Matrix: Explanations, symbols, theories (fans only)

Anybody noticed? / Unanswered questions about Matrix Reloaded

Too normal to be seen?
Did you notice that there are hardly 'normal' people in the movie? You only see 'special' people (Neo, Agents, Architect...) but merely a handful of 'standard inhabitants of the Matrix'
Afraid of cloning lately?
Why are so many people afraid of cloning? Do we live in a Matrix and fear Smith?
Golden rule of kissing
Did you notice that Persephone wants a kiss from Neo (and from Niobe and from Ghost [Enter the Matrix]), but blames the Merovingian for having been 'kissed' (in the toilet by the cake toilet girl). Ok, ok, it's not the same, since the Merovingian got an intimate kiss (fellatio/ irrumatio), but interesting nevertheless.
Fight against each other/ Fight against oneself
One becomes what one fights against: Neo finds out to be merely a part of the system's plan and Smith becomes the very cancer he classifies mankind as:
Agent Smith [Matrix 1]: "A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet."
Maybe next Matrix movie should be called Matrix Overloaded.
Please note that technically Smith is not a virus but a cancer: Was normal once, was altered, now spreading uncontrollable. Just like human cells that become cancerous.
Smith right, Neo left?
Could it be that Agent Smith and the Merovingian are the only knowing and honest persons in the movie?
- Agent Smith: "I'm unplugged, apparently free. But appearances can be deceiving"
- Merovingian: "The only real truth: Causality... Choice is an illusion"
Shiny Seraph, angel dust

Seraph (the fighter for the Oracle) shines like the cake (Well not exactly like the cake but he shines). What does it mean?
- Is he a program of the Merovingian?
- Isn't he a part of the system?
- Is he an old code from the first Matrix version, which was possibly Garden Eden, and therefore he shines like an golden angel (Seraph=Angel)?
- Is he a freshly made program (like the shining cake)? Remember: The Oracle needs to be protected, maybe Seraph was newly made to do this job.
- Is he somebody like an enlightened Buddhist, glowing from within (remember, Seraph is an Asian)?
- Isn't he a native code made by the system, but an add-on by someone else? As is the cake?
What is invisible and smells like the One?
In Matrix 1 the Oracle says:
Oracle: "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Being the One is just like being in love. No one can tell you you're in love, you just know it."
In Matrix 2 Persephone says:
Persephone (to Neo and Trinity): "You love her. She loves you. It's all over you both."
Seravingian
In the castle Neo fights Merovingian's men and the Merovingian just looks and judges. A similar thing happens with Serpah and Neo.They both fight as if Seraph wants to test Neo.
Matrix Nirvana, where no body has went before
In Matrix 2 you see Neo fall into a coma. In Matrix 3 you see him in the Matrix.

Maybe he doesn't need his body anymore to be in the Matrix. Could his body die in Zion, and he could live forever in the Matrix? Could he be blinded in Zion, but see in the Matrix?
Sunglasses at night
What do the sunglasses mean?
- They wear them regardless of sunshine or moonshine.
- Do they need them to balance out the greenish hue of the matrix simulation?
- The Oracle wears them, too.
- The agents wear square ones, the heroes (Neo etc) wear round ones.
- Why is the hair black?
- If the Architect represents a white god (with white hairs) in some way or another, does Neo then represent the black devil? Or does the Architect represent a Freudian 'Father' (who is mentioning a Freudian 'Mother')?
- Why does Neo lose/take off his sunglasses in Matrix Revolutions?
Choices and possibilities? Juices and pussybilities!
Why do (nearly) all heroes wear black-only stylish suits? A theory: (Movie trivia ahead):
As you may know Larry Wachowski (one of the directors of the Matrix trilogy) is probably transsexual (and probably plans to make a transgender operation). Thus the preference for leather and latex. And thus the story about how machines are inserted into human bodies (hehe). And thus the story about domination and control. In fact 'Matrix' could be a cousin word of 'Latex', 'Dominatrix' and 'TransX'.
Here is what Jake Miller has to say (Jake Miller is a female-to-male transsexual (after a sex-change), and a companion of Larry Wachowski at the Matrix 1 premiere in Los Angeles):
Jake Miller: "[Larry Wachowski] is obsessed with Marilyn Monroe and likes to wear a blonde wig, pink dresses and stiletto heels prior to being punished by his mistress and acting as her slave....[Larry] has been cross-dressing for years and everybody knows it...When Larry walked down the red carpet...he was probably wearing a bra and panties under his suit"
On the Matrix set, Larry was visited (for weeks) by Karin Winslow (aka Ilsa Strix, wrongly called Ilsa Stix). The Mirror (a British tabloid) calls her a "well-known sado-masochistic dominatrix". Karin Winslow seems to have become the girl-friend of Larry Wachowski (who wants to be called Lana Wachowski?).

