Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

These are questions relating to specific titles. General questions for movies and TV shows are here. Members get e-mailed when any of their questions are answered.

Question: How did the church catch on fire? I know that in the scene before, Johnny drops a cigarette but he and Pony were also there the entire night. There is no way the blaze would have started once they left all them hours later. Also, what purpose did the children have being there? Why would they take a school bus to an old run down church? I get if they were going to just look but the adults let the children inside even though it was falling apart.

Answer: We don't know when the fire started, or even that it was Pony and Johnny who were responsible. But they knew that their cigarettes were the most likely explanation and so saw rescuing the kids as their responsibility. I recall the school being near the church for a picnic or something - the kids were explicitly told to stay away from the actual building. They were disobeying their teacher's orders by venturing inside.

Answer: In the novel, it's stated that the children were there for a school picnic, and that there was a possibility of them dropping a lit cigarette (which could have happened another time off screen in the movie).

Question: Three questions: One, why does the Trident glow when Morgana is holding it? It never glows when Triton holds it, unless he's using it; Two, aren't Cloak and Dagger Stingrays? I'm asking because not only were they holding onto Eric's ankles but also, Sebastian was holding them after Eric was free. Wouldn't he be stung or something?; Three, why would Morgana make a "palace" out of ice? Could her tentacles hold on? I just think she would be slipping a lot.

Answer: 1.) It could be that the power-hungry Morgana is constantly keeping the trident in ready-to-fire mode, whereas Triton only summons its power when he needs it for something. 3.) She created a fortress out of ice because the only terrain around her was made of ice, and she wanted a structure she could use to fire down at the opposing forces while leaving them defenseless and unable to reach her. She didn't slip and fall because she arranged a tall platform in the center for her to stand on.

Question: Why does the Captain not like Max? After he tells the children that he'll be bringing the Baroness back with him from Vienna to visit, he says Max will be coming too, and he rolls his eyes when he says that.

Answer: I don't think he dislikes Max, but finds him a bit frivolous and annoying. Max also entered the children in the festival against the Captain's wishes.

raywest

Answer: This is proved to be true as Georg loses his temper with him several times about his attitude to the Nazis and about his children singing in public.

Answer: Not to mention that he seems to be a spendthrift and a moocher off his rich friends.

LorgSkyegon

Question: How did Thanos get to the present timeline? Wasn't Nebula left with just one dose of pym particles, which she used to get back?

Answer: It shows Nebula presenting the vial of Pym particles to Thanos, it's probable that he (or someone like Maw) was able to reverse engineer the particles so that they had their own supply to use.

Answer: 2014 Nebula would have needed the vial to power her future self's suit to get to 2023 so she could impersonate her. But Thanos would have had to re-create enough of the particles so that the time tunnel could lock onto his ship and pull it through.

Vader47000

Answer: She used the excess Pym particles that Tony and Cap brought back.

lionhead

Is that your own personal interpretation of it? They don't show it in the movie, unless I am mistaken. And it should be Thanos to use the Pym particles to jump into the Quantum dimension, how does she having the particles in the present affect it?

Her robotic fingers seem to be red as they go into the machine, implying they're making use of the Pym particles. And they had Nebula's "GPS" unit they all wore on their hands - given Thanos' technology they could presumably have copied or adapted it in some way to work with the ship, positioning it in time and space if nothing else.

Jon Sandys

Yes that's my interpretation. The machine works differently than the suits. She did a lot of modification to it as well before activating it. She somehow managed to get an entire ship transported to the future in a matter of minutes. The only logical conclusion is that she used Pym particles to power the machine and then pull the ship through.

lionhead

No. Thanos on his end, would need those particles to get small and enter the Quantum Realm. Like the others.

DetectiveGadget85

Answer: The directors have addressed this and confirmed that Thanos gave the Pym particles to Ebony Maw (a brilliant scientist) who then reverse engineered them and created more.

Answer: He could have gotten the Pym particles from Pym himself. Likely by force. He has Nebula's memory and saw their whole plan. But, the official answer that came out was Maw reversed engineered them.

Question: Spoiler! Time seems to be defined as somewhat linear, with alternate realities branching off rather than changing the past of any given timeline. But if that's the case, how can Steve go back in time and stay, which should branch off a new reality with him in it, but then "catch up" with "our" reality? Seems like if he stayed in the past he'll have made plenty of changes.

