Dig - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Dig here!

[kat165]

I've seen quite a few commercials for this show, maybe 3 or 4, and each one seems to highlight a different aspect of the show, different enough that it looks like there's a lot going on in this & I'm kind of intrigued. Anyone else interested in watching this series?

[formerlyfreedom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHg_2ttZd2s

[Meredith Quill]

I've seen quite a few commercials for this show, maybe 3 or 4, and each one seems to highlight a different aspect of the show, different enough that it looks like there's a lot going on in this & I'm kind of intrigued. Anyone else interested in watching this series?

 

I'll be watching :)

[kat165]

Stacey, thanks for the vid! I guess I'll be seeing you and SilverStormm back here on the 5th. :)

[caprice]

This is going on my DVR, for sure, as I would watch Jason Isaacs watch paint dry.

[formerlyfreedom]

USA Digs Deep to Launch 'Dig' from Variety

 

'Dig: How USA's New Israel-Set Show Forged On Amid War and Uncertainty from The Hollywood Reporter

 

And a few videos as well:

 

 

 

 

[Watt]

I'll be here too! I'm super excited for it. I love Jason Issacs.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

The behind the scenes half hour special that was on USA last night pushed me over the edge. Definitely a watch or dvr situation now.

 

I'm a big Lauren Ambrose fan from her days on Six Feet Under, and I was really intrigued w/ the pale skinned, fuchsia-haired girl in most of the commercials. Turns out that she's Alison Sudol, the singer-songwriter, known as A Fine Frenzy. That song Almost Lover was one my jams back a few years lol...

 

I hope the three storyline juggling is handled smoothly, the fact that Tim Kring from Heroes is one of the puppet masters gives me some hope. Heroes S1 is still one of my all time favorite tv experiences..

Edited March 3, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[caprice]

Jason Isaacs and Anne Heche were on Today to talk about the show this morning. After some of what was said, I'm looking forward to it even more!

[nara]

Very intriguing, and a little hard to follow all the threads.  Worth continued viewing next week.

 

First of all, did Peter really almost hook up with a girl who reminded him of his daughter?  That was strange...

I'm guessing that little Josh is meant to be the high priest who will communicate with god using that breastplate thing and the calf will be a sacrifice.  Or maybe they are both sacrifices.  Purity seems to be important in both cases...

 

Anyway, I look forward to seeing more.

[Annetteboardman]

I was so hoping this would be better.  It was incoherent and ... really?  skinny dipping in a sacred pool on an archaeological site? 

Sigh.  I would have thought it would at least get some of the archaeology right.  The sets are nice, and the city is beautiful.

[Shriekingeel]

Too many eyeroll moments, plus the rambling and clumsy storytelling. One and done for me.

[kat165]

Nara, initially, once Peter was in the pool it looked like it might go there, him hooking up with a girl who looked like his daughter, but if you check out the expression on his face as she was moving closer to him he looked kind of like he was in shock. I don't think he knew what to do & I'm so glad that they didn't go there.

 

I liked it. Had some interesting trails to follow up on. I liked the surprise of the 2nd Josh and the first one being killed was a surprise.

Will be watching next week. I liked the local cop & his uncle.

[Constantinople]

I'll keep watching, at least for a few more episodes.

The first chase sequence went on far too long.

I also don't understand how the US Consul in Jerusalem decides whether or not the FBI investigates murders in Israel, even if the victim is American. Isn't it up to Israeli authorities -- beyond the level of the local cop -- to decide whether or not they'll invite the FBI to help?

But, then, I also thought a little more background information would be helpful. In general, I don't like it when "suspense" is created by withholding information that is known to the characters.
 

First of all, did Peter really almost hook up with a girl who reminded him of his daughter?  That was strange...

 

Nara, initially, once Peter was in the pool it looked like it might go there, him hooking up with a girl who looked like his daughter, but if you check out the expression on his face as she was moving closer to him he looked kind of like he was in shock. I don't think he knew what to do & I'm so glad that they didn't go there.

Skinny dipping with your daughter by proxy is still pervy, IMO.
 

I liked it. Had some interesting trails to follow up on. I liked the surprise of the 2nd Josh and the first one being killed was a surprise.

Oddly enough, before it happened (spoiler for other show),

I was thinking about another show in which a young boy wandered about in the New Mexico desert, and wondering, where is Todd?

. So I wouldn't say I predicted it, yet I wasn't exactly surprised either.

[mledawn]

Jason Issacs live-tweeted the episode last night, and interacted with fans. I think he did the east and west coast broadcasts, actually.

