Vickers robot theory still lingers

I don't need proof - just something that might qualify as evidence that could be discussed.  Even a hint.

We can only assume what happened between Vickers and Janek, we don't know. The actions following are no more conclusive than the actions preceeding.

I always heard it as 'Mum'. Why would he call her ma'am?

The feminine of "sir".

@ The thread starter Hawley. 

I for one have no problem with people speculating and my sense is the people that run this site see it rather like the fan art as a positive creative input.

If people who are genuinely in the know are here in my view they should simply say so and suggest that people are on the wrong track. If we enter one of these conversations knowing for certain whats going on however hard we try and just play the argument the fact is we should say so. Art is not science but to treat it as if it is is limiting unless we know for certain what the artist intended.

I would much rather read a hundred daft well intentioned bad ideas than the one line put downs that exist outside of discussion forums. On this one you made me think why people come back to it and proves Ridley got it right. He was trying to make the connection so we made the disconnection it was an excellent piece of relativism between characters and shows once again that Prometheus is a many layered experience if you chose to invest in it. 

Exactly Michelle, very well put!

@S.M- Janek had doubts. At this point I would like to chime in with a few points which made me question Vickers human validity.

I wondered, why was she already out of her cryosleep chamber, needing no assistance, when the curious David came to her quarters, whilst others were suffering the effects of the two year freeze? 

The scene with her doing push-ups, as a way of limbering and heating up, put me in mind of Ash's little warm up routine. That little A L I E N riff, could be a hint at something more. [It also put me in mind of the physically powerful Zora, from BladeRunner.]

Lastly, Ridley actually stated in an interview from the set, that there might be two androids in the story! I've been trying [unsuccessfully so far] to find that clip.

To me, all of the above, were deliberate attempts on the part of Ridley, to pique our interest and make us question what we are seeing. 

I cannot say with any certainty whether Vickers is, or is not, an android, none of us can, but I feel Ridley quite deliberately planted some doubt.

After Prometheus' release members were hashing out this very same topic here on SCIFIED. It's one of many perpetual Prometheus topics!

So Hawley, you are quite right, Vickers robot theory does still linger!

Maybe it's because I'm from the U.S., but here I wouldn't address anyone I know as Ma'am, unless it was 'yes ma'am' or 'no, ma'am', mock formality. 

I hear 'mum', but then I liked it that way, along with the other Britishness in the film.

"Ma'am" often comes out sounding like "mum" in some English accents.

"I wondered, why was she already out of her cryosleep chamber, needing no assistance, when the curious David came to her quarters, whilst others were suffering the effects of the two year freeze? "

Finally someone puts something concrete out there!

I don't agree, however. I always took that as simply displaying how much of an independent badass Vickers was. She's too tough to get sick after two years in hypersleep, and is ready to do push ups rather than chuck.

But, interesting point nonetheless.

Hi Aorta

I am English I am not a robot and I am woman and I find when I travel in Europe people call me madam, in Asia Ma'am. Rather than Madam Johnston which is a mouthful it tends to get contracted to thank you Ma'am and it will be the hospitality industry so thats what David is riffing and I hear Ma'am some people call me other names but we won't go in to that. Indeed butlers (asia africa) will always refer to their clients as Sir and Ma'am.   

In Australia where they made the movie (sorry is that a spoiler) the tone of deference is entirely absent. Usually they go straight for the first name or Mr or Mrs. 

Another thought I had regarding Vickers is that she overdoes the jealous-pouty-sulky-bitchy, hates everyone-and-everything vibe.

Is that because she is play-acting, over compensating, trying to convince [herself] that she is not an android?

Or is she simply a human female with PMT, which can turn the nicest of us, into dragons? :D

The thing I don't understand about this theory and haven't since it was first brought up when the movie came out is why does it matter? If she is or is not an android it doesn't really change anything in the movie. It matters so little to anything I can't see why she would be, like why even give a character that identity and never elaborate, or clarify, or at least have it effect anything that happens in the story.

Indeed.

"Or is she simply a human female with PMT, which can turn the nicest of us, into dragons? :D"

2 years asleep gotsta muck around with ones cycles.

Well, it's all interesting speculation, whether it's well-grounded or not.  Doesn't need any bearing on anything.  It just is. 

We are all discussing things with complete strangers here.  How do I know who I'm talking to?  What does it matter if one of YOU was an android? 

I don't think she was an android, just a bitch on wheels.  Yes, it's interesting that she's already out of her cryo-pod, but maybe it has advanced features such as auto wake up, tied into the ship's computers and proximity alert.

I think Janek's line was the best pick-up line for the situation.  Even melted the snow queen.  That's all it was, IMHO.

But yeah I can see where you might draw that conclusion, based on Weyland's reliance on David.

But the kicker would be if the bitch could go outside without a helmet.  Since she was in full freak-out mode, getting jocked up to abandon ship once Janek made it clear what he was about to do, I would say she was human, much too human at that.   

Indeed if she was a Robot, and she knew only Shaw was on the surface then she would not worry about suiting up when going to the EEV Pod.... if Shaw came across her with no Helmet... well what can she do.. she wont be able to out run Vickers and so its a Win/win for her..

So that scene indeed proves she was not a Robot

Well out of kicks in this Vickers theory, I must add that even "David" had to dress in a suit to make the rest of the crew feel more comfortable, and if Vickers was a replicant...she wouldn't know it...and would assume she needed one like the rest of the crew...   this is fun speculation so no one chew my head off lol  :)

Ive red all comments and love everyones take on this subject. thank you to everyone on scified who joined in and gave their compelling view, theories and thoughts!

:D

"Indeed if she was a Robot, and she knew only Shaw was on the surface then she would not worry about suiting up when going to the EEV Pod.... "

Quite.

Interesting topic. I remember from the Promethues blu ray, one of the bonus feature stuff had a journal entry or something of the sort from Weyland and he mentioned Tyrell and his use of biological creations. Weyland mentioned something about androids being better in the long run than his replicants. Don't know if it is just an easter egg, or it Ridley Scott is slyly  making Blade Runner and Alien take place in the same universe.

As for Vickers, if she was a robot, Janek didn't notice or didn't care.

It was kind of a Easter Egg.... a tease and it should not be taken as Canon unless future movies try to make more of a connection...

Ridley however did say that both Franchises could be within the same universe... this does not mean they are...

I would not rule out however other little easter Eggs... such as Blade Runner 2 i would not be surprised if Weyland Company is mentioned or we see the Logo on something in that movie...

But it could be only a easter egg nod  like how JJ Abrahams has used the Slusho from Cloverfield in a number of his projects including Star Trek

That makes sense, that's why I take it as a grain of salt until I see something concrete on film, and not in the bonus features.

Between the fact that an android could of kicked the flight crew's asses and insisted on just flying away (good one SM), and her panicked retreat into the escape pod, I'd have to say she was just a nasty example of homo sapiens.

Yeah RS, I take a whole friggin salt shaker at these hints and allegations from these movie-makers, because so much of it is BS.  While I love the art, the artist are sometimes a shifty bunch.