Answer: The Russo brothers have elaborated somewhat: "the old Cap at the end of the movie, he lived his married life in a different universe from the main one. He had to make another jump back to the main universe at the end to give the shield to Sam." They didn't explain his jump back, which leaves the door open for interdimensional travel. They certainly implied there's a bit more to the story which might get revealed in time. But thus far we know there's an alternate timeline where 2019 Cap was running around helping people (again, per Russo interviews), not interfering with "our" timeline.

Jon Sandys

Answer: He stayed behind but didn't reveal himself or change anything whilst there. That way the future isn't altered and stays "the same." This does mean that the timeline we have been following is the timeline where Cap stayed behind and there were basically 2 Steve Rogers at all times. That can theoretically work in a linear timeline idea.

lionhead

True, I think that does mostly line up. Peggy told him she got married to someone he rescued, but that could easily have been a cover story so as not to tip him off about what happens too early.

Jon Sandys

He originally had the tools to go back return the stones and then return back to his timeline. Instead of returning back right away when the job was done he just hung around and lived his life. Then as an old man used the particle to return back to his original timeline effectively leaving the different timeline he had just been living in for the last however many years. He could always return back to the the original timeline at any point. He just decided to wait.

Yeah see I don't agre to this because if he had used the particles again to go back to the future after living his life in the past he would have ended up on the platform wouldn't he? I say he just grew old and waited for that moment of his younger self going to back to sit down on that bench.

lionhead

That's not possible. (a) He was in the ice for 60 years. How would he know what not to do? (b) There's nothing he could do that wouldn't change the timeline. Anything he did means someone else didn't do it from the previous timeline. A house he rented, food he ate, places he went. Even whatever fake name he uses alters history as it wasn't there before.

The point is all those things did exist, but they didn't mess with the events that occurred in the movies. So not a different timeline than the one we have been following, but the same. This can only be done if the second Cap stays out of history. I'm not a fan of the butterfly effect, it doesn't have any basis, that's why I always explain timelines in this way. An extra spoon in the dishwasher or an extra tank of gasoline doesn't change the timeline so much that it can't be the one we were following anymore. So yes, he changed the timeline, but that's the timeline we have been following.

lionhead

Answer: Since Cap was frozen for 70 years, he could potentially live out his life back in that time without risking interfering with his future self's actions which would allow him to arrive back to the same point where he left. It's not too dissimilar from the first two "Back to the Future" films where Marty arrives back in 1985 from 1955. As long as Marty takes no actions to prevent himself from going back in time in that moment, then he can arrive back to the same point he left without causing a major disruption in the space-time continuum. Consequently though, since Cap married Peggy when he went back, this would effectively erase the marriage she revealed having had in "The Winter Soldier," which could cause minor differences in the timeline.

Phaneron

This is the point though - it's made clear that they can't change the past, just branch off a new timeline. And given we know she got married in "our" timeline, him going back created a new one, one where she married him instead. And that's all well and good, but that leaves him stranded in timeline "B", with no way to jump back to "A." That said of course there's no real reason this couldn't be hand-waved away as using Dr. Strange or other tech to cross dimensions somehow, it's just mildly annoying they didn't clarify it. :-).

Jon Sandys

Well the way they did it makes it complicated I think. The Pym particles made a certain type of time travel possible I think, a different kind than the time gem for example can do. It's irreversible, but not linear. The linear timeline is what the ancient one explained about the gems. They had to be put back in their place in time in order for the fabric of the universe to stay in tact. Only that had to be restored, but not what Cap did, or even creating alternate timelines in general (which did happen with Loki disappearing).

lionhead

I feel though that since two Caps were existing in the same timeline, one of which was frozen for several decades, then the Cap that went back to be with Peggy can still end up in the same spot as long as he doesn't interfere with himself or his fellow Avengers in their "future" missions. He might cause a slightly different timeline to happen, but as long as he lets his other self play out the events as they originally unfolded, it allows that other self to be in the same position to travel back to return the Infinity Stones and then be with Peggy, rendering any branching timeline to be inconsequential because he is putting himself in a time loop. Just like Marty in "Back to the Future." Marty's actions in the past create a slightly new timeline, but he is still traveling back to 1955 at the exact same point in this slightly different 1985.

Phaneron

Can't compare it to Back to the Future, there was always 1 Marty in Back to the Future since he goes back to a time before he was born. The changes to the timeline in Back to the Future should have butterflied a lot away. Not sure what you mean with "still end up in the same spot" if there are 2 Caps. The Cap that went back to be with Peggy didn't have to "end up in the same spot", just stay out of history until his past self goes back. Like you say, it's a loop for him.

lionhead

By "end up in the same spot," I mean the Cap that coexists with the Cap that goes back in time is allowed to play out the events from "The Avengers," "The Winter Soldier," "Civil War," etc. without his alternate self interfering in matters, thus he is able to reach the same point in time where he goes back to return the Infinity Stones and then be with Peggy, which is what creates/continues his loop.

