MovieChat Forums > Forever (2014) Discussion > if you were immortal would you push your...

if you were immortal would you push your luck.

posted 10 years ago by swiftshadow666
25 replies | jump to latest

I've just restarted watching heroes and after watching Claire make her 6th attempt at her life it made me curious about who would push their luck with the condition.

Using your abilities could allow you to help saves lives. I understand this. It could be very useful in law enforcement or fire fighting but in every day life who here thinks they would become a little more complacent when it comes to their safety? Immortality sounds good and all but who would consider the " what if this time is different". The only thing more unlikely than becoming immortal to an immortal is becoming mortal again.

We have seen Henry get careless through the series. Does anyone else think they would run into that same problem of thinking immortality is guaranteed to be forever?

[–] IronZombie 10 years ago

To me it would always be this thought in the back of my mind, asking what if things had changed. That's the thing about immortality, you can't really test it and get away with it unless you remain immortal. Every time you die, you're gambling your existence. It's not like there's a magic genie that tells you how everything works. It just works the way it does. It's a complete mystery, even to Adam who has lived over 2,000 years.

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 Idiots

[–] swiftshadow666 10 years ago

That's exactly what I'm thinking about. I've seen plenty of shows with immortals. They all seem to be careless with their safety. None of them seem to think about the fact that their ability could dissappear as randomly as it appeared and they won't be alive to learn when that happens.

[–] EzraJamesSharkington 10 years ago

It is rather odd really. As was mentioned, they don't know how the condition was granted, and have no reason not to assume that the next time might be permanent. Really, being immortal is no reason to be cavalier about personal safety. Henry, or to a lesser extent, Claire from Heroes, are immortal, but still human, and like humans, the next accident could be the last. Although Claire isn't the best example, because she can be kept dead by plugging the right section of her brain with something sharp. New question, would you rather have Claire's 'immortality' or Henry's? I'd go with Henry's. Claire heals rapidly, but can be 'turned off' if hit in the wrong spot in her brain. Plus, it'd harder to hide. If Henry gets in an accident, and is found before he dies, like Adam was, you heal at a normal rate, and nobody's the wiser. If Claire gets injured, anyone could potentially see it heal. Of course if Henry dies in hospital, he'll have TONS of explaining to do.

[–] swiftshadow666 10 years ago

I would rather have Henry's version, however I would need to learn to swim or else I'd be dying a lot after my first respawn.

I decided to restart heroes because I never finished past season 3 but I'm interested in the reboot. What bothers me about Claire right away is she doesn't seem to have any kind of pain receptors. She doesn't flinch at any of her injuries. Even wolverine in the comics goes through excruciating pain.

Another thing I like about Henry's condition is the time he injected poison blood and new what kind was used. I doubt Claire could ever do that.

[–] tenement-funster 10 years ago

That's not because of his condition, though. That's because of years of study and self-experimentation.

As to whether or not the next death could be their last - I don't think that either of them would entirely mind if it were. That's kind of the point, with both of them. There must come a time, however, after x deaths and rebirths, where one does come to assume that it's forever.

Another comparison would be Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day". He has no idea how long his loop is going to last for. He doesn't get careless so much as desperate, and intentionally offs himself in all manner of ways. Is he afraid beforehand that this might be the last time? Or has he got past caring? How would we feel in that situation? You never know when it's finally going to be tomorrow, or if tomorrow will ever actually arrive. How careless do you get in the meantime?

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I find concussion quite invigorating.

[–] swiftshadow666 10 years ago

I think there are points in time where Henry might not care, however where we are on the show is not one of them. He has a possible means of ending it and he hast chosen too. He currently has a good life and he loves Abe and clearly enjoys being with Joe and solving crimes. I think at this point in time being alive matters to him.

I am aware that he knew the poison through previous experimentation, however I was saying that I don't think could ever reach that point where she could identify poison through injections.