Well, well, Matrix Reshaped ;-).
- Did you realize that the Wachowski Bros aren't brothers anymore then?
- And another question remains: If the trilogy is a mirror of their personal lifes, do they have silk toilet paper? :-)
- Is Larry Wachowski transsexual? Vote here!
Comatrix
At the end of Matrix 2 (Matrix Reloaded) both Neo and Bane/Smith are in a coma. Both seem to suffer from an energy shock that in Neo's case stopped the sentinels and in Bane's case stopped Zion's ships. Maybe they both have electro powers now.
Old roles, new rules
Keanu Reeves has played
- 'Johnny' in Johnny Mnemonic (having data uploaded into his mind)
- 'Buddha' in Little Buddha (being a religious leader)
- 'Jack Traven' in Speed (fighting and shooting at high-speed)
- 'Ted' in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (traveling thru times and places)
- 'Kevin Lomax' in The devil's advocate (whose boss is the devil and the plot is a simulation to study choices)
Now Neo is of a combination of these roles. However the Wachowskis said in a www chat:
Question [internet chat Matrix Virtual Theatre]: "Did the movie Johnny Mnemonic play a role in casting Keanu Reeves for the role of Neo?"
Wachowski brothers: "No"
Things 2 think
- Neo is One, Smith is Many
- Neo is the One, Smith is any-one
  (all agents have everybody's names like Smith, Jackson, Brown)
- Neo is the only One, Smith is manyone.
- Neo is One, Smith is much.
- Neo is One, Smith is clone. (Thus Matrix Reloaded could have been "Matrix: The attack of the clones")
- Both are virtual no-bodies.
- Both have powers that are unreal
- Both are anomalies, Smith is the greater anomaly
- Some of Smith's code was overwritten by Neo. This makes Smith a kind of a "One", too.
- Is black Neo the counterpart of black Smith? Or of white Architect?
- Smith is the virus, Neo is the anti-virus
- Smith is the enemy of the system, Neo is part of the system
- Both control the Matrix and the real world
- Smith fuses, Zion refuses, Neo defuses, Oracle confuses
- Neo is a split personality (Mr. Anderson & Neo), Smith is a multiple personality
- Neo gives Smith purpose, Smith wants to take Neo's purpose
- Neo is here (Zion) and there (Matrix), Smith is everywhere
- Buy Neo v6.0! He is New and can fly. Buy Smith v2.0! He is experienced and you get more!
- Buy the 1, he has a 'function of the 1'. Buy 3nity! She has 3 functions in 1.
- Humans download helicopter programs (Trinity), Programs download human emotions (Persephone). What a wonderful world.
Georotesque W. Bush
When the Architect says...
Architect: "the varying grotesqueries of your nature"
...George Bush (sr.) is shown followed by George Walker Bush (Bush Jr.). It could mean, what many have hoped: George W. Bush exists only in the Matrix.
Fake life makes a real choice to make death an illusion
Maybe there is real choice in the Matrix:
Oracle: "A program can either choose to hide here, or return to The Source."
Interesting, isn't it? Since I cannot believe that a program is already programmed to be undeletable. What do you think?
Cuckoo-Clock-Pushed-Away-Guy
Who is the bearded guy in the Merovingian's restaurant who is pushed away, right after Neo (with Trinity and Morpheus) enters the room?
- Very relaxing bossanova restaurant music plays
- In the same moment you hear a cuckoo clock
- The man looks a bit like having betrayed something/ someone
- Neo looks at him as he would sense something or know this man
- The man looks back to Neo
- The Merovingian is in a good mood as he welcomes the trio
This is one of the most unsolved mysteries of the movie. Thus it thirsts after being combined with another big mystery (from Enter The Matrix):
Ghost : "Can you tell me [why your face has changed]?"
Oracle : "Two programs [Father and mother?] that I trusted sold the termination code of my original shell to the Merovingian. [They did it] for love. For the life of their child."

Later on the Merovingian says...
Merovingian: "Give the fortune teller [supposedly the Oracle] this message: Her time is almost up"

