Siberia Gets Attacked

What started out as a reality competition has become a struggle for survival and though we saw this in Siberia's newest episode "A Gathering Fog", what this show had succeeded in doing that was a completely unexpected surprise to me, is make the audience fall in love with the characters as much as the story.  A testament to this was the void left by Miljan not making an appearance in this episode as well as how moved the audience was by learning more about Sabina's history.  We all now have an emotional connection to contestants as well as a raging interest in the storyline and mysteries that Siberia still holds.  Let's jump right into this week's story as it was filled with death, life, struggles, success and new questions to keep us thinking, so here's a look at this week's Siberia!

• Neeko revealed what we all already assumed, Miljan was gone.  Frantic, Sabina, Annie, Esther and Neeko continued to search for Irene with much more vigor fearing that what Miljan had tried once before, to murder their companion, he had now succeeded.  Esther seemed shocked to learn he had escaped from the cabin and immediately deflected blame to Sabina claiming she tied him up.  Her sudden panic regarding his escape and Irene's absence was met with confusion as Annie tritely asked, "Why do you even care?".  As they traveled farther from the settlement, traversing the knee-high snow, they suddenly heard the greeting card music from a gift Sabina had given Irene.  When they followed the tone they all stopped short, terrified by what they saw: a dead frozen hand poking out of the high-piled snow.  The contestants quickly dug through the thick blanket of white powder to uncover the body beneath, Annie held back and watched the others unearth one of their fellow competitors.  As soon as a bright yellow scarf peaked through the ivory surroundings they knew it was not Irene, but Natalie who laid murdered before them.  Annie crumbled.  While she believed Natalie was safe at home, and though she was heartbroken by her departure, the surprise that Natalie never left and Siberia had taken her life was a much heavier weight to bear.  The screen fell silent in an tear-wrenching scene, as we saw the others try to comfort Annie and hold her back as the flood of emotions overcame her.  However, Miljan and Irene were still missing and the group decided they needed to move forward in their search as the two may still be alive.  While Esther blamed Miljan for the death of Natalie claiming he wasn't right in the head and could be out to murder them all, Neeko was again the voice of reason claiming the producers wouldn't have put them out there with a psychopath.  Sabina took this moment to study Natalie's corpse where she found Nataliie had been disemboweled, her stomach had been ripped from its place, and came to the conclusion it was not Miljan, or any human for that matter, who was responsible for the carnage as well as the chilling fact that they were not alone out in the seemingly empty Siberian wilderness.  Annie refused to leave her friend alone and Esther offered to stay with Annie to help her bury Natalie, so the group parted in half while Neeko and Sabina continued their search for the remaining contestants.  Neeko turned to Sabina for answers, as he fired question after question at her sure she knew more than she had said.  She ultimately revealed to him that Natalie's wounds matched that of the tiger (see: Siberia Gets Into the Thick of It) and, whatever was guilty, was also likely what had killed Tommy.  Though Neeko tried to probe her further, Sabina responded with nothing but doubt, she had no idea what was going on and shared with him all of her suspicions, informing Neeko that he was searching for answers in the wrong place.  Meanwhile Annie and Esther's attempts to bury Natalie with nothing but their hands resulted in failure, so they returned to the settlement to retrieve a shovel to aid in their task.  While Neeko and Sabina traveled further into the woods, we suddenly were introduced to a new side of Sabina that the audience had not yet encountered as she broke down in tears.  For the first time her tough exterior faded as she began to question whether they would ever escape the Siberian wilderness and more importantly if she would ever see the boy in her locket, her heart as she had earlier described him, ever again.  She opened up to Neeko as he, and the viewers, learned more about her tattered past.  Sabina was raised in an orphanage where a worker had taken advantage of her and the result was a pregnancy at only 16.  When she became old enough to leave the housing, she went straight into the army, as was the requirements in Israel, and was tasked with protecting a high ranking diplomat.  One night she found herself in a predicament as the man who it was her duty to guard, had taken a young girl into his room.  Seeing herself in the girl, she chose to stand up to the man by beating him senseless in an effort to protect the innocent victim.  This act got her discharged from the army and her son, the face in the locket, taken away from her.  She revealed her reason for participating in the game show, she had no money and she saw Siberia as a chance to regain custody of her son.  Neeko attempted to sooth Sabina by firmly reassuring her that she would survive and be reunited with her child.  Annie and Esther had achieved little, even with tools to bury Natalie ,and we found Annie apologizing to Esther for treating her so poorly.  She thanked Esther for her help and kindness and they marked Natalie's body with a cross as there was nothing more they could do.  Annie said goodbye to her friend when suddenly Esther became adamant that they needed to leave.  While they had spent hours in this spot, I was confused at why Esther felt the urgency to now vacate.  With a loud snap of branches both girls turned and began to run, as did the cameraman, leaving us with no footage regarding what the imminent danger was and the screen quickly cut to static also leaving us wondering their ultimate fate.  Fog began to surround Neeko and Sabina and, as they were no closer to finding Miljan or Irene, as well as deep into the woods and far from the settlement, they decided to head back.  Sabina came across the two-pronged footprints of the beast, that were found at both the site of Tommy's death and on the image of from the cave paintings and she felt an increasing urgency to turn back.  After deciding they were lost, they discovered the cross Annie and Esther had put up, but no trace of Natalie or the two girls.  While Neeko believed he could make it back to the settlement from that point where the girls were likely waiting, Sabina saw more of the beast's tracks and in a foreboding tone claimed she doesn't think they made it back.  
• Johnny awoke the other "hikers" and urged them to get started as they needed to utilize the daylight as much as possible.  While Joyce thought it might be a good idea to hold out and stay there until the weather changed, Johnny was again concerned with rations and insisted they needed to continue.  Upon attempting to get her bearings, Joyce noticed she could no longer see the beacon on the skyline.  As the group searched, feelings of panic crept in as they realized they were basically lost.  Johnny stepped up and believed he knew the way, based on a sort of triangulation of their previous movements.  Due to the fact that they had reached the hut from the front and from Johnny's recollection the tower had been to the left of it, on the horizon, he lead the way.  We learned through bits and pieces of personal interviews that the group is falling apart, Joyce was scared that they would not make it to the beacon but was attempting to be strong, Sam's foot was worse and he was having more trouble walking but hid it from the group to keep up the morale and Johnny was a bit panicked as he had no idea where they were and felt as if he was leading them all to their death.  He suggested they turn back, while he continued to search for the beacon alone, which was quickly dismissed as they insisted on continuing as a cohesive unit.  The group finally reached a ridge where they were able to scour the horizon for any trace of the tower, buildings or civilization, but to their dismay saw nothing.  Johnny became filled with rage and while Sam had stepped back as a leader and took on more of a supportive role, he encouraged Johnny to hit him, to take out his frustration on Sam.  Johnny went off about how they should have left Sam and how he encouraged them to do just that, but the group would not leave him behind.  He continued to insist that it was Sam's fault they were in this predicament and rather than push back Sam agreed with Johnny and provided words of encouragement telling Johnny that he was their leader, once he calmed down and assessed the situation he would make the right choice for the group.  Just as all hope seemed lost, Joyce deliriously claimed to see footprints in the snow and began to follow them as the rest of the group pursued behind her.  After sometime, Daniel questioned where they were going as there apparently were no footprints and upon discovering this Johnny was bewildered and confused, as he believed they were pursuing a legitimate lead, and didn't understand why they were following Joyce's hallucination.  I have to point out that throughout this entire journey, no matter how bad it seems to get, each member appears to have a calling or connection to the land and to each other as they persevere, are able to navigate the seemingly never-ending vast territory and each have the perfect skill set to overcome every obstacle in their path.  Along with this theory, Johnny suddenly saw a flash of light in the distance through the maze of trees as the sun hit the perfect spot, at the ideal time, and reflected a bright glare to guide them.  As they raced to the source, Sam decided it was the end of his journey and while he told Johnny to go on, he was just resting, it was clear that he had no intention of continuing forward.  The others encountered a large tower, but I am unsure if this was the same beacon Daniel originally saw and they sought out.  With nothing else in sight Johnny proceeded to ascend the structure in hope of obtaining a better view.  As he began his climb, Joyce noticed a sign partially buried by the snow that depicted foreign words, but also a clear lightning bolt symbol that is known to every culture throughout the world and is synonymous with: Danger Electricity.  The revelation came too late, as the tower zapped Johnny and threw him off and onto the snow.  They rushed to his aid and while Daniel felt no pulse and began compressions on Johnny's chest, a humorous moment breathed life into the dire situation as Joyce asked Daniel if he knew CPR and was astounded that he had no knowledge on this particular subject claiming "but you know everything".  Then, as if beckoned from the beyond Sam ran to Johnny's side and began performing the life-saving techniques needed to save their companion.  Life rushed back into Johnny and, though dazed, he was able to recall that while mounted on the structure he had seen rooftops not far away.  They had begun their final trek when Joyce broke down and was unable to continue.  Cold, malnourished, emotionally and physically exhausted she fell in the snow, sobbing and couldn't carry on.  Having traveled too far and worked so hard to loose a teammate now, Johnny attempted to carry her the rest of the way constantly falling to his knees unable to assist her to their destination, while Daniel helped Sam and continued ahead.  Just as Johnny accepted defeat, apologizing for not having enough strength, and Joyce told him to simply leave her, Daniel raced back claiming they had found the buildings just ahead.  This spark of hope was enough for both Johnny and Joyce to regain the energy they needed and the group finally made it to safety.  As they banged on the doors and windows of the various modern buildings, they received no response so Johnny took the initiative to break in through a window and circle back to open the door for the others.  While waiting Sam questioned the large sign posted outside the facility that he translated to convey "Russian Science Center" wondering the purpose of this strange place.  To my satisfaction the "hikers" had found safety and my heart could stop beating out of my chest in fear they would not survive.  I again question why their group seemed to have the perfect skill set, personalities, drive, compassion for each other, perseverance and what I can only chalk up to as luck to overcome their difficult journey.  In the building they found blankets, couches, warm winter clothing, beverages and even a microwave making their new settlement above the standards they had become accustomed to in Siberia.  Just as they had begun to settle in, a large crash was heard from somewhere in the building and though Johnny attempted to make contact with their co-inhibitors no response was heard. 

