Episode #4.6 - S4-E6
Question: When Lady Edith gets the letter confirming her pregnancy - who is the letter addressed to? Because she would not have wanted to use her real name, or have the OBGYN doctor's return address on the envelope.
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19th Jul 2021
Downton Abbey (2010)
19th Jul 2021
Titanic (1997)
Question: Rose and her mother need the financial security from Rose's marriage to Cal. What were they probably expecting after the wedding? Was Cal aware of Rose's father's debt? Did they think he would pay it off, or did they hope he would never find out? I would expect Cal, being from a stable, wealthy family, to have his choice of suitable (to him) women who did *not* come with the burden of debt.
Answer: Cal, who was quite rich and prominent, would have fully investigated the family's debts or other concerns. To avoid any social embarrassment, scandals, or lingering complications, he would likely pay off the remaining debts. Despite Cal's despicable character, he loves Rose, and that is the price of marrying her. In this era, women had many restrictions and few legal rights, so even as Cal's wife, Rose would have no direct access to her husband's money. She would probably receive a small monthly allowance and her expenditures would be closely monitored. Rose and her mother may not have had any money, but they are socially prominent and respected, and that would be an asset to Cal.
19th Jul 2021
Twilight (2008)
26th Apr 2021
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Question: At the end, Henry goes back to the meadow. Alba is there, now 9 yrs old, and the Gomez kids are there also. Henry says that they've gotten so big. Alba sends them to go tell Claire that he's back, but Claire is young again, so how are Gomez's kids there? Alba and Henry time travel yes, but Claire is young again, so how are the other kids there as well? I'm confused or just not seeing it right.
Answer: Not sure what you mean by Claire being "young again." Henry dies when Alba is five years old. His younger time-traveling self reappears when she is nine, so that is only four years later. Claire would barely have aged in that short amount of time. The young Gomez children, however, would have grown quite a bit in four years.
9th Jul 2021
A Quiet Place (2018)
Question: How do the alien creatures orientate? They're blind but sensitive to noises, so I guess it is supposed to be some kind of echolocation - but first, echolocation is not a way of "seeing" your environments constantly, especially not suitable for running like crazy in a forest full of trees and obstacles. Second, by using echolocation, they should be able to locate moving objects even it's noiseless. So how?
15th Jul 2021
Die Hard (1988)
Question: In one scene, McLane turns on an electric saw to distract the terrorists. When he's having no luck finding shoes that fit, why didn't he just use the saw to cut the toes off a pair of shoes?
Answer: There's no answer, though it would have been dangerous for McClane to go back and use a noisy saw. The dead guy's cohorts might be around and/or are looking for him and could hear the noise. McClane also had to move quickly to get the body into the elevator and down to the party floor, so he could gain info about the other terrorists. The shoes may also have been too tight and narrow as well as too short, making them unusable.
15th Jul 2021
Alien (1979)
Question: How did the company know about the Alien in the first place? Presumably no-one had been there before and the signal they picked up didn't indicate the presence of an Alien lifeform.
Answer: It was never fully explained. "The Company" had a standing directive that any signal detected which indicated alien life was to be investigated and specimens collected and returned. Failure to comply would result in the crew forfeiting their profit shares. The company apparently had previously detected the crashed alien astronaut's warning signal from LV-46 and wanted to search for alien lifeforms without specifically knowing what would be found.
Actually in the movie it is indicated that the company definitely knew about the xenomorphs, given Ash's directive. It is not explained how in this movie but it is in the movies "Prometheus" and "Alien: covenant." The standing directive about investigating signals was just an excuse to use an expendable crew to procure a specimen.
14th Jul 2021
Passengers (2016)
13th Dec 2012
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
Question: Why did it take Bella almost dying for a house full of thirsty vampires to realize that the vampire fetus would want to drink blood?
Chosen answer: It was the first time that a vampire ever got a human pregnant, and they didn't know what will happen.
