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: Why was De Niro angry at Waingro after the truck operation at the beginning of the movie?

Silver Bullet

Chosen answer: Because he wasn't supposed to kill anyone. Killing the guards, especially for no reason at all, drew much more heat on McCauley and his crew. It also proved that Waingro was a dangerous loose cannon and not the calm professional the rest of the crew were. Waingro was a huge liability.

BaconIsMyBFF

Cardassians - S2-E5

Question: Why did the businessman, Zolan, make the false accusations of Rugal being abused by his adopted parents?

Answer: I think he was working for Gul Dukat, since he disappeared after making the accusations. Dukat wanted Rugal's father to be embarrassed one day, when it was discovered that his son was being raised by Bajorans.

Question: Why couldn't the ministry just book the Quidditch world cup to be held in Hogsmeade or something? Due to what Harry and Arthur are saying on pages 66-67 about trying to get there without the muggles noticing? I remember Hermione saying that Hogsmeade is the only non muggle place in Britain so you can't get a much better place.

THE GAMER NEXT DOOR

Answer: It's doubtful that Hogsmeade has the room for a full Quidditch pitch and thousands of campsites, especially without disrupting what's already going on there.

Greg Dwyer

Show generally

Question: How come Chloe didn't tell the other group what happened when she was kidnapped and held by Alves after she been rescued? She told the group on her cell phone that she will talk about it later but she never did.

adamtrainman@aol.com

Answer: My assumption would be a simple "it's not important" explanation. It's one of those typical selfless things in film where the characters don't provide specific information as to not make other characters worry about them, in addition to her intelligence background she may have just thought it would distract them from their main goal. Nothing really "happened" to her that would really drive plot development either, as she was quickly rescued from the situation. A similar example would be when Chloe called right after the speech she gave, Jamie doesn't tell her that Jackson was shot, just that he was hurt and that he'll be OK. We can assume that she just doesn't want Chloe to worry about him.

Season 6 generally

Question: The fifth season begins at the end of the first year of the second legislature, and the sixth begins at the end of the third year of the legislature. Has it really been two years in season five? Another thing that doesn't add up to this time jump is Doug's career in Congress. In episode 5x09 (end of the first year of term of the second legislature) Doug wants the support of the White House to run for Congress (following the chronology of the series, the next year would be the Congressional elections, and therefore that's where Doug is going to run because it's the most logical thing to do and it doesn't say anything to make us think otherwise) in the mid-term elections that are held the following year, but in season 6 and 7 we see Doug running for Congress along with the presidential elections. A script failure due to wanting to make a time jump from season five to season six? If someone would explain it to me, I would be very grateful.

Eduardo Sánchez Rodríguez

Answer: Just because Doug wanted to run next year doesn't mean the election was the same year. It's not unheard of for a politician to spend months campaigning before an election.

Captain Defenestrator

The Birnam Wood - S6-E2

Question: Can someone please explain to me the chronology of episode 2 of season six? I don't understand some things, there are scenes that seem to come before others (I'm guided because I see characters wearing the same clothes "supposedly" on different days, or things like that, that I don't understand). If someone explains it to me, I'd appreciate it, please.

Eduardo Sánchez Rodríguez

The Birnam Wood - S6-E2

Question: When C.J. gives the press conference announcing that after lunch the committees would meet to discuss the proposed topics, why do all the members leave in totally different clothes than just before? If it's supposed to be the same day, why would they change their clothes? The president also quickly changed his clothes to meet with the Palestinian president and the Israeli PM. Does anyone know why the costume change in that scene is still the same day? Or could it be a scene error?

Eduardo Sánchez Rodríguez

Answer: There are a couple of press conferences in this episode, so I'm not sure which you're referring to. The final press conference is at Camp David, which is in the woods, so some of the reporters may have changed from wearing suits at the White House to more fitting clothes for outdoors at the summit. It wouldn't also necessarily be the same group of reporters. Some of the faces would stay the same, but reporters get switched out as they go post their stories and others come to replace them, so they rotate.

Captain Defenestrator

Answer: Even when leaders are "cut off from the outside world," there's typically some way to get hold of them. A secure line unknown to the general public, a couriered message, somebody just got in a car and drove there; there would still be ways.

Captain Defenestrator

Question: Anakin's mom says the Republic doesn't exist on Tatooine. Why not?

Answer: It's in the Outer Rim territories. It's far enough away from the central government that they can't really have an effective government. In addition, it's in Hutt-controlled space.

Greg Dwyer

Why not send people to take control of Tatooine, and the outer rim territories away from the hutts?

The Republic has the task of running an entire galaxy, which is billions and billions of planets and solar systems. Sending troops into the Outer Rim, against heavily armed gangsters and with little to no communication, enough resources or backup, would be a terrible plan. At least the Hutts keep things running smoothly and don't let the planets go into anarchy.

