History Fridge / Skyfall

* As WebVideo/ScreenRantPitchMeetings pointed out, Patrice using a very specific type of bullet that can be directly traced back to him, makes little sense given his profession as an assassin. Until one realises that Silva was counting on MI6 tracing the bullet back to Patrice, since he wanted to be caught.

* As WebVideo/ScreenRantPitchMeetings pointed out, Patrice using a very specific type of bullet that can be directly traced back to him, makes little sense given his profession as an assassin. Until one realises [[spoiler:that Silva was counting on MI6 tracing the bullet back to Patrice, since he wanted to be caught.]]

-->'''Kincade''': Welcome to Scotland.

[[folder:Fridge Logic]]
* While you may not notice the first time, Silva's plan depends on repeated failures and blunders by [=MI6=] staff, including:
** Plugging a cyberterrorist genius' laptop into their own system.
*** Who is to say Q did that, so incautiously? Q could have very well air-gapped his network in preparation for Silva's laptop. Silva could have prepared [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-gap_malware air gap malware]] to ensure his plan succeeds.
** Having every door in the complex electronically controlled by said system, with no manual overrides.
*** Silva likely learned about those when he hacked into M's computer, his plan already involved quite a bit of improvisation anyway. As for no manual overrides, hacking is about exploiting flaws in target programs, so that isn't too far fetched.
** Having guards who won't sound the alarm or shoot a known-to-be-dangerous prisoner once the doors open unexpectedly and who can be overpowered and killed offscreen by an unarmed man.
*** The [[Film/{{Spectre}} following film]] shows that Silva had ties to Spectre, who had a high-ranking agent as head of [=MI5=], which then fuses with [=MI6=] after the events of this movie. Blofeld more than likely helped direct Silva's revenge by giving him intelligence that "C" could plausibly gather from standard procedure.
* While Silva might guess they'd plug his machine in ASAP to find the spy list (thereby opening doors and possibly alerting his minions), he had no way to know the hacking or his incarceration would coincide with M's committee meeting (that's assuming he knows he'll be in [=MI6=] HQ at all, rather than interrogated elsewhere like Mr. White in the previous film).
** Then again, he is the sort to take chances, and probably had some sort of contingency in place just in case he happened to escape during the hearing. Maybe he just modified a regular escape plan, when he realized where she'd be.
*** My impression was that he was just crazy prepared. He didn't expect to be captured but he had a plan just in case; he didn't know M would be in that hearing but he had a network of agents in London in case circumstances brought him there, etc.
*** Which in turn is why Bond & M rabbiting out to Skyfall actually worked (sort of). It was one place where Silva couldn't possibly have any contingency plans in place. (Even then, Silva was able to rustle up two strike teams and a helicopter in the space of a few hours.)
* It was eventually revealed that the ultimate goal of Silva's machinations was to kill M, at any cost. Um... does that mean TheBadGuyWins?
** In short, yes. He may not have lived to see it, but he got what he wanted.
** In long, no. He not only wanted to kill her, but to do it on his terms. The fact that she died by a gunshot wound to the stomach (from a random mook, nonetheless) was precisely what he didn't want.
* The ArcWords and message of the film, that sometimes the old ways are best, fall flat as a pancake when you remember Bond fails at everything he tries to achieve during the film, up to and including saving M from Silva.
* At the very end of the movie, Bond says to Eve, "You know, we've never been formally introduced". At which point, she reveals her name is "Eve. Eve Moneypenny." I realise the powers that be were keeping the reveal that she was Moneypenny a surprise, but that still means that she and Bond worked together on at least two missions (the one in the opening sequence and the one in Macau), possibly sleeping together during the second one and he ''never'' learned her name? How is that possible? Quite glaring, considering she calls him by ''his'' name quite frequently. One can HandWave that he may have never learned her ''last'' name, but to not know her full name at all seems ridiculous and virtually impossible.
** He knew her name. He just meant they had never introduced THEMSELVES. He learned her name, but they never did the "Trade names handshake" deal...which is important.
* When Bond is sent to track Patrice, the target of the BatmanColdOpen, we see Patrice take the elevator up a skyscraper, cut a hole in a window, and aim a SniperRifle at some guy in the next building over, who is seated with his back to the window and looking at a painting. When Patrice shoots him, the people in the room with the now-dead man don't react ''at all'', except to collect the body and cart it away. ''All of this was planned'', and the people with the art collector are Patrice's accomplices -- reinforced when Bond contacts one of them, Sévérine, to help get to the bottom of the situation. So, if all of this was planned... Why did Patrice begin the entire adventure by ''shooting a guard''?? Why wasn't the guard paid off, or re-scheduled, or [[FemmeFatale seduced]], or something? Why leave a body behind when you ''clearly'' have the resources and organization necessary to ''not'' do so?
** There's no evidence showing that the buyer himself was in on the plan -- he may have just genuinely been an enemy that either SPECTRE or Silva himself wanted out of the way.
[[/folder]]

