Dhruv Trivedi
Netflix’s ‘Archive 81’ follows archivist Dan Turner, who is hired by a shadowy corporation to restore a collection of videotapes. Posted at a deserted research facility, Dan soon realizes that the tapes he’s salvaging contain an ominous power. His employer remains (literally) maddeningly secretive about the nature of the tapes, and the archivist decides to take things into his own hands.
What Dan doesn’t expect is the haunting supernatural journey that ensues, bringing him to the brink of madness. Amidst all the chaos, LMG and its representative, Virgil Davenport, calmly watch from the shadows. This clearly isn’t their first rodeo. So what do we know about LMG and the fate of its head, Virgil Davenport? Does the shadowy company extend outside the world of ‘Archive 81’? We decided to find out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Is LMG a Real Company?
LMG is not a real company, and you’re about to find out why that is something to be thankful for. Right off the bat, the conglomerate comes across as ominous when neither Dan nor his friend Mark (who has a nose for finding hidden stories) is able to find any information about it. Things don’t look much better when Dan is taken to a truly ominous-looking research facility in the Catskills, where he is tasked with restoring and cataloging tapes salvaged from the Visser building.
Information about LMG remains scant, and we only see the glass skyscraper that functions as their headquarters and are told that the company is involved in almost every major industry (including a suspicious interest in genetics). To truly get an idea of how dark and deep LMG goes, one has to dive into the ‘Archive 81’ podcast on which the Netflix show is based.
According to the podcast, apart from the bewildering list of industries that LMG has interests in, it also has a branch that deals with “weird stuff” and the supernatural. This is the branch through which Dan is employed to salvage Melody’s tapes. Seeing as how receptive the archivist is to the supernatural nature of their work, the powers at LMG forcefully modify Dan’s body to improve his performance. Multiple kidnappings and deaths are also attributed to the company, which remains mysteriously obsessed with recreating ancient dark magic rituals.
Is the LMG President Virgil Davenport Dead or Alive?
On the Netflix series, LMG is headed by Virgil Davenport, who personally meets with Dan to offer him the job (which incidentally pays a hundred thousand dollars). The powerful boss remains strangely detached from the archivist’s subsequent struggles and descent into madness and is unphased when confronted. Finally, it is revealed that Virgil Davenport’s brother is Samuel, the tenant from the Visser building who seemingly heads the cult.
The last that we see of Virgil he is lying unconscious after being hit on the back of the head by Dan’s friend Mark. After a confrontation where the LMG head pulls out a gun to stop Dan from rescuing Melody, Mark sneaks up from behind and knocks him out with a crowbar. We see Virgil lying on the ground of his home, and it is quite clear that he is merely unconscious, not dead.
Thus, Virgil Davenport is still alive, and aside from a bump on his head, is likely in perfect condition. This doesn’t bode too well for Dan, though, who seems to be unable to get out of LMG’s clutches.
Read More: What is The Circle in Archive 81? Is The Circle a Real Snuff Film?
