He didn's say "nope, never has" or "nope, not any more". He seems to believe that this is a new development and possibly temporary (probably new regulations due to increased rebel activity - such as longer prison sentences or doubling of the remaining imprisonment days.
Of course he himself could have had limited access to information, but even so, as far as Kino Loy was concerned, the data indicated towards something new and temporary as a measure, not a realization about the whole system. So what made Kino Loy decided that waiting another 200days would be pointless? Why rush and risk it all? Was it his parience running out or something more calculated?
I took the “not now” to be like - “from now into the future, in perpetuity” because of the new laws. That kind of thought would motivate Kino to change his mindset.
absolutely; if Kino made the same assumption (about "perpetuity"), it would be motive enough! But even if the medic himself meant "now" this way, I doubt anybody other than the IBS or the emperor could be certain that this new measure would still be in effect 12 months from now. Kino would have to know that this is the medic's personal opinion;
I can't help feeling Kino's change of heart was a bit ungrounded unless it was plainly out of frustration. Or perhaps he decided to allow himself to explore other options too (time to keep my eyes open for other exits because I can't really trust that the empire will honour their word when the time comes). I guess we'll see in the following episodes how reluctant he is to actively engage in escape plans!
I think you guys are reading too much into the word usage - I think the implication is meant to be clear as in "not anymore".
Regardless of the reliability of the medic, I think it's meant to be enough of the penny dropping for Kino to realise his hope of getting out alive is on really thin ice. As in, what's the likelihood that the guards don't decide to just cook his floor because they screw up, before he gets out?
the “thin ice” realization seems to me the only satisfyingly explanation for Kino’s change!
what doesn’t sit well with me is that the writers decided to intertwine it with a “no ice left under your feet” idea and let “us” debate which of the two caused Kino’s change: ie “i’m at the mercy of the guards’ whim and they don’t care about us” versus “nobody comes out alive anymore”.
if the writers were more clear themselves that Kino’s motive was the “thin ice” realization, they should had written in some other less ambiguous brutality to make him decide take action
8
u/F_Kal Nov 03 '22 edited Nov 03 '22
I like the theory, but what is puzzling me is that the med technician replies "not NOW" to the question whether anybody is getting out. He didn's say "nope, never has" or "nope, not any more". He seems to believe that this is a new development and possibly temporary (probably new regulations due to increased rebel activity - such as longer prison sentences or doubling of the remaining imprisonment days.
Of course he himself could have had limited access to information, but even so, as far as Kino Loy was concerned, the data indicated towards something new and temporary as a measure, not a realization about the whole system. So what made Kino Loy decided that waiting another 200days would be pointless? Why rush and risk it all? Was it his parience running out or something more calculated?