* The bartender is the casino without being told shakes Bond's martini. It's in character for Silva, having Bond's profile to plant a bartender who knows how he likes his drinks.
** If you think about it a little bit longer, it becomes even more brilliant: The bartender was preparing the martini right in front of Bond, and it is implied he even kept Sévérine waiting to watch the procedure. What happened the last time Bond was in a casino? Bond's drink was poisoned. Clearly, the man learns from his mistakes.
* Sévérine is killed off unceremoniously. Bond clearly doesn't care, which seems incredibly callous...but, remember. This is post-Casino Royale. Where Vesper Lynd betrayed him. He's learned he can't save everyone, and learned not to get too attached. Besides. She's not the bond girl. Moneypenny and M are the Bond girls!

* Fridge funny in Macao- [[https://www.livescience.com/51086-komodo-dragon-bite-facts.html Komodo dragons]] aren't particularly nasty creatures and don't eat people; hell, to kill anything larger than themselves, they have to bite to maim, then ''wait for the animal to die.'' That poor mook who gets dragged away by one doesn't get eaten... as Bond walks away from the scene, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments a poor, plaintive wail of annoyance is heard from the poor schmuck in the pit below, waiting for the gamekeepers to come rescue him.]] As long as he gets medical care within an hour or so, he'll be fine in a month.

* The introductory scene with Q could be seen as an [[TakeThatAudience attack]] at the people who have been criticizing the Craig films for not having Q's sparkly little gadgets that have become tradition with every passing Bond movie before ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006''. Beginning with when we find out who Q really is; a young and rather hipstery looking man who doesn't look like he spends much of his time near a piece of technology (and even throws in the obligatory tea reference). And then we find out that the most high-tech gadget in the whole movie is... [[TheUnreveal Bond's gun]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking a radio]]. Bond's reaction to this seems to mirror the audience's reaction upon seeing the scene in the trailer: "It's not exactly Christmas, is it?!" to which Q correctly points out that the audience has gotten too used to the rather generic action movie feel that the series has taken on since Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice: "Well, what do you expect, an exploding pen?" Essentially, the writers are telling the audience, "You didn't like the gadget-filled ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', yet you're begging for Q and the gadgets. Here you go, here's your stupid quartermaster." And hilariously enough, when the audience sees just how cleverly both gadgets are used, they realize Bond really is a high-tech gadget in and of himself, realizing just how far Bond managed to go in the previous two films.

* When Bond first sees the TV news report (from either Wolf Blitzer or Hew Edwards) about the [=MI6=] bombing, the broadcaster says that six people were killed. We immediately cut to [=MI6=], and M is looking at a total of ''eight'' coffins, not six. It looks like a continuity error at first, but in hindsight, you realize that there's no continuity error at all: two critically injured survivors died at the hospital.

* When Bond first meets Silva, he reads out the psychological profile on Bond, which indicates "unresolved childhood trauma." At the end of the film, Bond is of sound mind and ready to return to duty. Why? He resolved his childhood trauma, by burning Skyfall (which he associates with his parents death) to the ground.

* Silva's server banks are kept out in the open in what appears to be a dusty and probably humid area, due to the sea air, not long after he is captured and then later escapes, the servers would quickly break down in such conditions, they were only for show, Silva intended on not being there long, captured or not. The only piece of tech that was worth anything was the one thing taken from the base, his laptop, which facilitates his escape.

** Or he's a native Castillian Spanish speaker, which has a lisp as part of its accent. A native Spanish speaker who also has the British citizenship and parentage required to be an MI-6 agent? Must be from Gibraltar. Combined with having worked in Hong Kong probably from age 17/18, his mockery of "the Empire" carries so much more weight.

* Why did Silva have to hack M's computer to decrypt hard drive? Aside from just as a means of taunting her. Being the head of [=MI6=], M would have access to the contents of the hard drive. Meaning she could very well have the decryption key on her computer. So hacking her computer and decrypting the contents of the hard drive would quicker than trying to brute force the key (which could take an incomprehensible amount of time in RealLife).

