Question: Do Presidents make last-minute trips to other locations in the world? Or would that not be possible due to a safety concern? In reality, would somebody else attend the funeral in the President's place?
Cubs Fan
17th Apr 2024
London Has Fallen (2016)
21st Mar 2024
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
Question: Whenever Clark uses his X-ray vision, why does he lower his glasses? Lowering them when he uses heat vision is understandable but there's no need to do it when Clark uses X-ray vision.
Answer: I don't recall if it was ever mentioned in an episode, but it's possible that the frames and/or lenses of his glasses are lined with lead, the one compound his X-ray vision can't penetrate. Speculative, of course, but it likely would have been done at a point in his youth when he wasn't in complete control of his powers.
16th Aug 2023
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Question: What was so wrong with Marty and Doc returning to the future and stopping Old Biff from stealing the DeLorean? If they stopped Old Biff from stealing it, he wouldn't be able to go back in time to give his younger self the almanac.
Answer: As Doc explained, they'd be traveling to an alternate future. A future where old Biff already has the almanac, and thus, the alternate old Biff wouldn't have a need to steal the DeLorean to give his younger self the almanac. (I believe there've been discussions on here about why did old Biff then return to the same future Doc and Marty were in instead of the alternate future, and it's implied he basically fades out of existence.)
Answer: To use Doc's example in the film, think of time as a linear straight line. Beginning at the point where the past was changed (i.e. Old Biff giving the almanac to his younger self in 1955), time would then continue linearly; therefore, traveling to the future from 1985-A would result in visiting the future of 1985-A. That's why Doc and Marty had to go back to 1955 to get the almanac back; once the anomaly was corrected (i.e. the almanac removed from where it didn't belong), the 1985-A timeline would vanish and time would resume its course the way it should in the original 1985 timeline.
16th Sep 2021
The Big Bang Theory (2007)
Question: What game are Amy and Sheldon playing in the opening scene? It's an app on a phone.
Answer: Heads Up, developed by Ellen DeGeneres. I believe it originally began on her talk show with the use of index cards.
7th May 2021
Star Trek (2009)
28th Jul 2020
Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
Question: What does Buster mean that he'll be put in a foster home with people who don't love him? What's gonna happen to him if he lives with them?
Answer: He was just saying it pessimistically. Although, depending on which reports you read, 1 in 3 children are abused by their foster parents. In addition, many children in the system also get placed into several different homes during their childhood (since fostering children is not the same as adopting them), leaving the children to feel unloved by their foster parents.
21st Jul 2020
Supergirl (2015)
Question: Why did they change her costume and hair style?
Answer: Another part of why the change was that it's cold in Canada in the winter and the old costume didn't protect her from it, whereas the new one is nice and warm.
Answer: I can't say for certain, so I'm surmising that the change was to "catch up" with the other Arrowverse shows, particularly Arrow and The Flash, whose lead characters have undergone various upgrades and redesigns of their superhero suits over the years; after four seasons, Kara's probably just felt a little stale. And I believe the change in hairstyle was Melissa Benoist's personal decision and had nothing to do with the character.
8th Jul 2020
Criminal Minds (2005)
Question: How accurately does the show depict the way FBI profilers do their job?
8th Jun 2020
Frasier (1993)
Question: Why did Niles stay with Maris for so long considering they hint she's horrid. That and why did they never show her?
Answer: Niles did love Maris, but he was very much a pushover who let Maris control his life. He accepted that because of Maris' money and connections, which gave him a very good life.
Answer: I forget exactly, but I believe it's along the lines that Niles enjoyed the social status that being married to her brought him, despite her flaws; it's somewhat akin to someone staying in a bad relationship because the sex is good. As for the second part of your question, the producers were planning to cast someone, but as the show wore on, the writers found they enjoyed writing Maris as an unseen character, and as the descriptions of her became more outlandish and contradictory, it was felt that finding the right actress for the part would next to impossible.
Answer: The other answers accurately explain Niles and Maris' relationship. As to her never being seen, Maris is a version of Norm's wife Vera in "Cheers." Vera remained unseen throughout the entire series, but was often talked about and incorporated into various episodes. It was left to viewers' imagination regarding what she looked like and guessing if she'd ever appear. Vera sort of appeared in one Cheers episode when she was hit by a pie that entirely covered her face. Her voice was also occasionally heard. This same plot device was used in "Frasier."
8th Jun 2020
Home Alone (1990)
Question: Why did Kevin's mother take him to the third floor instead of his own room?
Answer: Possibly because with so many family members staying in the same house, in order to all fly to France together, one or more of his relatives were sleeping in his room and he was relegated to the attic; it's likely a sacrifice forced on him rather than one offered to him. As is common with young children, they often get the short end of the stick compared to their older, more mature siblings and are given a lesser degree of latitude and independence.
Answer: Earlier in the film it's mentioned that Kevin is sleeping in the hide-a-bed with Fuller. So it was pre-arranged where everyone was going to be sleeping. The hide-a-bed was on the 3rd floor. I don't think they mentioned who was sleeping in Kevin's room. I've been in similar situations (where several families are staying in one house) and kids' rooms are either given to an adult couple, or girls in one room, boys in another, etc.
6th May 2020
Law & Order (1990)
Question: Why did Arthur fire Serena?