It wasn't the first time a vampire impregnated a human, as shown by the half-human/half-vampire South American native that appears at the end. However, the Cullens knew nothing about his existence until that time, nor could they assume the fetus was fully vampire. They therefore had no idea how to treat Bella's pregnancy.
28th Jun 2021
Wonder Woman (1976)
Question: Why did they have three actresses playing Hippolyta? Scheduling conflicts with each one?
Answer: The first actress, Cloris Leachman appeared in the TV movie which ended up being the pilot for the series. At the time, Leachman was already starring in her own TV series "Phyllis" (a spin off her role in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"). This was actually the 2nd TV movie meant to be a pilot and the first one wasn't picked up. It's unlikely she thought the show would be picked up. After season 1, in which Carolyn Jones played the role, ABC was slow to make a decision to pick up the series for season 2 and CBS picked up the series. When CBS picked up the series, they changed the time setting of the show and replaced all the actors, with the exception of Carter and Waggoner (with Waggoner playing a different role technically), resulting in Beatrice Straight being cast.
Answer: It is typical to recast non-regular cast members in a TV series, usually because they are no longer available or another actor was better suited for the part. Non-regular actors move on to other acting jobs during a series' run. Cloris Leachman, Carolyn Jones, and Beatrice Straight, who played Hippolyta, were well-known character actresses who were billed as "Guest Stars." Cloris Leachman was only in the show's pilot episode and was on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Carolyn Jones played Hippolyta during Season 2, then was cast in the TV mini-series "Roots." Beatrice Straight played Hippolyta in the final season.
25th Jun 2021
The Fugitive (1993)
Question: Why is Dr Nichols helping Dr Richard Kimble? Why would he give him money? Why would Nichols give Kimble an opportunity at the hospital to investigate the drug, when he himself is in on the conspiracy?
Answer: Two answers. One, Nichols pretends to support Kimble and say he is innocent (knowing he really is) and otherwise avoids interfering to divert suspicion away from himself. He presumes Kimble will be captured before he figures everything out. Secondly, it's a plot device so the audience believes he is Kimble's ally and will be unaware until the end that Nichols was involved in the conspiracy.
2nd Nov 2017
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Question: At the very beginning when the twins are talking to Scarlett it sounds to me like George Reeves says something about the "other 48 states" wanting war. Am I hearing that incorrectly? There were only 34 states when the war began.
Answer: To answer your question, I looked for on-line versions of the "Gone with the Wind" screenplay. What you are hearing as "other 48 states" is actually "those fool Yankees." The full line is, "Y'know, those fool Yankees actually want a war?" Also, the line is actually said by Stuart Tarleton, played Fred Crane, not by George Reeves as his twin brother, Drew. In writing, it doesn't seem they would sound alike. When I watched the opening scene of "gwtw" on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymbmvQJcLDc&t=6s), I can see how the error was made. I might have misheard it, as well, if I didn't already know what the line was from my research. Mr. Crane's enunciation is rather muddled.
Answer: I watched this scene several times on HBOmax, both with and without the closed captions. The line, spoken by Brent Tarleton (George Reeves) is: "You know, those poor Yankees actually want a war." It does sound like he says another word just before saying "Yankees," but it's so muffled that it's unintelligible and the closed captions do not record it. It could be "poor fool Yankees," but that's a guess.
Answer: In the version I am watching it is definitely Reeves' character who say the line, right after he tells Scarlett "War. Isn't it exciting Scarlett?" Then comes what sounds like what I posted. Is it possible there are different versions?
10th Jun 2021
Inside Man (2006)
Question: Why go through the extremely time-consuming work of digging through a concrete floor, when they could have just brought along a portable toilet with a hermetically sealed disposal system?
Answer: There is no reason for the hole, it's just wasted time and energy. They brought in enough materials to build a fake wall, bringing a little more would be easy. No need for a fancy portable toilet either, a bucket with a lid and some chemicals to neutralise the smell and destroy DNA would be enough, literally less weight than the tools to dig the hole. I think the hole was just there to be a red herring for the audience. Personally I thought he was hiding in the hole and it was covered up by something, but it turns out they built a fake wall for that, same result but it made the movie seem dumber than it needed to be.