And in fact, in a new capture for Revolutions you see him with a child:
- Who is this escorted-away-man?
- Is he the seller of the termination code?
- Since the Oracle said, that she trusted the programs, it could mean, that the man has a relationship with Seraph (= Seraphs father?), whom she trusts also very much. Seraph will play a bigger role in Matrix 3, thus Seraph might be the child.
- But maybe Neo is not looking at the pushed-away-man. Maybe he's looking at the pusher?
- The actor seems to be "Bernard White" who is listed as Rama-Kandra in the staff list for Revolutions. Who or what is Rama Kandra?
  - In Hinduism, Rama is regarded as the seventh(!) avatar(!) of the god(!) Vishnu and worshipped together with his companion(!) Hanuman, the monkey-god who assists him in the epic narrative of the Ramayana.
    He is the Prince of Ayodhya and is banished(!) to a forest by his stepmother(!). While in exile, his wife, Sita, is kidnapped by Ravana, King of the Rakshas on Lanka (currently: Sri Lanka). Rama, along with Hanuman, rescued her, killed Ravana and becomes King of Ayodhya.
- Who is the child? Did Trinity die and came back as a new-born child?
Discuss this topic in the forum Who is the man in the Merovingian's restaurant?
Intuition stinks
When the Architect says...
Architect: "Thus the answer was stumbled upon by...an intuitive program"
...he turns up his nose. Maybe this is a hint that he wants Neo to choose the left door and destroy all humanity, those nasty and emotional and imperfect humans...
23 new flaws
Since everybody seems to be heavily guided in this movie, choosing (hell, choice is an illusion) 23 individuals may introduce a flaw into the new Zion: 1 or more of the 23 individuals might be agents etc...
Smithomas, The One and The Same
Is Neo more similar to Smith than he knows? Are they connected by the matrix-system from the beginning on? Are both 2 sides of the same coin? Should they both join to fight the system?
- Both run, shoot, and empty their clips at the same time [Matrix 1]
- This is repeated in Matrix Revolutions: You see them giving each other a punch in the same way.
- Both 'exchanged codes'
  Smith: "Our connection...Perhaps some part of you imprinted onto me, something overwritten or copied."
- Both lie in a coma
- Both are in Zion now. Will there be a karate fight between Neo and Smith in Zion?
- Both want the same
  Neo: "What do you want, Smith?"
  Smith: "I want exactly what you want. I want everything."
- Neo starts to act more like a robot, while Smith starts to act more like a human
- Neo has gained more powers in the Matrix and Smith more powers in Zion
Will Smith be able to stop bullets like Neo?
Smith is everywhere and knows everything
In the Teaser for Matrix Revolutions Smith laughs evilly.
- Is he in the Oracle's kitchen?
- Did he take over her? Did he take over Seraph?
- Does he now know, what the Oracle knows (= can foresee the (planned) future)?
- Does he laugh at her?
- Does he laugh with her? Has he a deal running with her? Remember: The Oracle gives Neo a red candy. Morpheus' red pill [Matrix 1] was meant to disrupt Neo's carrier signal. Maybe this red candy is meant to make Neo localizable for Smith.
- Did he take over Seraph? Has Smith now Seraph's fighting skills and can conquer Neo?
- Did he steal the Oracles' cookies? Hehe.
Guardianity
The Oracle: "At some point a program was written to govern [the birds]. A program was written to watch over the trees, and the wind, the sunrise, and sunset."
Since Seraph (= angel) seems to be the protector of the Oracle (a guardian angel, so to speak), maybe everyone has a guardian program. Trinity could be the program to watch over Neo. Persephone over the Merovingian...
3nity becomes the 1
When Neo resuscitates Trinity at the end of Matrix Reloaded does that mean she is maybe becoming a One? Just as Neo fought death in Matrix 1?
Life and breath
In the Matrix 3 Trailer (Matrix Revolutions) you see Morpheus stating (supposedly about Neo)
Morpheus (surprised): "He fights for us"
Why does Morpheus say it so breathlessly?
- Maybe Neo is not who he seems?
- Maybe Morpheus meant Agent Smith? Or the Merovingian? Or Kid (the guy who brings the spoon from the spoonboy)? Or Runner [the robot from Animatrix]? Or Seraph (the protector of the Oracle)?
- Maybe Morpheus meant Neo, but in the coma or another strange condition (e.g. severly hurt, say blind, but still fighting). That is so astonishing: Neo, though in his condition, continues to fight.
- Maybe he meant Neo, but in another Matrix or in a place of the Matrix where you wouldn't expect him to fight. E.g. in the mainframe against The Source.
- Maybe Morpheus' sentence is cut off in the trailer. Maybe he says something like
  - "He fights for us.... and now he wants to kill us"
  - "He fights for us.... and now he dies for us"
  - "He fights for us....for us and the machines"
Black crows
Why is the Oracle feeding black crows instead of pigeons?
Only sex is real in the Matrix
The Merovingian stands up to meet the woman (whom he has made horny with his cake) in the toilet and says...
Merovingian: "Now I have some real business to attend to, so I will say adieu and goodbye."
White silver, black silver

