*sigh* I would have expected a little more intelligence and geekiness from my favorite online comic, but am sadly disillusioned now. Simply because I am a huge dork and hearing people talk about these so-called "plot holes" fills me with a rage only surpassed by the feeling I get watching a preview for the next Rob Schneider movie, I will enlighten you.

How can Agent Smith possess a real human being?
This is the easiest. You've already seen how "plugged in" humans can have their brains programmed with all kinds of information: helicopter flying, kung-fu, etc. If they're brains can be programmed already, and Smith is a program, where's the problem? He's just a nastier beefier high-calory program.

How can Neo see / stop the machines?
Because he's part machine himself. When Smith and Neo combined at the end of Matrix 1, they were inexorably linked (Smith points this out in 2). Smith gained much of Neo's humanity (free will, purpose, emotion), Neo gained Smith's connection to the machines. He can interact with the machines directly using whatever means they use to communicate (802.11b?) because he himself is part machine.

Why did he blow up at the end?
Because the Matrix was being reset. Neo did exactly what the Architect told him needed to happen, with a little urging from the Oracle. The architect says that the purpose of the one is to return to the source, exchange his code with the systems, and then reset the Matrix. Free will was just an illusion the whole time, in fact, I believe this is one of the big statements the W bros are trying to make. What does Neo do? Neo returns to the source (the machine world), combines his code with the machines (when Agent Smith connects with him), and resets the Matrix.

It's exactly what they said would happen in 2.

I apologize. :)

- Rustchild

my question is, if one person gets stabbed below the ribs (no where near quick death points) with a small scalple and dies quickly, how is it that someone who is punctured by 4-7 spikes keeps talking for over 20 minutes...

This discussion [goats.com] has already been started with the "spoilers" bit. I still disagree with this Agent Smith explanation, but I won't discuss this here.

It seems everybody and their mother are missing how Smith took over Bane's body.

It was made to look like a dream in the second movie. Bane was in the matrix with a friend. They just get away from the Agents. The phones ring to let them back into Zion, and the friend answers the phone and goes back. The phone rings again, but before Bane answers it, Smith shows up and takes over Bane's body. Bane then answers the phone.

Viola. Smith is now in Bane's body.

Everything else, RustChild took care of.

In Response to kornz (#10233):

Because the spikes hit her randomly, causing fatal but not instant-death-inducing wounds, whereas the scalple was wielded by someone with a fair idea of how to kill you quickly and quietly.

Just a guess.

Uh, yeah, except they weren't at the source when he exploded.

The movie wasn't about free will being an illusion; quite the opposite. You'll have to check the appropriate thread over in Ring of Fire for more detail on why I think so.

In Response to mea37 (#10258):

the scalple was inserted below her ribs in a vertical fasion, where non-vital organs are.

one of the spikes went through her lungs. I just hope that when this happens to me I can still have a 20 minute speech

For those of you who were under the mistaken assumption you take the Matrix way too seriously, this website [geocities.com] should give you some perspective.

Obviously, the people who put up this website are crazy. But it's still fascinating.

Best bit of all? There's this Keywords page that is somehow involved with "key words" that the "Others" use -- to control us? To amuse us? heck if I know. Each of them has an "intended second meaning." The one for alligator is excellent:

you know

In Response to Deathalicious (#10367):

Ooh ooh! The one for "sister" is even better

Sister: (for male survivors) ALLEGEDLY, THE CHARACTERS OF THE OTHER WOMEN - BESIDES YOUR BELOVED WIFE - WHOM YOU SHOULD HAVE SEX WITH (IN THE SO-CALLED POOL), IN ORDER TO REDUCE YOUR SO-CALLED HAIR AND/OR TO SATISFY YOUR SO-CALLED "SEXUAL NEEDS"

"Man, I really shed some so-called hair last night, if you get my drift."

Wow, there's just so many things from that page that boggle the mind. Really, you have to read it. Like, apparently a nun is really a female dentist. And hair has something to do with vampirism.

I found the whold movie to be full of plotholes.....

and what was the deal with that littel girl? 'Useless program'? Then why did she have control of the sunrise?

sounds useful to ME....

In the universe of the movie The Matrix, there are three levels of existence.

level 1 = In the Matrix itself. This is the level that Neo exists in. We can refer to this as "level M1".

level 2 = This is the level of the "real world". This is the level of Zion and where awakened people go. We can refer to this as "level Z2".

level 3 = This is the level of outside the real world. This is probably where everyone actually lives but no specific references were made to it in the movie. We can refer to this as "level O3"

Everyone in Level M1 lives in Level Z2 and Level O3.

Everyone in Level Z2 lives in Level O2, but doesn't necessary live in M1.

Not everyone who lives in level O3 lives in Level M1 or Level Z2.

