Continuum asks the question: how much does your memory make you who you are?

Kiera in Continuum

Last night I was sifting through my memories that I've collected in my life and was reminded of a thing that Hannibal Lecter said to Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs" when she asks him about all of his paintings and drawings. He replies from the other side of the glass, "Memory, Agent Starling, is all I have instead of a view."When it comes to quality of life, I think memory is one of the most crucial components. Science fiction is replete with examples of entire plots and characters that hinge on memory. Zarkov in Flash Gordon says, "My mind is all I have. I've spent my whole lifetime trying to fill it." Doctor Who says "A man is the sum of his memories, a Time Lord even more so." And Friday night's Continuum episode (called "Second Thoughts") once again brought up memory, only this time it gave it a cool twist because it has to do with memories of a time traveler from the future. In other words, if you come from the future, can any of your memories be real? Or would they be just dreams?In "Second Thoughts" they introduced a new designer drug called "Flash" which was invented in the future (2077) to help Alzheimer's patients to re-experience a particular memory with perfect clarity. I thought this was fascinating. But in addition to this came a warning to Kiera: the longer she stays in the past, the harder it will be for her to return to the future where her son and husband are waiting for her.Kiera's actions are literally erasing portions of the future. Only here's the catch: the future is her memory. And with every day, she's making the future that she knows less and less a possibility. Basically, she may wake up one morning and the memories of her life in the future will no longer seem real to her. "One day you're going to wake up and just wonder if any of it ever happened." It's a statement that's both thought-provoking and horrifying at the same time.So, I guess the big question is: how much do you think your memory makes you who you are?Are you watching Continuum? It's one of my favorite t.v. series.

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