This episode was filled with struggles, teamwork, surprises but most of all emotions as we learned so much more about the characters we have fallen in love with.  Though Sam, Johnny, Daniel and Joyce seem to have ultimately found a safe haven, the preview for next week was filled with hints of new information regarding experimentation that will either answer some of our lingering questions or provide us with brand new ones to solve.  Annie, Neeko, Sabina and Esther appeared to have had the upper-hand as they were safe at the settlement but the tables turned as they found themselves missing Irene and Miljan, finding the corpse of Natalie and ending up with two new members in danger or possibly dead.  We now only know that Sabina and Neeko are safe for the time being and from the previews we also saw that Miljan is still alive and well but they are now in a much more dire situation as the unknown beast has turned their area into a hunting ground.  This week's Siberia focused much more on the personalities and individual struggles than the mysterious questions that haunt the show but as we have grown so emotionally attached to each competitor it kept us on the edge of our seats yet again.  A few new questions have emerged that I will go into below, but overall this episode highlighted the group and set us up for next week's search for answers.  Tune into Siberia, Mondays on NBC and check back here for recaps of all the drama and my personal quest for information, theories and conclusions of where this excellent series is ultimately guiding us!  Enjoy!       

Questions from "A Gathering Fog"

1.  Where are Miljan and Irene?
• This is kind of a bleed through question from the last episode as we didn't really get any new hints or answers this week.  We know Miljan is alive as he was in the previews for next week (and come on they can't kill him off) but I have a gut feeling that Irene is dead.  We might be surprised and find that the locals have her and have healed her because she has some sort of importance to the underlining story, but I'm not counting on it.  I think Miljan took her, possibly with help from the local tribe and he has been residing with them throughout this episode.  One thing I did find strange is that the sound clip in the trailer was the voice of the Miljan we were first introduced to rather than the sinister change we have seen in the last episodes.  I'm not sure if the shaman spirit left him during whatever transpired in his absence, or if it just leaks through as in the previous episodes he seemed normal at times and then transformed into a completely different character.
2. What happened to Natalie?
• She obviously died and due to Sabina's comments on her body combined with the footprints it seems pretty clear that it was at the hands of the beast.  What I found odd is that if her body had been there since she supposedly "left" camp they would have noticed before now.  I still question her sudden departure as it didn't make sense and wonder if she was taken by Miljan or the locals and sacrificed to the beast.  As I pointed out in my last post (see: Siberia Gets Cold!) it is quite possible the locals worship the animal and are sacrificing the bodies they gather from the producers' camp, the helicopter, Irene and Natalie to appease it.  Nevertheless, Natalie seemed to have been put there recently so I wonder if she was kept alive for some time.  In addition, as Sabina found the skeleton with her unique locket that I believe to be a future version of herself, I question whether it is a possibility that Natalie too may return even though her dead body was found.
3. Why did Irene, or someone else, take the card gifted to her by Sabina?
• I found it odd that the card was heard out in the wilderness.  My only guess is that in the struggle to remove her she grabbed it thinking the noise would help lead the others to her.  However, as they heard the card but did not locate Irene she possibly could have dropped it in the process.
4. Is there something special about the "hiker" group?
• While I have maintained the idea from the beginning that this group, or at least certain contestants have a special connection to Siberia.  You can see my most recent lineage or connection theories and reasons in the post Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind.  Though I can track Sam and Sabina to Siberia due to their heritage, there seems to be more going on with the "hikers" group as a whole, with instincts, visions, skills and more that have enabled them to jump over every hurdle laid in front of them.  They knew that their journey to the beacon would be difficult but it is amazing to me that Johnny's tracking and wilderness skills was able to guide them, their relationships and compassion for each other has kept them unified, Sam's ability to know just what to do or say to keep the group's morale high and overcome what appeared to be his last moments to bring Johnny back from the dead, Joyce's uncanny ability to find a hidden hut and footsteps unseen to the others that guided them to safety, Daniel's love for Sam and his general knowledge that kept him alive, and the pure luck of the sunlight bouncing off the tower through a thick maze of trees at the precise moment needed all seems too good to be true.  Yes, miraculous things happen on television shows everyday but with all the secrets that Siberia holds I can't help but wonder if this is their destiny or fate.  I have brought up the fact that Miljan has been guided in previous episodes and the possibility of Annie's instincts seeping through from a past life and maybe this too is what is happening within this group.  To me, it seems like they have overcome more than a run of the mill television miracle as Sam was brought back from the brink of death and without him Johnny would have perished in this episode, so I will throw out the idea that they are being guided or helped by some outside force as there is indeed something special about this group. 
5. What's the significance of the Russian Science Center?
• While the idea of science experiments was brought up with the inscription on the Revealer reading "Test Group C" which I didn't believe to be part of any big conspiracy but rather a cool prop that was acquired by the producers.  As we weren't given much information regarding what the science center was and why it was there, due to next week's clip it seems to be more of a genetic testing ground rather than a study on human behavior.  This leads me to believe that the center may be studying the effects on the environment from the Tunguska Event, including the mutated frog we saw and possible other anomalies that exist in the area.  It could also be a study of the beast as we have seen much more of its existence in this episode.  Possibly attempting to genetically recreate it, in order to use it as a type of super-soldier or as a way to figure out how to destroy it.  If it is indeed who the locals refer to a Magankan (see: Siberia Gets Cold!) who was believed to be immortal or unable to be wounded, it would make sense that they are studying it in order to kill the beast.  Another idea is that they are working on cloning as we saw pictures of fetuses, but this brings up a few questions in my mind.  While cloning has been a popular topic on Siberia boards, it doesn't make sense to me as they all have complex histories from all over the world and as we saw on shows like Orphan Black, even the cloning of the same strand of DNA can lead to drastically different results.  The idea that the contestants are clones and were placed across the globe, then all decided at different points in their life to join this competition is a weak theory in my opinion.  We also have references to Joyce's family history as well as Sam's grandmother which means they came from somewhere and it's unlikely that is a test tube.  The fetus images also seemed non-human which leads me back to the beast.  I think it is much more plausible that the science center is to study it, rather than the contestants.  
6. Was the fog meaningful?
• The fog seemed to engulf all of Siberia at the same time as we saw both the "hikers" and the "settlers" experience it making me think that it was a natural weather occurrence.  However, it also marked the return of the beast.  When the smoke-like haze rose, it seemed to instill powerful feelings into many of the characters; Joyce felt an overwhelming sense of doom that caused her to completely give up, Sabina showed an uneasiness and insisted they turn back and Esther's feelings of danger crept up on her as she encouraged Annie to leave Natalie's grave.  I'm honestly not sure as the fog created an even more eerie environment than the Siberian wilderness already maintained and made for great television, but as the title of the episode was "A Gathering Fog" it did seem to highlight the huge breakthroughs and gave me a sense of collectiveness, like the fog was engulfing all the storylines before dropping the viewers on our heads next week.  I'd love to hear your thoughts or whether you think it was simply a cinematic technique or perhaps holds a greater purpose! 
7. What happened to Annie and Esther?
• It seemed pretty clear that the beast had taken them, unless they were able to outrun it, which I doubt.  What was odd to me was that Annie and Esther had spent the entire day at that location when suddenly Esther instinctively knew that they needed to quickly abandon the site.  However, I don't think all hope is lost for these characters yet.  Like I mentioned above, it seemed like the beast took Natalie captive before killing her so this might be the case with both Annie and Esther.  In addition, if the creature is related to the local tribe he may have delivered the girls to them.  It seemed to me that Natalie's body had also been removed similar to the tiger in a previous episode, (see: Siberia Gets into the Thick of It) which makes me wonder how the beast was able to capture both girls, the cameraman and remove Natalie.  Is there more than one?  While I thought the tiger seemed to be a warning as it was mauled and then left right outside the settlement, following that logic it seems Natalie's body was a trap left for them to discover and mourn so the beast could return for the others.  I'm not sure if it's because I don't want this to be the end of Annie and Esther or just a hunch that they are still alive.  The theory I'm going with is that the beast is in cahoots with the locals and has kidnapped the girls, possibly to determine if they are a worthy sacrifice or if they have a connection to the land, before sacrificing them to Ogdy.

As always, thank you for reading and I look forward to your thoughts so please comment!  Check out DaLadybugMan's review here as he has a totally different viewpoint that can enlighten Siberia lovers by looking at the show from different angles.  Don't forget to tweet #SiberiaSeason2 as this is a truly spectacular show that deserves to be renewed and I don't know what I'll do when it concludes!  It's about time for me to round up all my thoughts and research for a new Theories post, so be on the lookout for that, and check back for my weekly reviews, recaps and thoughts!

Siberia Gets Cold!

Siberia began as a reality competition in the remote Tunguska valley of, you guessed it, Siberia.  Sixteen competitors traveled from across the globe to attempt to survive the harsh wilderness, without any modern conveniences, for a cash prize of $500,000 split amongst those who are able to survive till the end.  While some contestants failed their initial challenge and others have opted to give up, the remaining have realized it has turned out to be far more than a game as they faced; death, injuries, premonitions, strange animals and even weirder neighbors.  This week's episode, "First Snow" really pushed the contestants' survival skills to the limit when they were separated into two groups as Joyce, Johnny, Sam and Daniel were amidst their journey to the mysterious red beacon and the remainder of the group, Miljan, Neeko, Irene, Annie, Esther and Sabina remained at the settlement.  Rather than state the events in the order we saw them, I will follow each group's journey individually during the "First Snow".  Unlike my normal post I have weaved other important information and theories throughout the recap so make sure to check that out!  Let's take a look at this week's Siberia!

We picked up at the conclusion of "Out of the Frying Pan" when Daniel, Joyce, Johnny and Sam came across a large "explosion" site.  While I said "crater" in my last post and assumed it was the effect of the 1908 Tunguska Event (for more about this see: Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind! and below) there was actually no "crater" found, rather it was an area where the trees in the middle of the site stood upright stripped of their branches and as it spanned out, over 2,150 kilometers, the trees farther away were knocked down pointing away from the center.  I found by reading others' comments about the blast zone that they thought it was too small for the Tunguska Event and realized it is possibly not the original area effected but instead a new yet similar phenomenon that likely occurred during the episode "Fire in the Sky".  While the group considered what could have caused this, Sam believed it was related to the green sky and Daniel hypothesized that an explosion could have resulted in the eerie lights yet, when Joyce asked if it was nuclear Daniel passed over this theory stating that if it was, they would all be dead.  However, some scientists believe that nuclear science could have played a part in the Tunguska Event due to the similarities in the condition of the trees to Hiroshima.  Not long after leaving their view of the site, the group found the show's helicopter blown to bits and scattered along the Siberian landscape.  Daniel mentioned that it looked as if it exploded in the sky but the lack of bodies confused them.  Joyce did however find the burnt remains of a clipboard owned by the host of Siberia, Jonathon Buckley.  I will wait till the end of this post to hypothesize about the absence of bodies as it relates to other events from this episode.  They decided to camp out for the night and continue their journey the following day.  Upon awaking they realized that somehow in the middle of summer over two feet of snow had fallen, and without shelter or warm clothing they were practically buried in this unexpected frosty wonderland.  Although Johnny and Sam understood their predicament was a large one to bear, they chose to continue to the beacon not knowing if anything or anyone would await them to accomplish their goal of finding outside help, rather than return to the settlement where they knew no aid existed.  Their journey was a long one, and now with snow piled high around them their task became much more difficult.  They soon traversed the hilly area and were flushed with hope, only to find a seemingly endless plain they now were tasked to cross.  Sam became filled with doubt that this trip would accomplish anything, beginning to worry that even if they reached the blinking red light in the distance they could find nothing and be stuck miles away from their group without food or supplies.

