Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: During his private interrogation with Morpheus, Smith reveals to him that Zion is going to be destroyed, so there will be no need for him to be in the Matrix. But why would he want to get inside Zion? He would probably be eliminated together with the fallen Zion. Even if he somehow got free, would he survive in the form of a program residing in Zion's mainframe? His underlying motive to get the codes is different from the other agents' assigned purpose. What was their purpose and what was Smith's purpose?

Answer: In the first movie, Smith is a particularly vicious Agent, but he is still just one of several Agents following a search-and-destroy program against Matrix rejects and Zion rebels. It's Smith's pre-programmed job to ruthlessly, almost maniacally seek the destruction of Zion, but it is all part of The Architect's cyclic creation-destruction plan to keep the Matrix in balance. Neo destroys Smith, corrupting his code, at the end of the first film. When Agent Smith's code is resurrected in the second movie, Smith has acquired from Neo a taste for true freedom, making him a much more deadly, independent entity that operates outside of The Architect's grand plan, threatening to overthrow the Matrix, the Human World of Zion, and the Machine World, as well. As demonstrated in the third film, Smith was able to function in both the cybernetic world of the Matrix AND in the real world (by overwriting human consciousness with his artificial intelligence). But he didn't possess this latter ability until after Neo destroyed him in the first film.

Charles Austin Miller

Question: When Edward Snowden obtains the MicroSD card after downloading all the data, he and Patrick Haynes (who's fully aware what he's up to) start communicating via sign language before he leaves to avoid their conversation being recorded. Does anyone know what they are saying to each other?

Gavin Jackson

Chosen answer: The scene is captioned as follows - Snowden: "I might not see you again." Haynes: "You 'gonna leave me here...with Captain America? Thanks a lot." Snowden: "NSA may come after you." Haynes: "I don't know what you're talking about. [walks away.]" I should note that my profession is that of an American Sign Language interpreter. From my observation, they are signing pretty much correctly, if not artfully. The only difference is that what the movie translates as "I don't know what you're talking about" would probably be more accurately stated as, "I don't understand your comment." And there really isn't a sign used for "gonna'." Hayes just says, "you're leaving me here with him? Captain America!"

Michael Albert

Thank you!

Answer: Warp factor has always been inconsistent and hard to pinpoint, or there's too many episodes that contradict the conversion rates. Changes were made in converting warp factor into actual speed between TOS and TNG. It seems ENT reverted back to using TOS method, which is "warp factor cubed" equals how many times the speed of light they traveled. So warp 4.5 means 91.125 times the speed of light (c). Although in "Broken Bow", with the travels from Earth to Neptune and back in about six minutes means warp 4.5 is about 86*c. However, in "The Expanse" episode, warp 5 was 200*c (instead of 125). 1 ly at 91.125*c is about 4 days, but 100 ly would be 400 days.

Bishop73

Question: Why is Anna Morgan wearing a nineteenth-century dress when she pushes Samara down the well? The event happened in the 1970's.

Answer: The Morgans may just be old-fashioned. It wasn't uncommon for women in the 1970's to wear dresses. The family also lives on an island that is secluded and didn't have to worry about being judged as much as they would have in a city or rural community.

Question: Why didn't Tai Lung kill Zeng? And when Tai Lung says to Shifu "I have come home, master" why did he call Shifu master? Was it to show that he still had a bit of respect for him after everything he did for Tai Lung?

THE GAMER NEXT DOOR

Chosen answer: He didn't kill Zeng because he wanted Shifu to know he was coming. And he called Shifu master because he was mocking him.

MasterOfAll

Chosen answer: Palpatine personally spoke to some clone commanders, Cody for example, so it wasn't just a blanket message/signal to all troopers. All he had to do was order the 501st Legion to follow Vader in the attack on the Jedi temple.

Sierra1

Question: Why was Boromir allowed to join the Fellowship of the Ring? Since he is vulnerable to the Ring's corruption.

DFirst1

Chosen answer: Virtually everyone was vulnerable to the Ring's power to some extent, even Frodo Baggins. Frodo's purity of heart and incorruptibility made him the least affected by the Ring and made him the only logical choice to actually carry it for the duration of the mission; but EVERYBODY was vulnerable to its seductive power, some just more so than others.

Charles Austin Miller

But prior when the Fellowship was formed, he was tempted by the ring. He even tried to convince the council that bring the ring to Gondor would destroy Sauron. So why did Gandalf or Elrond accepts Boromir as a member of the Fellowship?

DFirst1

Well, Boromir's younger brother, Faramir, would probably have been a better choice for the Fellowship, if he had been available. But Faramir wasn't available and Boromir was. Boromir also wasn't actually "chosen" for the Fellowship, he simply went along out of loyalty to Aragorn. Gandalf and Elrond may have suspected Boromir's weakness (possibly even as a threat to the Fellowship), but Boromir was a seasoned warrior whose skills in battle would be valuable on this incredibly dangerous mission. Also, you may recall that Boromir wasn't even nearly as weak or unbalanced in the actual Tolkein story; rather, director Peter Jackson made Boromir more of a loose cannon in the film, which is not how he was portrayed in the book. In other words, Jackson wanted an even more unbalanced element threatening the Fellowship from within, so he amplified Boromir's weaknesses.

