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Why would I ever want to change if I'm always right?! |
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| —Simon, “The New Apex” | ||
Simon Laurent was a passenger aboard the Infinity Train. His notable presence is established as the second-in-command of a former raider group: The Apex. He was one of the secondary antagonists of Book Two, and initially one of the co-protagonists of Book Three before gradually becoming its main antagonist. His number exponentially grew throughout Book Three, eventually becoming the highest value ever seen. Shortly afterwards, he was killed by a Gohm.
Appearance[]
Simon was a young man with long, pale blonde hair tied into a ponytail and short beard on his chin and left leg. Like all members of the Apex, he had a red "wavelength" line across his face.
He wore a white sweatshirt over a gray tank top, a black wristband on his right arm, and beige jeans with the left lower jeans ripped off at the knee. He also wore gray-green knee pads and matching boots with special attachments that allow him to run on vertical surfaces, as well as the ability to electrocute with those boots.
In "The Debutante Ball Car", his formal attire consists of a simple black tailcoat that he simply wears over his usual outfit.
When he briefly takes control of the Apex in the episode "The New Apex", Simon changes his look. He undoes his ponytail and removes his white sweatshirt, now wearing a red army jacket over his usual gray tank top.
Personality[]
When Simon is first introduced in Book 2, he is shown as being fun-loving and a capable co-leader to the Apex with Grace, showing hospitality to Jesse as a potential new recruit. When M.T. confronts him after members of the Apex try to stable Alan Dracula, however, he quickly shows a much colder side, hinting at a deep-seated hatred of denizens, before ordering members of the Apex to wheel her and Alan Dracula when the two refused to leave the mall car without Jesse. When Jesse is sent back home, he declares Jesse was weak for leaving the train, a clear demonstration of his belief in numbers as power.
Book 3 expands upon Simon's personality: from the beginning, Simon is shown as logical and factual in solving or addressing any problems, undercut by clear anxiety over how his solutions are received. He is also deeply traumatized by the encounter with the ghom and the Cat (Samantha) abandoning him in his youth, which affects nearly every aspect of his personality: he fears abandonment and is paranoid about being betrayed, particularly by denizens. Though his friendship with Grace is shown as genuine, the circumstances under which it began and developed contributed negatively to his personality: Grace's impulsive claim that having a high number is good contributed to Simon's belief in the numbers as power, and the destructive tendencies of the Apex only pushed his belief that denizens were not even people worthy of his sympathy, which reaches its first extreme when he sadistically kills Tuba.
Underlying this is a deep emotional immaturity where Simon is incapable of recognizing when he is wrong and (violently) tries to adhere to the status quo in his life. When his belief in the denizens' lack of humanity is challenged in his interactions with Tuba, he responds by killing her so his belief can be preserved. When Amelia challenges his belief on how the train works, he throws what amounts to a temper tantrum, accusing her of being a liar, resorting to attempts at physical violence when Amelia reiterates that he is wrong. When Grace comes to realize the truth of the train, Simon rejects her to the point he has her labelled a "void" to rationalize wheeling her like he would a denizen "null".
By the time of his death, Simon's combined trauma, paranoia, and emotional immaturity made him completely incapable of seeing reason, resorting to shouting over Grace when she tried to tell the Apex the truth about the train, and insisting that he is "always right" in his fight with her. Even when Grace makes the choice to save him when he nearly falls of the train, Simon uses the opportunity to try to kill her, an action that he briefly cries at only to cover any sorrow with maniacal laughter. These events ultimately lead to his death: had he (like Grace) accepted the possibility that denizens were actual living beings, had he accepted he was wrong about the train, and most importantly, had he accepted Grace's choice to save him, Simon may have found himself on the path to getting his number to zero and leaving the train. But his trauma, his lack of empathy, and his inability to accept he was wrong all led him directly into the path of a Ghom, ironically leading to his death at the hands of the very thing that caused him his original trauma.
History[]
To read all the appearances of Simon visit the synopsis article.
Early Life[]
Very little information is known about Simon's life before the train, thus it is difficult to pinpoint why he ended up on the train in the first place. The only clues about his past are references to his mother being responsible for his clothing and his knowledge of how funerals work, suggesting he at the very least attended one.
As a Passenger[]
Simon boarded on the train when he was 10 years old, with his number relatively low in the fifties (presumed with not much change). On board, he met The Cat, also known as Samantha, and the two traveled together. When Simon and Samantha were being hunted down by a Ghom, Samantha ran into a small pathway, unaware that Simon could not fit through and follow. Before the Ghom could harm Simon, a girl of the same age named Grace sprung from the bushes to his rescue and escaped with him. The event of Samantha abandoning him, coupled with being "kidnapped" from his family in an unknown world of predatory creatures, was what severely impacted his mental health that drastically worsened in Book 3.
As a Deputy[]
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Legacy[]
Simon's death and the circumstances leading to it left a profound effect on Grace and the Apex. Grace officially dissolved The Apex and renounced its entire philosophy, declaring it was wrong of her and Simon to force its philosophy on them, and that they should now focus on getting their numbers down.