The black tar of Smith's taking over is similar to the silver in Matrix 1, when Neo took the red pill. Or not?
More Mero, no Neo
In Matrix Revolutions Trinity asks (with a gun) the Merovingian to free Neo.
- Did the Merovingian capture Neo?
- Is the Merovingian responsible for Neo's coma?
- Responsible for stopping the sentinels?
- Does the Merovingian work with Smith now?
- Has Neo been killed/injured (or lost the connection to his body) and will exists in the Matrix only?
- Was the Merovingian a former One, who also has lost his body?
Why is Neo blind?
- Has the Merovingian blinded Neo in Matrix Revolutions? He says to Trinity...
  Merovingian: "Bring me the eyes of the Oracle and will give you back your savior"
  ...which could mean, that he has Neo's eyes. Taking his eyes in the Matrix, blinds Neo in Zion.
  OR: Taking the Oracle's eyes blinds Neo. Maybe he is somehow connected to her.
- Does Neo cover his eyes, because Smith is able to see what Neo sees? And Neo doesn't want that?
- Do machines recognize Neo by his eyes? Does Neo want to be incognito?
- Was he hurt in Zion in a fight between him and Smith/Bane?
- Does he wear the blindfold to not be distracted by incoming "illusion sentinels". Instead he concentrates on the real ones, the ones that are dangerous?
- Would he blast everything he sees? Thus the blindfold is for his and the machine's protection?
- Why is the blindfold purple?
Face? Lifted!
The Oracle has a new face (the old actress died) as you can see in Enter The Matrix.
Oracle : "I wish the face you remember was the face that I was still wearing. But that face is gone...The Merovingian warned me that if I made a certain choice, it would cost me."
Does that open the door to more Matrix movies where actors are replaced more often?
Dead in Matrix 4?
There are contradictory announcements:
1. FilmRot.com (in January): "Producer Joel Silver and Village Roadshow are so rapturous with the reception The Matrix Reloaded has got, that plans are quietly underway for a fourth adventure of the mind-boggling sci-fi sensation. Just one problem – Keanu Reeves has already told them he's not doing it. If the Matrix 4 gets the greenlight, as insiders are expecting, it looks like there will be a new face playing Neo or a certain character missing from the next chapter."
  ...and...
  Joel Silver: "I don't know [whether there will be a Matrix 4]. I know the story that the boys wanted to tell ends at the end of Revolutions."
2. Later (May) the Joel Silver (producer) said in an interview, that there won't be any Matrix 4, no matter how much money Matrix 3 makes:
  Joel Silver: ''That is the end. It is concluded. This story is over."
  The Matrix writing and directing team of Andy and Larry Wachowski had made it clear there would not be a fourth. Keanu Reeves (Neo) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) stated, they won't take part in a forth film.
3. Keanu Reeves said in an interview (with Time) that The Matrix was "about birth", "the second is life, the third is death".
4. Joel Silver also said (does it mean something anyway if producers talk?):
  Joel Silver: "Well, the story that the boys wanted to tell ends in Revolutions. I mean, could they continue the story, the characters? Look, they can. All of this stuff that we're talking about, they wrote. They wrote all of this. They are passionate about the project, about this idea that they came up with, about this world that they've created. I'm sure that if they wanted to continue writing whatever they can, they can. This story does end at the end of Revolutions."
Now my question: If #1 is true and there will be a Matrix 4 and Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss won't play, does that mean both die in Matrix 3? Cast your vote: Who will die?

If you think you have answers please write me an email....

Who is the Mother of the Matrix?

Is the Oracle 'The Mother' ? Maybe not:
Architect: "An intuitive program, initially created to investigate certain aspects of the human psyche. If I am the father of the matrix, she would undoubtedly be its mother."
Neo: "The Oracle"
Architect: "Please."

The Architect's "Please" could mean, that the Oracle is not the Mother.
The Architect's "Please" could mean, that the Oracle is the Mother and that's so obvious that Neo's cognition is too much of a revelation or comes a bit late.
The Architect's "Please" could mean, that he is unsatisfied with calling the Oracle an 'Oracle'.
This has been pointed out a lot of times in Matrix forums. On the other hand, nobody in the forums tells, why the heck the Architect has something against the name 'Oracle'? She is really like an Oracle. She talks like an Oracle and she foresees the future. She even smokes (like the original Oracle in Delphi). She is in the same way a 'psychic' as the Mother is 'intuitive'. So what is wrong with calling her 'Oracle'?
The Architect's "Please" could mean, that he just doesn't want to be interrupted. Especially because he continues..
Architect: "Please, as I was saying..."

If the Oracle is not the Mother, then who could it be?