 

Check his Twitterfeed - obviously spoilers for people who haven't seen the first episode.

[mledawn]

Wrt the pool scene, someone asked JI if he lets his kids watch the show. He replied:

 

Are you crazy? My kids watch me have a naked flirtation with a dead daughter replacement? why not put them straight in therapy?! @Kayes50

[meep.meep]

Is Jason Isaacs just drawn to projects where they use color indicators for the plot?  There was that sleeping show with the red and the blue, and now this with the red things.  Did creepy little kid #2 have green shoes?

 

I guess the baby red cow only walked on the snow so it's still pure.

[FoundTime]

Oh, who am I kidding? I'd watch Jason Isaacs read the phone book. Or just stand there. Preferably with his shirt off.

 

Aaanyway, I thought this did a good job setting up the storylines. And it seems to have all the religion stuff right, with the Christian branch that wants to bring about Jesus' return by way of the red heifer in Jerusalem (referenced in the opening title).

 

Also great to see David Costabile and Lauren Ambrose back on my TV screen.

 

Is Jason Isaacs just drawn to projects where they use color indicators for the plot?  There was that sleeping show with the red and the blue, and now this with the red things.

 

Hee, I thought of that too, with all the red here. I think one of the creators (Timothy Kring?) was associated with Awake; I forgot he also did Touch. I guess he and JI like to work together.

[JasmineFlower]

This was a strange one and none of it very good. Killing a child point blank is always fun, then there's some weird stuff going on with animals, they are going to kill the innocent looking young man who is carrying for the cow, and Jason has sex with a woman who reminds him not of his wife like I initially thought, but of his daughter. Cause that's not disturbing. Then let's top things off with a super creepy cult who imprisons and possibly clones kids. Why include so many elements that might turn the audience off?

 

Even if I didn't like those things, I could have liked or been intrigued by the mystery portions and the action, but they were very slow moving. It was not exciting, it felt like a straight drama way too often, and not a good one, but a disturbing one. The archaeology stuff could be interesting down the road, but barely was here. Not sure what they were ultimately going for with The Dig, but that was not a cohesive start to draw you in for more.

 

Also, putting up the verse from Numbers followed by an REM lyric? It's like they wanted me to think this was a comedy. Bad first impression.

[kikaha]

What most interested me about the pool scene was that Peter felt enough to strip down with this young woman he just met (to purify himself?) -- where he has been unwilling to disrobe with his boss even while they have semi-regular sex.  Emma made the sexual advance, which he pulled back from, though who knows what would have happened had they not gotten interrupted.

 

Curious to learn how she fits into the story.  I doubt she randomly encountered Peter, twice, just by chance took him to what apparently will turn into something of a nexus for the entire plot, and merely on a whim secretly slipped some relic, or totem, into his pocket.  .   

 

While the show took a few Hollywood shortcuts (e.g. Peter's instant recovery time from the crash), I'm interested to see how things play out in coming episodes.  After seeing the first episode, and the trailer for the next one, those two quotes at the start were pretty prophetic of what's going to happen.  Not a bad way to start a show that looks like it deals with, among other things, prophecies. 

[LittleGreyCells]

I'm on the fence about this but will probably watch one more episode. I did wonder where the compound holding the (cloned?) children is located. I thought Israel, but the cars following Josh definitely had U.S. state license plates.

[Constantinople]

What most interested me about the pool scene was that Peter felt enough to strip down with this young woman he just met (to purify himself?) -- where he has been unwilling to disrobe with his boss even while they have semi-regular sex.  Emma made the sexual advance, which he pulled back from, though who knows what would have happened had they not gotten interrupted.

 

Curious to learn how she fits into the story.

She's the Manic Pixie Dead Girl.

[rho1640]

When she hugged him after the cave scene what did she do .. Did she put a GPS locator on him? I hate dark dark filming. And she is dead now? Should watch the whole program before commenting...

Edited March 7, 2015 by rho1640

[AnnA]

I'll probably give Dig another chance but so far, I'm less than thrilled.

 

I agree that the city is beautiful but they didn't film the entire show in Jerusalem.  When unrest broke out (I forgot when exactly) they moved filming to Croatia.  I have no idea how one can disguise Croatia to look like Jerusalem but that's what they did.  That delay in filming is why Dig didn't premier last fall as originally planned.

 

It's a good bet that little Josh was groomed for some "higher" purpose but I never like watching adults take advantage of small children.  That compound is weird and so is everyone in it.  Now that they've shot poor little Josh, who is his "clone?"   