I understand why people would eventually assume their immortality is permanent, however I feel that would be a mistake if the cause was a mystery. I wonder though if the level of recklessness would vary by current life style. If you've got a family with kids would you be more cautious than you would be 50 years after their passing when your back to being alone?

[–] Dr_Sagan 10 years ago

I would need to learn to swim or else I'd be dying a lot after my first respawn.

THAT would be a very interesting loop!!!
>LOL<

Cosmos hates Google.

[–] ab-abdollahipour 10 years ago

That's exactly what I'm thinking about. I've seen plenty of shows with immortals. They all seem to be careless with their safety. None of them seem to think about the fact that their ability could dissappear as randomly as it appeared and they won't be alive to learn when that happens.

Well I guess Wolverine doesn't need to worry since he knows his body has a regeneration function that helps him endure many things and also unlike other immortals he doesn't die to need to be resurrected😁

[–] swiftshadow666 10 years ago

Had a healing factor.

There are also things that can still kill wolverine including drowning and a specific sword.

[–] TVholic 10 years ago

Drowning doesn't work in the movies. In Days of Future Past, Wolverine was tossed into the river and had to be rescued much later.

[–] swiftshadow666 10 years ago

This is true. My mind tends to drift towards the comics however.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] IronZombie 9 years ago

There are also things that can still kill wolverine including drowning and a specific sword.

As others mentioned it seems the canon story is that nothing kills him, but that he is only in some sort of stasis. He will fully revive the moment he is pulled out of whatever situation. There's even a story in the comics about how he is decapitated and his head lives on. I think in the comics at one point Magneto even rips his entire metal skeleton out of his body and he still survives.

I think the only thing that can truly kill him is dissolving every shred of his body completely. Maybe tossing him into the sun would do the trick.

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 Idiots

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 3 months ago

Henry pondered that very thing when he and Abe were trying to find out the poison a murderer was using by testing on Henry.

[–] Painbow 10 years ago

Henry doesn't want his ability to be exposed so a job where he saves lives and gets killed a lot, is far too risky. As for the next death being permanent, after so many centuries, you would stop worrying about it. At this point death would be a relief. If Henry died for example, I think Abe would be thrilled for him. Knowing he can finally rest

[–] dgcasey 10 years ago

Abe didn't look too relieved this last time, standing at the edge of river hoping Henry was going to surface. He looked rather worried that he might not see Dad alive again.

[–] swiftshadow666 10 years ago

Wouldn't you be worried as well?

The thing that confuses me the most is how did Abe know to be at the water? What if Henry never spawned? It doesn't prove him dead it just means he may not have been killed.

[–] osubuckeye420 10 years ago

I think that a lot would really depend on how long I've had my immortality for.

If I died today and came back for the first time tomorrow... I'd be VERY wary about pressing my luck.

If I was going on 200 years... I'd probably be pretty lax about it at that point (much more willing to take risks).

If I was going on 2000+ years... I'd most likely be looking for ways to kill myself by that point.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Fiesta_Forevah 10 years ago

Yes it would always be the thought in the back of my head. And being a firefighter or who knows what just because I cant die? No thank you. Immortality and all, still dont care for being burned alive.

It's party time, all the time 😎

[–] MCoop25 9 years ago

I think I'd be a lot like Henry. Not actively seeking out death but not really trying to avoid it either. If there was a dangerous situation where I could help I would but I wouldn't be killing myself for the lulz like Adam was.

[–] Mustang (5447) 2 years ago

I think I could come up with far better things to do. Living forever would allow you to amass a lot of cash.

[–] Corbell (10995) 2 years ago

And skills. Even though some of them would or might become useless, such as...harpooning whales, others would not.

[–] Mustang (5447) 2 years ago

History would be the obvious field of study. As well as being an historical advisor to films and writers. I'd become a writer myself too.

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 2 years ago

I would think he'd avoid films and writers. Wouldn't want to take the chance of being recorded on something that may be preserved unless you could control it's distribution.