Best sci-fi TV questions of all time

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Farscape picture

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Question: Why is John's Farscape-1 module able to navigate wormholes where some other, more sophisticated craft, notably Peacekeeper Prowlers, cannot without liquifying passengers?

Socks1000

Chosen answer: It's never explained. John mentions a theory that his less technologically developed craft simply interferes with the wormhole less than the "superior" Vipers, but they never make a concrete determination on that point. But we also have to take into account the fact that Moya traverses wormholes with no ill effect as well.

Garlonuss

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Question: In "Greek Bearing Gifts" apparently the doctors sonic screwdriver is on Tosh's desk. Could someone tell me at what time you can see it please?

Answer: Several times during the episode, most notably at the beginning when the old grave is discovered, Tosh holds a devise that looks a great deal like the Sonic Screwdriver that she uses to determine the age of the skeleton. However, a search of Google images shows that it is not the same thing.

OneHappyHusky

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Kyle XY picture

Season 2 generally

Question: Why don't Amanda and Jessi like each other in the second part of season 2? In the episode "Ghost in the Machine", Jessi was interested in Kyle because Madacorp programmed her to go after him. But why doesn't she like Amanda later on, after she is free from Madacorp?

Answer: Jessi is jealous of how close Amanda is to Kyle. Kyle and Jessi have a psychic link and Jessi feels no one should be closer to Kyle than she is.

Grumpy Scot

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Chosen answer: I don't think it's ever said. I always assumed Pidge was a boy, and I'm not sure why. I think because it was a man who did the voice.

Kaite13

She is a girl it is made clear she is a girl in episode 5 season 1. It is also made apparent she is a girl in season 8.

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Eureka picture

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Question: I've been re-watching this show, and have noticed this in nearly every episode. In scenes inside GD, there's always one person, a background extra, who seems to have clear plastic wrap over their clothes. Do you know what that is all about?

Holly Halfman

Chosen answer: It's basically just a type of suit that's made for whatever special project they're working on. No different than a lab coat, hazmat suit, fire coat, etc.

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Question: Does anyone know why Gambit was featured less and less in episodes as the show went on? He was one of the most popular characters in not just X-Men, but all of Marvel Comics around the time this series first aired, so unless it had something to do with his voice actor's contract, it seems odd they wouldn't have utilized him more.

Phaneron

Answer: Chris Potter, the original Gambit voice actor, did indeed quit the role in the 4th season. His last episode was The Phalanx Covenant Part 1 so it seems reasonable that Fox would limit the use of the character even though it was recast. It doesn't appear that Potter left the role due to animosity, he stated in an interview that he wished to play Gambit in the first live action X-Men film.

BaconIsMyBFF

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Answer: Poisoned food, heart attack from eating too much food, or he slipped in the shower. The list is endless.

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Space: 1999 picture

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Question: Assuming that Moonbase Alpha is on the side facing the Earth (which is seen on the horizon over the base in the pilot episode "Breakaway"), making travel to it and back easier, and the nuclear waste on the far side, away from Earth, wouldn't the explosion propel the moon towards the Earth, thereby dooming Alpha to certain destruction?

Movie Nut

Answer: Not necessarily - The gravitational fields of Earth and the Sun could have deflected the moon away from the solar system.

Seniram

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Answer: The transformation twirling was invented for the 1970s TV series only, to explain her quick change from Diana Prince to Wonder Woman. However, it would have been nice to do a little spin homage in the movie.

Answer: She does. However, if she were to use any of her abilities as Diana Prince, everybody, including her enemies would be able to make the connection that Diana Prince and Wonder Woman are the same person which could be used to get revenge on her. By not using her abilities in her civilian disguise, nobody would suspect anything at all and she could keep herself and her friends safe.

So it was more a choice that she decided an Ice Skating move was less conspicuous than say, ducking in a phone booth like Superman? If Clark Kent enters a a phone booth, and Superman comes out, don't you think even the dull of mind would get the connection?

That's because Clark Kent has super speed so he can easily run into a phone booth quickly and leave as Superman as quickly too or whenever Clark does need to change into Superman out in the open, there's never around to see him change. It's a plot device that's really effective.

Could one man or gal. We're supposed to just believe almost everyone these two are around can't figure out of the obvious. Characters like Spider-Man and Batman can do this because of their masks, so these excuses just don't pass with me.

Rob245

Answer: As Diana Prince she didn't have the super powers that Wonder Woman has, although as an Amazon princess she does have greater strength than normal humans. Diana's mom taught her how to transform her ordinary clothes into her Wonder Woman outfit (as opposed to just doing a quick change like Clark Kent does). Her outfit, which her mother gives her when she leaves includes the "golden girdle of Gaea." The girdle provides enhanced strength and heightens her other abilities. As to why she spins, it was a stylized choice to add something extra to the show and hadn't been done in the comics. Although they did change it up a bit due to budget and time. Later, Wonder Woman comic writers would include the spin into the comics, but by then it was generally to put her into her secret identity, not to give her her powers. But as to why Diana Prince doesn't have super powers in the 70's show, as opposed to other incarnations of her; the original TV movie pilot had Diana powerless like the character was during the Bronze Age of Wonder Woman (late 60's) when Diana decided to stay on Earth and became mortal. That series was not picked up, but a 2nd attempt at it, starring Lynda Carter, was and the series loosely based Diana on the first pilot but through magic could transform into the superhero Wonder Woman.

Bishop73

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Mork & Mindy picture

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Question: I may have this scenario slightly wrong, since I haven't seen it since the show was brand-new, but is there a scene in one episode where Mork (just him-no egg) falls from the sky and into a lake or some kind of body of water? I slightly remember this as a kid but wanted to see if I was right. Anyone know what episode this was from?