 

The other thing that annoyed me is that all the promos featured that young red haired nymph archaeologist and yet she was killed within the first 20 minutes of the show.  I really didn't expect that.  Then again, I didn't expect to have to watch the birth of a red heifer either.

[gibasi]

 

Did she put a GPS locator on him?

rho1640, I thought it was one of the jewels from the beastplate.

 

I read a good review of this and like Jason Isaacs but I am not sure about this.  I will give it a couple more episodes before I decide.

 

I am still not sure why the FBI is in Israel.  I got the impression Peter is assigned there but would that really happen?

[ganesh]

This is some good trash. I think biblical treasure hunts are ridiculous, so I'm watching. Plus, I'm glad USA is doing miniseries again. I thought Traffic way back in early 2000s was actually pretty good. 

[nara]

rho1640, I thought it was one of the jewels from the beastplate.

 

I read a good review of this and like Jason Isaacs but I am not sure about this.  I will give it a couple more episodes before I decide.

 

I am still not sure why the FBI is in Israel.  I got the impression Peter is assigned there but would that really happen?

Yes, it was one of the jewels.  I'm sure we'll track down the others by the end of the series

 

I believe that Peter is in Israel to track down the criminal because the crime was committed in the US and affected an influential US politician. 

[slothgirl]

Count me among those who were skeeved out when it was revealed that 'Red" was supposed to have reminded hiim of his daughter. What were they thinking? I'll give this show a few more episodes, but I was disappointed. It should be better than it is. I'm not sure what is wrong with it, but it misses the mark.

 

Of course, watching Jason Issacs sleeping would be better than watching reality shows like "Fat Guys in the Woods", so who am I kidding? ;)

Edited March 8, 2015 by slothgirl

[ganesh]

Seriously. It's bible hoo-ha with Jason Isaacs. Don't act like you're aren't going to watch. 

[slothgirl]

Seriously. It's bible hoo-ha with Jason Isaacs. Don't act like you're aren't going to watch. 

Yeah, ok.. you're right!

[riverheightsnancy]

I saw it like 5 times because they have been rerunning it on every channel possible. I missed a lot on first viewing because I was doing other things and after seeing it 5 times, I am intrigued. This type of mystery is right up my alley. I hate that they killed Josh now that his feet have become "soiled". I'm in for the ride. Of course, i like a lot of shows that are considered "bad" TV. 

[proserpina65]

I'm on the fence about this but will probably watch one more episode. I did wonder where the compound holding the (cloned?) children is located. I thought Israel, but the cars following Josh definitely had U.S. state license plates.

The first scene set there had a title that said New Mexico.  I'd say southern New Mexico, because it definitely did not look like the Santa Fe or Albuquerque areas.  {edited to note that it probably wasn't filmed in New Mexico at all but that's where the compound was supposed to be}

Edited March 9, 2015 by proserpina65

[meep.meep]

It looks like White Sands, NM to me, which is in the southern part of the state.

 

Seriously. It's bible hoo-ha with Jason Isaacs. Don't act like you're aren't going to watch. 

 

Shouldn't that be biblical hoo-diddly ?

[pezgirl7]

Just some random thoughts:

 

Does anyone think it was more than a coincidence that the red haired girl had the red jewel, as opposed to a different color? Also, does someone need to collect all the jewels for the prophecy to happen? Perhaps the man that killed the politician's son in the US did so because that son had one of the stones?

 

I don't think the Christians in New Mexico are working with the Jews in Norway. I think perhaps they are both following their own beliefs in the prophecy. Maybe they are reading the same bible passage, but are interpreting its meaning differently.

 

I am not so sure Josh is a clone, but perhaps a triplet or quadruplet.

[lovemytvshows]

Yeah I think the symbolism with the colour definitely means something. Probably not a coincidence that Emma Wilson had the red gem but my question is why she decided to slip it into the pocket of a guy she just met and barely knew...unless there's more to it than that. I'm think she was well aware of the significance and importance of the gem and wouldn't just give it up willy nilly.

 

Also wanted to add that she was basically the most intriguing character of the lot and I can't believe they killed her off barely 30 minutes in! That said, I read a spoiler somewhere that we haven't seen the last of Emma Wilson. I'm hoping it's not a flashback though. I wouldn't quite mind it if her death was faked or something or some grander reason. 

 

Also wanted to add that "good" Josh that got shot was wearing red and red shoes. "Creepy" Joshua had blue. I doubt they are clones, and I'm going to go with the twin theory - just in case one fails, there's another as a backup.

