53 replies to this topic

[DaveBond21]

I know this topic has been discussed a few times but I have just taken the "trivia quiz" on the Quantum of Solace website.

One of the questions was "What is the most likely fate of Koskov in TLD?" And the correct answer is:-

Official execution by the KGB.

I have always thought that Koskov is to be executed and then his dead body sent in a diplomatic bag, as suggested by Pushkin. Some argue that he doesn't die, but I think he is to be killed, hence his reaction to Pushkin's comment.

What do you think? Who wrote the trivia quiz? How can they verify their answers? And who can answer once and for all our questions about what really happens in a Bond movie?

[marktmurphy]

Well, it's up to you as to how you think things turn out- your view is just as valid as the filmmakers' when it comes to things which are left to interpretation and not made explicit.

However, it is worth noting that I tried playing this quiz thing and the first (and consequently only) question I tried answering seemed to think that A View To A Kill was made after Living Daylights.

[jaguar007]

What were the other options? OF course we don't know what happenes to Koskov.

As far as the trivia game, I had one question that said something like "What was the only Bond movie to feature an Ian Fleming story title after The Living Daylights". I picked Casino Royale. They said the correct answer was A View To A Kill. Somebody who did the quiz thought A View To A Kill came after TLD?????????

edit: I see someone else had the same question.

[Royal Dalton]

I had the same question. But the 'correct' answer when I did it turned out to be Thunderball!



As for Koskov; it's pretty obvious he was bumped off, isn't it?

[DaveBond21]

As for Koskov; it's pretty obvious he was bumped off, isn't it?

I've always thought so. But there was a discussion on here about 2 years ago, when lots of people said that they didn't think the "diplomatic bag" line suggested his death. But I've always imagined his body in a bag, and that he would certainly be dead, by the time we see M, Gogol and Kara talking in the last scene.

[Simon]

However, it is worth noting that I tried playing this quiz thing and the first (and consequently only) question I tried answering seemed to think that A View To A Kill was made after Living Daylights.

Ah yes - I was tripped up by that too.

There is a Dr No question that considers his method of dying was to be buried alive - which suggests the makers have crossed their literary and filmic sources....

Curious.

[marktmurphy]

I've always thought so. But there was a discussion on here about 2 years ago, when lots of people said that they didn't think the "diplomatic bag" line suggested his death.

I dunno- it always seemed a bit rough. I think Pushkin may be inferring that Koskov is going to get it, but it doesn't necessarily follow that he's telling the truth. He may very well be scaring Koskov for the hell of it- he doesn't exactly like the chap.
It feels wrong to see one of Bond's allies about to execute someone.

As for the quiz- shoddy stuff.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I was hoping he'd escape from Siberia and plot his revenge against Bond in the next Bond movie follwing LTK. One can dream.

It is odd that he's the only Bond villian (1 of 2 but the more significant villain in the story) not to die on camera isn't it?

[DaveBond21]

I was hoping he'd escape from Siberia and plot his revenge against Bond in the next Bond movie follwing LTK. One can dream.

It is odd that he's the only Bond villian (1 of 2 but the more significant villain in the story) not to die on camera isn't it?

It is strange, you're right. I used to always get frustrated by the end of DAF, that we never saw Blofeld die and last we saw him, he was dangling in his escape pod, but it was pretty obvious to me that they were deliberately not showing him burning to death or dead. It frustrated me at the time, but then I realised that he was going to die in TSWLM, and then they finally got rid of him in the PTS of FYEO.

[sharpshooter]

I always thought that Koskov had it coming after Pushkin's comments. I think that Koskov's friendly nature in the scene tricks people into thinking he will merely be arrested.

[DaveBond21]

I always thought that Koskov had it coming after Pushkin's comments. I think that Koskov's friendly nature in the scene tricks people into thinking he will merely be arrested.

I agree. I just wish they'd killed him on screen, to avoid confusion. To me, he's an annoying bad guy, actually.

[DamnCoffee]

I thought it was quite pointless for Koskov to actually escape the truck in Afganastan. It's quite wiered, really, when you think about it. His role in the movie isn't important after he escapes the truck. There was no need to bring him back after Bond kills Whitiker.

[hilly]

I remember seeing The Living Daylights at the cinema and Pushkin's "diplomatic bag" line getting quite a few laughs. I think the portrayal of Koskov and the actor's comedy reaction to this led me to believe that he was going to get roughed up a bit rather than bumped off. I really like TLD but always felt that Koskov was a lightweight villain and the "altogether now" happy ending let it down a bit.

..Actually, thinking about it, the ending is a bit surreal. Bond and Kara going at it in her dressing room, whilst MI6 hob-nob in the lobby with the Taliban,who are a bit peeved at missing a classical recital. As the man said "Bond. Only Bond...."

[doublenoughtspy]

I heard it was Gotell's health that prompted the change and that Pushkin was a substitution as you indicated.

I think it's Rys-Davies' delivery of the line, plus Koskov's reaction that really hammer home that he is going to be killed. Koskov's look isn't one of the petulant child sent to the corner or someone having to endure a long bumpy ride - but someone about to meet their maker.

BTW, Pushkin was in Michael France's first Goldeneye draft.

[Mr_Wint]

I think the "altogether now" ending would've been more emotionally satisfying had Walter Gotell been able to play the part as it was, apparently, written (if I have my facts right, Pushkin's role was really meant to be General Gogol, but Gotell was unable to get that much time away to shoot his scenes. I also remember reading that Gogol was considered for a brief bit in LTK, but may have been ill at the time when the shooting would've occured, or maybe the idea was dropped altogether during filming. But I think it's pretty obvious that the lines Pushkin utters were really meant for Gogol, and I think Pushkin was a character inserted late into the script. Anyone remember for sure?