Almost immediately after this they were faced with yet another challenge, a large frozen lake that stood directly in their path.  Johnny, who had taken the leadership role amongst the group, decided their best bet would be to walk along the bank until they reached a smaller area that they could cross safely.  This moment came and he was the first to attempt to traverse the icy impasse in front of them.  Joyce and Daniel followed all safely making it across, but Sam was more hesitant and claimed he could hear the ice cracking beneath him.  Suddenly, he panicked dropping to his hands and knees adding a good deal of force to the frozen bridge.  Though he quickly regained his stance and began to run, on his final step towards safety the ice broke, pulling him down and trapping his leg under the freezing water.  The others jumped to his aid and were able to pull him out of the river, but he refused any help with the soaking wet appendage and insisted on continuing forward.  He spoke about walking for hours and hours, the pain in his knees, and his continuous falls due to loss of footing along the way.  The group transformed into a tight knit family who, at times, we saw even huddling together, holding each other, in attempt to conserve their body heat.  While Johnny and Joyce have maintained a love interest throughout the show and Sam and Daniel have formed a protective father-son bond, interestingly enough this week we also saw Johnny and Sam, who despised each other when this all began, growing close, almost like brothers, encouraging and helping each other out along this grand journey.  Daniel noticed that Sam was trailing behind and his tough exterior was fading.  Then, with a shocking scene that practically jumped off the television, Sam slipped and fell plummeting down a steep hill that took the audience along with the ride as chaos ensued.  The others ran to help him with Johnny yelling "buddy don't worry, I've got you" exhibiting the bond they now share.  While Sam lay motionless at the bottom of the incline, Johnny worried about a possible head injury as a block of ice lay beneath Sam's skull.  Although Sam maintained he was fine, that he simply hit a soft patch of snow and just needed to lay and rest for a moment, Johnny took action to examine Sam's foot that had been drenched in the ice water earlier.  Upon removing his boot and sock, the crew discovered Sam's foot was frostbitten, which if not taken care of quickly and properly, runs the risk of bacteria spreading into the body with amputation being the only cure.  While Sam once again tried to persevere, he was unable to walk as all feeling had left his foot, he advised the group that their best course of action was to continue on without him and formulate a new plan when they reached the beacon.  Although Johnny attempted to start a fire, Sam began to sound delirious, speaking of the journal and Kulik claiming he had it when it was actually back at the settlement.  Johnny came to the upsetting conclusion that Sam was now dead weight.  He continued by explaining that if they didn't find shelter, when night fell it could become even colder and none of them had any hope at surviving.  Daniel stepped up and offered to stay with Sam, knowing that this decision may very well cost him his life assuring Johnny and Joyce that their only choice was to move on and bring back help in time.  As Johnny and Joyce hurried forward towards the beacon, Daniel did everything he could to help Sam, he packed ice around his body, encouraged him to stay conscious and shiver to keep his body warm.  Just as the situation looked to be helpless, Joyce and Johnny returned claiming they had found shelter not far away.  The carried Sam to a small hut, hidden under trees and snow, where they were finally able to start a fire and aid Sam's frozen body and injured foot as they relished in their accomplishments of the day while wondering about how their companions were doing at the settlement miles away.

Although Neeko, Esther, Miljan, Annie, Irene and Sabina were safe from the elements and any impending doom, their tale for this episode was filled with mysteries, betrayal, outrage and a journey of their own.  They too awoke to a freezing climate in addition to Irene's moans of pain.  While they were perplexed regarding the weather and how it changed from a boiling hot summer to a winter wonderland overnight, they also had another pressing question: where is Sabina?  When Miljan opened the door and witnessed the entire settlement covered in a thick white blanket of snow he exclaimed "Snijeg!".  While I was hoping this would be a clue that he did in fact speak Russian, with a little research I was able to find out that it was the Croatian word for snow, that is commonly used in his home of Montenegro.  Irene continued to decline and it didn't seem like the cold weather was helping her condition, she asked Annie to pray for her and it was revealed that Annie was raised Catholic but with everything that has happened during their short time in Siberia she found herself questioning her faith.  Irene on the other hand was still hopeful and felt that the events that had transpired only strengthened her belief in God.  Neeko and Miljan fetched all the blankets, fur and warm clothing they could from the men's cabin and rushed to cover Irene to keep her warm.  Miljan brought up the controversial subject of killing Irene out of mercy rather than sit and watch her die.  While everyone was shocked and opposed, Neeko stepped up as leader and proposed they stay calm, barricade themselves in the cabin and attempt to keep warm despite the freezing temperature outside as they optimistically await the others return with help.  Miljan had obviously grown tired of Neeko's leadership and gave a sarcastic applause after his speech, taking the stance that the others surely couldn't survive the weather and were likely dead thus not returning for them.  To everyone's surprise, Sabina suddenly returned to the cabin in warm winter gear carrying various supplies in tote.  While outraged at first at the discovery that Sabina had been stealing supplies from both the settlement and the producer's camp and hoarding them in a cave, they eventually came around and decided they would need all the help they could get and everyone was asked to reveal anything they had been hiding for the benefit of the group.  Though they all claimed they had nothing, I feel pretty confident some of them still have hidden items.  Sabina also explained that this was her strategy to play the game, and while I believe her on some levels as she has seemed to soften up and make connections with her fellow competitors, I think that she is amongst the few that aren't being totally open with the others.  Even though Sabina had retrieved a good amount of contraband, the group felt they needed more and as she explained that the producers' camp had additional warm items and other necessities that could help them, they began an excursion of their own.  Neeko, Miljan and Esther embarked on their trek, with Sabina as their guide, to the empty base camp.  Once they arrived, they immediately began scavenging everything that could aid the group, warm clothes, boots and other supplies and while it seemed Esther had stopped her betraying game tactics, when she came across a key chain labeled "Revealer" she didn't hesitate to slip off the metal piece attached and sneak it into her pocket hiding it from the others.  Stocked with gear, they headed back to the settlement.  On their journey home they passed the Ogdy totem pole and while some wanted to study it more, Miljan quickly made a dash while commenting about getting back quickly, still trying to conceal his hidden knowledge.  As soon as they reached the settlement, conveniently Esther had to pee a clear sign that she intended to attempt to open the Revealer herself.  While packing their new gear inside the cabin, beginning to cook some of the food and light up the stove, the muffled sounds of the Revealer was faintly heard throughout the cabin.  They all rushed out and there was Esther acting guilty, piling snow back on to the contraption, as she claimed to have heard it too.  Miljan began hitting it violently with a stick and when Neeko confronted him, ordering him to stop while calling him an idiot, Miljan seemed to have had enough of Neeko's leadership and the group as he furiously stormed away.  Though he first entered the men's cabin, he quickly exited the side door angry and with a determined stride he made a bee-line to Irene.  Grabbing a rope he quickly wrapped it around her neck and began to squeeze, Annie attempted to stop him but he easily threw her off, so she yelled for help alerting the remainder of the group.  Miljan's rage turned on her as he tackled her to the ground and began squeezing her throat with his bare hands.  When the others arrived he claimed that Irene had asked him to do it, but Neeko took ahold of him and threw him outside, with a rage and determination we haven't seen before.  He continued to attack Miljan punch after punch until Sabina was able to pull him off Miljan and tackle Neeko herself.  Neeko's anger was out of control, but he was able to walk away and shake it off.  Miljan returned to the men's cabin where Sabina proceeded to secure him with rope, his face was battered and while she took a firm seat opposite him as to sit guard over the now dangerous competitor he gave off a sinister chuckle like this was all a joke.  The audience has now seen a very different Miljan than the jovial competitor we were introduced to, and I have some theories regarding how and why this change occurred later in the post.  Sabina began to leaf through the mysterious journal, that Miljan now refers to as his, and Miljan responded in a poignant tone telling her not to read his book.  Sabina lunged across the room taking Miljan by the throat and threatening him by saying if he ever touches Irene again, she will kill him.  Meanwhile, Esther accompanied Neeko as he sat atop the toppled Revealer blowing off steam.  Neeko recovered and decided to focus his energy on trying to open the Revealer.  When he was about to give up, Esther suddenly noticed a hole in the top of the contraption and putting on her "actress hat", she acted frantic claiming she recognized the shape and had found a metal piece at the producers' camp that matched it.  She pulled out the key, inserted it and twisted until a click was heard.  They quickly began piling off snow and found a hatch that Neeko was able to pry open.  Immediately the tension melted away as they viewed the variety of items within.  Sabina joined them as they sifted through the items: rice, sleeping pills, Vodka, chocolate, matches, a fire extinguisher and a book entitled "The Idiot" a Dostoyevsky novel about a prince returning home after spending years in an insane asylum.  They toted their new gear to the cabin and poured the vodka on Irene's wound as a disinfectant and amidst Irene's screams of pain Esther offered up the sleeping pills to aid the process when she was rebuffed immediately by Annie who asked if they were for Esther's benefit or Irene's.  Esther seemed hurt by this comment claiming she was only trying to help and I think she began to understand that no matter what she did, the group would never truly except or trust her due to her previous deceptions.  Miljan could be heard screaming from the other cabin complaining he needed warmth, food and water, but no one felt safe or inclined to pay him a visit.  Eventually, Esther volunteered to bring him water after checking with Sabina that the knots were secure and she would be safe.  Upon arrival she attempted to give him a drink and was thanked by him spitting it out in her face.  Though she was about to leave he lured her in, claiming he knew what she had taken from the Revealer and if she didn't want him to tell the remainder of the group she needed to help him.  The obviously deranged Miljan laughed at her and claimed that from now on they were going to be really good friends.

