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the One Ring That Binds Them All: The SPECTRE Ring Decoding

DsyferDsyfer Philippines
in SPECTRE News & Spoilers Posts: 16
Have you guys have any theories as to how all of those DNA and information got into in Marco Sciarra ring? It seems a bit far-fetched to me.
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Comments

  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,593
    When I saw this in the film I just put it down to far-from-reality James Bond science. There were a few things in the film that were more than a little implausible, as there are in all Bond films, and this one for me was an easy obstacle to get over, and didn't take me out of the film.
    Basically it seemed a bit far-fetched to me as well but didn't bother me at all.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,359
    Maybe Bond hasn't washed his hands in 9 years. :))
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited December 2015 Posts: 4,399
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  • jackdaggerjackdagger
    Posts: 498
    I just attributed it to "science is magic". It was a stupid plot device, but it didn't bother me that much since the Bond movies have always had silly stuff like that.

    Would've been better if it had a hidden microchip in it or something.
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,545
    Sam Mendes explained the science behind the ring scanning scene on the Empire Podcast.
  • SarkSark Guangdong, PRC
    Posts: 1,138
    It's classic "whatever technology". It's some technology in films that isn't explained nor does it make any sense, it just does whatever is necessary to move the plot forward.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited December 2015 Posts: 4,399
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  • DsyferDsyfer Philippines
    Posts: 16
    I've just read somewhere (I think it was the Empire Magazine Website) that the ring was made of a rear metal. And when Q looked through his database of post-mortem toxologies he saw that some of Bond's past nemesis had traces of the metal. But it still doesn't explain how they were linked to Blofield. Oh well, I injoyed the movie anyway.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    edited November 2015 Posts: 3,675
    Dsyfer wrote: »
    I've just read somewhere (I think it was the Empire Magazine Website) that the ring was made of a rear metal. And when Q looked through his database of post-mortem toxologies he saw that some of Bond's past nemesis had traces of the metal. But it still doesn't explain how they were linked to Blofield. Oh well, I injoyed the movie anyway.

    http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/18-things-know-spectre/

    Check # 12
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited December 2015 Posts: 4,399
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  • bondbat007bondbat007
    Posts: 1,407
    It's because Mendes knew it wasn't a big deal. And I'm fine with that. Why waste even 30 seconds of screen time explaining that when the point is, yes, they're all connected. It's a nice tidbit to know, but that's all it is, a tidbit.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited December 2015 Posts: 4,399
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  • bondbat007bondbat007
    Posts: 1,407
    I see your point but it just didn't bother me that much. Oh well
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    HASEROT wrote: »
    because it gives us an explanation as far as a "how"... i am not saying that he needed to go in detail about the science of everything.. but Q simply saying something along the lines of -- "i analyzed the ring you gave me 007.. and the scans show that it has high traces of a very rare substance called Ridium - upon further research i discovered that during the autopsies of some familiar faces you might recognize, they found traces of the same exact substance on all their bodies... which means at some point, they all wore similar rings, meaning they were all connected to the same organization."

    that was not hard.. not cumbersome - easy to digest, and it only takes literally 20 seconds... 20 extra seconds to explain that is not hard... i don't think that was asking too much... it would be different if the science is something everyone is familiar with - then it doesn't need to be explained, or what he discovered doesn't necessarily needs to be explained.. but when it's a little complicated (and according to Mendes, explained if you freeze frame - which you cant do in a theater) - then a simple exposition is helpful... you can't just say A + (...) = C without the other bit.. just because the character knows, doesn't mean the audience does, or should.

    I agree.
  • delfloriadelfloria
    Posts: 1,870
    No mystery here. Over the years years Sciarra (sp) could have shaken the hands of each of these fellow SPECTRE members. Therefore, there would have been traces of their DNA on the ring to be pulled by Q's ultra special systems.
  • nandosadinandosadi
    Posts: 3
    I don't think a film that poises itself as the film that will connect the plots of the past three can have the luxury of leaving plot holes behind. I do think they should have made the Ridium explanation a bit more explicit for the sake of closure. It's not a mere easter egg; it's a crucial element to more clearly understand the plot.
  • minorMajor9thminorMajor9th
    Posts: 157
    It's Zirconium, not Iridium.

    Just saw the film again, and one of the graphic displays on Q's laptop shows Silva, Le Chiffre and Greene with the elemental symbol Zr and the words "Toxicology Report." Zirconium is often used as an alloying agent with other metal thanks to its corrosive resistance, and can be found in watch cases, rings, hip replacements and surgical instruments.