Answer: He believed that she had become too empathetic towards the defendant they had been prosecuting, and that her actions were driven by her emotions instead of facts. While empathy is a good quality in general, a certain degree of detachment is required in order for a prosecutor to do one's job effectively.
29th Dec 2019
Frozen (2013)
21st Nov 2019
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Question: Why do they steal the actual NOC list instead of just giving Max another fake one to make sure the names didn't get out?
Answer: Presumably, both halves of the NOC list will interact with and match with each other perfectly in a way that won't work otherwise should one half be a fake. Think of it as two puzzle pieces, and if the computer tried to match up the wrong puzzle piece with the authentic first half of the NOC list, it would notify the user.
30th Apr 2019
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Question: In the magazine, Spellbound which Queenie brought to Newt's house in London, the headline reads "Newt Towed." What does towed mean?
7th Feb 2019
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
5th Nov 2018
Seinfeld (1990)
The Betrayal - S9-E8
Question: Why was the episode edited backwards? I don't understand the premise of it.
Answer: It's an homage to the Harold Pinter play "Betrayal", which uses the same reverse chronology gimmick. As an in-joke, Sue Ellen's fiance is named Pinter as a tribute to the playwright.
18th Aug 2018
The Flintstones (1994)
Question: How come Fred can't accept the briefcase from Barney and Betty at his promotion party?
Answer: When Fred received said promotion, the first order of business Vandercave gave him was to fire Barney. Since Barney would thus have no source of income, the order comes into conflict with his loyalty to his friend; his guilt makes him feel that the gift is something Barney can't afford and which he, Fred, doesn't deserve.
8th Jul 2018
Grease (1978)
Question: At the drive-in, Kenickie confronts Rizzo about being pregnant, but she tells him not to worry because "it was someone else's mistake." What does she mean?
Answer: She says it to hurt him.
Absolutely, she said it, like she said a lot of things - out of malice. Kenickie is genuinely distressed, genuinely meant he would stick by her, even if the baby wasn't his.
Answer: The whole meaning behind it is that Rizzo really is pregnant with Kenickie's kid but Rizzo says it's someone else's: "someone else's problem," pretty much giving a chance for Kenickie to be off the hook as not being the father. But Kenickie obviously knows she is lying. And he's upset and says "thanks a lot kid" sarcastically.
Answer: Rizzo doesn't actually mean someone else got her pregnant. She is just letting Kenickie "off the hook," probably because she figures he wouldn't want to take responsibility, anyway, and she was probably going to have to handle this on her own. Kenickie is hurt by this, however, as we can tell by his expression when he replies, "thanks a lot, kid."
I always read it as an expression of relief when he says "Thanks a lot, kid".
It was not meant as an expression of off the hook. It was meant as in, "that's really a messed up thing to say!" He was hurt by her saying that he was someone else's mistake.
She didn't say he was someone else's mistake. I already said that in a different correction. She says "it was someone else's mistake." Meaning the baby isn't his.
Answer: Both Kenickie and Rizzo are upset and being sarcastic. The interpretations of his and her words are debatable, especially since there is no way of knowing if Rizzo did, in fact, sleep with someone else. However, there's no indication that Rizzo was with another boy/man, so it can be assumed Kenickie is the father and both know this is true. My interpretation was that Rizzo, by saying "it's someone else's mistake", was referring to herself - that she was stupid enough to even have sex with someone like Kenickie in the first place. (The second inferred meaning is that she will not hold him responsible because she knows he isn't interested in being a father/paying.) Kenickie's response, "thanks a lot, kid" was returning an insult - the "thanks a lot" part being sarcastic and "kid" meaning immature and not old enough to have even been given the chance or "be lucky enough" for him to (lower himself and) sleep with her, given all the other "better" girls - WOMEN - around from which to choose.
Answer: It's been a while, but I thought the quote was: Kenickie: I don't run away from my mistakes Rizzo: Don't worry, you're someone else's mistake. I would agree with others that she's essentially letting him off the hook in the storyline (everybody knows it's his), but this particular quote is basically just a joke implying HE was HIS parents' mistake...as a way to lighten the mood.
She didn't say "you're someone else's mistake." She says "it was somebody else's mistake."
6th Jul 2018
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Question: I heard that Quirrell was the muggle studies teacher before this year. So after he took defense against the dark arts, why not give muggle studies to Arthur Weasley?
25th Mar 2018
Red Dragon (2002)
Question: How did Hannibal know about the Tooth Fairy in the first place? He was already locked up and I don't think he is allowed newspapers or magazines.
Answer: I believe it's explained a little more in the book. They've been communicating with each other covertly; the Tooth Fairy has been sending him messages written on toilet paper, a stationery chosen because it dissolves quickly should Hannibal need to destroy it, and he instructs Hannibal to send his replies via the personal ads in the National Tattler. While Hannibal may not have access to a newspaper, he is allowed access to a telephone, in order to speak with his lawyer; he could phone his message to the Tattler and, because he's speaking in a code only the Tooth Fairy knows, no one would be the wiser.
Answer: Hannibal is allowed access to newspapers. Silence of the Lambs directly addresses this, with him being aware of Buffalo Bill's nickname but not the reason why he is named as such, since the "papers won't say." Presumably he is aware of the Tooth Fairy because of the papers.
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Answer: I believe that, because ensuring the president's safety is so logistically difficult, it would be the Secretary of State, our highest-ranking diplomat, attending in his place.
Cubs Fan ★