Although Neeko had slipped a bit when his anger got the best of him, he returned to his place as leader and made a speech pointing out that even though they had an impossibly difficult day, they worked together and came out victorious.  He suggested they relish in their accomplishments, rather than their predicaments, and take the night to enjoy what they had done and cherish the good.  They also wondered about their fellow contestants miles away searching for help.  The group shared a drink and a toast, except Esther who claimed she did not drink.  The following morning the contestants awoke to the sunrise of a much warmer day.  Annie, who had taken on the principle care of Irene, immediately went to check on her and to her absolute shock Irene's bunk was empty.  She quickly awoke the others who seemed to come out of a deep sleep and Sabina even commented on the pain in her head.  While Annie didn't believe for a second Irene got up and walked away, the group ran outside and Neeko suggested looking for footprints as they called out to their injured teammate.  Sabina held back and discovered on Esther's cot the bottle of sleeping pills which was now empty.  Outside, Neeko checked the men's cabin, and while we weren't able to see what he discovered, he had a look of astonishment as he exited.  I think it's pretty obvious that Esther drugged her competitors in order to help Miljan kidnap Irene and judging on Sabina's death stare directly at Esther, she knew this as well.  While Neeko's look was one of complete shock, I don't believe he discovered Irene's dead body inside the cabin, rather Miljan missing from the post where he was secured, leaving us with a cliffhanging-can't-wait-till-next-week moment to see how the crew will respond to Esther's betrayal, Irene's kidnapping and Miljan's disappearance leaving us only to theorize which I love to do! 

This week's episode of Siberia was both stressful, watching the cast's struggle with the elements, and outright entertaining as just as the group conquers one obstacle two more pop up in their path.  However, we have seen the contestants transform into a whole as characters' relationships strengthen and their goals align we saw them become more than a team, a family.  Esther and Miljan remain the black sheep of the bunch, as while they too share the same struggle to survive, they both clearly have ulterior motives which separates them from the pact.  New mysteries have emerged and clues to others have surfaced so I'll now share with you some of the facts I found while researching of the area, its people and its history, as well as my views regarding what we witnessed in Siberia's newest episode, "First Snow".  

My ultimate goal is to provide the facts, information picked up throughout the episodes, as well as my research regarding the actual history of the Tunguska Event, Siberia and the Evenki people that is relevant to the show, in one place to keep you thinking.  I am not claiming that this is necessarily what is happening and I often throw out multiple possibilities for you to choose which ones you believe.  I do however have my choice of what I think is going on, normally prefaced by "I think" or "I believe".  I want to round those ideas up, though there is still a few questions I'm keeping open ended as I've not made any finite decisions on these mysteries.  I am happy to state that some of my beliefs have been made more concrete through actual evidence or information from the show, which means I'm on the right track!  I respect all your thoughts and ideas and am open to reconsidering some of my personal conclusions.  Overall, my goal is to try to put all the information out there for you so you don't have to collect it on your own and you can ultimately decide what you like best!  *Note: Everything in Bold are real facts, I follow with my theories connecting to the show.

First I want to do a makeshift glossary of the terms for better understanding:

Ogdy (Agdy) - the Evenki word for "thunder".  Also used to describe the god of thunder as well as the thunderbirds who are made of iron and the flap of their wings cause the thunder sound while lightening shoots out of their fiery eyes.

Khergu - the lower world.  Here is where Ogdy, birds and god, live.  It is also the location of the souls of the shaman or high priests of the Evenki tribes.  Due to the fact they both dwell in this place they maintain a close friendship that is passed on to the descendants of the shaman.

Khargi - evil spirits.  I have seen it in some readings as synonymous with "devil".  The Evenki believe the Khargi actually instruct the shamans.

Magankan - wicked shaman of an Evenki tribe.

I battled with how to lay out the facts in the most simplistic form, but now that we have all the terms straight I'll simply tell the story ethnographer Innokentiy Suslov was told by upwards of ten Evenki tribes about their thoughts regarding what really caused the Tunguska Event, along with their religious beliefs that may explain what's really going on with Miljan.

• There had been tribal feuds between the Evenki people and the shamans began to send evil spirits causing disease to each other.  They then believe that the wicked shaman, named Magankan, called upon the god Ogdy to destroy the neighboring clans and this was the cause of the Tunguska Event, which precipitated the inhabitants of that area to flee in every direction leaving all of their personal items behind.  After this, the other Evenki tribes refused to travel into the area because they believe that only Ogdy could live in the location of Magankan's Evenki tribe. 
• While in my previous posts I have stated that I believe the humans in the woods surrounding the settlement are the "Valleymen" and were responsible for the trap as well as the spear (see: Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind!), I now feel confident they are the Evenki tribe led by the shaman Magankan or their descendants.  The Tunguska Event scared off all other tribes from the area and possibly the original 1908 settlers as well.  Sam also stated in the episode "Out of the Frying Pan" that he too believed this to be the case.  What this information added, was that this tribe was the one that believed to have called upon the god Ogdy and that they are likely a specific sect of Evenki who now continue to worship him, and deal with him, due to his help in past tribal disputes.
• I also mentioned in my last theories post, that possibly they thought by worshipping him they could stop the time loops or that they wanted to harness his power for something more sinister.  I feel extremely confident that they are the Ogdy tribe and are thus worshipping him and asking for his help to destroy their enemies but I'm not sure if they want to stop the time loop, just maintain the power they've had by associating with Ogdy.
• Interestingly, Magankan was rumored to have become embodied by the Khargi, or spirits of the lower world.  To prove this, Magankan had tribal members shoot him and he would catch the bullet after it left his body and present it to them, in addition he had them stab him and exhibited that no wound or blood could be found.
• This brings me back to the cave paintings which showed the beast and tribal members throwing spears at it.  I have to wonder if this evil and all-powerful shaman somehow was effected by the event, possibly through mutation from the actual cause, which strengthened their beliefs.  They saw a shaman who had become one with the Ogdy and possibly they were not attacking him, but rather performing this demonstration that proved he could not be wounded.
• The Evenki believe in three worlds: upper, middle and lower.  While normal tribe members couldn't visit the upper or lower realm the shamans would travel to these places during their rituals.  (Remember the mushrooms?)
• When a shaman died their soul called the "omi" left their body but did not die, it lived on in the world until choosing a new person, normally a descendant that could skip multiple generations, and inhabited their body.
• As stated above, due to both Ogdy and the souls of the shaman living in Khergu they developed a friendship and wicked shaman can use this friendship to call upon Ogdy to destroy groups of people he hates.  (This is important because remember Miljan calls Ogdy his "old friend")
• This leads me to: What's going on with Miljan, and the change in his behavior we have seen over the past few episodes.  We have seen him guided to the journal and to the Ogdy totem pole, somehow knowing his real name.  In addition he seems to be able to understand the journal and has been more inquisitive about the totem pole and Sabina's necklace, as well as carving the compass symbol into his arm.  In the episode "Out of the Frying Pan" we saw him cover the camera in the cabin with Irene inside masking his actions, as well as show us a sinister smile as if he knows just what will happen next.   In this episode, we witnessed him attempting to kill various contestants and kidnap Irene while disappearing into the woods as well as somehow knowing what Esther had taken from the Revealer though he was no where near when it happened.
• I believe that his body has been inhabited by the "omi" of shaman past, possibly Magankan, who is guiding him and changing his personality as he now is able to understand the journal and what is going on around them as well as what is to come more clearly.  This also fits into my theory about the group, or at least some of them, being descendants of Siberia and there for a reason, as the soul of the Evenki shaman only pass into relatives.  If he is in fact inhabited or possessed by Magankan or another wicked shaman, their belief is that the Khargi, or evil spirit, tells them what to do, which is why we see Miljan acting so strangely and doing things that seem out of his character.

I have thought since the beginning that there is some kind of time loop, wormhole, Einstein-Rosen bridge thing going on.  Now we have some concrete evidence from the show in which this theory would explain it all.

• The skeleton with Sabina's necklace, is really Sabina in the future.  In this time disturbance though the contestants are living life in a straight line, i.e. yesterday, today, tomorrow, they don't realize that time around them is not traveling in the same linear fashion.  Imagine if the current Sabina is on the left side of the infinity symbol, and Sabina dead and decomposed is on right, while normally it would be a straight line in-between, due to the fact that this area in constantly in flux they travel in a more twisted fashion and at some point have the ability to meet up in the middle and coexist in the same time.
• The weather.  While I wasn't sure if Joyce's comment in "Out of the Frying Pan" would have any significance, now with the snow in the middle of summer it makes perfect sense with the time disturbance theory.  We see the seasons as Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, but if we go back to the idea that time isn't traveling in a straight line rather a curvy one that crosses over itself and twists back and forth it could easily be Summer and then Winter the next day or even the next minute. 
• With these two clues I feel rather happy with the idea that the original event trapped those who were in the area in this pocket universe where time doesn't run straight and once their descendants returned, the "fire in the sky", Ogdy, meteorite, wormhole, black hole, whatever your explanation of choice is, trapped our current contestants in it as well.  If you think about it, the episode "Fire in the Sky" was when the next "Tunguska Event" occurred, followed immediately by "She Said It" where the producers were found dead.  Similar to the 1908 Tungska Event in which Magankan used his friendship with Ogdy to destroy his enemies, perhaps the current Evenki tribe called upon Ogdy to destroy the producers.

New Questions from "First Snow"

1. What was the decimated area of trees?
• As I explained above, I mislabeled this area in my last post by calling it a "crater", when actually the absence of a crater is part of the mystery behind the Tunguska Event.  Rather it was an area of scorched trees that remained standing in the center, stripped of their branches, while the trees further from the middle were knocked over pointing away from the center, leading scientists to believe that if it was a meteor it exploded in mid-air.  It also could have been a new area, similar to the 1908 event, that was created in connection to the recent "fire in the sky".
  
