Why does the Newspaper Fairy call on Gary to save Crumb in Idaho? "Crumb Again". Aside from the V.I. Lenin nuclear power plant and the Space
Shuttle, I think everything has been in Chicago. The obvious answer is that the Newspaper Fairy has a use for Crumb. Certain violent or legal situations
are best dealt with by a former policeman or at least someone with a firearm; for example "When and Where". The Fairy seems to not only know the
future and inform Gary on a "need to know" basis, but manipulates others as well, such as the guy whom Patrick causes to lose his job and apartment in
"Just One of Those Things". Apparently Gary will be unable to stop the truck with the dying girl. The Newspaper Fairy cannot stop this, but is able to
manipulate another into a position where he can assist Gary; and he is rewarded for his effort. In "The Quality Of Mercy" it is apparently necessary for
the rescuer to die; he must hold the rails apart while the children escape and is struck by a train. This however brings up the subject of the Newspaper
Fairy making a judgement. Is this person punished for his crimes after validating himself by the rescue? Is it necessary to die because of the situation, or
is this a decision made by the Fairy? The Fairy also seems to reward Lucious Snow, sending Gary to cause Snow's lover to seek medical treatment (The
Cat). Gary is rewarded in being given a necessary number of chances to save Marissa in "Run, Gary, Run.", although this may not be strictly altruism
on the part of the Newspaper Fairy; Marissa is part of the Star Trek Like Advisors that she and Chuck provide. Rather than the "Human thing" and the
"Logical Thing" Marissa and Chick provide the Freudian Id and Ego to Gary's Super Ego in the decision making process. Another interesting if
unanswerable question is "Who or What is the Newspaper Fairy?" I have used the term Fairy in this essay as suggested by Chuck, but Marissa believes
that the paper comes from "God or at least someplace good." My thought is that the Cat is the Newspaper Fairy, or at least one of the avatars that he or
she takes on, the "Cat colored Hair Woman" who reads the paper to Marissa so that she can save Gary, Chuck and Crunb off the boat being another. As
a digression, was that not a cool scene, Marissa coming to the rescue with the authorities in a speed boat? I do not beileve the Cat to be an agent of the
Fairy, but rather a personification of the Newspaper Fairy. I welcome debate on this issue. In addition to knowing the future, the Fairy also seems
capable sending Gary back into time; "Everybody Goes To Ricks", "A Hot Time In The Old Town" and "Run, Gary, Run". There is also the question
of Lucious Snow who speaks to Gary at least twice to my knowledge. In "Time" we see Snow but no one else does. Is he time traveling via the NF? A
gift to a "good and faithful servant" to show him that the future is in good hands? My last question concerns Hobson's visions. "Halloween", "Teen
Angels" and "The Choice" come to mind. Is he actually seeing into the future? an find one way or the other is "The Choice"...he "sees" the aircraft
explode, when it does not, for the pilot is the Father of the child Hobson elected to save.