 

Based on the phone call between the Rabbi and Ted Billingham, it did seem that those two factions are in cahoots with one another. Perhaps it's a mutual agreement thing cause the Rabbi and his buddies can produce the red heifer and the breastplate, whereas Billingham will produce the priest i.e. Josh/Joshua.

 

I did end up doing some Googling into the whole real world prophecy with the red heifer etc and that is some pretty interesting stuff out there!

[pezgirl7]

Based on the phone call between the Rabbi and Ted Billingham, it did seem that those two factions are in cahoots with one another. Perhaps it's a mutual agreement thing cause the Rabbi and his buddies can produce the red heifer and the breastplate, whereas Billingham will produce the priest i.e. Josh/Joshua.

 

I must have missed who Billingham was on the phone with. Do we know yet what the prophecy is all about? From what I've read, the red heifer is meant to be ritually slaughtered and then its blood or ashes used for purification. Is it just to purify the priest so that he can talk to God using the breastplate? Then what? Will it be 'the end of the world, as we know it (but we feel fine)' ?

[formerlyfreedom]

Of course, watching Jason Issacs sleeping would be better than watching reality shows like "Fat Guys in the Woods", so who am I kidding? ;)

 

Seriously. It's bible hoo-ha with Jason Isaacs. Don't act like you're aren't going to watch. 

 

Can I just get a resounding AMEN?

 

Yes, the whole skinny-dipping-with-a-soon-to-be-dead-girl-who-looks-like-your-daughter should have totally skeeved me out, but I thought he was great anyway.

[lovemytvshows]

pezgirl7, from what I've Googled, the prophecy is to bring about the end of the world but also kinda ties in with rebuilding Solomon's Temple. The basic gist of it is that the red heifer is one of the tools required for the temple to be rebuilt (something or rather). The rebuilding of the temple also seems to hearken the end of days. So it's all one top of one another, like a sequence of events that are meant to happen. Hope that made some sense.

 

There's a pretty good longform article that I read that explains it much better: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/readings/forcing.html

Edited March 12, 2015 by lovemytvshows

[Gianthambeast]

*Eyeroll* at skinny-dipping scene with the reincarnated emo daughter.  Yuck.  This show seems "meh" so far. 

[OriginalCyn]

Having watched the second episode tonight, it was much-improved over the Pilot, which left me feeling a bit "meh" as well.  I hope you will give watching another go before giving up on Dig.

 

I've done script writing for both screen and stage, and I've learned from experience that pilot episodes, especially those in this type of genre, have to have a bunch of expository crap crammed into it -- they have to introduce the main players, provide varying amounts of character development and backstory to each of them, and insert a wide variety of informative bits and pieces to flesh out the setting, give the viewer some context, introduce any conflicts that are relative to the storyline, and lastly, reveal just enough of the plot so as to create enough tension, suspense, and intrigue to hook viewer interest and hopefully generate buzz and interest about the show.

 

Overall, it's a challenge to fit all of that into a limited amount of time *and* make it entertaining, which is why pilot episodes, even for outstanding shows, seem to have moments that are clunky/awkward, seem out of place, are way too wordy, etc.  When watching any new series, unless I can tell right off the bat that it's not my thing, I watch at least three episodes before giving up on it.  By then, a well-done show usually finds its rhythm and flow, the clusterfuck of expository crap has cohesion and purpose, and it (and its plot) has a definite direction (even if it has yet to be revealed).

 

(apologies for the writing nerd purge of pilot episode trivia)

[kikaha]

Quite cool.  Enough twists and turns, intrigue and betrayal, cabals and counter-cabals, to keep me real interested to see what comes next. 

[lovemytvshows]

Same here! I do not get the reviewers who've been giving this show a thumbs down because I find it utterly fascinating. I generally do not like conspiracy dramas but the fact that Dig is only 10 episodes long is making me quite happy.

 

Please tell me I didn't see it wrongly but is the US Ambassador wearing one of the gems on her necklace? The hidden in plain sight thing is quite clever! That said, I didn't see it coming with her being one of the co-conspirators, until the scene in New Mexico where the camera panned to one of the photos in Ted Billingham's office and she was in it...and so was Joe Biden (ha!)

 

The other thing that stood out to me was that Peter surmised that Emma was only in the marketplace that day to hand her gem over to Yusef Kahlid. If that was the case and the exchange didn't happen because they arrested Kahlid, why would she slip the gem into Peter's pocket? It's still the one thing that bugs me.