  
  
2. What caused the helicopter to explode and what happened to the bodies?
• As the helicopter was close in proximity to the scorched trees, whatever was the cause of one likely also caused the other.  Any type of theory, a meteor, a comet, a black hole or a wormhole would have resulted in a tremendous amount of energy that could have obliterated anything nearby.  As for the lack of bodies, I would assume that like the base camp and Miljan kidnapping the injured Irene they were taken by the local Evenki tribe as a sacrifice for the god Ogdy.  
3. Why did it snow?
• Like I explained above, this makes complete sense with a time disturbance, since time isn't running in the straight line we're accustomed to it could easily be summer one moment and winter the next without the usual delay in between.  I don't believe time is accelerated as the skeleton, that I believe to be Sabina's, crossed paths with her current self implying more of a chaotic crossing of different time periods rather than a fast forward of linear time. 
4. Will anything be at the beacon?
• In my research I found that evil spirits, or Khargi, cannot pass over water.  Due to the fact the beacon is on the other side of the lake, I'm inclined to believe that it is possible help can be found.  However, just because the evil spirits around the settlement aren't likely in control of the area near the beacon that doesn't mean anyone or anything else is there.  At this point, I hope their trip wasn't for nothing but what they will or will not find there is still a mystery to me.
5. What did Esther steal from the Revealer?
• I'm not entirely certain when Esther took something as I assumed the horn sounded in response to her inserting the key and we saw her frantically piling snow back onto the contraption, but when Neeko did open the hatch it seemed difficult to pry and was covered with snow like it was untouched.  However, we know that she has something from it as she helped Miljan escape in order for the other contestants not to find out.  While hypothesizing I came across a comment on my last post.  They are right on track with my line of thinking; that if she found something that could aid them she would've shared it with the group.  However, the one thing she has done all of her shady moves for was the money, and I think this is spot on.  It makes perfect sense that the final Revealer horn would blast at the end of their journey, presenting those who remained with their prize.  Great thinking!  
6. Where did Miljan go and what did he do with Irene?
• I believe that immersed with the omi of a past shaman he was directed to the local Evenki tribe with Irene in tote as yet another sacrifice to Ogdy for destroying their enemies.  I believe that after the Tunguska Event this tribe became like a cult-sect of the Evenki people, only inhabiting that area and worshiping Ogdy, an evil god associated with the underworld, in thanks for his continued help.  They are more powerful due to this association and want to keep Ogdy appeased and thus maintain their upper-hand by rewarding him for his help.

Thank You for reading and as always please feel free to comment as I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!  Don't forget to sign the petition in hopes of getting a second season of Siberia here and Tweet @nbc with #SiberiaSeason2 and tell them we want more!  TV that not only engages our eyes but our brains and hearts as well!  DaLadybugMan also has weekly posts and ideas about what's going on that can be found here.  Let's keep the ideas flowing and be sure to tune into Siberia, Monday nights on NBC and check back here for weekly recaps and theories regarding all the strange events.  Enjoy!
 

Resources:

Kryztek, Lee. The Great Siberian Explosion. The Museum of UnNatural Mystery, 1997. 16 Aug. 2013. <http://www.unmuseum.org/siberia.html>

Suslov, Innokentiy. Evenki View of the Tunguska Event. Trans. Joachim Habeck. Comets, Culture, & Currency. 16 Aug. 2013. <http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/evenkiv.html>

Fondahl, Gail. Evenki (Northern Tungus). Encyclopedia of World Cultures, 1996. 16 Aug. 2013. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Evenki.aspx>

Hobden, Heather. Tunguska Event. Cosmic Elk. 16 Aug. 2013. <http://www.cosmicelk.net/Tungusk.htm> 

Siberia Becomes Reality

Siberia is a new hit drama on NBC that originally blended the platforms and social situations of a reality competition with paranormal drama.  In the beginning, we saw a group of people who were dropped into the Siberian wilderness to execute their survival skills along with their abilities to manipulate those around them in order to win a cash prize.  This put a shine on the idea of reality competitions, how far certain personalities would go for monetary gain, while others stayed true to themselves and their morals to work together and help each other survive.  Although throughout the first episodes we saw plenty of action, betrayal and relationships, we were also leaked information implying that all was not as it seemed.  Located in the Tunguska Valley, rich with paranormal history, the cast has now found that they are no longer in an ordinary game.  With strange events at every turn, we have been thrown into the exciting search for answers, the mystery of who else is with them in this remote location and the grim idea that none of them will make it out alive.  While this post is a recap of episode six, "Out of the Frying Pan", I will also include some updated theories based on the information we learned in this episode.  However, I encourage you to take a look at my other Theories posts as well, as they go deeper into the history and the situations from the combined first five episodes.  Without further ado, let's take a look at this week's Siberia!

• We began in the producers' deserted base camp that Carolina (who from here on out will be referred to as Joyce) led Daniel and Johnny to, in hope of finding answers as well as help for Irene who is gravely injured.  Although still in shock from discovering it empty and mangled, they quickly decided to scavenge what supplies they could.  Food, water and production schedules, as well as information on the mushrooms could be seen amongst the wreckage.  Johnny encountered a notebook detailing a storyline in which Joyce pursues him as a love interest that reminded him of her deception and gave the cameras a f-you showing that he is still hurt from the revelation that she is a planted actress.  Suddenly, we heard Joyce screaming in the distance as she discovered large pools of blood, as well as smeared handprints implying that the producers didn't leave willingly, but were attacked by something unknown.  Johnny made a comment about it appearing like someone had been shot.  This might connect to the gun shots Sabina heard in the woods as well as the location of the missing rifle.  If the locals, who I believe to be the "Valleymen" of real lore (see: Theories That Will Blow Your Mind!), have the gun they are likely responsible for the attack on the base camp.  To add to the uneasiness, the group heard banging in a nearby trailer and when Johnny went to investigate, he was attacked by Sabina who apparently had also found the camp independently.  This explains where she has been collecting some of the supplies we saw hidden in her secret cave.  While they didn't come across any medical supplies to aid Irene, they did find a CB radio that Sabina knew how to operate.  Unfortunately, upon trying to send out a distress call, it was revealed that the signal was somehow being jammed and thus they were unable to radio for help.  My question is; whether a person with equipment is responsible for keeping the signal from reaching the outside world, or possibly an electrical frequency caused by the "fire in the sky" or a time disturbance is what's causing the interference.  There was more blood in the trailer, but no bodies were present anywhere in the camp.  Meaning that whatever attacked them removed the bodies, possibly the producers fled after the attack taking the injured with them or maybe even something more paranormal where the crew somehow disappeared.  Feeling endangered, they collected what they could and quickly set out back to Irene and their camp.     
• Meanwhile back at the settlement, Esther, Neeko, Annie and Miljan have assumed that the other group had pushed the red button, gotten Irene to safety and, tricked by Esther's tactic, would not be returning as they crossed the forfeit line.  While Esther defended her actions, claiming that it's a game and she played it well, guaranteeing $100,000 to each of them by eliminating five contestants at once.  However, both Neeko and Annie are appalled by her actions and feel like she cheated, along with the fact that she used someone's life or death situation to manipulate the contestants and also made things harder for them, as with less people it would be more difficult to survive the winter alone.  Miljan, a cutthroat player himself with other mental issues in play, was on Esther's side, agreeing that it's a game and the point is to win, not help each other out.  When the five contestants returned, with Irene in their arms, Esther, Miljan and Neeko are suddenly confused and surprised.  While Neeko and Annie ran to their aid and helped provide Irene with pillows and supplies, Esther and Miljan held back.  Esther realized that her trick had now backfired, as instead of abolishing them from the game, she had made a plethora of new enemies shocked by her tactics and Irene's life was still in jeopardy.  Both Johnny and Joyce verbally accosted Esther and while Joyce used colorful terminology to describe Esther, Johnny replied "We're playing a game? She's [Irene] dying!" making it clear that using someone's life to be victorious was going to far.  In Esther's defense, she believed that by pressing the button Irene would've received the help she needed, in addition to her ultimate goal of eliminating her competition. 
• The group explained what had happened; that the red button was nothing more than a prop, the fact that no one showed up to help them, and their discovery of the abandoned base camp.  Neeko doubted their story initially, as he has always taken the stance that no one is to be totally trusted, especially after Esther's last move, and brushes off all of the strange activity to scare tactics executed by the producers, but when Johnny showed him the supplies they gathered combined with doubt that they would invent this elaborate tale at the risk of Irene's life, I think he begins to come around and starts to have genuine concern as to their current situation.
• After settling Irene in her bunk, the group started to debate what's really going on and what their course of action should be.  Sam made a connection to jamming radio frequencies in times of war, when it was used as a tactic to block signals in order to carry out surprise attacks.  Johnny brought up the major questions of who is doing this and why, which was when the group began to realize there may be more than one "who" affecting their survival.  I think this is an important fact to point out: on one level there are the actions of the producers to create more drama for the show and on another there is the "who" that are connected to the strange events.  Sam believes that the producers are trying to cover up whatever went wrong and decided that the only way to substantiate their claims is for the cameramen to continue shooting in order for the contestants to have some kind of proof.  This helps makes sense of the fact that the cameramen don't bail after finding the base camp in the condition it was and why we still will have footage of whatever happens in the remaining six episodes.
• The Revealer went off!  The horrible foghorn sound interrupted their conversation as the contestants rushed to see what it had in store for them this time.  Johnny pulled out a bag which contained a gas mask.  This caused panic and anger to ensue as there are ten contestants and if a gas mask is needed only one can survive.  Johnny went on a tirade throwing and breaking anything he could get his hands on before attacking the real issue, The Revealer.  With help from Sam they were able to push it onto its side, after which Sabina and Daniel attempted to pry open a door located on the back of the contraption.  Upon opening it, they discovered clock-like gears and a timer which implies that the producers pre-programmed the machine to go off in certain intervals without their presence.  In addition, they located an inscription inside the door written in Russian, Sam translated it to read "Behavior Control Simulator, Test Group C".  While the contestants were all confused, angry and likely scared, they began to wonder about the possibility that they were Test Group C, meaning others had come before them and what was happening was part of some experiment.  I don't believe this is the case.  This is one of the things the production crew did and I think it was a great idea for a reality competition storyline.  They found a box that had a terrifying appearance and was probably originally used in insane asylums, POW camps or even shady science experiments.  They decided to have it transported to the settlement and stock it with various items that would cause drama and help move the storylines along, as each time its horns alarmed the contestants would rush to it and probably fight over the items inside, ensuring some action for the show.  I don't think it is connected to the strange events, just like the red button, it is more of a prop that would strike fear and conflict within the camp.
• With everyone now aware that they are trapped there, with no means of communication and no outside help they debated on whether they should stay and wait for someone to rescue them or leave and try to find a village or a way out of their current predicament.  Without much knowledge of the terrain, or any idea how far or which way civilization may be, they chose to build a large bonfire to create a smoke signal to attract attention to their location.  Strangely, Miljan doesn't take part in the conversation and doesn't seem to have any desire to leave the camp or any concerns about the newly discovered information. 
• The group ventured into the forest to gather large pieces of wood for their signal fire, except Miljan and Sabina who have other ideas in mind.  Sabina trekked to the site of the trap that injured Irene and inspected it thoroughly.  She heard a twig snap nearby and scanned the foliage for life while quickly recovering Irene's bow and arrow for defense.  Back at the settlement, Miljan snuck into the girls cabin where Irene was resting and in an eerie scene he covered the camera with his jacket hiding whatever his actions and motives were.  Sam noticed him leaving the cabin and put him to work on creating the bonfire.  Joyce made a comment on the strange weather, that might be significant if it differs from the norm, but at this point we don't really know.  Daniel apologized for outing her as an actress and they bonded a bit when he admitted that not only did he watch her previous work, but he loved it. 
• Sam located Miljan's secret journal and confronts him about it.  Miljan took off like a bull charging at Sam claiming "it's mine, it belongs to me", almost like he is possessed by his secret finding.  The others ran in to break them up and now they are all aware of Miljan's dirty little secret.  Sam begins to translate the journal that was written by Kulik in 1927, who was one of the real-life scientists that went to investigate the Tunguska event from 1908.  He read "Our guards were frightened by the sight of the abandoned outpost, fearing what they called the 'Valleymen'".  I have been theorizing about these "Valleymen" since the third episode and concluded that they are the mysterious locals in the woods who are responsible for both the trap and the spear (see: Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind).  To my enjoyment, Sam also believes this and shared it with the group.
• As nighttime approached, there was a montage of the group working together to finish the bonfire with Daniel giving a monologue, likely from one of his interviews, regarding the fact that you don't really know someone until a crisis, that he needs to believe that everyone is inherently good and there is some kind of plan in play in the universe.  This highlights the whole basis of the reality competition; how far people would go to win money and actions they take to hide their real personality in a game, but now that they face real life and death situations they have come together as a united front rather than competitors, they have formed real bonds and are looking out for one another.  Just as they began to light the signal fire, Sabina suddenly doused out the flames with a bucket of water.  Obviously having knowledge of the locals and fearing their presence, she explained that if they light this thing, everyone would know there location, friends and enemies.  In addition, they don't know who or what attacked the producers and Sabina took the standpoint that they should barricade themselves in the cabins and gather everything they could to defend themselves rather than advertising their location.
• Irene is fading fast and while Daniel tried to ensure her that help is coming, she could see right through his lies.  Their bond however, is strengthening and Daniel promised to protect her.  We learned more about Daniel's need to ensure that she's okay from a personal story from his past.  While Daniel and a girlfriend were walking home they were jumped by three men, everything in his head screamed "run!" and as an instinct he did.  He later found out that she had been stabbed six times and now wants to prove himself, that he is a good person and aid Irene in her time of need.  However, her wound looks infected and she awoke screaming thinking she was being attacked by someone, it is clear that if they don't get her help soon she will die.
• Neeko questioned the group about the rifle, aware that they might need it to defend themselves sometime soon.  Although everyone denies possessing it, Sabina comes clean about stealing the bullets.  At this point, I feel confident that the locals or "Valleymen" have it as it was placed in the woods, where they could have easily swiped it in addition to the gunshots Sabina heard and Johnny's comment regarding the appearance of someone being shot at the producer's base camp.  Taking some time to reflect with a walk in the woods, Daniel spotted a large pole with a blinking red light in the distance.  He gathered the others to show them and decided he was going to check it out, as I believe he feels as if it is his last hope to save Irene.  While Miljan was adamant about staying, Johnny and Sam chose to embark on the ten mile trek with Daniel at first light.  I believe just as Daniel is motivated to protect Irene, Sam feels the same drive to ensure Daniel's safety.  The three of them packed up and all made farewell messages in case they don't return.  Upon Sam's advice, Esther apologized to Irene explaining that she genuinely thought she would get help, although Irene doesn't absolve Esther, I think that both of them feel a little bit better afterwards.  At the last minute, Joyce decided to travel with them and ran to catch up.  In an eerie scene, Miljan appears as though he knows what will happen next as he pulled up his sleeve and caressed his self-made tattoo of the mysterious compass symbol combined with a sinister smile.  When the four arrived at the beacon they were astonished at what they found.  Rather than help, a village, or outpost, they gazed upon a large crater with the forest decimated around it and are given one more question to add to the list, "Guys, what happened here?".                   