* As WebVideo/ScreenRantPitchMeetings pointed out, Patrice using a very specific type of bullet that can be directly traced back to him, makes little sense given his profession as an assassin. Until one realizes [[spoiler:that Silva was counting on MI6 tracing the bullet back to Patrice, since he wanted to be caught.]]

** To be fair to Bond's childhood, he does associate this place with the death of his parents, and he spent two days hiding in the priest-hole after he learned of their death. He may have taken their deaths harder than even Kincade realized.
* Silva seems to be a reference to the age of the snarky, sexed-up superspies coming to an end, note that he seems a lot like an evil version of the Bonds pre-Craig, for reference, a throwaway line in die another day indicates that Bond threw away his own CyanidePill, and he was tortured by the North Koreans for months himself, Silva IS Bond if he had kept his cyanide and broke during Die Another Day.

* While Silva might guess they'd plug his machine in ASAP to find the spy list (thereby opening doors and possibly alerting his minions), he had no way to know the hacking or his incarceration would coincide with M's committee meeting (that's assuming he knows he'll be in [=MI6=] at all, rather than interrogated elsewhere like Mr. White in the previous film).

* At the very end of the movie, Bond says to Eve, "You know, we've never been formally introduced. At which point, she reveals her name is "Eve. Eve Moneypenny." I realize TPTB where keeping the reveal that she was Moneypenny a surprise, but that still means that she and Bond worked together on at least two missions (the one in the opening sequence and the one in Macau), possibly sleeping together during the second one and he ''never'' learned her name? How is that possible? Quite glaring, considering she calls him by ''his'' name quite frequently. One can HandWave that he may have never learned her ''last'' name, but to not know her full name at all seems ridiculous and virtually impossible.

*** Who is to say Q did that? Q could have very well air-gapped his network in preparation for Silva's laptop. Silva could have prepared [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-gap_malware air gap malware]] to ensure his plan succeeds.

* As WebVideo/ScreenRantPitchMeeting pointed out, Patrice using a very specific type of bullet that can be directly traced back to him, makes little sense given his profession as an assassin. Until one realizes [[spoiler:that Silva was counting on MI6 tracing the bullet back to Patrice, since he wanted to be caught.]]

[[folder: FridgeLogic]]

** Plugging a cyberterrorist genius's laptop into their own system.

* At the very end of the movie, Bond says to Eve, "You know, we've never been formally introduced. At which point, she reveals her name is "Eve. Eve Moneypenny". I realize TPTB where keeping the reveal that she was Moneypenny a surprise, but that still means that she and Bond worked together on at least two missions (the one in the opening sequence and the one in Macau), possibly sleeping together during the second one and he ''never'' learned her name? How is that possible? Quite glaring, considering she calls him by ''his'' name quite frequently. One can HandWave that he may have never learned her ''last'' name, but to not know her full name at all seems ridiculous and virtually impossible.

* When Bond is sent to track Patrice, the target of the BatmanColdOpen, we see Patrice take the elevator up a skyscraper, cut a hole in a window, and aim a SniperRifle at some guy in the next building over, who is seated with his back to the window and looking at a painting. When Patrice shoots him, the people in the room with the now-dead man don't react ''at all'', except to collect the body and cart it away. ''All of this was planned'', and the people with the art collector are Patrice's accomplices -- reinforced when Bond contacts one of them, Severine, to help get to the bottom of the situation. So, if all of this was planned... Why did Patrice begin the entire adventure by ''shooting a guard''?? Why wasn't the guard paid off, or re-scheduled, or [[FemmeFatale seduced]], or something? Why leave a body behind when you ''clearly'' have the resources and organization necessary to ''not'' do so?

[[folder: FridgeHorror]]

* It's mentioned that Skyfall was sold after Bond's "death". What happens when the new owner arrives and sees the destroyed property, crashed helicopter, and numerous dead bodies?

** Since the sale only happened because Bond was presumed dead, he'll have himself declared alive and the sale undone. Or, they'll come to some agreement on what the land is worth without the house. Or [=MI6=] will find some way of compensating the owners--given how much property destruction Bond habitually causes, they probably have a fund marked "For use when 007 blows up another embassy".
* Near the end, Bond blows up Skyfall, his childhood home. His words before doing so? " I've always hated this place." How awful was Bond's childhood?
** To be fair to Bond's childhood, he does associate this place with the death of his parents, and he spent two days hiding in the priest-hole after he learned of their death. He may have taken their deaths harder than even Kinkaid realized.