Persephone could be The Mother of the Matrix

because she wants to sample deep feelings (Persephone is the Greek goddess of the underworld and fertility)
- Persephone: "I want you [Neo] to kiss me as if you were kissing her [Trinity]."
  ...after Neo kisses Persephone...
  Persephone: "Ah, yes. That's it. I envy you."
- Persephone (to Niobe) [Enter the Matrix]: "You are in love, are you not? If you want me to help you, all you must do is kiss me, as though you were kissing them."
  Niobe: "What?"
  Persephone: "If you kiss me as if you were kissing your true love, I'll tell you where your friend is...You are not afraid to kiss a woman, are you?"
  Niobe: "You're not a woman. You're not even a human."
  Persephone: "It's just a little kiss"
  ...after being kissed...
  Persephone: "Yes. That's nice... Your lover is a man. What's his name?"
  Niobe: "Jason [Commander Jason Lock]."
  Persephone: "No. No, it's not."
  I guess Persephone found out that Niobe loves Morpheus.
- Persephone (to Ghost) [Enter the Matrix]: "If you kiss me as if you were kissing your true love, I'll tell you where your friend is."
  Ghost: "I could beat it out of you."
  Persephone: "I like the sound of that, too. But a kiss will do."
  Persephone: "Are you going to let your friend die over a silly kiss?"
  ...after giving the kiss...
  Persephone: "Oh. Oh my... Unrequited love. Such longing for something you will
  never have...How deliciously tragic."
  In all probability she is talking about Ghost loving Trinity. Some pointed out, however, that she is talking about Ghost loving Niobe.
- Persephone [Enter the Matrix]: "I do enjoy the taste of tears. But there is something I enjoy so much more. [Kissing/ Sampling love]"
because she plays (dangerous) games with the Merovingian (thus maybe also studying/ sampling emotions and reactions)
- Merovingian (about his affair in the toilet): "It is only a game."
  Persephone (about freeing the Keymaker): "So is this. Have fun."
- Merovingian (about Persephone): "Damn it, woman, you will be the end of me."
  ...thus showing how powerful Persephone is. It may however mean, that the Merovingian is killed by Persephone's actions in Matrix 3.
because she is dressed white (like the Architect)
However in Matrix Revolutions, she will be dressed red.
because she helps Neo to reach the Father (= the Architect)
because the Architect says "initially created" thus it may have changed:
Persephone: "I'm so sick of his bullshit. On and on..."
because she likes to watch others on her TV (just like the Architect watches his TVs). In Enter the Matrix you see her watching a TV, which shows how Ghost enters her room. She watches how Niobe enters the room, too. Moreover you see the TV picture showing the TV picture showing the TV picture. Just as the Architect's TV sets.
because 'love is her theme' and she seems to be intuitive:
Persephone (about Trinity) [Matrix Revolutions trailer]: "If she has to, she'll kill
every one of us...She's in love"
because she is probably an old program, since the Merovingian is also very old.
Oracle (about the Merovingian): "one of the oldest of us"
because she uses choice as her normal behaviour
Architect: "[The mother] stumbled upon a solution whereby nearly 99% of all test subjects accepted the program, as long as they were given a choice"
Choices Persephone gives:
- Persephone (to Neo): "If you want the keymaker then follow me"
- Persephone (to Neo): "If I don't deliver you to the Keymaker, she can kill me."
- She gives Neo the choice to kiss her or not.
- Persephone (after shooting Abel): "You can either run...or you can stand there and die."
- She shows the Keymaker's door, but leaves the choice to Neo to open it.

The Oracle could be The Mother of the Matrix

because Neo guesses so
because she is mother-like (baking cakes, giving candies...)
because she can 'read' human thoughts as does the Architect:
- Architect: "Already, I can see the...chemical precursors that signal the onset of an emotion"
- Oracle: "Why don't you come and have a sit this time?"
  Neo: "Maybe I'll stand."
  Oracle: "Well, suit yourself."
  Neo: "I felt like sitting."
  Oracle: "I know."
because Architect (=alpha = beginning) and Oracle (=omega = end)
because the Mother has found a way to keep humans within the Matrix and so does the Oracle by sending the One to the Architect. Both Architect and Mother are the very part of the system.

BUT:

In my view she doesn't seem to "investigate" enough to earn the title 'Mother'. Instead she is just talking 'oraclish'.
It's also strange that she helps Neo to fight the Matrix, while the Mother helped the Architect to keep humans inside.

Trinity could be The Mother of the Matrix

because of her nifty name (3nifty so to speak)
because she might be pregnant with the One's child.
Some claimed that you can see the fetus at the end of Matrix 2, where Neo sees her as the green Matrix code. Sorry, I cannot see any embryo.

Niobe could be The Mother of the Matrix

because she makes love choices, which could be part of "investigate certain aspects of the human psyche"
because Niobe is a Greek goddess, who wanted to be worshipped because she had so many children (6 males, 6 females). Thus Niobe = Mother.
During a meeting somebody says "Mother" when she talks...
Niobe: "These geotherms confirm the last transmission of the Osiris. The machines are digging. They're boring from the surface straight down to Zion."
Tirant: "Mother..."

Since she could be the Mother, then Morpheus (whom she loves) could be affiliated with the Architect (=the Father).

Let's see:

Morpheus: "I can only show you the door, you're the one that has to walk through it."

Architect: "There are two doors... the problem is choice."

And this dialog:

Morpheus: "Hello Neo. Do you know who this is?"
Neo: "Morpheus."
Morpheus: "...I've been looking for you...I don't know if you're ready to see what I want to show you..."

Architect: "Hello, Neo."
Neo: "Who are you?"
Architect: "I am the Architect...I've been waiting for you...Some of my answers you will understand, and some of them you will not"

And this dialog:

Morpheus: "This is your last chance¹. After this there is no turning back²... You take the red pill... and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes³...[Neo reaches for¹⁰ the red pill, Morpheus stops him⁵]...Remember⁷, all I'm offering is the truth^4,6, nothing more.... Follow me⁹... Welcome to the real world⁸"

Architect: "Failure to comply¹...will ultimately² result in the extinction of the entire human race...The door to your right leads to the Source^3,...The door to your left leads⁹ back to the Matrix⁸. Already, I can see...an emotion⁷ that is already blinding you from the... truth⁴...and there is nothing you can do to stop it. [Neo turns¹⁰ to choose the left door, the Architect stops him⁵] Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion⁶"

Interesting, how similar (and at the same time how opposite) both Morpheus' and the Architect's dialogs are.