Overall, the reality competition is over and the contestants now face real life and death situations with no hope of a helicopter reigning down on them just when they need it.  The group dynamics have changed drastically as it's no longer a game and they will need to lean on each other to make it through not just the physical and emotional challenges but the paranormal activities around the settlement as well.  We have a group with multiple alpha males, trust issues, and a variety of relationships that must come together in order to survive.  "Out of the Frying Pan" was an episode filled with revelations, but yet again more mysteries to solve and unless they come to an understanding of the site's history and the people who still haunt it today, they won't be able to overcome the hurdles in front of them.  Siberia has now shifted into a fast action drama and captured the viewers in a week to week quest to find out who will survive and what's really going on.  Below, I have some updated theories but after a few more episodes and a little more research, I will post another update post dedicated to the mysteries we all are dying to solve.  Tune into Siberia Mondays on NBC and check back here for weekly recaps, real life facts about the area and more theories regarding what's really going on.  Enjoy!

Theories from "Out of the Frying Pan":

1. What happened to the producers?

• At this point I believe that the "Valleymen" attacked them.  My only question is why did they take the bodies?  My guess is that they believe that the thunder-god Ogdy caused the time-loop, the 1908 Tunguska event and the "fire in the sky".  They likely are sacrificing the bodies in hope to either reverse the time disturbance or harness the power of the god.  As they are beginning to appear more aggressive, I'm going with the latter.  The Tunguska event was the biggest event in Earth's history and to harness that power would make them a powerful force.

2. What is causing the radio to be jammed?

• I don't think the "Valleymen" are in possession or capable of interfering with radio signals as they seem to be quite primitive.  Instead, I think that they are all trapped in a kind of bubble that isn't part of the normal progression of time.  This electric frequency is what is preventing them from contacting the outside world, like a pocket universe they are not technically in the "real world" anymore and thus cannot communicate with it.

3. What is the significance of the inscription inside The Revealer?

• As I mentioned above, I think this is a producer related thing and not something connected to the other strange events.  It is a towering contraption that looks good on television and, as its original use was for behavior modification, would make for good drama.  I don't think they are part of some experiment, just that this was a good prop for use in the reality competition.  

4. What did Miljan do inside the girls cabin?

• Short answer, I don't know.  However, we have seen in the last few episodes that he appears to be guided if not possessed by the journal.  He studies Ogdy more, he seeks out Sabina's necklace, he carves the compass symbol into his arm.  All of this leads me to believe that there was something in there he wanted.  He didn't hurt Irene, so I don't think it was her, but another trinket or important piece relating to the "Valleymen" or the original settlers is at the top of my list.  He also could've done a religious ceremony over Irene which is why she later awakes thinking someone is attacking her, possibly preparing her as a sacrifice.

5. Who are the Valleymen?

• I had found when researching the Tunguska Event in the first episode about this exact expedition trip to collect samples from the event in order to determine if it was a comet, meteor or something else entirely.  The trip was delayed weeks when their local guides refused to go any further in fear of the "Valleymen".  While I had first hypothesized it was the beast, after more information I concluded in my Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind post, that they actually referred to the locals who I thought were responsible for both the trap and the spear.  After this episode I feel comfortable with that hypothesis along with the fact that Sam also shares my thoughts!

6. What was the large crater at the end of the episode?

• I believe that this is the crater from the original Tunguska event. I have a good amount of information on it in both my theories posts (Theories Blown Open & Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind).  Basically the repots say that there was suddenly lights in the sky that resembled a second sun.  When researchers, including Kulik, went to investigate it, they could not come to a consensus on what cause it as it did not have the minerals expected of a comet or a meteor and there was nothing found in the crater as would be the case in a normal earth impact.  They also found ice, which is a phenomenon when space shuttles re-enter the atmosphere and it was reported to look as if it had a wingspan.  This information made me think alien space craft, however that isn't my top pick.  I can't wait to find out more information about the site on the show as I think it will help guide my hypothesis in the right direction.  I am glad that real history has clashed with fake reality as it makes for an incredibly interesting story. 

Thanks for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts as well!  I will respond to all comments, just give me a little time, and would love to theorize, debate and bounce ideas of each other.  My apologies for the time it takes me to get these posts out, but they don't write themselves!  Andrew Koerner does a good recap as well, you can find it here.  Please take a look at my other posts as even the recaps contain theories as to what's really going on and my thoughts about particular scenes as they relate to the bigger picture.  I will be doing some more research and writing a new post dedicated only to Theories after a few more episodes.  Tune into Siberia Mondays on NBC and check back here as there is much more to come!      

Siberia Theories That Will Blow Your Mind!

Throughout the first episodes of Siberia we have slowly been leaked clues about the mysteries underneath the reality competition.  While I have individual posts recapping the events and oddities, I thought it would be a good idea to just lay out what we know and hypothesize regarding what is really going on.  This post is based on all the information we have learned thus far under the assumption you are up to date with the episodes.  If not, I encourage you to check out my other posts where you can easily browse through the events to get the gist of what has happened.  This is an updated post that contains some of my original theories and some that have been slightly revised or added onto due to new clues and facts.  I am a mathematician, particularly a logician, so I accept the premises we have been given as truth and try to find my way to a logical conclusion, but in a fictional show anything goes!  Below I point out the real events of 1908, as well as what we have seen, to try and better understand the story within.  I would love to hear your thoughts, as well as start a dialogue, so please feel free to comment!  Let's check out the questions Siberia has posed so far, enjoy!