 

I like Avram, hopefully they don't kill him off.

 

Creepy Joshua is still creepy.

Edited March 13, 2015 by lovemytvshows

[OriginalCyn]

Not sure (will have to re-watch), but I could have sworn there was also a photo of Billingham with Mitt Romney.  Guess it's a BiPartisan Apocalypse :P

 

Last night's episode was a definite step up from the Pilot, which was a relief -- I was a bit "meh" last week, but if I gave up on new shows because the Pilot didn't have me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, I would have missed out on kickass shows like Battlestar Galactica and Orphan Black.

 

Billingham and his flock of cult members creep me the fuck out (Lauren Ambrose's character being the exception).  It has a somewhat similar vibe as the Creepy Big Love Ranch on Orphan Black....and it seems they have their own little CloneClub of disposable Joshuas.  Gotta say, though, that Josh2.0, with his somewhat flat affect, the dead eyes, his manipulativeness, and the callous force with which he killed the little black and white heifer is pegging the needle on my Damien: Omen II meter.

 

So who are the Essene?  Is that the name of the NM Cult, or is that a 3rd group that's now in the mix of things?  In the Pilot thread, IIRC, there was speculation that Team Norway and Team New Mexico were in cahoots, but after tonight, nope -- there is no way such a deeply devout sect of Orthodox Jews would embrace and accept any group practicing the oxymoronic idea of Messianic Judaism.  However, I highly suspect that Billingham's group doesn't ascribe to any of the tenets of Judaism; in order for Josh 2.0 to fulfill his role in whatever the fuck it is they're doing, the Bar Mitzvah was a necessary step/requirement, just as he had to be "pure" by having never set so much as a foot on the ground.

 

At this point, I think it's fairly clear (at least IMO) that Team Red Heifer are all about fulfilling the prophecy of rebuilding Solomon's Temple, and Team Black/White heifer are aiming to unleash Armageddon.  

 

The questions/wild cards I have as of now are:

 

1) Who is Khalid working to round all of the gemstones up for?  

 

2) Who are the Essene and what is their role in this?

 

3) Is it possible that Billingham's cult has been grooming Josh not as a priest to communicate with God (or even as JC), but as the Antichrist in order to hasten Jesus' return to do battle with him (any and all help on this subject would be wonderful as I'm a bit sketchy on the details concerning the Book of Revelations and Armageddon - for some reason, we weren't taught about Revelations in Hebrew School :P )

 

Random thoughts...

 

- Is Anne Heche going to do anything in this show other than alternate between shrilly bitching at Peter 34984 times a day that he needs to back off/step away from the case and making those simpering, cow-eyed moon faces at him?  Her limited, dual role so far is working my last nerve.

 

- So Peter attended Seminary School and walked away from it "the day [he] was to receive [his] collar."  With his being "partnered" with Golan, the two of them will have a decent collective knowledge of Judaism and Christianity while trying to crack this case -- How conveeeeeenient! [/church lady].  He seemed pretty freaked out when he was trying to swim upstream through that river of Nuns (plus the camerawork and editing seemed like a small shout-out to how The Exorcist was filmed.

 

- Lastly, I had a really difficult time watching the scene with Josh, the machete, and the B/W heifer.  I'm a total sucker when it comes to baby animals, and even the idea of their being harmed (the way he killed that calf was *brutal* ) in movies/on TV can bring me to tears.  OT, but like most people I know, whenever those abused animal ads (that seemingly never end) come on, I turn into a offensive tackle in my quest to grab the remote and change the channel, but oddly enough, I can watch the ones with starving children living in horrific conditions without getting emotional, and that bothers me.  I think I may be deeply flawed in that regard. 

[Constantinople]

Too bad the prophecy calls for a female cow rather than a male cow.

Otherwise, Red Bull would be the perfect sponsor.

Same here! I do not get the reviewers who've been giving this show a thumbs down because I find it utterly fascinating.

 

I think Dig is OK for what it is, but it is the third time in two episodes that Peter chased Khalid around the streets of Jerusalem.  That's getting a tad repetitive.

The red jewel also looks a bit like an oversized gum drop.

That said, the Jerusalem scenes at least offer more interesting visuals than the Norway or New Mexico scenes, although "Red" is cute.

Still not sure why they had to kill Josh 1.0. I don't think he was running around barefoot in the desert, so technically he never touched the ground

[mledawn]

Just to follow up, since JI livetweeted last night as well - he said he will be livetweeting ALL the episodes. He is pretty funny with his running commentary.

