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: What is the pile of silvery objects behind the diner? They're there from the very first scene.

Brian Katcher

Answer: Probably because Gilligan has a history of getting things wrong more often than being right. The others, rightly or wrongly, tend to automatically dismiss him.

raywest

Question: When they were trying to refuel the chopper, why didn't they turn the pipe on, regardless of whether the chopper was joined to it? The chopper would've been able to get some fuel, even if not a huge amount. Surely, it would've been better to waste loads of fuel than let the chopper crash?

Answer: That's not how the refueling line works; it would only dispense fuel if the helicopter's line was attached. Even if it didn't, the fuel they released would have been immediately swept away by the gale, diluted with the rainwater, so any minute amount that miraculously entered the helicopter's line would have been completely negligible and wouldn't have made a difference.

Question: When Leatherface starts rampaging during Stretch's flirting with him, and he's starting his chainsaw up, is this supposed to represent something? It's right after she repeatedly asks if he's mad at her and how good he is.

Rob245

Answer: It's basically Leatherface's version of an orgasm. Stretch appeals to his sexuality in order to survive, and he's aroused. He uses his chainsaw as a phallic object, rubbing it against her leg and then pressing it into her groin, and is panting, which obviously symbolizes his idea of sex. And then he becomes aggressive, revs up his chainsaw, and destroys the studio in an explosive emotional display, not unlike the strong physical/emotional sensation that comes with an orgasm. You could also theoretically make an argument that the mess he creates by sawing and throwing things around specifically represents male ejaculation, which involves a pulsating release of semen and can be, let's just say, "messy" sometimes depending on what sexual activity you're doing.

TedStixon

Thank you.

Rob245

Question: Was it ever explained why the aliens didn't start the reactor on their own?

Answer: No.

Question: How was Blackwood's plan to reclaim America back into British control supposed to have played out, as laid out to Standish? If they got control of the armed forces, would they have attempted an invasion of the United States?

Answer: After killing off England's entire Parliament, gaining control of the government and military, Blackwood would then wage war against the United States, believing the U.S. military was in a weakened and chaotic state following the Civil War. The details were sketchy, but if he actually did intend to reconquer the US, an army would have to invade it.

raywest

Question: Right at the end of the movie Rocky and Apollo have their behind closed doors deciding fight. They are supposedly alone. How did they tie their own gloves on? You try tying a boxing glove on with one free hand.

Answer: Nobody says no-one was at the dressing lockers to help them out.

lionhead

1923 - S1-E1

Question: When Teonna is getting hit with the ruler by Sister Mary, is there any way to translate what Teonna shouts to her in her Native American tongue a moment before Sister Mary pelts her over the head with the ruler and gets beat down for it? (00:19:41)

Question: Does anyone know what happened to JD's brother in Philadelphia? As far as I know, nothing is mentioned by anyone once they are trapped in the library.

Question: What spell did Snape use on Dumbledore to knock him off the tower? It couldn't have been the Killing Curse because when that's used, it produces a green light and the light from Snape's wand was blue.

Answer: It was the killing curse. You hear him say Avada Kadavra, too. I think the lighting in the scene makes the color seem a bit off, more turquoise than real green.

lionhead

Question: When police scour the old neighbourhood, there is a shot of a man wearing some kind of huge metal suit. What was this suit used for? (00:46:53)

Answer: Most likely protective body armour.

Question: This question could be for the movie and book since I don't remember it being answered in the book. Why has Snape continued to live in his childhood house? It's in a predominantly Muggle neighborhood, and his childhood was unhappy.

Answer: Interesting comment. I live in my childhood home, which I love and will never sell, even though it was not a particularly happy childhood. I've always separated family issues from other good memories and the house itself. Maybe Snape does the same and finds some comfort in familiar things. It was his father who was abusive, not his mother, so he may associate the house with her or even with Lily, his childhood friend he came to love.

raywest

I think Lily is a big reason. They grew up in the area, and they probably spent summer holidays together before Lily ended their friendship.

Show generally

Question: I seem to remember a scene in which Cartman knocks on Kyle's bedroom window one night and wakes him up, just to laugh at him. Any idea what episode? Might have happened with Stan instead of Kyle.

Answer: It's from "The List" - Season 11, Episode 14. Cartman goes to mock Kyle because he is higher than Kyle on The List the girls made of who the most attractive boy is in their class.

Heather Benton

Question: Commander Malloy is following Snake in the sub on radar while he is heading to L.A. After reaching the concrete platform, the platform gives way and the sub begins to sink. Malloy radios Snake asking him what happened to the sub as it disappeared off the radar. If they were following him the entire time while he was underwater, what would cause the issue when it was sinking? It wasn't damaged, just the support collapsed.

posty

1923 - S1-E1

Question: What point was Father Renaud trying to get across to Sister Mary by hitting her hands with that paddle and shouting for her to recite faster, as she was trying to recite scripture when both she and Teonna were in his office?

Question: What was the reason why the two divers at the start of the film chose to go down into the sunken boat to strip and make love? Of all places, why do it there?

Answer: Probably for the same reason people do it on commercial jets to join the "Mile High Club", or any other unusual place. They're fueled by the excitement of doing something dangerous, forbidden, and/or out of the ordinary.

raywest

Behind Us, A Cliff - S1-E2

Question: How come, as mentioned in episode two, James was unwilling to acknowledge his involvement in the Civil War with others, even lying about not having served when asked and turning away from fellow veterans who recognized him?

Answer: Tim McGraw (the actor of James) put it best. McGraw has explained that James has PTSD from serving in the war. It doesn't help that, per McGraw, James was forced to serve and did not actually want to participate in it. This would make the war not only a shameful memory for him, but a painful one at that. Especially during a time when therapy was not a thing and people, particularly the male head of the households, were taught to hold feelings like that back. In his suffering brain, he thought it was best to try to put that memory aside rather than openly talk about it.

Question: What was the actual reason why Russia and North Korea (actually, it was intended to be China) chose to invade the United States? Was it because they saw it as a threat to them? What purpose would dedicating troops and logistics to an invasion of the USA have served?

Answer: The flimsy plotline was that the European Union's economic crisis had weakened the NATO alliance so much that they were vulnerable to a North Korean and Russian invasion. American troops were deployed to support NATO defenses, which supposedly left the U.S. mainland and its infrastructure open to terrorists and cyberattacks. Presumably, Russia's and Korea's joint objective was to weaken/cripple the USA's power, economy, and global influence by creating internal chaos.

raywest

Question: Why was Ruby sick and tired in the car scene?

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