1. What are the facts about the real event in 1908?

• While I normally like to base all my theories only on what we see in the show, I made an exception here because this is a real event in Siberian history and with a bit of research I was able to find out a few interesting facts:
1. The "Tunguska Event" happened at 7:15 AM on June 30, 1908; it is the biggest event of its kind in known history.  People observed what looked to be fire in the sky or a "second sun" falling into our atmosphere.
2. While researchers have tried to explain it away as a comet or meteor, no one can seem to come to a consensus as the minerals found and the eyewitness accounts don't quite line up with either theory.
3. Atop that there was no evidence left behind, such as a piece of a meteor or comet like would be expected.  Instead for the days following the event the skies continued to glow which is a phenomenon having to do with ice particles (which were found at the site) that has also been seen when space shuttles enter the earth's atmosphere.
4. The shape of the crater had what is referred to as a "wingspan" resembling a butterfly.
5. To make it even more eerie, when overhead photos were taken of the site, they were ordered to be burned.
6. While theories are all over the place, the strangest was the idea that it was a black hole traveling through Earth, but it was dismissed because there was no evidence it came out the other side.
7. When a science expedition tried to research the site, at a specific point their local guides would go no further in fear of what they referred to as "Valleymen".
• Although I am pretty good with my sciences, I am no meteor, comet or black hole expert but this info did spark a few theories I find to be plausible.
• The original event was an alien space craft.  It would explain why it left no remnants; either because the craft was moved, left earth, or has the ability to cloak itself in order to not be seen.  (I realize that I am talking about a real event and am implying there are actually aliens in the Siberian woods, but I'm going out on a limb in order to theorize what's happening on the fictional show.)
• Due to the fact there was no evidence of a black hole exiting on the other side of Earth, it could possibly have been a wormhole which is believed in fringe science to have the capabilities to transfer objects, people, beasts, etc. through space and time.  I like this theory a bit more because there is no need to explain how a spacecraft left or remained undetected, rather it could be that the wormhole simply transported alien creatures from light-years away to earth and they remain in the Siberian woods.
• This would also explain the more recent events from the show.  For example: how a skeleton containing a duplicate necklace as Sabina's is in the forest.  Possibly the lights in the sky were an effect of the opening of a wormhole that transported the contestants forward in time, or to a parallel universe where Sabina had lived and died already.  It is similar to Battlestar Gallactica when Starbuck returns to earth to find her ship along with her dead body though she was still alive.
• It could also explain what happened to the producers' "base camp".  Upon realization that their contestants had disappeared, they were frightened and quickly fled the site.  This goes along with why there were no longer supplies or a helicopter waiting as the contestants and the cameramen who were with them inside the radius of the wormhole are now in a different time or universe than the producers.  The base camp was not inside the radius so they didn't suffer the effects of the wormhole. 

2. What is the beast in the woods?

• While at first I thought that the unknown beast in the woods could have been formed through science experimentation, which could also explain the mutated frog, DNA manipulation didn't come until around World War II, well after this event.  In addition the cave drawings showing the beast seemed to be from long before that.  (More about both of these are in their own sections below.)
• There is also a chance that the beast is somehow a natural creature.  However, this has a lot of holes in it for me, because it has been around a long time and the cave drawings show a second sun implying the beast is related to the event.  Maybe it was mutated from the event rather than a science experiment and still lurks the Siberian habitat.  While I'm not really feeling this explanation, I suppose it's possible.
• Whether a creation of science or an alien it is clear that this beast is big and strong.  I originally hypothesized that it was an Alien vs. Predator-type situation where they visit Earth, but it has become clear that however they came to be they have been part of the Siberian habitat for thousands of years.  In addition, if they are only visitors we know that at least one got left behind. 
• I don't believe they are predators by nature.  They don't seem interested in attacking the contestants and I'm not sure if Tommy wandered into their area or if they hold the mushrooms to be valuable, as they attacked him right after the fungi was uprooted, implying they were offended in some way.  I think the mushrooms might be a coincidence and am leaning more towards the idea that Tommy wandered into its territory, but overall I believe that the beast was responsible for Tommy's death.  
• It was also interesting that when Daniel and Sabina were being chased by the beast, when they stopped it stopped like its goal was to run them off rather than attack them.  The other big event was the mauled tiger at the end of "Lyin' and Tiger and Bare", that posed the question: why would the beast attack the tiger?  I think that because it obviously didn't eat the tiger and it was practically placed right outside the settlement, it served as the beast's way of warning the contestants not to veer too deep into the woods. 
• In related news, the beast has to eat.  So while I don't think it is interested in attacking the humans, I do think it was responsible for stealing Johnny's deer in the episode "Fire in the Sky" (see: Siberia Gets a Little Stranger) as the animal was completely ripped from the trap and it required something with great strength to do that. 
• This also relates to the deer head decoy in the episode "She Said It" (see: Siberia Gets Good).  As both the decoy and the trap appeared to be human made, it is a safe assumption that the trap was set by the locals (which I discuss later in this post) in an attempt to catch the beast as it hunts the local wildlife.   

3. What happened to the original settlers?

• Even after all this you still have to ask yourself, what happened to the original settlers?  Were they killed by the aliens?  Were they transported back through the worm hole or on the ship?  Were they effected by the event and possibly mutated like the frog?  Are they still there?  I know that last one seems impossible, maybe even improbable, due to the age they must be.  However, if the extraterrestrial event did affect their composition in some way, their lifespan could have been extended.  Plus I don't believe for a second that after a hundred-plus years a bracelet from an original settler would still be just laying in shallow waters (referring to what Sam found in episode 3; see Siberia Gets Into the Thick of It).  Unless the beast also thought it to be a good luck charm and has been wearing it around, could the settlers have been transformed into the beings and Anne held onto it all this time? 
• A much more probable answer that I have concluded from newer episodes is that the event opened a wormhole that transported them through time.  That's why they are still alive now in the woods, and the bracelet was a token of one of these original settlers that was recently lost.
• While at first I thought that the "Valleymen" of local lore referred to the beast, I now am leaning towards the idea that they are actually the original settlers and this is who the cameraman was referring to after Tommy's attack when he repeated "I saw them" in Russian.
• No matter how you slice it, currently I have no real answer to this question; but I do have some concrete theories now that I know more about the original event and I hope you do too.

4. Who are the locals and the child in the woods?

• As mentioned above I believe the locals are the original settlers or possibly other versions of our current contestants, known in folklore as the "Valleymen".
• A few new facts have come to light based on some of your comments and some research as well.
• "Ogdy", the name Miljan gave to the totem pole, wasn't invented by Miljan, it is actually the thunder god of the Evenki people, the original people of the Tunguska area.
• The mysterious compass symbol that Miljan also found and then carved into his arm (see: Siberia Gets Good!) is an ancient Mesopotamian symbol that refers to the sky god Anu.
• These two facts lead me to believe that the settlers are either trying to worship these gods, as they both are related to the sky and thus the event in 1908 and in the episode "Fire in the Sky", in an attempt to set the timeline back, or...
• They believe that the events are brought on by the gods and are attempting to harness their power perhaps for something more sinister.  the locals may protect the beast because they view it as a god and think if they kill it they can harness its power and stop the time loop.
• I also think that they are guarding the beast, possibly in belief that by killing it they can return to their normal timeline or can harness its power as the beasts arrival coincided with the event.
• Regarding the children, I think they are a part of the local tribe.  However the child we saw had a similar appearance to Natalie or even Berglind, one of the first contestants to be eliminated, which makes me think they could have abducted them.  How the locals returned them to their youth is still something I cannot explain.
• I think the locals are responsible for the spear left outside the cabin in the episode "Fire in the Sky" (see: Siberia Gets a Little Stranger), but it begs the question why would they want them to leave?  Possibly since they are aware of the time-shifts they know that if they don't leave before the event they will also be trapped in a different time.  They also could be living the same event over and over which could explain the skeleton with Sabina's locket as it is really her dead body and they are trying to warn them to get out before it happens all over again.
  
  
  
  
  
  

5. Are the contestants wrapped up in this by accident or is there a reason for their presence?

• We can connect Sam's lineage back to Russia because we know that his grandmother is Russian.
• I believe Sabina is there for a reason as she is an Israeli solider which links her heritage to Siberia as well.  She was also aware of the terrain when they first arrived before having time to study it, she showed off this knowledge once again by being able to find the gun (presumably) before the others and she was able to locate the cave to stash her gear.  The necklace also seems like an eerie connection to the land and the fact that it was connected to a skeleton, suggests the body is Sabina's and the contestants have been transported through time.
• I can't get over the coincidence that Sam's bracelet is engraved with the name Anne and we have a character named Annie, this could be a family name which would also tie her back to Siberia.
• Miljan gets "guided" and finds the food shed, totem pole and journal.  I think the totem pole is of more importance than his make believe companion and old friend  and we see him studying it and also trying to keep it a secret.  The journal seems to be leading him to Sabina's locket and the other odd findings in the woods.  Whether they have all been there before and this is some type of reincarnation of his ancestors guiding him it definitely appears as though he too has a connection to the area. 
• Although I was sold on the descendant/relative angle, I'm now starting to wonder if this is just a big time loop and if they don't get out they are destined to have the same fate.  The contestants are modern people living in the modern world though, so descendants isn't out of the question as they clearly aren't the original settlers.  However, if the event causes a displacement of time, maybe they are descendants of the settlers, but the locals are really other versions of themselves trying to keep their new selves from repeating their past.  Complicated!

6. What do the cave drawings represent and why are they important?

   • If I continue with my axiom that the original event, as well as the beast, is extraterrestrial in nature, rather than man-made, then I would have to account for its presence before the 1908 event.  What I originally discounted as a sun, upon repeat views I noticed there is a sun as well as a large spiral in the cave drawings that reminds me of the wormholes in the series Sliders.  This could easily have been the ancient peoples' way of depicting either a spaceship, that the 1908 reports described as a "second sun", or my leading theory, a wormhole.  This means that the beast is an alien in the woods and has come to Earth before 1908.  The drawings themselves didn't really seem that cryptic to me, it showed early humans using spears to kill the beast and, if you look closely, the being seems to have a weapon of its own in hand.  Thus our beloved cast might not just be up against aliens, wormholes, and a superior being but enhanced weaponry as well.  The description I used in my blog for that episode(see Siberia Goes Deeper into the Woods) was an Anubis-looking creature, similar to human in form, with two-pronged feet (which matches the tracks found in the woods near Tommy's death site), three-pronged hands and a hooded cobra-like head.  I think the important thing to take from the drawing is simply that Siberians have been fighting whatever "it" is for thousands of years.
   

7. What secrets can be deduced from the mutated frog?

• In the first episode Daniel found a frog with an extra leg.  While this could be nothing, as this has happened before in nature, I don't think the show would include it if it wasn't important.  My first thoughts were that it had to do with the unknown presence in the woods.  Possibly that the beast is a mutated human and the same thing caused malformations in the frog.  While I'm not totally sure (now that I am leaning towards wormhole aliens, rather than science experiment gone wrong) it is plausible that the Tunguska event caused the mutation as high concentrations of various elements were deposited and the mutated frog isn't related to the beast.

