Dallas Kinard
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2016
- Messages
- 1,069
Yeah, I agree with Megatron. Shoehorning in a brainwashing explanation so that you can ignore that they are intended to be the same person is essentially just adding more convoluted theorising onto a simple issue. The burden of proof is on you for making the claim that Bond is a codename, and coming up with theories to explain all the things that clearly contradict that interpretation is not proving anything but just adding more things that you absolutely can't prove.
Personally, I'm fine with Bond being old. Unless we add in the Origins comic, Bond could totally be 20-60 throughout the film series, which isn't terribly problematic, but even if he is... well, sci-fi shit. Anti-aging drugs, super soldier serums, whatever. I can't prove that and I'm not trying to, but all we know is that he's the same Bond due to references toward previous adventures and that he's still active. The "why" doesn't matter as much.
Anyway, the original James Bond film series is canon to Earth-66 and you can't convince me otherwise!!!/s
Batman '66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E. Vol 1
Batman '66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a six-issue limited series published in 2016. It was an crossover between Batman (as he appeared on the 1966 TV series) and the characters from the TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (who DC had licensed at the time). Batman '66 Meets the Man from...dc.fandom.com
Technically has more proof than the codename theory and any explanation for him not aging much, lol. I wonder if they ever considered a crossover comic...
Wow, that's a lot to unpack. I'll reply point by point.
"Shoehorning in a brainwashing explanation so that you can ignore that they are intended to be the same person is essentially just adding more convoluted theorising onto a simple issue."
What you may refer to as "shoehorning", others call theories intended to help explain plot holes and logical inconsistencies within the universe of said franchise. I'm not "ignoring" anything. I'm taking what the films give us and trying to piece together the information and make as much sense of it as possible. This entire debate boils down to what you are willing to accept. Is there a right or wrong answer? I don't believe so. But am going to do my best to try to explain everything as logically as possible with the info the films themselves provide. Also, I disagree that they are intended to be the same person. OHMSS dis-proves that idea within the opening minutes with the line "this never happened to the other fellow". Now of course you could dismiss this line and pretend it's a meta, Deadpool level 4th wall breaker if you want OR you could take it seriously and go from there (which is what I'm doing). And calling it a "simple issue" is simply your own opinion. Fans like to think about this stuff and make sense of it all. And there is nothing wrong with that. It's part of the fun of FICTION. Emphasis added to that last word.
"The burden of proof is on you for making the claim that Bond is a codename, and coming up with theories to explain all the things that clearly contradict that interpretation is not proving anything but just adding more things that you absolutely can't prove."
Wow, this one is full of problems. So the burden of proof is on anyone making a claim, sure I agree with that. And I'm going to provide the evidence week to week as I work my way through the films. Personally, I think OHMSS is the strongest evidence we have so far of the alias/code-name theory. Now, I reject the idea that I'm just "coming up with theories to explain all the things that 'clearly contradict' that interpretation". Again, what you may personally believe "clearly contradicts" this idea may actually be perfectly explainable. You are also making baseless assertions here and now the burden shifts to YOU to provide the evidence that "clearly contradicts" my interpretation. I also don't like your last line about "adding things that I absolutely can't prove." I absolutely disagree. If the evidence literally disproves your claim, which I believe it does (I'll keep referring you to OHMSS), then you would need to agree you're wrong here.
"Personally, I'm fine with Bond being old."
How old? If Bond is as old as the actor portraying him, then he ages and de-ages throughout the series. If you believe Connery through Brosnan are "the same guy" from 1962 - 2002, then you must believe that Pierce is playing a 70+ year old Bond. Do you really believe this? If not, then you must adhere to the completely nonsensical "sliding timeline" theory which the films themselves also "absolutely" do NOT prove. Either view requires leaps and theorizing you see. What makes yours more valid than mine?
"Unless we add in the Origins comic, Bond could totally be 20-60 throughout the film series, which isn't terribly problematic, but even if he is... well, sci-fi shit."
I'm personally only counting the films for this timeline. Again, Connery is 32 in "Dr. No" and Brosnan is in his 40s by the 90s era. So you would have to believe that Bond looks like a 40+ year old when he's really in his 70s. Again, this requires theorizing that the films themselves absolutely do NOT prove. And you've actually defeated your entire argument with that "well, sci-fi shit" line. Why can't I say the same exact thing regarding the code-name idea? Oh you don't like it? Well too bad, because "sci-fi shit". I think you get the point.
"Anti-aging drugs, super soldier serums, whatever."
Are these theories that can be proven by simply watching the films? Sounds like you're completely fine with coming up with whatever you need to in order to make YOUR interpretation work, yet completely deny mine which is FAR more logical and fits in with super secret spy organization stuff than all of these out-landish ideas.
"I can't prove that and I'm not trying to, but all we know is that he's the same Bond due to references toward previous adventures and that he's still active."
Good, because you'll be hard-pressed to prove ANY of those ridiculous claims. And no, we don't KNOW that he's the same man. Again, OHMSS can be interpreted a couple of different ways. It's up to the viewer to decide how he or she wants to take that "other fellow" line. I'm going with the literal interpretation and can defend anything up to "The Man With The Golden Gun" as that's as far as I've seen. So far, nothing I've watched has come close to dis-proving my idea. For example, in OHMSS Lazenby Bond goes through Connery Bond's desk and checks out some of the items from that 007's past cases. Easy. References come in all kinds of ways, so just saying "this movie referenced a previous movie therefore Bond is the same guy despite all the differences in physical appearance and personality" just doesn't add up. We need to get into the specific details of each and every reference.
"The "why" doesn't matter as much."
To you perhaps, but not to me. This is again just your personal opinion.
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