Phaneron

He wouldn't be stranded in "B" if he still had his TimeGPS device (which I imagine he would've held onto). That could have allowed him to make the jump back to the "A" timeline. That device is what links/keeps the time traveler tethered/able to return to their original timeline and not get stuck. Either he used it to make the jump back as he normally would have, or he could've employed some of the great minds of the alternate "B" timeline he was living in (i.e. Hank Pym, Howard Stark (if he prevented his assassination in the "B" timeline), Tony Stark, etc...) to use the GPS's 'tether' as a way to get back to "A"

Exactly. What people seem to miss is that throughout the movie, the time travelers are creating alternate timelines, but always return to their original one. That's the way time travel works in the MCU.

That's a good point - if they go to the battle of New York and make any change at all, that's a new timeline which they're technically in, but they can still return to their original one without any problem. That new one then carries on without them.

Jon Sandys

Answer: What's interesting is that during Civil War when Peggy dies and people are carrying her coffin, there is a white haired man of Steve's build carrying one side, but it never shows his face. I believe this is a little Easter egg to show he was there all along.

Answer: Remember Cap took three vials of Pym particles. One for himself and Tony and another for this reason.

Answer: Theory 1: The MCU as we know it is a product of Captain America going back in time and returning the stones. Theory 2: the older Captain America is from another timeline. That's how he got a new shield.

Question: How did Tony know where to find the Tesseract?

Answer: His father worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. and he knew they were in possession of it. He deduced what year and location based on that information.

Phaneron

Answer: Both Tony and Steve knew that Howard Stark recovered the Tesseract in 1945. SHIELD were then conducting research on it. They knew it was likely stored in the secret shield facility in New Jersey. They weren't 100% certain, but it was their best chance of locating it and at the very least they could obtain additional Pym particles to try another time if necessary.

Question: What happened to Hal (the sadistic manager of the retirement home)?

Answer: In a deleted scene, Happy shoves him out a window and the old ladies beat the tar out of him.

Brian Katcher

Question: Why did Daniel think Mr. Miyagi was making fun of him with the sweeping? He taught him how to block by waxing cars so shouldn't Daniel have figured there was something with moving the broom to teach him how to do a front sweep?

THE GAMER NEXT DOOR

Answer: Daniel was frustrated with Mr. Miyagi because he would not support Daniel entering the tournament. He probably thought that Mr. Miyagi was making fun of him.

Answer: Daniel's an impatient kid who wants everything laid out in a clear, straightforward manner. He may have thought the "wax on-wax off" incident was a one-time ploy and believes from that point on the training will be more conventional. Mr. Miyagi has other ideas about his teaching methods.

raywest

Question: What was the Silas/Remy Jean/Teabing event in London all about? Remy Jean and Silas acting as if they're betraying Teabing in front of Robert and Sophie, only to learn that Teabing was behind it after all? I don't get it.

Answer: Teabing wants to keep his identity as the Teacher secret. Remy pretending to be the Teacher was prearranged so Teabing could continue to act as an ally of Langdon and Sophie. Silas was unaware that Teabing was the Teacher, or even that the Teacher would be there. He was not part of the deception.

Answer: They are real. This is seen when Jareth turns into an owl and Sarah sees him fly out of the house. Further proof of this is when everybody that Sarah met were in her room and Jareth was looking into her room before flying off.

Answer: It's implied that it was real.

raywest

Question: Why was Rhiannon angry with Olive? Why would she care who she has sex with?

MikeH

Answer: It wasn't just that Rhiannon believed that Olive had slept with someone. She was angry and upset over the new trampy behavior that Olive was taking on to become more "popular."

raywest

Question: The grandfather says at the very end that he knew all along about the vampires, so why didn't he tell Sam or Michael before?

Joey221995

Answer: It was also in keeping with Grandpa's eccentric nature; if he'd said anything about the vampires before, they might have assumed he was either joking or possibly becoming senile.

zendaddy621

Answer: Probably because it was just boasting, and he didn't really know they were vampires until the very end. He may have suspected, but never had definitive proof.

raywest

Question: Why was Ron angry with Harry for allegedly putting his name in the Goblet of Fire?

