An interesting thought about Schwarzwald

Something has been nagging me for quite a while about Michael Seebach aka Schwarzwald and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. And then it hits me...what if...and this is a big IF...what if Schwarzwald is really Roger Smith's father?

Such a revelation to Roger Smith would change EVERYTHING. I have a feeling that if such a secret like this exists with Roger Smith and his strange symbiotic relationship with Schwarzwald is brought to light...then the danger is that Big O would turn against Paradigm City. Especially if this knowledge about Schwarzwald is being kept from Roger Smith.

Of course, there is nothing overt about any such suggestion that this is what Michael Seebach really is. However, I do wonder about the "snippet" of Roger's past has any element of truth to the possibility that Schwarzwald is Roger's real father. Because if that's the case, then this means that Angel and possibly Dorothy have been hiding this secret from Roger Smith for fear he might "turn" against Paradigm City.

Any thoughts on this one? Are there hints of this being the case with Schwarzwald?

An interesting thought, but I doubt its true, the maker would make it obvious...

Gordon Rosewater never told you what happened to your father...*I* am your father!!!

Yeah..I still think that Schwarzwald was a lot better in the first season, when he was a pyromaniac burn victim psycho.

He was a reporter who discovered something that drove him insane...that's what the show says, one of the few things it says explicitly. The simplest explination is usually the best.

*Cough* Yeah, onto the actual post:

There are definitely parallels between Smith and Schwarty throughout the series; in fact, you could go so far as to say that they are parallel characters. And while Schwarzwald does call Roger a lapdog, he attempts to turn Roger to his cause, showing him the 'corruption of the city' and whatnot. As well, once he dies and becomes a 'ghost' through whatever means he only sticks around long enough to impart some advice to Roger before striking off once more with Big Duo to find the truth of Paradigm. Whether this is motivated by a bloodline between the two is debatable, Schwartzy strikes me as the sort who would not leave you in the dark about such a relationship, particularly with his fascination with the truth. If there is something Crispy can't be accused of, it's lying.

That being said, I have my own little theory about the rather odd relationship between Roger and Schwarzwald. Let me ask you something, a question posed by Red in Shawshank Redemption. How often do you look at someone’s shoes, particularly animated characters shoes?

Well, unless you are Big G you probably don't do it very often (All in good fun Big G ). That being said there is a picture of Schwarzwalds shoes.



What are we looking for? It's not exactly the shoes, but rather the sock area we are looking at, and the cuffs or ruffles(?) present there. Now, how about Roger?



Still confused? Here's a side by side comparison.




These ‘cuffs’ are pretty unique to Roger, the only other characters I've noticed that have them are Alan and O'Reilly, and both of them have them set in a different manner. Alans have a more bellbottom look to them, with the lower cuff being much, much lager. O'Reilly on the other hand has two 'cuffs' that are roughly the same size and widely spaced apart (this is on memory from awhile back, so the descriptors might be a bit off).

Yet Schwarzwald has the exact same pattern as Roger. It's not anything conclusive, but it's food for thought.

Exibit B is the fact that in Roger the Wanderer, Roger dons a rather Schwarzwaldian outfit for a large chunk of the episode. In fact, he's even growing a beard. While we never see Schwarzwald behind the mask in the Anime, when we see him in the Manga he has a full-blown beard.

Here's a reference picture, by the way:



As a side note, I'd say that the only parts missing from this getup is the tie, the vest, and the bandages. Yes, the belt and coat are kind of different, but it's hard to find such things on short notice, a being a bum the budget is a bit low. You get an A for effort Roger.

Might we be getting a glimpse at the transformation of a former Roger Smith to Schwarzwald through Roger memories in act 14? Especially when Rogers problem is his fear, a subject that Schwarzwald like to babbel a good bit about? Schwarzwald's the only other character we see (other than Fraiser, a throwaway character) who pilots a Megadeus without getting devoured by the machine, and while one might point out that Roger 'isn't German', he translated Schawarzwalds name easily enough.

So, might Schwarzwald be an earlier Roger Smith? I certainly like to entertain the possibility, even if it might not be the truth. It has a lot more going for it than a lot of other former Roger Smith possibilities that I see thrown around.

Schwarzwald is my favorite character on Big O, and I find the idea that he might be an 'alternate version' of roger smith interesting.

As to how he got so messed up, I'd always thought that the archetype he found underground did something to him that made him the way he was. Maybe that's why he had a problem with roj, he was the lucky one while schwarzwald got hosed by a megadeus.

To Ghost of Ember: Holy [LAMESAUCE] sh**!!!

OK, I never bothered to REALLY think about Roger's clothes in Roger the Wanderer. HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID. OK Wow...

When I watched "Roger the Wanderer", I didn't pay close attention to his clothes, thinking they were standard "hobo attire" if you may. I thought the tan cloak was just kind of thrown in there to add to Roger looking raggity (as well it might have been just that, this might have been all a coincedence). But hey, this proposes my theory:

Shwarzvald is one of those Roger Smith androids!

I mean, in the end of Roger the Wanderer, Roger just disapeers out of the car angel is driving. OK here's a longshot theory:

In Roger the Wanderer, Roger (which this reality of Angel states) is a police captain (was it chief, don't really remember). What if Angel was driving Roger to something that led him to get all those burns. But just like when Roger stopped Big O from becoming "one" with him, and offsetting the constant stream of repetitive Roger androids failing the battle with Big Fau. He "snapped out of it" or something, and was phased from the car to that street with Dorothy. He broke the cycle. But again (ughh) this raises another interesting question.

What was the catalyst that broke the cycle?

Think of it like this:

In the end, Alex Rosewater kills Roger Smith, destroys Big O, and destroys the world, and somehow this is a primitive reset, and all the debri gets thrown back underground, and Paradigm City gets raised above it. But in what happened on this time around, Roger gained his confidence, did not merge with his Big as Alex Rosewater had done, and disables Big Fau past the point of any counterattack. Then Angel sees this and, since of course this is not supposed to happen in her story, she comes into the world (which shouldn't normally happen, maybe that is why she was negative), almost seeming not happy with Roger Smith, who shouts to her from atop his megadeus his speech on memories, and they... whatever the hell that merge is at the end. Why is this Roger Smith android different?? Because he turned human because of Dorothy. I could easily imagine Dorothy not being in the story, or maybe she being human, and her father taking her home in episode 1, never to see Roger again.

Sorry I ramble and mediate into other subjects with no segway in sight (XD), but I hope this gets added to the millions of lines of text that we think up here at Paradigm City.

Whoa. I have not been here in Mucho Huge-o of time..

But just like Schwartz, I'M BACK! (small yay in the back)

I read this thread nearly 3 times, and cannot deny it. There are definately similarities in Roger and Schwartzwald (and not just by their clothes, but still awesome stuff, Ghost of Ember ).

Although I love Schwartzwald, I really don't like the idea of him being:
(a) an android
(b) Roger in an alternate kind-o-way
(c) DEAD!

Schwartzwald is alive, I tell you! ALIVE!



Okay, that may have been a bit too much...

BUT HEY, I'M PAASSSSIIIOONNATTTEEE! WAHOO!

Okay, one final note: Though the said stuff above is my opinion, I also agree that Roger was experiencing Schwartzwald's previous life as a reporter in Act 14, albeit in different location. I think also there's something with "Micheal Seebach's" article about the Paradigm Shift when Roger read the comic of Big O in the one scene. I smell LOOP HOLE! I'll get back to you on the details as soon -- as I unearth them...