8. Who is Sabina and what is the significance of her necklace? (and yes I think she has the gun)

• In the premiere episode she beat the fastest men and was able to reach the settlement before everyone.  To me this implies that she is familiar with the terrain and likely has a different motive than the others for being in Siberia.
• If she has more knowledge of their habitat then my supposition would be that she was able to make it to the gun before the others.
• Daniel found her in a hidden cave, in which she warned him not to enter claiming there is a drop-off and it is dangerous.  Again with her knowledge of the area this is probably her home base where she is plotting her course of action.  If she did steal the gun and bullets, this is probably where she has hidden them.
• Finally since Siberia was where Jewish prisoners were sent in the 1900's and she is an Israeli soldier, I believe Sabina could be Mossad, the CIA of Israel, who sends its members on various missions.  With her familiarity of the terrain and obvious secrecy, I think her goal is related to the beast; whether it is to track and contain it or possibly destroy the being altogether.
• We also have come to the realization that her necklace holds a special place in her heart and inside the locket is a picture of a young boy, possibly her son.
• When she came across the skeleton with an identical necklace, I couldn't help but come to the conclusion that the body was hers and they are now trapped in the time loop I have mentioned before.  There is also a possibility that someone else shared the same necklace, like her husband and the picture inside is her child.  This could explain her ulterior motives on the show, to find a lost relative.  Upon discovery of the body with the locket, she realized who she was searching for had died.  However I believe it is more probable that it is her skeleton.
  
  

9. What is the importance of Victoria's vision and the mushrooms?

• You had to pay close attention in the first episode to grab the line Sam read from the Revealer's paper concerning the mushrooms.  It said that they were used for rituals by the original settlers, for this reason I think they hold important value.  Depending on what happened to the settlers they may still be important to them or to the beast.
• I assume if you're reading this you know what happened with Esther, Victoria and mushrooms, if you need a recap check out Siberia Goes Deeper into the Woods.  Anyhow, Victoria ate the uncooked fungi and had a "trip" of epic proportions.  While she was obviously agitated and delirious she mentioned butterflies, the sky being green and on fire, and "you're all dead".  It became clear when Victoria chose to leave that she believed the mushrooms have the ability to show the consumer the future and what will happen next to the contestants was too grim for her to stay.  Perhaps another member of the group will also attempt to eat the uncooked mushrooms and get a glimpse into their future in order to help save them all!
• What was most interesting about her vision was the prophecy that they all would die.  If they don't travel into the "Valleymen's" territory they should be fine, right?  Perhaps something more sinister is about to happen (like in Alien vs. Predator the Predators came every so often to hunt the Aliens and show their superiority) such as another event in which the wormhole reappears and the beasts hunt the human settlers and what happened in 1908 will repeat itself.  Who knows if the contestants are descendants, maybe there will be a House on Haunted Hill moment where only one contestant survives because they are adopted!  I am not sure about the butterflies and the only thing that strikes me is that the Tunguska Event crater was described as butterfly-like in shape.  
• We see her prophecy begin to take shape in the episode "Fire in the Sky" (see: Siberia Gets a Little Stranger).  While the green and fire portion has come to fruition, her comment on "you're all going to die" has yet to be fulfilled.  We must ask ourselves that if they are in a time loop, and in past tries they have all failed, will this time be different?  Will they be able to use the memories of their "past" lives (as we presumably have already seen happening with Miljan) to change their fate and survive it all?  I believe so.  I think the fact that Miljan has already shown signs of remembrance that they are a step ahead but I will go into that further below.  

10. How many of the eerie events are created by the producers, and how many are something else entirely?

• The appearance and disappearance of the tiger as well as the deer ripped from its trap, I believe the tiger was a warning from the beast in the woods, while I now think the spear was left by the locals.  However we have to scrutinize the clues and guess whether the noises, movement and people seen in the wilderness are props executed by production to scare the contestants or from the unknown presence that haunts the Tunguska area.
• Now that the producers are no longer around, we can basically cut out this question because everything from here on out is some freaky sci-fi action!

11. What happened to the producers?

• Like I've mentioned above, I am really starting to believe that the contestants have been transported, due to the event and the wormhole, to a different time or parallel universe.  This means that the producers were most likely not attacked but rather upon the disappearance of the cast they fled the area and what remains are the supplies they left behind when they cleared out quickly and frightened.
• It is possible however, that they were abducted by the locals or attacked by the beast however, the latter is less plausible as I didn't notice any bodies or blood and I believe they were outside the territory of the beast.  If they were abducted by the locals we have to ask why and at this point I don't have any plausible answer for that.

12. Did Natalie really leave?

• By no means do I think she just got up and left in the middle of the night.  Her resemblance to the child makes me think that the locals abducted her but I'm not sure how to explain them transforming her into a child.  It's possible that the child is someone else and Natalie was still abducted but I just don't believe in a coincidence that big. 
• As I went over in Siberia Gets Good! Natalie seemed more interested than ever in staying due to her relationship with Annie progressing.  This doesn't line up, nor does she seem the type, to just leave without really any goodbye.
• Personally, I think that Natalie, in a trace like state from memories of a past life, left the camp voluntarily to join the mysterious locals in the woods. Possibly, Miljan was involved in her leave as we have also seen him have breakthroughs from a previous existence.

13. What's going on with Miljan and what is the importance of his journal?

• Throughout the show we have seen Miljan go from the fun jokester, to a little bit off, to completely removed from the group and suddenly interested in everything in their environment.  This change seemed to coincide with the journal.
• While I don't think he can read it, we know it has pictures and this could explain his piqued interest in Ogdy and Sabina's necklace.
• However, I believe that since the contestants are stuck in this time loop parts of his memory from living this all before have started to seep through.  This explains why he instinctively named the totem pole Ogdy, who is a real Evenski god. 
• If they also have a connection to the original settlers, that knowledge may also be seeping through and he is able to translate the journal even though his current embodiment doesn't speak Russian.
• In addition he appears to be guided by something as he found the food shed, the mysterious symbol, Ogdy and the journal.  This could be a connection to the original settlers, memories of his past life seeping through or possibly even both!
• The journal is obviously important and it seems to be from an original settler, possibly Miljan in a past life.  It likely contains clues as to what happened in 1908 as well as the significance of the things around them.  It also seems to have changed Miljan, possibly a type of possession by the original settler which is why his character differs and he is able to realize the significance of Ogdy and the compass symbol (both sky gods).
  
  
  

     ✓ What is Carolina hiding?

• She is the only cast member who doesn't use her real name.
• Daniel mentioned in the first episode that she was familiar.
• This one stumps me.  However while she may be lying about who she is, I don't think that it has any relevance to the big mysteries that surround the show.
• Conclusion: Carolina is an actress, put in the show by the producers to stir up trouble amongst the group. (Revealed in "Fire in the Sky"; see Siberia Gets a Little Stranger)

     ✓ What is the significance of the symbol that appears in credits?

• First off, for it to be in the credits of every episode must mean it has important significance.  To me it looks like a compass rose and at first glance I thought the arrows pointed outward like a signal to guide safe passage.  However, the triangles are actually inverted so I think it could be a way of marking the beast's territory.  It probably wasn't a good idea for whomever carved it as it could mean this way is safe, or this way marks death.  I personally prefer the latter as an arrow was a fairly primitive drawing and they must have inverted it for a reason.  We will just have to wait and see if it's marking dangerous areas, a safe passageway or something else entirely!
• As I also mentioned above, the symbol corresponds to the Mesopotamian carvings that represent Anu, the sky god.  This leads me to believe that the locals are worshiping the gods that represent sky and thunder in hope that they can escape the time loop they have been caught in due to the event.
• Conclusion: In the episode "Fire in the Sky", Miljan finds the symbol carved on a series of trees, which did turn out to be a compass, that eventually leads him to the hidden journal.  This journal appears to have been written by one of the 1908 settlers in Russian.  I suppose the carvings were a map to help them remember where the journal was hidden.  But it raises a new question: What secrets are contained in these writings that were stashed away for safe keeping?  As well as: Are there more of these symbols and do they lead the way to safe passage or mark the areas of danger? 
• Either way we still haven't fully discovered the importance of the symbol or the journal.  In the episode "She Said It" we saw Miljan carve the compass drawing into his arm, claiming he doesn't want to forget this day.  Maybe the locals or the original settlers believed that by worshipping the sky gods they would protect them and this is why Miljan carves it into his arm.  It is clearly significant and while we have found some answers, there are still more to be uncovered.

 
So what do I ultimately think about the mysteries of Siberia?

• The event is the effects of a wormhole opening into the Siberian wilderness. 
• The aliens come through this wormhole, but why the wormhole keeps appearing and how many beings stay is still unclear.
• The beast is not normally predatory unless it feels threatened or someone wanders into its territory.
• The ancient humans as well as the settlers tried to attack the beast as shown on the cave drawings and inferred by the trap we saw in the episode "She Said It".  They believe that because the beast appeared during the event it is connected to the time loop they are captured in.  Possibly by destroying it they hope to break the cycle and free themselves.
• I believe the 1908 settlers may have some relation to the contestants there now.
• Sabina is a Mossad solider with ulterior motives.
• The mutated frog is an effect from the change in normal elemental levels in its habitat caused by the 1908 event.
• Since I don't recall ever seeing the mysterious symbol in the show, other than in the credits, it could be the contestants, I pick Carolina, who carves it marking the areas in which the beast has been seen.  Miljan found the strange carving in the episode "Fire in the Sky".  Due to its apparent age and the old journal found at the end of the map, the symbols were likely carved by an original settler as a path to their hidden writings.  However, I believe this affirms that it is a map and can still be used in other places to mark out a safe, or dangerous, passageway as well as provide protection because of its connection to the sky god. 
• The mushrooms give the consumer the power to see the future, but what every time-traveling show has taught me, the events in these visions can be changed.  I think it would be a good idea for someone else to try them out and rather than bail, like Victoria, use their vision to help them survive.
• I think that the contestants are trapped in a time loop where they are living the same event over and over.  The disturbance in time is caused by the wormhole and the beast is also a creation of the event.
• The original settlers worshipped the sky god Anu (depicted by the symbol) and the thunder god Ogdy (carved onto the totem pole) in hope to break the cycle as the time loop corresponds to the "fire in the sky".
• Miljan is beginning to have memories seep through from his past life in the time loop and the contestants may be able to break the cycle if they follow the clues left by their previous selves.

I hope this was easy to read as conspiracy theories twist in and out everywhere and without the full story this is all just observations, research and hypotheses.  I will be uploading a poll with a good amount of choices so you can vote on what you think is really going on, so be sure to check back for that.  I would love to hear your thoughts and comments so please share, I will reply to all comments but it takes me a few days!  Stay tuned to Siberia Mondays on NBC, and check back here for full recaps, reviews, predictions and updates to my theories!   

References

Anu. (2013, August 5). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:18, August 8, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anu&oldid=567194539

Siberia. (2013, July 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:57, July 21, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siberia&oldid=564991792

Tunguska. (2013, February 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 07:59, July 21, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tunguska&oldid=539818671