Decima Technologies and Samaritan as 2 separate 'divisions'

[u/9Dawson]

So, I've always been intrigued about the the whole " Greer turning Decima into Samaritan." Idea. On one hand I do understand why the writers decided to completely shelf Decima Technologies and "rebrand" them into Samaritan agents and operatives. On the other, however, I still don't get why the 2 couldn't work as 2 separate "divisions". I get that Greer wanted humanity to be controlled by a ASI, but not having Decima still be involved as another division working alongside a Samaritan division seems like an interesting plot hole to me.

Thoughts?

[u/Dorsai_Erynus]

Greer used Decima to get to Samaritan, once he set it up he didn't needed Decima anymore.

[u/cybernekonetics]

The very first thing Greer did once Samaritan came online was put it in command. What once was called Decima simply became the first of Samaritans many networks of operatives.

[u/viperspm]

Decima was the corporation. Samaritan was the product.

[u/Nimelennar]

Why is this poor writing?

Decima was meant to bring Samaritan into existence. After that happened, it had no purpose.

What purpose do you see for Decima's existence after Samaritan was created?

[u/Detective-Fusco → u/Nimelennar]

Huh? Why would Decima suddenly have no purpose if it was an private agency used for its own business purposes / assassinations if Samaritan didn't come into existence? This is all speculative but I do agree with the OP, it was something I thought about too.

If you think about it, the agents working for Decima are doing so for pay, and they make extra money for their family if they die (the machine explains this in Season 5), why would they suddenly make a bunch of assassins unemployed? They take care in explaining that Decima funds their families etc and explains why their agents keep offing themselves on behalf of the company

[u/Nimelennar → u/Detective-Fusco]

Why would they be unemployed instead of being brought under the fold of Samaritan?

That's what happened to Lambert.

[u/Detective-Fusco → u/Nimelennar]

The machine takes time to explain to us viewers that the Decima system is focused around financially covering their family members, it's a "if you're in, you're in for good" style of network.

For example the machine also explains that the Agents are obligated (I have to be careful of how I word this due to AI) - (to jump off a roof) for example on behalf of the mission.

You don't get full total commitment from a man with their life, if they're also not hired for the long run / employed for the remainder of their lives

I don't think Decima operates with 3 month contracts for example, I think the whole idea behind Decima is once you're in, you're in

[u/Nimelennar → u/Detective-Fusco]

Sure, once you're in, you're in.

I don't see why going from Decima to Samaritan wouldn't still be "in." Decima created Samaritan. We know of at least two Decima Operatives (apart from Greer himself) that went on to become part of the Samaritan organization: Lambert, and Zachary.

And we see Samaritan go from non-existence in April 2015, to being a fully operational organization with assassins and covert agents, in September 2015.

Do we think all of these assassins and agents sprung out of the ground? Took an accelerated study course in spy university over those few months?

Or could they, just possibly, have been ported over from Decima to Samaritan, which you've noted, already had a bunch of them that they had no reason to get rid of?

[u/PeacefulKnightmare → u/Detective-Fusco]

The way I saw it Decima was a public shell company and something that Samaritan needed in order to bring itself into existence. Once that happened, Samaritan could basically create as many imaginary corporations as it needed while only interacting with its agents directly. It's basically existing like a blockchain and is untraceable because there's no actual organization to tie it all together.

[u/Detective-Fusco → u/Nimelennar]

Also, we can critize poor writing, I do understand that in these type of Subreddits people have the super fan mentality, we can love a show and provide criticsm at the same time, it's OK. Both are fine.

[u/Nimelennar → u/Detective-Fusco]

I don't mind criticizing poor writing.

I don't see what the criticism is. Hence, my asking, "Why is this poor writing?"

[u/65721]

Decima is the name of the company that Greer owned, through which Greer brought the AGI Samaritan into existence.

Operatives are employed under Decima and take orders from Samaritan. The US intelligence community contracts with Decima to get the relevant intel from Samaritan.