It’s been so fun to speculate on this season so far! Let’s jump in!
Naming Day means no more host. As I alluded to in my recap, Naming Day probably involves consciousness transfer. I’m thinking this will be a near total overwrite of the host consciousness similar to what they did in Travelers. The difference will be that they get to keep the host memories however, they’ll likely lose their meaning. I have a couple ideas on how they accomplish this. It might be an AI similar to the Flame. The difference would be that this one erases nearly all traces of the host consciousness upon insertion. My other thought, the one I’m leaning towards, is that it’s like in Travelers where they use a machine to transport the consciousness from one host to the next. The host consciousness would then cede control as a sign of “faith”. Both ways would explain why Kaylee was so obsessed with getting the bodies. They needed to do some sort of preparation or preservation of them in order for the transfer to happen. Grounders 2.0 decapitated one of them and I think in doing so, they ended any chance of transferring that consciousness to the next host.
Clarke becomes Josephine…temporarily. This one is widely held but I strongly agree with it. Russell connected with Clarke in almost a fatherly way. Now that he knows she has the nightblood, he could see an opportunity to bring Josephine back. Rose may have been slated to become Josephine but with Clarke there, Russell doesn’t have to wait as long. I don’t think Clarke will totally give in though. Josephine might have outward control for a spell while Clarke is working through her demons in her subconsciousness. Ultimately, Clarke will regain total control and Josephine’s consciousness may either merge with hers or be gone forever.
Who is the old man Xavier and his merry band are trying to impress? Why do they need to impress him? I thought maybe he could be Gabriel but I’m not so sure about that. If they’re all about “Death is life”, they wouldn’t necessarily be utilizing life extending technologies. The old man is likely a direct descendant or a protégé of Gabriel who picked up the mantle from him. Xavier’s group may had a previous failure and need to get back in his favor. It’s also possible that they’re trying to get in his favor in the first place. Bringing him the bodies three Primes plus a host may be a sort of offering.
Gabriel had a role in creating the consciousness transfer technology. This one is a little out there but I think Gabriel actually helped make this possible. He may have wanted to help bring Josephine back. I think he eventually concluded that consciousness transfer is untenable for a variety of reasons. There’s the mantra of “death is life” which means that death is viewed as an important part of life amongst the Children of Gabriel. Also, if my theory is correct and the host does indeed lose themselves, Gabriel may have realized that The Primes were taking the hosts’ lives away from them. The idea of Russell leading Sanctum forever may not have sat well with him either.
What’s with the skeletons? In the sliver of a promo for 6.04, we see Russell surrounded by skeletons in ceremonial garb. Are those from the bodies of previous hosts? Creepy! Also, it’s another reason for them to be so worried about the bodies of those three Primes.
And that’s my take! Did I miss anything that could be interesting?