Sphere: Difference between revisions

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* [[Hard On Soft Science]]: Discussed and subverted in the novel. One of the [[Jerkass]] physicists asks what somebody from such a useless field as psychology is doing on the mission. Norman, the psychologist protagonist, points out) what terrible people skills the average physicist has. It turns out the psychologist is {{spoiler|the only one mentally stable enough to handle the nigh-omnipotence the titular sphere gives without killing everyone.}}

* [[Helium Speech]]: This trope is used often in works set deep underwater and is played straight in the novel. Appears only briefly in the film.

* [[Hey It's That Guy]]: Queen Latifah has a bit role as a Navy dispatcher {{spoiler|who gets killed by killer jellyfish.}}

* [[Hey, It's That Guy!]]: Queen Latifah has a bit role as a Navy dispatcher {{spoiler|who gets killed by killer jellyfish.}}

* [[Hot Scientist]]: Dr. Elizabeth "Beth" Halperin, though she doesn't start off that way. Reality warping at work.

* [[I Always Wanted to Say That]]: Ted, on "[[We Come in Peace]]".

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* [[Starfish Aliens]]: The sphere itself, if it is indeed a living creature.

* [[Underwater Base]]: The research base the team uses is one of these. Called "the Habitat."

* {{spoiler|[[Victory Guided Amnesia]]: Used in both the novel and the film by the final survivors. Doubles as a [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog]]. Though the ending of the novel is rather ambiguous. Beth seems to be more in control of her manifestations and may have decided to keep her power and use it to make the others forget. But it is hard to tell exactly what is going on because of the fact that the narrator gets/claims amnesia.}}

* {{spoiler|[[Victory-Guided Amnesia]]: Used in both the novel and the film by the final survivors. Doubles as a [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog]]. Though the ending of the novel is rather ambiguous. Beth seems to be more in control of her manifestations and may have decided to keep her power and use it to make the others forget. But it is hard to tell exactly what is going on because of the fact that the narrator gets/claims amnesia.}}

* [[Willfully Weak]]: {{spoiler|The surviving characters will themselves into simply ''forgetting'' their [[Physical God]] status, thus losing it, on the off chance they go mad with power. See [[Reset Button]] for the ambiguous exception.}}

* [[The Worm Guy]]: Norman, a psychologist carried off by the military to study aliens. To a lesser extent the other scientists. Crichton loved this trope and it features in several of his novels.

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'''Norman:''' It's a little hard to let go of. Something that could've been... this gift? The power to make your dreams come true. We're given the greatest gift in the history of mankind. We're given this magic ball. And it says "Imagine what you will and you can have it." That's an extraordinary gift, but we're so primitive we... we manifested the worst in us, because what we have inside us... is what we have inside of us, instead of the best of us. What does that say? <br />

'''Harry:''' We weren't ready, Norman. <br />

'''Norman:''' [[Explain Explain Oh Crap|We have what's called an imagination. I mean, look what we're capable of. We can...]] ''[[Explain Explain Oh Crap|(sighs)]]'' [[Explain Explain Oh Crap|We're not ready.]] }}

'''Norman:''' [[Explain, Explain, Oh Crap|We have what's called an imagination. I mean, look what we're capable of. We can...]] ''[[Explain, Explain, Oh Crap|(sighs)]]'' [[Explain, Explain, Oh Crap|We're not ready.]] }}

* [[You Can't Fight Fate]]: Harry invokes this. Because the ship encounters an "unknown event", it means no one on the ship of the future knew what was going to happen. Therefore, he reasons, they all die because that's the only way it could ''be'' an "unknown event". This leads to a haunting question delivered perfectly by Jackson with no irony whatsoever.

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[[Category:Sea Stories]]

[[Category:Sphere]]

[[Category:Trope]]