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billyrocha · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:20 am Post subject:

Ok, I have a few theories.

Taking Pa Petrelli and Linderman as the only 2 usual suspects (it could be someone else, maybe, but who??)

Pa Petrelli
1. If you look at the personality traits of Pete and Nathan, - both empathetic (it's been mentioned that Nathan's hardness is just a front, because in reality he is too soft and so hides behind the brusk exterior - this can be seen in how he relates to Claire's bio-mom, Peter at times, etc). Just the fact (true or not) that Pete's dad was often 'suicidal' could point at Pa Petrelli as also being more caring.

The Austin we see is more empathetic. He's a 'feeler' lacking the emotional detachment that Dallas seems to possess. (see, esp Dallas' treatment of the Vietcong and Austin's lack of comprehension for Dallas' cruel techniques)

He just seems to fit the Petrelli family better (from a personality point of view).

Also, add to this that is seems being a 'special' often seems to be a transferred trait (Nathan + Firegirl = Claire, Jess+DL = Noah, etc) that it's very possible that at least one of the Petrelli parents have powers.

I know it's been theorised that Linderman has a power, and if he needs to be one of the people in the story, he seems to fit Dallas from a personality POV at the least. He's (for want of a better word) a gangster. At the least he is a casino boss, which isn't much better. He is the kind of guy that has no qualms putting a hit on someone's hid and getting them 'taken out' simply because they've crossed him.

I also doubt he is surprised Nathan wants to kill him, because he knows Nathan's been working with the FBI, and Nathan's there to bring him down.

Linderman is a well known crook. The FBI are trying to take him down, Nathan and Peter both wanted to take him down, and I think his father may have wanted to as well, if I remember correctly.

Linderman, if either, is almost definitely more of a 'Dallas' character than a 'Austin' one..

Although from another post, it seems ...

i read that Nathan says Pa Petrelli is someone we're not expecting it to be, which besides purposing that Pa is NOT dead, it could also mean he is really someone tied deeply into the story already (kind of like Claire's real dad = Nathan)

That aside, from a purely personality-driven perspective, i struggle to see linderman as austin.

i also struggle to see the sentiment that Linderman=one of the good guys.
I don't see anything supporting this argument.
1. He is a mobster
2. He has more than a mere passing interest in heros related stuff, especially it seems Isaac's paintings. Which has to imply he has had his finger on the pulse for a while already. Which leaves me to conclude, either he is tied in deep with the company (which would make sense from most of the evidence so far), OR he is working on his own, and using the heros to his own ends.. but by no means can I presume he is a good guy!?

what you guys think? I hope i 'vocalised' that well enough...

Jormengrund · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:21 pm Post subject:

Well, Acidtwister found from Ask Ausiello that Linderman's power has been confirmed.

He's got the healing touch

Thus, we can conclude from the graphic novel that Austin is in fact Linderman.

Sad waste of a power, if you ask me, but heck, I'm not the one choosing who gets what power and does what with it, now am I?

billyrocha · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:59 pm Post subject:

i nearly embarrassed myself..

(was about to say how can he have healing, when Ausiello says...)
here is the question answer thing I found from Ask Ausiello:

Jormengrund · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:16 pm Post subject:

Well, some folks might not want to know what his power is, thus you hide that fact.

Spoilers are something that hasn't been revealed on the show yet. Since there are people out there who would like to see it when it happens, and not be told what to expect, you hide your findings under a spoiler tag.

Powers, Abilities, Plotslines, these are all things that should be hidden if not revealed on the show.

In spoilers and teaser forum however, expect to see this quite a bit!

billyrocha · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:21 pm Post subject:

thanks for the help Cool

.. a little new here hehe

slippy · Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:32 pm Post subject:

Not a chance, popkorn. Look at Nathan. Big, strong, all-american square jawed soldier-boy. Could you really see Austin as his father? Really? When Dallas already has a son of about the right age to be Nathan? Austin had no family in 1968.
Admittedly, the evidence supporting Dallas as Petrelli and Austin as Linderman is purely circumstantial (and I certainly won't bore you all by repeating it all here), but it's more evidence than we've got for any other possibilities.

Good try though.

As for the genetics of abilities....I believe my theories on that are around here somewhere.

MindOverBody · Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:00 am Post subject:

Austin == Linderman is pretty much confirmed based on the interview with Mr (I-spoil-them-all) Ausiello.

Anyway....

RodoMXOZ · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:19 pm Post subject:

Hi everybody!

I'm back and as usual back to disagree with Slippy (real sorry Slip! but I always seem to not draw the same conclusions as you Confused

). This time I want to agree with Billy Rocha.

I am still quite skeptic about Linderman having an ability and on that basis I am definetely in alignment with the personality analysis that Billy Rocha makes. That, and the fact that he repeats the same words about sacrificing a few to save the more, convinces me that Dallas could very well be Linderman.

The only possible way (besides confirming that Linderman does have a healing ability) that I'd believe Austin could be Linderman would be if in parts 4-6 we see:

a)Austin agrees to killing the village and things from there go wonderfully well for the world/war/US
b)Austin fights and convinces Dallas not to intervene and as a result, things go horribly wrong for the world/war/US

Only such a revelation would make someone like Ausitn change perspectives and ask someone to sacrifice NYC many years later.

Jormengrund · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:31 pm Post subject:

I have to disagree. We mainly repeat things we're taught. Lessons learned the hard way tend to make more of an impact than ones repeated as an anecdote. Thus, I think that Austin is Linderman.

Getting the 'sacrificing the village to save many' speech really drove the idea into Linderman's head of acceptible losses. It's ok for that village to die, because look how many more people will be spared. Yes, I had to do the killing, but look how many I'm going to save because of it.

I'm not saying that his teaching is correct. I feel that there is always a quantifying argument to each action a person takes. Sure, you can justify killing a few for the sake of many. But then you could also justify the sparing of a village for the sake of balance as well. Temperance could have also kept the aggression in check. Lose a few more soldiers, and maybe the US would have pulled out sooner rather than dump more men into a meat grinder.

Anyway, there's been spoilers posted about Linderman admitting to having a power. Even if it seems that the power to heal is wasted on someone willing to work behind the scenes such as Linderman, it could very well be that he's the tie-in for the novels here.

gilgamesh · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:54 pm Post subject:

Linderman definitely has powers:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2019711164

Now is it healing or the growing power we saw in the novel?

** edited: Should have posted this in Chapter 27

popkorn615 · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:00 pm Post subject:

Incredible find, Gilgamesh! Thank you!!!