Neo lives in the M1. Morpheus takes him to Z2. While doing this, it is recognized that Neo has been here before. Not someone like him, but him. This implies that Neo exists outside of Z2. How can he live in Z2, leave Z2 and return to Z2? This means that there has to be a level outside of Z2. We've called this O3.

We also know that the Oracle is a program, and she was created to keep the Matrix running cleanly.

Now, I suggest that the Oracle suggested running M1 inside of Z2. This gives everyone in M1 who believes that reality is not right a place to go. This way, reality in M1 is not broken. The people in Z2 believe that they have found reality, as the rules in Z2 are different than the rules in M1.

However, Neo presents the ability to modify the rules in Z2 as in M1. Furthermore, he can travel outside of Z2 and return to Z2 in a different date (possibly in a different incarnation, but him nevertheless).

So I propose that O3 exists, much in the same way that M1 exists inside of Z2.

(Further proof of this is the train. In computer terms, a bus is a devise that can move information from one part of a computer to another, generally from a Harddrive to a processor, or from ram to a processor, or from the processor to the output. On the train, the little girl enters the Matrix. She is an improved program, but I would suggest that she was created (or stored) outside of M1 or Z2, which is where Neo found himself.)

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#10887):

Yes, but is a system that includes M1, Z2 and O3 sufficiently complex to cover basic algebra?

Because if so, it's obviously incomplete. And if it's incomplete, it's obvious that you don't know how to spell device. And since it's shown that you don't know how to spell device, we can therefore go on to prove that your argument is insufficient to cover algebra. Which means that it's complete.

Complete bullshit, that is.

Welcome! First post. Not too bad, except for the spelling errors and the circular reasoning based on incomplete metaphors and facts. And the glaven.

And we'll make fun of your use of 'StarGoat' later.

In Response to zamphir (#10891):

Wow. Way to flame the new guy. I take my hat off to you sir.

I've been Stargoat for years. You can check me out at Slashdot or someplace else.

So what the heck is glaven anyway? I've checked out four online dictionaries, and haven't been able to find it.

In Response to Lonely Goatherd (#10894):

Wow. Way to flame the new guy. I take my hat off to you sir.

Well, it's not my first time.

And it's a good thing you took that hat off, too. Doesn't go with your eyes at ALL. Or your shoes - but I don't think anything goes with those chartreuse pumps.

So what the heck is glaven anyway? I've checked out four online dictionaries, and haven't been able to find it.
It's a Professor Frink-ism.

In Response to zamphir (#10895):

I get a kick watching you mercilessly skewer each newbie with your pedantry, insults, linguistic skill, and chon-droi-tin!

In Response to Teledildonix (#10927):

Yeah, it's fun to watch now that it doesn't happen to me. Although, then again, I can't remember zamphir having a go directly at me for being a newbie...

In Response to zamphir (#10895):

And it's a good thing you took that hat off, too. Doesn't go with your eyes at ALL. Or your shoes - but I don't think anything goes with those chartreuse pumps.
   
  That is scarily like the worst chat up line I've ever heard that worked. "Hey - your jumper matches your socks. Wanna fuck?". The only moderating circumstance was that they were both paralytic drunk.

In Response to zamphir (#10891):

can you please explain where the circular reasoning is?

cheers
~sniper

In Response to unFalln (#10928):

I can't remember zamphir having a go directly at me for being a newbie...

Everything else about you, yes. Being a newbie, no probably not.

In Response to zamphir (#10937):

Oh Zammy boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling...

In Response to snipergirl (#10935):

You don't need to have proof these days. All you have to do is make an allegetion and then go on the attack. At least, that's what Uncle Rummy taught me.

In Response to evilaltor (#10946):

You don't need to have proof these days.

Actually, I was going to say "The proof of this is left as an exercise for the reader, since I can't fit it in the margins".

But your excuse works, too.

In Response to zamphir (#10949):

Sir, you insult me! "Excuse"? It is the truth. Just hang on while I rummage around here to see if I can prove it...

In Response to zamphir (#10949):

LOL!

dammit, if only i had some mod points that would definitely be a +1 obscure reference

(i level up, i am now a level 9 maths geek; i take "spell 'focus'")

In Response to kornz (#10233):

Damn still not seen this so I am ditching this thread now :P but the how can they keep waffling on for ages after any decent person would have died question I would add Sean Bean in the first LOTR to the list of criminals... and how many arrows did he get shot with before he finally stopped milking it and died?! :P

Yours with -5 flamebait :)

T

(after preview) : hmm incoherant and spelling errors... balls to it, I am intoxicated and cheerful :)

In Response to GothicTigger (#11446):

Damn still not seen this so I am ditching this thread now

Yes, the rest of us did some time ago. Thanks for posting to tell us you've nothing to add, though; we were wondering.

...

Maybe I need my old sig back.