  • DrShatterhandDrShatterhand Garden of Death, near Belfast
    Posts: 805
    minorMajor9th wrote: »
    It's Zirconium, not Iridium.

    Just saw the film again, and one of the graphic displays on Q's laptop shows Silva, Le Chiffre and Greene with the elemental symbol Zr and the words "Toxicology Report." Zirconium is often used as an alloying agent with other metal thanks to its corrosive resistance, and can be found in watch cases, rings, hip replacements and surgical instruments.

    I'm pretty sure what Mendes meant to say was Iridium, a very rare metal which just happens to be found in meteorites. This would infer that the SPECTRE rings were forged using material from the meteorite in Morroco, another symbol of the organisation. If so, such a shame none of this was mentioned in the movie, a flippant disregard to the audience I feel.

  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    minorMajor9th wrote: »
    It's Zirconium, not Iridium.

    Just saw the film again, and one of the graphic displays on Q's laptop shows Silva, Le Chiffre and Greene with the elemental symbol Zr and the words "Toxicology Report." Zirconium is often used as an alloying agent with other metal thanks to its corrosive resistance, and can be found in watch cases, rings, hip replacements and surgical instruments.


    In other words, that wouldn´t give us the opposite of a clue that all those men were linked.


    DrShatterhand wrote: »
    minorMajor9th wrote: »
    It's Zirconium, not Iridium.

    Just saw the film again, and one of the graphic displays on Q's laptop shows Silva, Le Chiffre and Greene with the elemental symbol Zr and the words "Toxicology Report." Zirconium is often used as an alloying agent with other metal thanks to its corrosive resistance, and can be found in watch cases, rings, hip replacements and surgical instruments.

    I'm pretty sure what Mendes meant to say was Iridium, a very rare metal which just happens to be found in meteorites. This would infer that the SPECTRE rings were forged using material from the meteorite in Morroco, another symbol of the organisation. If so, such a shame none of this was mentioned in the movie, a flippant disregard to the audience I feel.
    Especially in a film so keen on being traditional Bond.

  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited December 2015 Posts: 4,399
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  • Pierce2DanielPierce2Daniel
    edited November 2015 Posts: 4,412
    The ring is such a contrived plot point. You can almost hear the gears of the film churning as it attempts to deal with the plot in the sequence with Q. There are many issues here:

    Why didn’t Bond give Q the ring back in London? He did a pretty simple analysis on it and gleaned a lot of information in the space of 30 seconds in a cable car, just imagine what he would have found out within Mi6. The smart thing to have done was for Bond to give Q the ring early on and ask him to run some reports. Q should have taken some samples and given it back (as Bond needs it for the Rome meeting). Then Q should have then turned up in Austria and been like, “007, it’s taken me a while but that ring you gave me has really shone a light on some interesting things, etc.” (You can tell from this dialogue I’m not a screenwriter).

    It would also have allowed the audience to maybe watch Q decipher the mystery back in London that ‘everything is connected’, opposed to have it all thrown upon us in the cable car scene. Hence why he runs out to Austria to aid Bond. Also I agree with @haserot more explanation was needed on the riddium detection. It would have provided a tad of validation to a pretty dodgy piece of movie science.

    Currently the magic ring machine feels extremely unwelcome in the film, it feels like something out of a Brosnan film and is slightly incongruous with the rest of the ‘darker’ Craig era. I’m not a fan.

    One of the things I liked about the role Q played in SF was the fact he was a tech nerd, here it seems they returned to using the character as a deus ex machina. When in doubt over the plot or need to move things forward? Bring in Q.

    This happens throughout the film, eg; when he gives Bond the exploding watch, and when he shuts down the Nine Eyes programme (which is made to look kinda simple with little to no jeopardy).
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited November 2015 Posts: 9,117
    I love the little animation Q knocks up to explain how Silva, Le Chiffre, Greene etc are all one of the tentacles leading to Oberhauser as the head of the octopus.

    I suppose he was maybe a bit bored in the hotel room waiting for Bond and Madeline to walk back from the plane crash.

    Overall wouldn't it just have been easier to retcon by saying that they found similar rings on all of their bodies rather than Qs handy ring scanner?
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    I thought that was extrapolated from the damned ring!

    I'd would have preferred it if Q got out his little DNA sequencer - you can get pocket sized ones apparently! - and found the DNA from all the villains. Q is just neurotic and weird enough to explain why he's got one conveniently to hand.

