Cowl theory Dead Beat -onward spoilers

[Romulan Cmdr]

So... I saw this in another group and wanted to put it out here.  Since Kemmler's students have the ability to body switch.  What if Kemmler did that to Justin Du Moore? 
Kemmler masqueraded Justin including taking in Harry -etc.
It would explain why he kept Bob around as well as clarifying why he'd be into the dark magic.

After all there seem to be 2 versions of Justin that people saw. The warden that took down Kemmler and fulfilled his duties  AND the jerk who appeared to have gone warlock before getting killed and having a secret apprentice that he never told the 7 laws to.

[Quantus]

So... I saw this in another group and wanted to put it out here.  Since Kemmler's students have the ability to body switch.  What if Kemmler did that to Justin Du Moore? 
Kemmler masqueraded Justin including taking in Harry -etc.
It would explain why he kept Bob around as well as clarifying why he'd be into the dark magic.

After all there seem to be 2 versions of Justin that people saw. The warden that took down Kemmler and fulfilled his duties  AND the jerk who appeared to have gone warlock before getting killed and having a secret apprentice that he never told the 7 laws to.

I doubt it for one reason: Somewhere between Bob being "lost" when Kemmler was taken down and DB when Harry first awakened the remnant.  In that scene in DB Bob said he was compelled to Forget a bunch of his time with Kemmler, and to suppress the rest.  Since it took his Owners order to compel that sort of mutilation later on, I expect it took the same thing the first time.  The only explanation for that I can think of is that Necrobob didnt like Justin any more than he did Harry, and Justin was forced to expel as much of that personality as he could, only unlike Harry he was concerned with the Knowledge he might gain from Kemmler so he didnt fully commit. 

[Firnatine34]

It's my working theory. The thing with Bob doesn't trip me up. Kemmler could have compelled Bob to forget before the attack. A blanket "Should you ever fall into someone else hands." kind of deal. It doesn't even approach the foil hat level ideas that are stock and trade around here.

Kemmler is Justin, and Cowl. Elaine is Kumori, of course.

[Rasins]

I realize what you are saying, but I have to say that if we see Justin again, and it's not in a memory or something like that, I'll be disappointed.

Jim has made it pretty clear that Justin is gone.  Granted that may mean his spirit/soul, but if his body is being used by someone else, It'll be too similar to the CT/Luccio thing, and it's a "been there, done that" kind of thing.

[jonas]

I realize what you are saying, but I have to say that if we see Justin again, and it's not in a memory or something like that, I'll be disappointed.

Jim has made it pretty clear that Justin is gone.  Granted that may mean his spirit/soul, but if his body is being used by someone else, It'll be too similar to the CT/Luccio thing, and it's a "been there, done that" kind of thing.

My pet theory is if Kemmler really did leave the info in Bob about how to summon your alternate reality versions, Didn't kemmler 'die' six times? The theory the 7th version Is equal to or greater than the summoner. I think we got alternate reality Kemmler alive after Kemmler made the same mistake as MM Harry.

[Romulan Cmdr]

Well I think Justin is dead and gone. His spirit -etc was in Kemmler's body when the death blow occured.
But, I think that Cowl is some other host body that Kemmler hopped into.

[Firnatine34]

Yeah, I mean...if Jim lied, he'd be like the first writer in history to lie for the sake of not spoiling the story. The very first. Ever.

Also Jim is famously quoted as saying Justin is dead, before spelling out D-E-D. Maybe he's just being funny, but that's not how you spell dead.

He's also spent a lot of time showing us that dead is a spectrum.

It blows my mind the way people will dissect every little thing down to microscopic parts, and so few are willing to consider that maybe he's just lying to preserve the reveal.

[Rasins]

Yeah, I mean...if Jim lied, he'd be like the first writer in history to lie for the sake of not spoiling the story. The very first. Ever.

Also Jim is famously quoted as saying Justin is dead, before spelling out D-E-D. Maybe he's just being funny, but that's not how you spell dead.

He's also spent a lot of time showing us that dead is a spectrum.

It blows my mind the way people will dissect every little thing down to microscopic parts, and so few are willing to consider that maybe he's just lying to preserve the reveal.

Have you watched the interview where Jim says that Justin is DED dead?

[Firnatine34]

Yes.

[jamescagney22]

I think Justin will only appear in Hell's Bell's where he is in... Hell. Makes more thematic sense and Simon Pietrovich is the more likely candidate as Cowl anyways.

[harry dresden]

If Kemmler were Cowl why would he need Bob, The Word, or anything else to enact the Dark Hallow because, unless my memory is off, he invented the spell.

[Quantus]

If Kemmler were Cowl why would he need Bob, The Word, or anything else to enact the Dark Hallow because, unless my memory is off, he invented the spell.

That's an excellent point.  There are circumstantial answers, but none that I can think of with actual support.

Possibilities might be: Memory loss from Body-hopping? Or simple human fallibility and requiring his original research notes? Though the simplicity of the spell itself according to Harry might make that unlikely.

[Rasins]

This also puts the kibosh on any theory having Kemmler body jump, through other bodies to make up Cowl.

[Romulan Cmdr]

That's an excellent point.  There are circumstantial answers, but none that I can think of with actual support.

Possibilities might be: Memory loss from Body-hopping? Or simple human fallibility and requiring his original research notes? Though the simplicity of the spell itself according to Harry might make that unlikely.

good point. The suggestion of Simon being Cowl instead of being dead like people first thought is intriguing. I mean the rot could refer to all the damage Peabody was doing and its expanding effects.
And Harry hadnt met Simon so that could make sense.
Initally if I remember Cowl was more interested in stopping others and if in the process he got the power he could 'set things right' but that doesnt explain his summoning of the demon in white knight.

[wardenferry419]

I think Cowl took it personal with Harry's snooping. Harry tends to bring that out in people. Some people are born with the knack for ticking others off.