Relationships[]
This category acts as a summary for the relationship dynamic between this article's character and other characters, less so the history of interactions between two characters.
Grace[]
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Samantha[]
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Hazel[]
Simon first saw Hazel as a potential recruit for the Apex and sought to separate her from Tuba the "Null." Simon was protective of Hazel when she got near The Cat and was very adamant that the latter stay away from Hazel, perhaps worried that The Cat would hurt Hazel like she hurt him. [2] He later described The Cat to Hazel, as "my Tuba" when revealing his traumatic past with The Cat.
Simon was continually confused by Hazel's sadness over Tuba's murder due to his beliefs that nulls are evil and treacherous, though he made a few ill conceived attempts to connect with her such as promising to name a character in his novel after her.
After Hazel was revealed as a null, Simon lost interest in connecting with Hazel, likely believing this was why Hazel was mourning Tuba and wouldn't connect with him. After this revelation, Simon was very insistent that he and Grace give Hazel to Amelia. Simon was pleased when Amelia said Hazel was "worth studying" and would be taken along with her. When Hazel left with Amelia, Simon didn't bother to look back.
Tuba[]
At the beginning of Book 3, Simon acts coldly and distrustful towards Tuba, considering that she was a Null. He and Grace initially attempted to kill Tuba to separate her from Hazel, but found they couldn't physically overcome the powerful gorilla.
The only reason Simon let Tuba stay around was because of Grace’s reasoning that they'd kill Tuba later, and Hazel’s trust in her. He seemed particularly incensed at Tuba after reuniting with Samantha in The Cat's car, possibly due to the meeting with The Cat reigniting old wounds.
Tuba and Simon would have to work together to find the key, and after a rocky start, both were able to find it together. When talking about Tuba’s deceased daughter, Bugle, Simon seemed to feel genuine interest in Tuba. However this would not last, as after Simon gained Tuba’s trust and saw her hanging on a ledge, he killed her by kicking her to to the wheel.
The Apex[]
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Amelia[]
As part of The Apex's ideologies, Simon believes that the true conductor was a giant mechanical monster with a red wavelength for a face. To Simon, the "true" conductor was a god-like being that was usurped by One-One. He is faithful to this belief despite never seeing the "true" conductor himself, trusting The Apex leader and his long time friend, Grace's word for it.
When Simon first met Amelia along with Grace and Hazel in the Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car he was unaware she was the conductor he had worshiped for eight years. Initially, Simon does not take Amelia seriously, internally questioning all she had said during her interrogation. He becomes more interested in Amelia's perspective after learning she had a higher number than him. Fascinated by her alleged power, Simon is the first to suggest they stay during her integration when Grace orders for them to escape. He reluctantly complies with Grace when he is reminded of The Apex's rule of not trusting adults.
His stance on Amelia changes after going back to the Cabin Car for Samantha's advice. Samantha advises Simon to avoid the old British lady at all costs for being dangerous, forgetting to explain why. From then on Simon reacts negatively towards seeing Amelia. He aggressively dismisses and argues against all of Amelia's claims of the true purpose of numbers, accusing her of either not being the "true conductor" or having "lost her way", as well as "brainwashing" Grace whilst he was gone. Amelia strengthens Simon's hatred by pointing out his stubbornness and obsession of being right. To her Simon's actions strengthen her dislike of children and child-like people.
Jesse[]
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Lake and Alan Dracula[]
When Grace went with Jesse to explain to him the ideology of the Apex and unreliability of Nulls, she left Simon to deal with Lake and Alan Dracula. At first Simon tried to make Lake and Alan into servants of the Apex under the Apex reasoning that nulls were only as good as they were useful.
When Lake confronted Simon over the Apex's treatment of Alan, Simon demanded she and Alan leave the Mall car without Jesse, claiming they can't help him like the Apex can. Simon acted surprised when the two denizens refused to leave without Jesse, and subsequently attempted to have them wheeled. When Grace returned with Jesse, Simon looked embarrassed that he hadn't gotten rid of the two Nulls before their arrival.
One-One[]
Simon is a strong follower of the Apex's beliefs and thus believes One-One is the "false conductor" who usurped the "True conductor", also believing that the videos added to the Passenger Transportation Pods are mere propaganda.
Despite his beliefs about One-One, Simon was briefly interested in working with Amelia to figure out Grace's lowering number despite knowing she was working with One-One, however he changed his mind after a talk with The Cat.
Behind the scenes[]
Simon's role in Book Three is regarded by the fandom and by the writers as a tragic villain in the classical sense, such as in Greek tragedy plays. In a traditional tragedy, the protagonist goes through a series of events that lead to sorrow, and—potentially—their downfall, with the key point being the character makes the choices that lead to this downfall. Book Three is characterized by the shows' writers as a tragedy (see below): both Simon and Grace begin the season more or less in the same position with regards to their philosophy of the world and understanding of how the train works, but are given multiple chances over the course of their journey to learn more about the train and why their way of life is wrong. But where Grace accepts these changes and therefore becomes a better person, Simon violently rejects the chance to change, holding to his views and refusing to accept the possibility he is wrong about the train. This ultimately leads to his downfall.