  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    Pierce2Daniel wrote: »
    Why didn’t Bond give Q the ring back in London? He did a pretty simple analysis on it and gleaned a lot of information in the space of 30 seconds in a cable car, just imagine what he would have found out within Mi6. The smart thing to have done was for Bond to give Q the ring early on and ask him to run some reports. Q should have taken some samples and given it back (as Bond needs it for the Rome meeting). Then Q should have then turned up in Austria and been like, “007, it’s taken me a while but that ring you gave me has really shone a light on some interesting things, etc.” (You can tell from this dialogue I’m not a screenwriter).

    It would also have allowed the audience to maybe watch Q decipher the mystery back in London that ‘everything is connected’, opposed to have it all thrown upon us in the cable car scene. Hence why he runs out to Austria to aid Bond. Also I agree with @haserot more explanation was needed on the riddium detection. It would have provided a tad of validation to a pretty dodgy piece of movie science.
    I am not in a position to judge your screenwriting talent, @Pierce2Daniel, but you have a very interesting option there, that would have been as easily been made, it would explain the whole thing much better, and it still give Q the opportunity to visit Bond in Austria, even with much better reason.




    TheWizardOfIce wrote: »
    Overall wouldn't it just have been easier to retcon by saying that they found similar rings on all of their bodies rather than Qs handy ring scanner?
    But then it would have been obvious some films ago that they´re all connected, and back then they didn´t have the rights to the octopus.

  • DsyferDsyfer Philippines
    Posts: 16
    Maybe the Spectre agents are only allowed to wear the ring during Spectre meetings or if they'll be encountering other agents. Maybe.
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,545
    Not to complicate things further, but my first thought when Q popped up in Austria was, wasn't he supposed to be afraid of flying? As mentioned by Moneypenny in SF.

    Did he get over his fear? Did he catch the train? And isn't being in a cable just as bad as flying?

    My issue with that distracted me from the fact that the ring scan scene really flew by too quickly and explained little. I would have liked to have seen a little more of the science behind it all in the film, but I guess not. Maybe Mendes or whoever does the DVD commentary will go into it more.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    Not to complicate things further, but my first thought when Q popped up in Austria was, wasn't he supposed to be afraid of flying? As mentioned by Moneypenny in SF.

    Did he get over his fear? Did he catch the train? And isn't being in a cable just as bad as flying?

    My issue with that distracted me from the fact that the ring scan scene really flew by too quickly and explained little.
    Haha, nice experience, @Red_Snow :-)).
    I took the quip about Q being afraid of flying more along the lines of he was too lazy to go out of his way to support Bond, for whom he had not the biggest respect at that time, and found a pretext. In SP, he knows Bond better and respects him more, thus he heads out to Austria.
  • BondForeverBondForever
    Posts: 25
    I think it's part 'we dont need to tell the audience everything' and part 'if this was real life would you be worried about finding Oberhauser or how the DNA was on the ring'. If I was in that situation as Bond in the hotel room with Q I'd honestly be like "oh shit, it makes sense" not "well Q, how conclusive are your tests and what metals etc etc"
  • DsyferDsyfer Philippines
    Posts: 16
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    Not to complicate things further, but my first thought when Q popped up in Austria was, wasn't he supposed to be afraid of flying? As mentioned by Moneypenny in SF.

    Did he get over his fear? Did he catch the train? And isn't being in a cable just as bad as flying?

    I guess Q's more afraid that M's going to have his balls for Christmas decorations.
    :))

    And also he fears for his and Moneypenny's careers being put on the line because of Bond. So flying is a better option.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited November 2015 Posts: 7,593
    Dsyfer wrote: »
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    Not to complicate things further, but my first thought when Q popped up in Austria was, wasn't he supposed to be afraid of flying? As mentioned by Moneypenny in SF.

    Did he get over his fear? Did he catch the train? And isn't being in a cable just as bad as flying?

    I guess Q's more afraid that M's going to have his balls for Christmas decorations.
    :))

    And also he fears for his and Moneypenny's careers being put on the line because of Bond. So flying is a better option.

    Also, I'm afraid of flying but I still do it.

    Besides I'm pretty sure Moneypenny was lying about Q being afraid to fly in that scene in Skyfall. "M's already briefed me on the list... which raises the tantalizing question of what you're really doing here..." I think it was a bit of a justification from her for her being there rather than someone else.
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