Charles Austin Miller

Question: How was Samara's tape first circulated after she had placed the images on it?

Answer: Katie and her friends stayed in the cabin and whilst there decided to go out of the cabin but didn't want to miss the game, so they put a blank tape in the VHS player and intended it to record the game whilst they were away. The TV is directly above the well which contains Samara's body/spirit which burned the curse on the tape. This is shown in the movie when burn marks are shown under the TV stand when Rachel and Noah uncover the well, in turn that is also the reason Aiden is angry at Rachel for letting Samara's body and hence spirit free from the well as it can still burn images and curse's onto object/people near to it.

Answer: A cabin was built over the well and Samara imprinted the tape when it was there. It probably stayed in that cabin for a while before someone stole it from the cabin to show other people, not realizing what power the tape had.

Question: Is there any reason the humans can't simply use nukes, chemical weapons, fuel-air bombs, or bioweapons,, any kind of especially powerful, destructive bomb, shot from long distance, dropped from a plane, or better still, orbit, to fight the bugs? Yes, of course there are big downsides to any such action, but this does not strike me as a society restrained, patient, enlightened or with sufficient foresight to care about those.

dizzyd

Chosen answer: They do use nukes (to clear out bug caves) and fuel-air bombs (like they do before landing troops). It's possible biological and chemical weapons don't work on the bugs because of their physiology. Only nukes and Thermobaric weapons work.

lionhead

Answer: Nukes, chemical, and bio weapons would render the planets uninhabitable. Not a goal when they want to colonize.

MasterOfAll

I have already stated these people are not that far-thinking.

dizzyd

Answer: It didn't look like she was untying his shoe laces to me. It looked more like she was pulling down Ron's sock to get a better look at his wounds.

She's just trying to asses his injuries.

Ssiscool

Maybe after they got out of the willow but I'm referring to when Harry and Sirius were talking.

Chosen answer: She could be untying them because one of his legs is broken and sometimes a broken limb can become swollen.

What does that have to do with Hermione untying the shoelaces?

Answer: I think she took off his shoe to get a better look at his leg. It can be kind of hard for someone to examine a wound if someone is wearing a shoe on their foot.

But she didn't take off his shoe.

Chosen answer: They can be overheard discussing Ron's injured leg. Hermione says she's sure that Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix it in no time. Ron's being overly dramatic, saying it might have to be chopped off.

raywest

Answer: No I mean after that.

Chosen answer: Because Snape had let it be generally known that Lupin was a werewolf. Previously only the Hogwarts faculty knew about this, and kept it secret. Snape still hated James Potter and Sirius Black for them mistreating him when they were all students at Hogwarts. Although Lupin never treated him badly, Snape still resented Remus for being friends with James and Sirius (Lupin was one of the four Marauders of the "Marauder's Map"). As Lupin told Harry, once the parents found out about his condition, they'd be contacting Dumbledore, protesting a werewolf teaching their children. It also fulfilled the curse that Voldemort had placed on the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position: no instructor lasts more than one year.

raywest

Question: Who is Dumbledore talking about "who made all the wrong choices"? Is it Voldemort or Draco? I don't think it's Draco, because he is the "Boy who didn't have a choice."

DFirst1

Chosen answer: He is talking about Tom Riddle, the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Riddle's evilness started at a very early age and he was never coerced into it by others. It was his choice alone to become evil.

raywest

Question: How did Megatron and Sentinel get up the building? Since their alternate mode is not an air transport.

DFirst1

Chosen answer: They either climbed, or got a ride on one of the flyers.

MasterOfAll

Chosen answer: Sauron lost the ring when his mortal form was destroyed and Isildur cut it from his hand.

Sierra1

Chosen answer: He was attempting to recruit Obi-Wan to join him to overthrow Sidious. If Obi-Wan had joined him, they could have defeated Sidious and Dooku would be the Sith master.

Sierra1

Chosen answer: He did. At the end of Attack of the Clones, he personally handed him the plans to the Death Star. He was wearing a cloak, not a mask. Until Ankin succumbed to the Dark side, he was his protege.

Question: Why did Rowena steal Isabella's cup? Was she in need of money or did she owe Fabian?

Answer: For poison, and she was in need of money.

Life of Brian - S12-E6

Question: Can someone explain the joke where Stewie interrupts a magician's show and tells the audience that the magician drives a Saturn?

Answer: Before the cut away, Stewie says he ruined the magician's act. When we see him on stage, the viewer thinks Stewie is going to tell the audience how the magician isn't really cutting a woman in half and how it's done, ruining the act. But instead just insults him. The Saturn car company is now defunct and no new Saturns have been made since 2009, this episode aired in 2013, so the magician must not be very good or successful if that's all he can afford to drive. The joke is just that by pointing out someone drives a Saturn will ruin them.

Bishop73

Question: Why did Rose want to commit suicide by attempting to jump off the ship?

Answer: Because she was so unhappy. She did not love Cal, nor did she want to marry him (her mother had pushed her into it because they were poor). Rose did not want a stultifying life as a "trophy" wife and knew she'd be little more than a "bird in a gilded cage." It is highly unlikely she would have gone through with killing herself. She was just extremely upset at the time and desperately wanted to find a way out.

raywest

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