Yeh, I've heard that too. But Gotell was too ill for a big part in the movie. Anyway, I think it was a very wise choice to create a new character, since Bond and General Gogol had a somewhat friendly (almost) relationship in previous films. It would be too obvious that Gogol wasn't the main villain.

[crheath]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

[Red Barchetta]

I always imagined the camera looking down as someone zips up the bag- revealing Koskov's head, and closed eyes.

If KGB (or ex-KGB in this case) says put him in a diplomatic bag- who am I to second guess?

[Mr. Blofeld]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

...and was shot by Tommy Lee Jones, who later had half his face turned purple and went on to become a supervillain.

[coco1997]

Rest assured, Koskov's fate will be made certain in Mr. Blofeld's and my "TLD" rewrite.

[DaveBond21]

I thought it was quite pointless for Koskov to actually escape the truck in Afganastan. It's quite wiered, really, when you think about it. His role in the movie isn't important after he escapes the truck. There was no need to bring him back after Bond kills Whitiker.

Me too. That truck explosion seems like a fitting end for Koskov.

[crheath]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

...and was shot by Tommy Lee Jones, who later had half his face turned purple and went on to become a supervillain.

Wait a minute! Aren't you talking about two different movies? The Tommy Lee Jones becoming a supervillain was Batman and Robin.

[coco1997]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

...and was shot by Tommy Lee Jones, who later had half his face turned purple and went on to become a supervillain.

Wait a minute! Aren't you talking about two different movies? The Tommy Lee Jones becoming a supervillain was Batman and Robin.

No, that was "Batman Forever."

Edited by coco1997, 11 March 2008 - 11:34 PM.

[Mr. Blofeld]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

...and was shot by Tommy Lee Jones, who later had half his face turned purple and went on to become a supervillain.

Wait a minute! Aren't you talking about two different movies? The Tommy Lee Jones becoming a supervillain was Batman and Robin.

No, that was "Batman Forever."

Which, incidentally enough, starred The Saint.

[coco1997]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

...and was shot by Tommy Lee Jones, who later had half his face turned purple and went on to become a supervillain.

Wait a minute! Aren't you talking about two different movies? The Tommy Lee Jones becoming a supervillain was Batman and Robin.

No, that was "Batman Forever."

Which, incidentally enough, starred The Saint.

LOL, indeed.

[crheath]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

...and was shot by Tommy Lee Jones, who later had half his face turned purple and went on to become a supervillain.

Wait a minute! Aren't you talking about two different movies? The Tommy Lee Jones becoming a supervillain was Batman and Robin.

No, that was "Batman Forever."

Which, incidentally enough, starred The Saint.

LOL, indeed.

Just a correction, he did not get shot by Tommy Lee Jones. Harrison Ford knocked him out after he tried to shoot Jones. Anyway, just messing with you. "You know I'm glad. I need the rest".

[Mr. Blofeld]

It's really simple. He was arrested, then sent to prison. He then escaped and moved to Chicago where he hired a one armed man to kill Richard Kimble's wife. Unfortunately, he got caught...

...and was shot by Tommy Lee Jones, who later had half his face turned purple and went on to become a supervillain.

Wait a minute! Aren't you talking about two different movies? The Tommy Lee Jones becoming a supervillain was Batman and Robin.

No, that was "Batman Forever."

Which, incidentally enough, starred The Saint.

LOL, indeed.

Just a correction, he did not get shot by Tommy Lee Jones. Harrison Ford knocked him out after he tried to shoot Jones. Anyway, just messing with you. "You know I'm glad. I need the rest".

"I don't care!"

[Johnboy007]

I've heard diplomatic bags get quite stuffy. I don't think he died, I think he was sentenced to sit with all the riff raff and "bourgeois" in the coach section.

[stromberg]

Hm, if the Cork/Stutz 'Bond Encyclopedia' is the book to go by (and one should think that the makers of this Quiz were provided some kind of 'official' guideline), Koskov's status is "Arrested, probably executed by the KGB". So much for that

I believe I mentioned this in the other thread, too: In the German version, Pushkin says "Send him back to Moscow - as diplomat's ashes"

[marktmurphy]

I heard it was Gotell's health that prompted the change and that Pushkin was a substitution as you indicated.

I think it's Rys-Davies' delivery of the line, plus Koskov's reaction that really hammer home that he is going to be killed. Koskov's look isn't one of the petulant child sent to the corner or someone having to endure a long bumpy ride - but someone about to meet their maker.

BTW, Pushkin was in Michael France's first Goldeneye draft.

It just jars with the tone of the scene, though: Pushkin is our hero's friend and Koskov is one of the series' more likable villains, and he has a comedy reaction to the 'diplomatic bag'. For one of Bond's friends to casually have someone fairly likable executed in the fun epilogue to a family adventure movie... doesn't really work for me.

[dinovelvet]

I had the same question. But the 'correct' answer when I did it turned out to be Thunderball!



As for Koskov; it's pretty obvious he was bumped off, isn't it?

Yes. I'm surprised there's much debate here. Amongst his other crimes (misuse of state funds, diamond smuggling, drug trafficking), Koskov participated in a plot to assassinate Pushkin, which probably warrants an instant execution, wouldn't you think?