What is the real reason Indy and Marion survived?

Montana Smith said:

Masks of Evil was the most problematic of the Young Indy TV series for me. Without Old Indy's bookends it really stands as the 'odd one out'. I enjoyed the unexpected excursion into horror and gore, but I'm caught between Lucas' original intention (the likely Halloween tale) and the presentation that we currently have.

If Indy really did face down Vlad, it had no obvious effect on his character in the following episodes. That would imply that the supernatural was an accepted part of his world, though it's not generally discussed or broadly acknowledged by the inhabitants of his world.

Indy, being an exceptionally open-minded individual, ready to accept that which cannot be denied, and ready to delve into the unknown, would be well prepared to deal with the supernatural. And, returning to the main topic, enabled himself and Marion to survive the Ark, by believing it possible to avoid the wrath of God simply by refusing to see it. (He had earlier believed in the magical invocation of Shiva in 1935, and it worked that time as well).

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Raiders112390 said:

Well, the ending of Masks of Evil as stands makes it rather clear he (at the time) didn't really grasp what had happened and was in sort of disbelief. Given that he was back to the Front right after that, I doubt he thought about it much.

He experienced the things he did in ToD and still was a skeptic in Raiders, and even after experiencing the Ark, wasn't sure if the Grail existed in LC. He was pretty much throughout the main trilogy the eternal skeptic. Even in KOTCS he says, "There's always another explanation"--As in, a more mundane explanation. And I think that sentence is a perfect summation of his feelings past and present on the supernatural.

Just because Masks is the ''odd man out.'' doesn't mean it didn't happen. And given the exclusion of the Old Indy segments, plus the tie in segment with Istanbul, I think it's pretty clear that it DID happen. Why are Aliens, the Ark, Shiva and the Holy Grail believable in Indy, but Vampires are not.

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Montana Smith said:

If he did meet Vlad, the supernatural experience doesn't trouble him later. Just as the Shiva invocation, the Ark, the Grail and the IDBs don't trouble him.

I'm not saying that Vlad didn't happen, but that the context of that story within the framework of Young Indy is problematical canon-wise. I'm just not sure what we're supposed to believe. If I'd never known about the original bookends then it wouldn't be a problem.

Indy is simultaneously both skeptical and open-minded. This is an old argument, but Indy always prefaces each new occult possibility with outwardly professional skepticism, but in his mind there is the possibility that it will turn out to have no mundane explanation.

It's obvious, both to Indy and the audience, that there isn't "always another explanation." He will say that to his companions, especially within his professional field, as he doesn't want to given credence to hoaxes or make himself appear unscientifically crazy.

He'll only admit it when he's proved it to himself. (The empirical approach).

Not everything need be supernatural, and not everything need be natural. It's a matter of evaluating each situation on its merits.

In Indy's world vampires are no less believable than Aliens, the Ark, Shiva or the Holy Grail. The only question is whether Lucas intended Vlad to be a real part of Indy's history, or whether it was a tall-tale. I can't forget the bookends, so I'm still unsure.

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Originally Posted by Raiders112390
Well, the ending of Masks of Evil as stands makes it rather clear he (at the time) didn't really grasp what had happened and was in sort of disbelief. Given that he was back to the Front right after that, I doubt he thought about it much.

He experienced the things he did in ToD and still was a skeptic in Raiders, and even after experiencing the Ark, wasn't sure if the Grail existed in LC. He was pretty much throughout the main trilogy the eternal skeptic. Even in KOTCS he says, "There's always another explanation"--As in, a more mundane explanation. And I think that sentence is a perfect summation of his feelings past and present on the supernatural.

Just because Masks is the ''odd man out.'' doesn't mean it didn't happen. And given the exclusion of the Old Indy segments, plus the tie in segment with Istanbul, I think it's pretty clear that it DID happen. Why are Aliens, the Ark, Shiva and the Holy Grail believable in Indy, but Vampires are not.

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Raiders112390 said:

Lucas forgot the bookends, and really even with the context of the bookend, it doesn't say the story isn't true. Old Indy never says, "I made this all up, haha!" But Old Indy doesn't exist anymore, so yeah....
I'd say Indy referring to Pancho Villa in KOTCS validates the events of the Chronicles as part of his life story.

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Col. Detritch said:

The way I see it, just because he witnesses one supernatural artifact?s existence doesn't mean Indy must automatically believe thereafter that every supernatural artifact he hears about is real! From a professional standpoint he is naturally sceptical about such things to maintain professional integrity if it is proven otherwise. This is also one way in which Indy has differed himself from his father; Henry put personally desires into his work and for a lifetime coveted the Grail, Indy however separates personal beliefs and professional obligations in wise attempt to differ from Henry Sr.

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EgyptianPharaoh said:

Maybe the ghosts just did not feel like hunting them....because they were the good guys!

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But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD.

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