Answer: In addition to the other answers: It's simply not worth it. There is nothing strategic about the system other than maybe as a waypoint. It is resource-poor, which added together means very little presence by any side.

kayelbe

Answer: There are places like Tatooine on Earth, like Afghanistan. Superpowers have attempted and failed to take over the indigenous population many times. Here, the Hutt organisation is too powerful and entrenched to defeat, and the Republic probably doesn't have unlimited resources to fight such a war.

Question: Val puts his finger to Armand's cheek or ear and wipes something red on the wallpaper. What is it?

Answer: Make-up - specifically, bronzing foundation.

Michael Albert

Answer: I don't think Wilbur knew that Marissa was a spy. Where in the movie was there evidence of a divorce?

Answer: We are never shown what happened to him but he may have gone to live with relatives or he was simply put into an orphanage.

Answer: John Gustafson and his wife, May, were divorced after 20 years of marriage.

Charles Austin Miller

Answer: Maritime.

Show generally

Question: I am trying to remember the episode that ended with Frank and Jaime fishing on the pier. A police officer says to Frank it's no smoking before he realises he's talking to the commissioner. I didn't get at the time why Frank seems so blase about the law and want to re watch to see if its any clearer to me now but can't remember the season or even what the rest of the episode was about.

The_Iceman

Answer: It's in S2xE1 "Mercy" at the very end of the episode, they're at Valentino Pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Super Grover

Question: When Anakin reports to Mace Windu that Palpatine is a Sith Lord, Why didn't Windu consult Yoda and the other Jedi such as Obi-Wan before facing Palpatine? It would've been a backup or reinforcements kind of thing.

DFirst1

Answer: Yoda was on Kashyyyk helping the Wookies and Obi-Wan was on Utapau engaging General Grievous. Mace Windu did bring three other jedi with him, he thought he had enough backup. Obviously he misjudged but the Jedi were spread thin throughout the galaxy and Windu had limited choices.

BaconIsMyBFF

Well he didn't misjudge his ability to defeat Sidious, as he did. He misjudged Anakin.

lionhead

This is true. You could even argue that he didn't misjudge Anakin, he told Anakin to stay behind knowing his feelings would be conflicted but Anakin disobeyed.

BaconIsMyBFF

Well he knew there was conflict inside Anakin but he misjudged the level of conflict, or the fact Anakin was basically already a Sith.This new information meant too much for Windu in such a short time, his duty got in the way, he felt it absolutely necessary to do it quickly. If only he had waited and taken his time to connect the dots. So many dots.

lionhead

The idea that Sidious was beaten by Windu is up for debate. Sidious needed Anakin to do something big to fully succumb to the dark side. He knew Anakin was coming and in my opinion, was acting defeated to force Anakin to choose. Mace was naive and arrogant and assumed Sidious was beaten, when in reality, it was a show.

Windu is supposed to be the best lightsaber duellist around, even better than Yoda. I don't believe for a second Sidious was allowing Windu to beat him. Anakin showing up was his gamble, if he hadn't then Sidious would be dead.

lionhead

Sidious would have sensed the conflict in Anakin and knew that the temptation would force him (no pun intended) to go and intervene.

I think it's worth mentioning that almost everyone on the Jedi Council and most of the Jedi masters were on the front lines when Mace Windu confronts Palpatine, so Kit Fisto and co. were probably the only help he could get? Palpatine may have even orchestrated events so most of the strongest Jedi were away from Coruscant in the first place (so they could more easily be dispatched by Order 66).

The entire war was Palpatine's way of spreading the Jedi thin.

lionhead

Answer: Possibly the Jedi have the dark side of the force clouding their judgements.

Question: If the waterfall prevents the creatures hearing them, why not live there?

Answer: Building suitable shelter next to a river/waterfall would be next to impossible, and it would be too cold in the winter to rough it.

Phaneron

Question: What do the Wakandans chant when lined up, ready for the battle?

Bishop73

Answer: From what I've read, they are chanting "yibambe," which is Xhosa for "we hold our ground."

Phaneron

Question: Why doesn't anyone ever destroy the stones? What purpose do they serve other than no one person should have them?

DetectiveGadget85

Answer: "Doctor Strange" demonstrates that the Infinity Stones are useful in the most dire of situations, when Strange used the Time Stone to prevent Dormammu from taking over the Earth. It's also possible that some of the stones are indestructible. Wanda is able to temporarily destroy the Mind Stone by using her own powers, but the Power Stone will destroy any being that doesn't possess the strength to wield it, and the Reality Stone is shown to have a will of its own and defended itself when it bonded with Jane Foster.

Phaneron

Also, in the comics, if the stones are destroyed they will simply be replaced by something else or even stones again. They represent the existence of the universe and cannot be destroyed for real. Always only temporarily.

lionhead

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.