Since Morpheus is the Greek God of Dreams and the Architect is the Architect of dreams (so to speak), then Morpheus could be connected with the Architect, while Niobe could be the Mother, indeed.
Nobody really thinks that Niobe is the Mother, thus (welcome to the Matrix, dear audience) she's it.

Another person (unknown so far) could be The Mother of the Matrix

Another thought:
The Architect (The Father) is white, thus The Mother might be white, too. This points to Persephone (white skin and dress) or Trinity (white skin).

There has also been a suggestion that the female council speaker Councillor Dillard could be the Mother (because she seems to be a leader and she is old). While I disagree, I mention this theory anyway for the sake of completeness.

Another thought:
The Matrix itself could be the mother, because matrix = mother (the word "matrix" means pregnant animal).

Who is the Mother of the Matrix? Take part in the Matrix Poll

Why does Neo go to the Architect?

Nobody seems to point this out, but everything looks as if Neo has been supported by the system all along:

Neo has been guided and helped

Just analyze the Architect's interesting answer:
Neo: "Why am I here?"
...and then several sentences further...
Architect: "You are here because Zion is about to be destroyed".

and also this:
Architect: "Hello, Neo."
Neo: "Who are you?"
Architect: I am the Architect...I've been waiting for you."

and also this:
Neo: "My name is Neo."
Keymaker: "Yes, I'm the Keymaker. I've been waiting for you."

and also this (in the hallway to the Architect):
Smith: "I've been expecting you."

I read this as: 'You are here because you are needed for our purposes'. In other words: 'Everything happens as planned' and 'You are here because we let you come so far with our help', which includes...

the Oracle (of course)
the Keymaker (of course)
Not only the Keymaker plays his obvious role as one of the main helpers of Neo, but also think of this...
Keymaker (to Morpheus): "That door will take you home."
...meaning the Keymaker (in the building to the Architect) shows Morpheus how to escape to the next telephone to leave the Matrix. A totally unnecessary step, because the purpose of the Keymaker is fulfilled. The system helps Morpheus.
Persephone
She helps Neo:
- She kills Abel (with a silver bullet).
  Why does she kill Abel? Maybe in an effort to impede the Merovingian's threat against the Oracle
  Merovingian: "Give the fortune teller this message: Her time is almost up"
  ...
  Persephone: "[Cain and Abel] work for my husband, they do his dirty work."
- She guides Neo to the Keymaker.
- She guides Niobe to her captured friend (captured by Cain and Abel) [Enter the Matrix].
- She guides Ghost to Niobe, who has also been captured by Cain and Abel [Enter the Matrix].
and especially(!) Trinity, who goes into the Matrix (despite of a promise) to make Neo's mission possible (at the end of Matrix 2).
Even the love between Trinity and Neo could be 'part of the program' as Persephone states about this love (after Neo kisses her):
Persephone: "Ahh, yes. That's it. I envy you. But such a thing is not meant to last."
In other words: It lasts as long as it serves a purpose.

Even Neo's resurrection [Matrix 1] and the connection between Smith and Neo can be seen as being wanted:
Smith: "Our connection. I don't fully understand how it happened. Perhaps some part of you imprinted onto me, something overwritten or copied. That is at this point irrelevant, what matters is that whatever happened, happened for a reason."

Some more thoughts:

Maybe not Persephone is the help, but the Merovingian. Did he have to use the cake upon the woman? No. But probably he did it unwillingly willingly (choice is an illusion) and thus did upset Persephone, who helps Neo, because of her upsetting?
Maybe the Merovingian is the System's friend, checks out Neo and decides that the Keymaker is not to be handed out, because he can see Neo taking the left door. Remember, what the Oracle said:
The Oracle: "We can never see past the choices we don't understand."
Since the Merovingian is one of the oldest exile programs, he is probably able to see past the choices, because he understands them.
Maybe Persephone is the enemy of the System. She plays tricks on the Merovingian and maybe she is convinced by Neo's kiss that he will choose the left door. Thus she came, kissed and handed out.

Are the agents in Matrix Reloaded Smith's agents or the System's agents?

In forums the question is often asked: "If the system need Neo, why do the agents want to stop him?".

Well, maybe it's not the 'System' which tries to stop Neo with agents. Maybe they are Smith's agents (= posessed by Smith). We cannot even be sure, that it's Smith himself who brings the ear plug at the beginning of Matrix 2 (although it's very likely since it's Smith's voice), thus maybe one of the agents delivered the ear plug.

Let's analyze the beginning of Matrix Reloaded a bit:

Smith(?) comes and brings the ear plug.
Three agents come (20 seconds later)...

