Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood)
Character Analysis
Frank Poole is the deputy aboard the Discovery One. We don't get to spend a lot of time with Dr. Poole, thanks to a rogue A.I. getting a little murdery on him (more on that later).
But like Dr. Floyd, there are key aspects to Poole's story that we need to pay attention to if we want to understand 2001.
Distant Relations
The first thing you might notice about Frank's story is the conversation he has with his parents. They contact their son from millions of miles away to wish him a happy birthday, discuss some paperwork, and the conversation ends with a song. It seems odd and out of place at first; the scene doesn't seem to service the plot.
But let's take a closer look at the conversation:
MOTHER: How do you like the cake, dear?
FATHER: Looks great, doesn't it? Sorry you can't join us. Oh, I ran into Bob the other day. He said to be sure to wish you happy birthday.
MOTHER: All my students made me promise to send their best wishes, too. They talk about you all the time. Frank, you're a big celebrity in the second grade. We were on television last week.
FATHER: Oh, yes, yes, your mother and I and Dave's parents were interviewed about what we thought of our illustrious sons. You can imagine what we told them. I think it's being broadcast next Thursday. Perhaps you'll be able to listen in.
MOTHER: We're thrilled about Elaine and Bill, dear. I'll be glad to get the present for you but tell me how much to spend.
The first thing you might notice is that it isn't a conversation at all. The parents are talking at Frank, but because of the distance the signal must travel, the time gap prevents them from having a natural back-and-forth conversation. As the news broadcast from earlier notes, "It took seven minutes for our words to reach the giant spacecraft, but this time delay has been edited from this recording."
This conversation in Frank's story demonstrates how far from Earth Poole and Bowman are getting. Unlike Dr. Floyd's conversation with his daughter earlier, Poole's contact with his loved ones has become more tenuous.
Metaphorically speaking, this foreshadows the Star Child at the end of the film. As Poole and Bowman move farther away from Earth and begin to lose ties with their home planet, they move closer to something else. Bowman's trip through the Star Gate will finish this break in communication, but it's in Poole's story that we see it first.
Treatment of HAL
Poole also treats HAL differently than Bowman. While Bowman tends to treat HAL a little more like a person, Poole treats it more like a machine.
After receiving his birthday message, HAL wishes Poole at happy birthday, and Poole replies,
POOLE: Thank you, HAL. A bit flatter, please.
The coldness in Poole's order suggests inputting a command rather than making a request of a cohort.
But it's when Poole and Bowman are discussing HAL's error in the EVA pod that this becomes really noticeable.
Poole pushes that something is "strange about him" and notes that if HAL did make a mistake that they "wouldn't have any alternatives" other than disconnecting HAL. Only Bowman wonders what HAL might think about his eventual disconnection. Poole doesn't consider the idea. For him, it's a matter of survival and flipping the switch.
Ultimately, Poole's attitude towards HAL's potential intelligence doesn't really say much about Poole as a character. What it does accomplish is preventing the film from showing its hand as far as HAL is concerned. With Bowman treating HAL more as a human and Poole more as a machine, audiences can draw their own conclusions about the powerful A.I.
You Only Live Twice, Minus Once
Here's why Poole is really important to the story: He's here to die. His death is necessary, although he might disagree.
When Poole goes to replace the AE-35 unit in the antenna, HAL puts its plan into action. Taking control of the EVA pod, HAL smashes it into Poole, severing his oxygen line and knocking the astronaut into the vacuum of space.
The imagery of Poole in space is very revealing: He's curled up and helpless; the oxygen cord, a literal lifeline, dangles uselessly beside him. Without his connection to the technology of the Discovery One, Poole's a defenseless baby lost in space.
Remember: In the second chapter of the film, space travel was shown as a technological marvel. But Poole's death demonstrates that man was not created for space. Our species evolved on the planet Earth, and we were designed to live on that planet. If our technology fails us in space, we are completely helpless. No space wolves to raise this guy Mowgli-style.