Missing Plot Thread

[ScottWashburn]

One of the things that has bothered me a bit about Avatar is the fact that neither Jake nor Grace seem to be doing much diplomacy to get the Omaticaya to move prior to the crisis blowing up in their faces.

But there are some things that indicate that at one time there was more of that in the script. For example, when Grace is putting Jake into the link capsule just before his first trip outside of the base she says: "Just let Norm do the talking." What talking? From what comes later it seems like they are just going out to collect samples. Who's he supposed to talk to? And then, after they've landed, Norm asks: "How will they know we are here?" I have to assume "they" means the Na'vi and that would indicate that Norm is expecting to encounter them. Finally, after Jake gets back to the base, Norm is visibly upset that Jake has been "chosen" by the Omaticaya. Why?

The only thing I can think is that Norm and Jake's brother were expected to be the ones to try and re-open relations with the Omaticaya. Perhaps because they are new and not banned due to some earlier unpleasant incidents. But that whole part of the script was taken out except for those few stray scraps of dialogue.

[grimsoncrow]

I think they were hoping to meet some Na'vi people,and if they had, then Norm would have been useful.
But, as it becomes clear in the movie, both parties had pretty much exhausted all interplanetary goodwill they had at that point.
So I guess the Na'vi were content to just keep an eye on the wandering sky-people,and promptly kill those who ventured too close to their territory.
There's obvioysly very little they wished to discuss with them.

[Ahoragi]

I think Norm was recruited by Grace to be used to get back in with the Na'vi after ties were severed in the school shooting incident. He was fluently skilled in their language and culture so he's a perfect candidate. They were expecting to meet the na'vi when they went out for the first time but Curious George (Jake) got in a bit of trouble and that plan went into the trash. Norm was upset because he worked so hard and was expected to be making progress with the Na'vi but untrained and noobie Jake ended up being the go-to guy and getting all the attention. Later on Norm loosens up and becomes friends again when Trudy gets involved. The power of the female is strong LOL.

[ScottWashburn]

I think Norm was recruited by Grace to be used to get back in with the Na'vi after ties were severed in the school shooting incident. He was fluently skilled in their language and culture so he's a perfect candidate. They were expecting to meet the na'vi when they went out for the first time but Curious George (Jake) got in a bit of trouble and that plan went into the trash. Norm was upset because he worked so hard and was expected to be making progress with the Na'vi but untrained and noobie Jake ended up being the go-to guy and getting all the attention. Later on Norm loosens up and becomes friends again when Trudy gets involved. The power of the female is strong LOL.

I agree with you completely on that. I was just pointing out that it has been almost (but not completely) eradicated from the film we see.

[grimsoncrow]

Well, as far as diplomacy goes, I imagine the conversation would have gone pretty much like this:
RDA: "So, we were wondering if you could just move away and stop bothering us...?"
Omaticaya clan: "Do you know, we were thinking exactly the same thing..?"

[Grifff]

^lol

but seriously you just found the biggest plot hole in the movie. and i dont know what else i could say :/

[iron_jones]

Well thanks for ruining the whole movie....

[josie20]

Well thanks for ruining the whole movie....

Ruining? Whaaa??? I thought muddeprived explained it perfectly...

[Dusso Janladde]

Grace and Selfridge give you just enough backstory on the whole issue...

"Relations with the indigenous are only getting worse."
"Yeah, that tends to happen when you use machine guns on them."

That right there tells you there was some incident in the past involving Na'vi getting machine gunned that led them to cut off all relations with the RDA. Grace intends to have Norm re-open communications with the Na'vi. It wouldn't have worked anyway, since as you can see in the first shot of Neytiri, all Dreamwalkers are kill-on-sight to the Na'vi at that point.

[Holea]

The only reason Jake lived through that meeting in hometree was his response to "what are you". All the other Avatars had ALWAYS been scientists. A dreamwalker warrior was something they had never seen. The chief immediately saw the possibilities of learning more about his enemy by allowing Jake to live, perhaps learn better how to cope with human weapons and tactics. Doesn't appear Jake ever gave the Navi much intel though.

Jake must not have told Grace that he told them he was a warrior and NOT a scientist. THAT was clearly the reason he was allowed to remain.

Norm's Avatar would have died in either of the attacks Jake faced. He also would have been of NO interest to the Clan Leader and thus his "stench" removed permanently. Remember Grace said earlier the military had been killing the Navi for some time now. THAT ALONE should have spelled out in bold letters the "intent" of the humans on Pandora. Had it been Grace, they might have just forced her to leave.

Hard to believe that Jake never told them their hometree's ground was so coveted by the humans. It's also a big plot skip to have the bulldoziers suddenly appear as those gigantic, clanky things would have been spotted far far in advance. They sure were not made for Stealth. Oh well. It was Camerons movie. Not Mine. LOL