Answer: Maybe s02e02, "Mork in Wonderland, Part 2"? Mork started shrinking in part 1 and continued till he became microscopic and fell down a space warp into the lake of another world.

Bishop73

Yes, that was it. I found it shortly after submitting the question, but thank you anyway.

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Chosen answer: The living painting is taken straight from the Family Ties intro.

BaconIsMyBFF

Ah, that makes sense - I first saw this one on Youtube, which at a guess was the first season or an early version? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPRdtO6UKD0. But yeah, this is exactly right: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip1szfz9nZ8.

Jon Sandys

Answer: I noticed that too and although I can't think of any sitcom starting like that it does remind me strongly of Bob Ross "The Joy of Painting" intro, which was from the 80's as well.

lionhead

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Answer: The Hulk is a giant brute who smashes everything in his path when he is angry. In Ang Lee's "Hulk," General Ross, played by Sam Elliot, explains it to his daughter.

Answer: Because he feels the Hulk is a threat to all life on Earth, and particularly his daughter's close relationship with Bruce Banner puts her at risk when Hulk enters the equation.

Phaneron

Why does Ross think the hulk is a threat?

Because the Hulk is nearly mindless and goes on destructive rampages with high risk of collateral damage.

Phaneron

If that's the case, what's the problem with the way general Ross judges the hulk?

It's nuanced. Ross is correct to recognize the potential danger the Hulk presents, but he's also too stubborn to realise that he usually exacerbates the Hulk's rampages by trying to engage him in combat instead of trying to calm him down.

Phaneron

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Answer: It was cancelled due to declining ratings. Season Two had about half as many viewers as Season One.

raywest

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Smallville picture

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Question: Does Michael Rosenbaum actually have hair in real life because in many parts of the series Lex Luthor seems to have a grey shade to his head indicating that he has shaved his hair really really finely, so does he have hair and does he therefore have his hair shaved off before filming?

Answer: He does have hair in real life.

Tailkinker

Answer: Yes, he did actually shave his head for the part. However, after being shaved, makeup artist did work on his bald head to hide his hairline and give him the look you see. Producers were always expecting him to shave, but they did allow Michael to see what wearing a bald cap would entail and even he didn't like the look of it (he said it made him look like a conehead was looked fake) and suggested he shave his head.

Bishop73

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Legends of Tomorrow picture

Doomworld - S2-E16

Question: When Mayor Damien Darhk puts up the mask in his collections, who do the other masks individually belong to? I recognize Flash and maybe Diggle and Green Arrow.

Bishop73

Chosen answer: Black Canary, Spartan, Wild Dog, and Ragman.

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The Pretender picture

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Question: Why doesn't Jarod just go to the FBI or police and say, "Hey, these people kidnapped me as a child and are trying to rekidnap me, please arrest them". After what he's been through I cannot think of any reason for him to protect them. Also, why, when he's pretending to be a doctor or some government official, does he run when Parker or Sam or whomever come to get him? If he's in a hospital do you really think they could just drag him out at gunpoint unnoticed? It can't be that The Centre had infiltrated all of these government agencies to such a high level, or how could Jarod continually pretend to be FBI, ATF, Justice Department and military personnel without being caught? Many times he actually worked in the offices of these organizations.

Charles Fraser

Chosen answer: Well, there ARE people at the Center he wants to protect: Ms. Parker, Sydney, and Broots. Plus, people with influence like the Triumvirate has could stymie any investigation. And telling the FBI would necessitate revealing who and what he is to them, and he might be afraid that the Federal government would treat him as a guinea pig/resource like the Center did. Presumably, when the Center sends out Sweepers, they're "disguised" as law enforcement officials, with official-enough looking credentials to fool the casual onlooker. And just because the Center might have influence in government doesn't mean they necessarily have actual agents present everywhere. Perhaps Jared, in his Pretends, has made sure he's "under the radar." Besides, Jared doesn't KNOW how far up Center influence goes - after all, he wouldn't still be searching for "the truth" if he knew everything about the Center and its influence, would he?

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Transformers picture

Call of the Primitives - S3-E26

Question: When all the animal transformers start to follow the call, Soundwave states that his ejection has activated by itself. After Ravage and Ratbat, who are those other two tapes?

Answer: These two were 'dinosaur' cassettes Overkill and Slugfest, then-new toys. They turn up this once and that's it, though.

Daria Sigma

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Terra Nova picture

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Question: Is there any reason they have to go to that particular time to start their colony? Why not say 64 million years ago? Since it's after the dinosaurs, but before the evolution of sabertooths and mammoths? It'd be a lot safer.

dizzyd

Chosen answer: Because that's where the rift led. They don't have a time-travel machine, capable of taking them wherever they please - all they have is a hole in time leading to one single time period.

Tailkinker

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Answer: She likely had a hidden back-up weapon she didn't surrender. Many agents carry a second gun.

raywest

Good point. Thanks.

toroscan

More Watchmen questions

Answer: No, he doesn't need the money. He was doing it to try to paint himself as the hero. Make it look like only he could save the the light and painting Sonic as a villain for destroying it.

Quantom X

So what if Eggman doesn't need the money. There are tons of people who don't need more, but still try to get richer.

But not Eggman. His goal isn't money in the series at all. He hardly even ever mentions it. He wants power, fame, and to rule the world. In fact, he comes from a world where money isn't exactly a thing or much of it. So he doesn't have that in his roots of desire, he wants power.

Quantom X

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