Neo states about them...
Neo: " Hmm. Upgrades."
...which could mean, that Neo just thought they were upgrades but in reality they are controlled by Smith (and thus "upgraded").
- However (as a counter-argument) the old agents from Matrix 1 are missing in the movie (Agent Jones and Agent Brown), thus the upgrades might very well be the System's new versions. Just note, how tall and powerful they are, while the Matrix 1 agents were normal looking guys.
- It has also been pointed out, that "Upgrades" could be a sarcastic answer to "Only humans".
Neo fights the agents and flies away
Smith meets another Smith in the fighting area. Where did this other Smith come from? Were the agents just Smiths in disguise?

However here are some counter-points that make one believe the agents are indeed the system's agents:

It seems that all assimilated persons look like Smith, therefore it's unlikely that it's Smith on the highway
The assimilation process is different. While normal agents just appear from within the person who is taken over, Smith rams his hand into the body and "converts" it.
Also all agents still have ear plugs.
The system's agents are always late. Smith is always the first:
- Smith comes and brings the ear plug, agents follow.
- Smith meets Neo directly after the Oracle, an agent shows up later (and is assimilated by Smith)
- Smith shows up in the corridor to the Architect. An agent shows up later to fight Trinity.
Here is what Hugo Weaving (the actor for Smith) says in an interview:
Hugo Weaving [in interview]: 'Here's what I mean, [Smith] has been upgraded. He should return to the mainframe. He should be superceded, but as the Oracle says, there are a number of programs that don't want to go. So, they hide out in the matrix and there's a compulsion that he has. If Neo is there, he must necessarily be there. I think every force has its oppositional force and that's exactly what Smith is to Neo. Neo can't be without Smith and Smith can't be without Neo.'
When Agent Jackson shows up (during the fight of the many Smiths against Neo) he says...
Agent Jackson (to Smith): "You!"
...and it sounds like he had resentments (thus they are enemies)
When Smith enters the scene (right after the Oracle) Link (onboard the Nebuchadnezzar) says:
Link (talking about the digital code he observes): "Whoever it is, he's not reading like an agent."
...whereas he says about the agents (in the beginning at the movie, after Smith brings the ear plug gift)...
Link: "Agents just came out of nowhere. And then [when Smith duplicated himself again] the code got all weird"
It could also be that the Keymaker really has fullfilled his purpose. The agents want to kill the Keymaker, because he already gave the key to the Zionites. This scene is shown in Enter The Matrix, where he hands out the key to Niobe (but this key is taken away by the Merovingian). Maybe the agents just react very simple-minded to "key given->kill".

The Merovingian probably knows about it all (about Zion, Mainframe, Architect...)

Merovingian: "Do you know why you are here?"
Morpheus: "We are looking for the Keymaker. "
Merovingian: "The Keymaker, of course. But this is not a reason, this is not a 'why'...To look for him is to be looking...to do.....What?"
Neo: "You know the answer to that question."
Merovingian: "But do you? You think you do but you do not."
Thus maybe the Merovingian is a former 'One' who entered and returned from the mainframe. See also the section Was The Merovingian a former 'One'?

Also Smith could be one who knows about the cycle (thus in a religious sense he is freed from needs and free from the cycle of endless lives):
Smith #1: "That went as expected."
Smith #2: "Yes."
Smith #1: "It's happening exactly as before."

Does the Architect WANT Neo to choose the left door back to the Matrix?

Neo is told by the Architect (after the Architect has stated how much Neo loves Trinity) that Trinity has entered the Matrix...
Architect: "Your experience [of attachment/ love] is far more specific - vis-à-vis love."
Neo: "Trinity."
Architect: "Apropos, she entered the Matrix to save your life, at the cost of her own."
...and the TV screens show her in trouble.

Why does the Architect mention that? Does the Architect want Neo to take the left door?

Since Neo has been guided and has been allowed to go to the Architect so far, he is probably still guided. Just another form of 'Apparently your own choice, but not really your choice'. Now the question is: Why would the Architect want Neo to choose left? Maybe he is aware that Smith is a threat to the Matrix (and Neo is the only one who can stop him). Thus if Smith is allowed to spread, there wouldn't be 23 people left to choose from. Smith everywhere.

Think of that, too: When Morpheus makes his speech at the end of Matrix Reloaded, just in the moment when he says...
Morpheus: "Tonight is not an accident. There are no accidents. We have not come here by chance...I do not see coincidence"
...the bridge is shown that will later collapse. Because of this bridge the mission of Captain Soren fails and thus Trinity has to enter the Matrix and thus chooses the left door. Did the system want Neo to choose left?

On the other hand it could be , that the Architect makes an error (since the Architect could be human) and Neo chooses the unwanted door. It is also possible that the connection of Neo & Smith alters the 'door-choice'.

Think of that, too: When Bane (possessed by Smith) cuts his hand and tries to attack Neo, then maybe he tried to attack Trinity? Maybe he wanted Trinity to die, so that Neo chose the right door?