Answer: We can only speculate, but a bulky portable toilet would be problematic - both carrying it into the bank and when exiting the building. It appears Dalton removed everything from the hiding space in a duffel bag and a backpack, leaving nothing incriminating behind. The escape plan was to simply blend in with other people while walking out. Eventually, the hiding space would be found. Using the hole as a toilet and refilling it with the excavated dirt could help eliminate DNA evidence traceable to him. He may have removed some waste in plastic bags. Unpleasant, but necessary.
10th Jun 2021
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
Question: Is George's Oscar Wilde quotation, "We won't have to look for work, and it won't have to look for us," genuine? (Never trust a criminal, I know).
Answer: I did an Internet search for this quote, including checking best-quotations.com, and the only reference of it I can find is tied to the movie. I do not think this is an Oscar Wilde quote. If I find something, I'll update this, as it's possibly a line from one of his plays or novels that just doesn't happen to be online. Someone else might know.
10th Jun 2021
Wall-E (2008)
Question: The only animal surviving is a roach. It survives on wrapped food and shelter that Wall-e provides. There is little to no water in sight but if and when there is water it seems to be very toxic with sludge and acid rain. So how does the roach manage to live with no fresh water?
10th Jun 2021
Friends (1994)
Question: There are a few episodes where Phoebe is talking with her twin sister Ursula, and one of them will hand something to the other person, and you can tell a stand-in is not being used for one of them because Lisa Kudrow's face is visible for both characters. How do they achieve this effect?
Chosen answer: The effect can be achieved in various ways. Split screen and image overlapping is one method. CGI can simulate body movements making it appear the characters are physically interacting, or a face can be superimposed over a body double. Lisa Kudrow's older sister, Helena, who looks almost exactly like her, was often used as her twin body double, mostly filmed from the back or the side and in scenes where one stood or walked in front of the other.
10th Jun 2021
Hogan's Heroes (1965)
Question: What exactly is the "cooler"?
Answer: It's a solitary cell. Steve McQueen, star of 'The Great Escape' is known as the 'Cooler King'.
10th Jun 2021
WarGames (1983)
Question: How is it possible that David, as a fugitive, was able to get on a plane to Oregon without getting caught?
Answer: At that point, David's school friend, Jennifer, had met up with him. She could purchase their plane tickets under her name. Air travel security then was less stringent than in the post-9/11 era though it was after the D.B. Cooper hijacking when tighter rules had been implemented. Being a movie, facts and reality are often skewed to serve the storyline though it begs the question of how a minor, even in this era, could buy tickets without proper I.D. for David and where did she get that much money.
7th Jun 2021
Annie (1982)
Question: Did the actress Eileen Quinn actually climb the B&O bridge and hang off there?
Answer: Due to strict child safety laws, a minor would never be allowed to climb and hang off from a bridge. A stunt double did the climbing. Close-up shots would be filmed on a sound stage with specially built props, and a safety harness, or other equipment used to make it appear as if Annie was "hanging" from the bridge.
7th Jun 2021
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Question: Why was Kyle Reese removed from the theatrical version of this movie? Why is he only present in the extended version?
Answer: Movies typically film more scenes than are used in the final theatrical version. During the editing process, certain scenes may no longer result in a tight story, lose the continuity, slows the pace, or otherwise muddles the plot. The film's length might also run too long limiting how many times a movie can be shown in a theater per day and affecting ticket sales. Restoring the cut scenes in the DVD version serves several purposes. The director can re-edit the film in the way they originally envisioned. Deleted scenes are often added as a separate bonus feature to help market the DVD. Both help increase DVD sales. The Kyle scene may not have fitted the story line and/or it made the running time too long.
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Answer: The letter was addressed to Edith, an adult woman. As such, the family respects her privacy and would not question her receiving something from her own doctor. If anyone asked, she would merely give some vague explanation for seeing a physician. If she was concerned about anyone becoming suspicious, then she could have instructed the doctor's office to send it in a plain envelope.
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