[slothgirl]

I think Dig is OK for what it is, but it is the third time in two episodes that Peter chased Khalid around the streets of Jerusalem.  That's getting a tad repetitive.

That said, the Jerusalem scenes at least offer more interesting visuals than the Norway or New Mexico scenes, although "Red" is cute.

 

I am really annoyed by the "No Way Out" plot point of having him slowly revealed in the photo. Get that over with already, show! We all know that ploy and you aren't doing it nearly as well as NWO, so it isn't building any tension at all. Plus we all know that it will be ok in the end because they are also overplaying the tired trope of "our two heroes that will partner up and save the world must hate and distrust each other first".

 

I'm actually enjoying the scenes anywhere other than Jerusalem.

 

Even though Jason Issacs isn't in them (and he was the primary reason I tuned into this show at all)

 

I'm especially hating any scene with Anne Heche.

Edited March 13, 2015 by slothgirl

[abbyzenn]

I'm enjoying this although I'll admit I'm a bit lost - so many different things going on.

The New Mexico group is really creepy - including the kid.

Love Jason Issacs and the scenes in Jerusalem

[mjc570]

 

trying to swim upstream through that river of Nuns

 

That was great!  Better writing than 95% of this show.   I'm in it for Jason Isaacs, but I'm finding it hard going.  My bar of believability is set pretty low, but this show is barely making it over.   There were no operatives who could have joined Peter in his chase throughout the city?  Why is an FBI agent taking the lead on this?  Nothing bad better happen to Red!

[nara]

Please tell me I didn't see it wrongly but is the US Ambassador wearing one of the gems on her necklace? The hidden in plain sight thing is quite clever! That said, I didn't see it coming with her being one of the co-conspirators, until the scene in New Mexico where the camera panned to one of the photos in Ted Billingham's office and she was in it...and so was Joe Biden (ha!)

 

The other thing that stood out to me was that Peter surmised that Emma was only in the marketplace that day to hand her gem over to Yusef Kahlid. If that was the case and the exchange didn't happen because they arrested Kahlid, why would she slip the gem into Peter's pocket? It's still the one thing that bugs me.

 

 

Not sure (will have to re-watch), but I could have sworn there was also a photo of Billingham with Mitt Romney.  Guess it's a BiPartisan Apocalypse :P

 

So who are the Essene?  Is that the name of the NM Cult, or is that a 3rd group that's now in the mix of things?  In the Pilot thread, IIRC, there was speculation that Team Norway and Team New Mexico were in cahoots, but after tonight, nope -- there is no way such a deeply devout sect of Orthodox Jews would embrace and accept any group practicing the oxymoronic idea of Messianic Judaism.  However, I highly suspect that Billingham's group doesn't ascribe to any of the tenets of Judaism; in order for Josh 2.0 to fulfill his role in whatever the fuck it is they're doing, the Bar Mitzvah was a necessary step/requirement, just as he had to be "pure" by having never set so much as a foot on the ground.

 

At this point, I think it's fairly clear (at least IMO) that Team Red Heifer are all about fulfilling the prophecy of rebuilding Solomon's Temple, and Team Black/White heifer are aiming to unleash Armageddon.  

 

The questions/wild cards I have as of now are:

 

1) Who is Khalid working to round all of the gemstones up for?  

 

2) Who are the Essene and what is their role in this?

 

3) Is it possible that Billingham's cult has been grooming Josh not as a priest to communicate with God (or even as JC), but as the Antichrist in order to hasten Jesus' return to do battle with him (any and all help on this subject would be wonderful as I'm a bit sketchy on the details concerning the Book of Revelations and Armageddon - for some reason, we weren't taught about Revelations in Hebrew School :P )

I also thought that the moment I saw the Ambassador's necklace!  The only thing is that, if she has all the other stones in her safe, why continue to wear one around.  I was also under the impression that she put the stone in the breastplate (but I deleted the show off my DVR before I thought to rewatch that scene, so I could be wrong).  If that's the case, are there 2 breast plates and 2 competing groups trying to complete a breast plate?  If so, Emma could be on one side and Yussef Khalid on another.  I do like the idea of competing teams, perhaps one of them trying to do bad things, like raise the antichrist.  However, it looks like many people are willing to kill for the cause, so there may not be a clear good vs. bad.

 

BTW, has anyone checked out digdecoded.com?  Is it worth it?  I saw the promotion for it, but have not had a chance to go there yet