[[folder: FridgeBrilliance]]

** If you think about it a little bit longer, it becomes even more brilliant: The bartender was preparing the martini right in front of Bond, and it is implied he even kept Severine waiting to watch the procedure. What happened the last time Bond was in a casino? Bond's drink was poisoned. Clearly, the man learns from his mistakes.
* Severine is killed off unceremoniously. Bond clearly doesn't care, which seems incredibly callous...but, remember. This is post-Casino Royale. Where Vesper Lynd betrayed him. He's learned he can't save everyone, and learned not to get too attached. Besides. She's not the bond girl. Moneypenny and M are the bond girls!

-->'''Kincade:''' "James. James Bond!"
-->'''Bond:''' "Good God. You're still alive?"

* The message Silva sends to M in his video is "Think on your sins". [[FunWithAcronyms Abbreviated, it spells T.O.Y.S., or "toys"]]. Silva feels M sees her agents simply as toys, who she may throw away once she tires of them.

* The introductory scene with Q could be seen as an [[TakeThatAudience attack]] at the people who have been criticizing the Craig films for not having Q's sparkly little gadgets that have become tradition with every passing Bond movie before ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006''. Beginning with when we find out who Q really is; a young and rather hipstery looking man who doesn't look like he spends much of his time near a piece of technology (and even throws in the obligatory tea reference). And then we find out that the most high-tech gadget in the whole movie is... [[TheUnreveal Bond's gun]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking a radio]]. Bond's reaction to this seems to mirror the audience's reaction upon seeing the scene in the trailer: "It's not exactly Christmas, is it?!", to which Q correctly points out that the audience has gotten too used to the rather generic action movie feel that the series has taken on since Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice: "Well, what do you expect, an exploding pen?". Essentially, the writers are telling the audience, "You didn't like the gadget-filled ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', yet you're begging for Q and the gadgets. Here you go, here's your stupid quartermaster." And hilariously enough, when the audience sees just how cleverly both gadgets are used, they realize Bond really is a high-tech gadget in and of himself, realizing just how far Bond managed to go in the previous two films.

** Arguably going back to Q's roots too. During Desmond Llewelyn's first appearance as Q in ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' he just gave Bond the attache case with built-in throwing knives, .22 sniper rifle, money, and tiny gas bombs. Rather spartan in comparison to the goodies he would later give to 007.

* Look closely at Bond's shooting in the courtroom scene. Yeah, he takes down a couple of guys, but it's not exactly accurate. You'd attribute it to Bond's shoulder issues... until you notice that Bond shoots fast and inaccurately when Mallory's going for a pistol, and again when they're getting M out. He's ''laying down cover fire to suppress Silva''
* When Bond first meets Silva, he reads out the psychological profile on Bond, which indicates "unresolved childhood trauma". At the end of the film, Bond is of sound mind and ready to return to duty. Why? He resolved his childhood trauma, by burning Skyfall (which he associates with his parents death) to the ground.

* M's real name, Olivia Mansfield, is practically a traditional Bond Girl -esque name, only this time it's [[MeaningfulName meaningful]] instead of [[PunnyName absurd.]] Fitting, as in many ways the film is actually about her.
** And as a bonus, it is a reference to the second head of the real [=MI6=], sir Mansfield Smith-Cummings, who signed all his memos "C", a tradition kept by his successors to this day. Ian Fleming named his head of [=MI6=] "M" in his honor.

* Why is M’s political position on thin ice? It was that way in the Daniel Craig films; in Casino Royale she was complaining about dealing with the fallout from Bond’s attack on the embassy, and in Quantum of Solace she confronted an administration who was willing to work with a cartel that would provide oil to Britain. In this film, Silva’s attacks seemed to be the last straw for her rivals to bring her up for a hearing.
* Mallory states that hiding in the shadows isn’t a spy’s job anymore, but he’s looking at the actions spying brings. M knows that hiding in the shadows is the essence of spying (surveillance, sneaking around, etc) and that while Bond is overly stylish and flamboyant, in the end he too has to hide and keep things hidden for the sake of the world.
** Mallory shows he’s learned his lesson when he decides not to inform the Prime Minister about Silva tracking M.
* Silva was a former [=MI6=] agent. If you think on it, only a trained member of [=MI6=] could bomb its headquarters effectively. M was right when she said it had to be “someone who knows us, who’s one of us”.

* Why did Silva have to hack M's computer to decrypt hard drive? Aside from just as a means of taunting her. Being the head of [=MI6=], M would have access to the contents of the hard drive. Meaning she could very well have the decryption key on her computer. So hacking her computer and decrypting the contents of the hard drive would quicker than trying to brute force the key (which could take months in RealLife).