Writer's comments[]
Nonetheless, Simon has earned a reputation as one of the more controversial characters on Infinity Train, due to the manner of his death and his complicated motives. This has led multiple members of the staff to comment on the process of writing him and the reasons for his tragic ending.
Lindsay Katai[]
- "Oh Simon. Simon is a clinical narcissist. He absolutely can’t stand to be wrong, so he rewrites everything in his mind. “I’m always right, therefore everyone who disagrees with me is wrong. And if I’m always right, literally all my actions are justified.” But clinical narcissists are also very caring, provided you live by their rules. If physically abusive, they’re the type who say, “Why do you make me hit you?” Like in "The Origami Car," [Alex Horab] has him saying, “You made me do this. I liked what we had.” Or in "The New Apex" by [Justin Michael], he says, “Why would I want to change when I’m always right?” It’s just the saddest thing. If you don’t think you need help and you’re always right, how can you ever get better? That’s why Simon dies. Needing to be right is a cancer."[3]
- You think Simon’s story and death is sad [because] that was what we intended. Simon isn’t a black and white character. We did that on purpose. No one should feel victorious. It’s not that kind of ending." [4]
Owen Dennis[]
- "The third season of Infinity Train is a tragedy. When we were finished writing it, it felt like the stories went where they should go. They felt like they had appropriate endings, but I think people sometimes think that the ending was supposed to be a big happy uplifting ending because that’s what most things are. It’s not. When I watch that season, I don’t feel good by the end, I feel kinda sad. It sucks. That whole season is a series of tragedies with a sliiiight uplift at the end that things will probably get better. Overall however, everyone’s relationship fell apart, friends abandoned friends, distrust was sewn, people died, all kinds of horrible stuff happened. Season one was a mystery, season two was an adventure, season three was a tragedy."[5]
Alex Horab[]
- Horab states in the Book 2 DVD commentary that it is much easier to write characters off when they are "full on monsters": seeing the human aspects of the characters makes them more complex and, in turn, more upsetting. He cites a scene he wrote in "The Mall Car" where Simon is painting model figures as an example of this: Simon is delicate and artistic, yet still somehow controlling. As Horab puts it, "Control isn't just always big, powerful things."[6]
Trivia[]
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Simon and Grace hugging in a cabin.
- Simon is one of few Infinity Train villains that successfully kills off a major character, he is also the one to start out as a protagonist.
- At numerous points, Simon was shown blushing when Grace is near him or touching him, suggesting he once had a crush on her. The two also frequently acted intimately around each other and Owen Dennis said on twitter that "they've had a history" when asked if they are a couple on twitter. [7] A deleted scene from "The Origami Car" shows a young Simon and Grace sharing an "awkward middle school...kiss" which Grace laughs off and Simon pretends he did not like. Whether or not this scene is actually canon is unknown.[8]
- He is the first known passenger to be successfully hunted down by a Gohm.
- He is also the first seen passenger to die and thus can never leave the train.
- At the time of his death, he had the highest number ever seen on the train. Unlike Amelia, whose number stopped at her neck, Simon's number was so high that the digits extended onto his forehead.
- If one examines the relationship between Simon and Grace, it resembles a codependent relationship, with Simon being desperate for guidance and young Grace being desperate for someone to look up to her. As a result of this, the two become unhealthily reliant on the other and act as enablers.
- Owen Dennis claimed on Twitter that Simon got on the train because he failed a spelling bee (Dennis is known for making non-canon statements as jokes on his Twitter and in the same post claimed the train was a reality TV show for Aliens, so take this statement with a grain of salt).
- Simon was writing a fantasy novel in his spare time, called The Esmoroth TRILOGY. The trilogy was left unfinished due to the author's premature death not much later after he had finished the first book.
- A deleted scene in "The Color Clock Car" mentioned another fantasy novel by Simon called Shadow of the Loamflox that Grace was reading.
- Simon and Grace are the only passenger protagonists whose hometown and country of origin are never referenced in-canon. From a writing standpoint, this has to do with their attempt to separate themselves from life before the train. In a January 25, 2023 Instagram AMA, Owen Dennis stated from his memory that Grace is from Washington, D.C. while Simon is from either Ohio or Louisiana.[9] Dennis has gone on-record that any extratextual statements he makes should not be considered canon; however, the French origins of Simon's last name "Laurent" would make sense for Louisiana, which has a significant population of people descended from French settlers.
- If it is Ohio, there are French people there too.
Gallery[]
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References[]
- ↑ Confirmed by Owen Dennis in the Book 3 Reddit AMA.
- ↑ If you talk to her again, I'll...|Le Chat Chalet Car
- ↑ Tweet thread by Lindsay Katai.
- ↑ Tweet thread by Lindsay Katai.
- ↑ The Ethics of Fiction: Infinity Train
- ↑ Book 2 DVD Commentary: "The Mall Car"
- ↑ screencap of the twiter comment.
- ↑ Ryann Shannon tweet.
- ↑ Owen Dennis' Instagram AMA archived on Reddit (3/8).
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