Post by Dante on Sept 17, 2019 3:03:01 GMT -5
You have correctly hit on a mystery. TSS through TPP contain references to what can only be multiple instances of J.S., and when all is said and done, it appears clear that there is at least one outstanding.
With that said, the message for J.S. in the ruined headquarters I do not think is particularly significant; it is possible that the sender was ignorant of Jacques's death, or left the message because they believed it was possible for Justice Strauss or Jerome Squalor to access it. We have no evidence to suggest that they could not have arrived there at some point after the fire.
The J.S. alluded to in Frank's note remains unidentified, although it is entirely plausible that Kit misinterpreted the note and it was merely a harmless confirmation of either Jerome or Strauss's arrival. J.S. could, however, have known that the Baudelaires would arrive by submarine because Quigley's telegram to the Baudelaires in the Queequeg in TGG was copied to J.S. What is interesting is that a J.S. who clearly received this telegram subsequently contacted both Mr. Poe and Charles to inform them of the Baudelaires' arrival in this matter; but a friend would not have summoned the unhelpful Mr. Poe, not least since Quigley's Volunteer Factual Dispatch also confirmed that the Baudelaires would have someone waiting to meet them. I would suggest that the copy to J.S. found its way into the hands of multiple people by these initials, some of whom wished to help the Baudelaires, others harm, and perhaps some of whom simply didn't understand Verse Fluctuation Declaration. This probably accounts for the remaining inconsistencies, since canon allows the point to lapse.
When all's said and done, it's quite possible that the volunteers were also confused about J.S.'s identity, and merely knew that an individual or individuals of those initials was involved in the Baudelaire case and trying to help; which did not prevent misunderstandings and further imposture, likely from Olaf.
With that said, the message for J.S. in the ruined headquarters I do not think is particularly significant; it is possible that the sender was ignorant of Jacques's death, or left the message because they believed it was possible for Justice Strauss or Jerome Squalor to access it. We have no evidence to suggest that they could not have arrived there at some point after the fire.
The J.S. alluded to in Frank's note remains unidentified, although it is entirely plausible that Kit misinterpreted the note and it was merely a harmless confirmation of either Jerome or Strauss's arrival. J.S. could, however, have known that the Baudelaires would arrive by submarine because Quigley's telegram to the Baudelaires in the Queequeg in TGG was copied to J.S. What is interesting is that a J.S. who clearly received this telegram subsequently contacted both Mr. Poe and Charles to inform them of the Baudelaires' arrival in this matter; but a friend would not have summoned the unhelpful Mr. Poe, not least since Quigley's Volunteer Factual Dispatch also confirmed that the Baudelaires would have someone waiting to meet them. I would suggest that the copy to J.S. found its way into the hands of multiple people by these initials, some of whom wished to help the Baudelaires, others harm, and perhaps some of whom simply didn't understand Verse Fluctuation Declaration. This probably accounts for the remaining inconsistencies, since canon allows the point to lapse.
When all's said and done, it's quite possible that the volunteers were also confused about J.S.'s identity, and merely knew that an individual or individuals of those initials was involved in the Baudelaire case and trying to help; which did not prevent misunderstandings and further imposture, likely from Olaf.
