Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: What exactly were Atlee's intentions with Ilsa? Why did he originally send her to infiltrate the Syndicate and why did he send her back later in the movie? If all he wants to do is keep the Syndicate hidden, what does he hope to accomplish with Ilsa as his woman on the inside? Does he actually know what is on the flashdrive she brings him, or does he also think it's a ledger? It makes sense for him to want to delete it in both cases, so I'm confused trying to figure out which it is. Either way, does Atlee send her back to get killed? Hunt later says he wanted to "frame" her, but I don't understand how.

Answer: When Lane took the Syndicate rogue, Atlee no longer had any control or oversight into the group, so he sent Ilsa Faust to infiltrate them and report to him what Lane was doing. The CIA and IMF already knew about the Syndicate so it was no longer hidden, and Atlee just needed to cover up his role in its creation. As Faust was already undercover there, he could also frame her for any connection to MI6 that might be revealed, particularly if she was killed and could no longer incriminate him.

Sierra1

Question: How did Ethan figure out Atlee's true intentions? He only just learned his name a bit earlier and now he's impersonating him and know exactly how to play him, that he's trying to hide the Syndicate, that he created it, that the PM knows it too. How did he learn all this?

Answer: Atlee was the director general of MI6, so he would have been fairly well known, particularly within the intelligence community. Ethan only impersonated Atlee to get close to the Prime Minister and unlock the red box, and he didn't know Atlee had created the Syndicate until the PM said so. Once he found out, he just went along with it until the real Atlee showed up.

Sierra1

Question: When Ilsa presents Ethan with his supposed 3 options, she says she's proof the Syndicate exists, but I'm not sure how exactly. She also says the CIA wouldn't believe them right afterwards. They all assume at this point the disc is a ledger though, so why wouldn't that definitively prove the Syndicate is real? I know of course that since it's encrypted they can't open it, but Ilsa doesn't know that! I don't see how she could come to the conclusion that the CIA won't believe them.

Question: Why would Jessie's friend take the chance of stealing that piece of paper with Ally's number on it, while their gangster "friend" who is supposed to be pretty scary is right there, when he is sitting there filming the whole damn thing and could just go back and get the number off the camera? (01:01:50)

AmberMac420

Question: The father seems to be a very scientific guy. But why hasn't he built some "sound-grenades" which they always carry around and throwing them away to distract the dangerous aliens when they are near? (for example loud toys, egg timers, etc.).

Goekhan

Answer: Possibly because it would be too dangerous. Most times an object like that could not be thrown far enough away to allow the family to escape, particularly in a panicked situation. A creature might be momentarily distracted, but would quickly zero in on them as very frightened children would probably be yelling, screaming, and crying.

raywest

Question: Did Lane intend for Ilsa to enlist Ethan's help all along? What does he want with Ethan, why does he tolerate him still being alive, why didn't he kill him in the beginning?

Answer: Lane is an expert in manipulating people, and he is using Hunt's skills to get what he wants. As he says at the end, whether Isla killed Hunt (and therefore became further embedded within The Syndicate) or let him go, sooner or later he would have got what he wanted. If Ilsa became loyal to Lane she would have worked to get the red box for Lane. If she helped Hunt, she would work with him to stop Lane getting the red box. Either way, the red box is extracted from the vault.

Question: In the end of the first movie Paul is safe in the hospital, so why has he come back into the forest and gets hit by a truck in this movie?

Answer: Spoiler Alert: At the end of the first movie, Paul was not safe at the hospital. The doctors inform the sheriff that Paul needs to be transferred. We then see Deputy Winston take Paul, but instead of transferring him, Winston dumps Paul on the side of the creek. In the 2nd movie, Paul is alive, but just barely as he's badly infected. He's trying to get help and finally manages to make it to the highway, where he gets hit.

Bishop73

Question: How does MI6 put pressure on Ilsa? Why is she without citizenship and why can't she defy Atlee?

Answer: Ilsa went undercover within The Syndicate. As part of the cover, she was disavowed (effectively being branded a rogue agent and a traitor). If she attempts to leave The Syndicate she would have nowhere to go, as she would be considered a criminal. She could choose to stop, but would spend the rest of her life on the run, being in more or less the same situation as Ethan Hunt is during this film.