Marginal note: In Matrix 1 when Neo flees from the agents Tank guides him what door to take:
Neo (running in the corridor): "Need a little help."
Tank: "Door on your left."
Neo takes the door on his right
Tank: "No, the other left"
This may mean, that the choice to take a right door is deeply implanted into Neo.

What do you think? Send me your thoughts !!

Choice as a problem and Choice as a solution

Is the problem really 'choice'?

The reason why the first Matrixes crashed lay in the imperfection of humans (at least this is what the Architect says):
Architect: "The inevitability of [the 1st Matrix'] doom is apparent to me now as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human being."
Thus 'Imperfection' was the problem of the very first Matrixes.
This problem was solved (the Matrix doesn't crash anymore) by implementing (the illusion of) choice.
Architect: "A solution whereby nearly 99% of all test subjects accepted the program, as long as they were given a choice... While this answer functioned, it was obviously fundamentally flawed, thus creating the... systemic anomaly".

What is flawed?

The answer (=the solution) is flawed:
Architect: "A solution whereby...subjects accepted the program, [when] they were given a choice... While this answer functioned, it was...flawed"
Often it is stated that the Matrix itself is flawed. Well, not quite: The first Matrix (the perfect world) that crashed was obviously flawed. Nowadays the Matrix doesn't crash anymore, thus is not flawed. However I consider this a little bit as splitting hairs: Since the solution is part of the Matrix, ok, you could say the Matrix is flawed.

Why was it flawed?

Because it is only a superficial solution and does not correct the 'human imperfection' itself.
Because 'choice' is in contradiction to "a harmony of mathematical precision" and to "flawless".
Hell, even the word 'Matrix' is mathematical.
Because it is only for 99%
Because it enables to choose (=free will), which might become a danger.
In a world of causality (action-reaction, cause-effect), choice is the anomaly.
A couple of wrong choices can add up to a systemic crash.
Because 'The Architect doesn't like to play dice' as Einstein said. ;-)

So what is choice?

'choice' is a solution for the Matrix crashing problem.
'choice' is a flawed solution (= the patch is bugged)
'choice' is a nearly perfect solution.
If you consider that the Matrix may be thousands of years old, then the sixth arrival of Neo as an anomaly is not too bad. It means, that the 'Mother' has maybe found a solution as perfect as it can get in keeping humans in a matrix.
'choice' is a solution becoming a problem (choice is "creating the... contradictory... anomaly")
'choice' itself is not the problem, but wrong choice, of course (=a choice, that is different from what the system wants to be chosen)

What could be the problem that underlies Matrix-unwanted choices?

The problem could be 'purpose'
In a perfect world even the purpose of your life is implanted.
Smith: "Without purpose, we [Neo+ Smith] would not exist."
But wrong purpose or no-purpose could be harmful to the system. (e.g. Smith's purpose was altered by Neo and now Smith spreads like mad. Dangerous.), thus living by the right purpose has to be enforced.
To ease the burden of this enforced purpose, every inhabitant gets his 'freedom of choice' (within the narrow parameters of one's own purpose).
Thus the problem might be wrong choice OR the ability to choose a wrong purpose.
The problem could be 'certain emotions' (most visible in the Ones, of course):
Architect: "I can see the chain reaction - the chemical precursors that signal the onset of an emotion, designed specifically to overwhelm logic and reason".
From the Architect's point of view logic is good and reason is good, too. But an emotion overwhelming logic and reason? Bad.
The problem could be 'The need to believe' or 'Hope'
Architect: "Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion... the source of your greatest strength".
It is interesting how people who are freed from the calculated world of the Matrix set up a Zion where religious belief is common and strong.
- Morpheus' talks about "I must ask you to do one thing...To trust me."
- The rave party is called 'temple gathering' and Hamann's speech 'opening prayer'
- People give Neo gifts to 'watch over' their children.
- The Oracle gives a prophecy.
It could very well be, that there is too little to believe within the Matrix (= a simulation calculated by machines, thus nothing to believe in), and being part of a higher meaning is more satisfying outside of the Matrix. Thus those 2 things (Choice+ Belief) are the best glue to keep humans enslaved, therefore choice in the Matrix PLUS belief in Zion make the perfect trap.
The problem could also be the 'seeking for truth'.
Architect: "Which brings us at last to the moment of truth, wherein the fundamental flaw is ultimately expressed".
The Architect states that the 1st Matrix crashed because of the imperfection of humans. Well, this might be inaccurate: Every human knows that if everything goes right and nothing wrong then something is a lie. Thus to make the Matrix simulation perfect (= making humans believe that it was real) humans had to see that things can go wrong (= see that wrong choice can exist):
Agent Smith: "I believe...human beings define their reality through misery and suffering."
Thus the problem lay in the too-perfection of the Matrix and not in the less-perfection of humans (or any other life form).
The problem could be 'Death wish'
Agent Smith [Matrix 1]: "The first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world"
...and...
Architect [Matrix 2]: "The first Matrix I designed was quite naturally perfect"
Maybe humans WANT to die instead of staying alive for hundreds of years.