Sound Bodies (S03E08) is another vulture culture episode after Anti-Thesis (S02E03) and it also has the most dramatic ending among all the other LOCI episodes as well. But first let's remember the references.
Herman Hesse: was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter who received the Nobel Prize in 1946 and his best-known works include Steppenwolf, Siddharta and The Glass Bead Game (also known as Magister Ludi) which explore an individual's search for spirituality outside society. Siddhartha is an allergorical novel by Herman Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of an Indian boy called Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple yet powerful and lyrical style. It was first published in 1922, after Hesse had spent some time in India in the 1910s. It was published in the U.S. in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s hippi movement. Robert Goren refers to Siddhartha as 'Mr. Syd Arthur' in the episode and later on mentions he read the book years ago.
Carlos Castaneda: was a Peruvian born American author. Starting with The Teachings of Don Juan in 1968, Castaneda wrote a series of books that describe his purported training in traditional Mesoamerican Shamanism, a kinda lucid dream (a dream in which the person is aware that they are dreaming while the dream is in progress, also known as a conscious dream). His 12 books have sold more than 8 million copies in 17 languages.
Khalil Gibran (or Halil Cibran in Arabic): was a Lebanese American artist, poet and writer. As a young man he emigrated with his family to the US where he studied art and began his literary career. He is chiefly known for his 1923 book The Prophet, a series of philosophical essays written in English prose. An early example of inspirational literature, the book sold well despite a cool critical reception, and became extremely popular in 1960s counter culture.
Florence Elizabeth Maybrick: was a former American citizen who spent fourteen years in prison in UK after being convicted of murdering her considerably older English husband. In 1889, Maybrick bought fly-papers containing arsenic and soaked them in water which is the same method being used by the killer in this episode. At her subsequent trial she claimed to have done this for the purpose of extracting the poison for cosmetic use. After her husband James Maybrick was taken ill after 'self-administering' a double dose of strychnine and died, his brothers, suspicious as to the cause of death had his body examined. It was found to contain slight traces of arsenic, but not enough to be considered fatal. It is uncertain whether this was taken by James Maybrick himself or administered by his wife, nonetheless Florence Maybrick was charged with his murder.
Charles Manson: is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Sharon Tate-Leno & Rosemary LaBianca murders, which members of the group carried out at his instruction. Through the joint responsibility rule of conspiracy, he was convicted of the murders themselves. Manson is associated with Helter Skelter, the term he took from the Beatles song of that name and construed as an apocalyptic war the murders were putatively intended to precipitate. Manson name is being used in the episode for the killer's intention to build a similar family between Mormons.
Allright, anyway, let's see that dramatic ending above mentioned. Our detective may be shaken but never broken! Like Tesla's Egg of Columbus he is safe and sound in the end. Well, he not only has a sound body but also he certainly knows how to use it:)