Answer: It has been established that Sidious knows the Force extremely well, if not better than anyone. Perhaps he was able to shield himself using the Force in a way that prevented Dooku from sensing he was going to betray him.

Casual Person

But Tyranus is powerful. Even Sidious feared him when he was a Jedi.

DFirst1

Question: What chord does Miguel strum in De La Cruz's mausoleum after he steals his guitar?

Answer: G.

Answer: The Falcon had a damaged hyperdrive (hence why it needed to go to Cloud City). As they fled the Star Destroyer, Boba Fett managed to determine the trajectory and deduce the destination. The Star Destroyer and Slave I were then able to set a course for Cloud City and arrive there first.

Answer: No. It was a well kept secret that only his apprentice knew.

Who is that apprentice?

DFirst1

Not only his apprentice knew. Maas Amedda and Sly Moore also knew.

Answer: First it was Darth Maul in Episode 1. Then in Episodes 2 and 3 it was Count Dooku.

Rob245

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.

Cubs Fan

Question: Could you really modify a fan into a drill, like Frank does in the movie?

Answer: It is possible and there is even a YouTube video showing how to do it.

raywest

Could you tell me the name of the video please?

Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR4uUZLr5Yk.

Ssiscool

Question: When Frank is delivering books to inmates' cells, he reaches D block, but a guard stops him, and tells him they are not allowed in those cells. Were books really disallowed in D block cells?

Answer: Those were the solitary confinement cells, with no light and no luxuries of any kind. So yes, they did not allow inmates on that block to have books.

This is inaccurate as a light in each cell was turned on at 6:30 every morning in solitary confinement at Alcatraz.

Question: When they are in Paris trying to get Solomon Lane, shouldn't the signs on the police cars have been in French, not English?

Answer: They are in France. The French word for police is "police."

Question: After Gabriel becomes human and John punched her in the face and walked off, why does Gabriel just climb back into the pool?

Answer: Well, far be it from us to second-guess the motives of angels; however, considering that Lucifer had just burned Gabriel's wings down to stumps a few moments earlier (and the angel was now feeling intense mortal pain), Gabriel retreated into the water to soothe the burns.

Charles Austin Miller

Lucifer didn't take her wings. God did. He cast her out for trying to bring the son to earth.

No, God removed Gabriel's powers, leaving Gabriel unprotected, and it was Lucifer who burned away Gabriel's wings.

Charles Austin Miller

That's right. Lucifer said "looks like someone doesn't have your back anymore". God took Gabriel's wings.

Answer: Because the Sheriff wanted to kill everyone, leaving no witness. Remember the old saying, "The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend."

Question: What does Ethan mean when he offers The Fog that "my friends will become your friends"? What friends does Ethan, a disavowed agent, have to offer to this super well connected arms dealer?

Answer: The Fog doesn't seem to know or care that IMF has been disavowed, as he says to Ethan "You work for the American government?" So Ethan then implies that his contacts in the U.S. government or the intelligence community can benefit him in some way if he helps him.

Sierra1

Question: Who does Ethan call from the train car? Is it Bogdan? Is it Max? "The Fog" (the arms dealer)? I don't understand how Bogdan, who we last saw completely confused about his friend "Sergei", is now suddenly Ethan's hot secret agent contact. When did that happen? The eventual meeting in Dubai suggests that Bogdan liaised between Ethan and The Fog, suggesting that it was Bogdan who Ethan was on the phone with. How does Max's former henchmen with the long blond hair fit into this? Why is he working for The Fog now and why would they blue ball us that hard? Was Vanessa Redgrave (Max) at one point supposed to appear in the film?

Answer: Ethan called Bogdan, who would have been debriefed (and given a phone) by the IMF sweeper crew whose van they transfer him to. The henchman played by Andreas Wisniewski just works for whichever arms dealer will pay him, so Max and later The Fog. If you recognised him, you were probably supposed to think Max would be the contact, so it was just a bit of an easter egg and subtle gag by the filmmakers, but there has been speculation that Redgrave was supposed to reprise the role.

Sierra1

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