MikeH

Answer: Ron was becoming a jealous of Harry's fame and, feeling inadequate, was tired of being in his shadow. He (wrongly) believed Harry had entered his name into the Goblet for the attention.

raywest

Why does he think Harry did it? Ron was with him when the others put their name in and he couldn't have done it overnight because prefects roam the grounds.

Ron knows that Harry had the cloak, and that Harry can generally get away with a lot more than other students.

Ssiscool

Answer: Harry has an invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map, easily undetectable to anyone but Mad-Eye Moody. I'm sure Ron thought that Harry could have slipped away; surely they aren't together every second of the day. Ron was jealous, it doesn't have to make sense.

Question: Did the interior of the Apollo 13 spacecraft really become cold, and frosty as shown in the movie?

Answer: From what I have read, according to the real astronauts, it was not as cold in the capsule as was depicted in the film. The movie exaggerated that for dramatic effect.

raywest

Question: When Vince turns up at the BBQ Leon says to him "Look who it is! Coyotes R Us! I thought you weren't hungry, pumpkin?" What in the world does Coyotes R Us mean? I have been wondering this since this movie was released.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: I feel as though the saying is exactly what it means in the simplest terms. Since a Coyote is an animal and hunts for its meals, Leon could be referring to Vince being like a Coyote and having those traits. Vince has been aggressive and very territorial to Brian, especially at his advances towards Dom's sister. Vince is pretty much acting like an aggressive animal rather than a civilized human being.

Answer: No, there's no indication that he knows Loki is his son.

Phaneron

Question: Why would Nero need Earth's defense codes if his weaponry was so much more advanced?

Answer: It makes it even easier to attack and would lessen Nero's losses by disabling Earth's defenses as much as he possibly can.

raywest

Question: When Hermione left divination why did she knock over the crystal ball?

Answer: It's an act of rebellion. Shows how much she thinks of Trelawny and the subject.

Ssiscool

Answer: Hermione was always a bit arrogant about being the smartest student. She thought Divination was nonsense and deliberately gave a phony reading from the crystal ball to mock Trelawney and the subject. Trelawney knew she was faking it and made a rather rude assessment of Hermione's "ability." Hermione was insulted and and knocked the ball off the table in anger and disdain.

raywest

Answer: I couldn't find any other information, but honestly... Soundwave is barely in the movie. Probably just wasn't worth it for the production to pay Welker to come in just to record a few throwaway lines.

TedStixon

I considered that possibility as well, but since Peter Cullen reprised his role as the voice of Optimus Prime yet again for this film despite Prime's minimal involvement, it doesn't quite wash. Also, given Frank Welker's highly prolific voice acting career, it's unlikely he would have declined on the basis of pay or importance of his involvement.

zendaddy621

Soundwave was barely in the movie (he's literally only in a few shots) and only had one or two lines. As the other answer suggested, it probably just wasn't worth it for the studio to pay Welker to come in, or they just didn't feel it was necessary given that Soundwave was essentially just a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. Optimus has a much larger presence, and Peter Cullen's voice is pretty synonymous with the character in the film series. Hence, it was worth it to have him return.

TedStixon

Answer: I wondered about this, too. Ripley may simply have overlooked doing this due the extreme duress she was under, focused on killing the creature. She intended to act quickly and save Newt if needed, but the creature grabbed onto her leg, delaying it being shot into space. Ripley may also have believed that Newt was still hiding under the grates, and that Bishop, ripped in half, was already "dead." I also think it's something of a plot hole.

raywest

I know I'm answering my own question here but when I look back at the scene, you do see her press the button that triggers the alarms before she pulls the latch to open the air luck. Probably a form of telling them what she is about to do. And looking back at the scene it's pretty obvious what she's doing, unless Newt was all of a sudden oblivious to what was happening.

Sam Montgomery

Newt was not exactly oblivious, but she was a frightened child who was reacting, as would be normal for someone her age, impulsively and without much forethought. She was also unfamiliar with the ship, its operation, and probably would not know what the warning alarm was. Her instinct was to jump out of the recessed floor space to see what was happening to Ripley. I don't think Ripley turned on the alarm separately. It would just automatically go off as soon as someone started opening the hatch. It's the same as a back-up alarm on the truck.

raywest

True she's unfamiliar with the ship but even when you move to a new school or building, you're still aware of the fire alarm.

Sam Montgomery

Newt had never been on the ship before and had only been there for about five minutes when the mayhem started with the alien queen. A child going to a new school might be aware of the fire alarms, but only after they are taught about safety issues by an adult and not during a panicked emergency. Newt, terrified, had no understanding of what exactly was going on when the alarm sounded or how to react to it.

raywest

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.