The Departed poster
The Departed

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Why Colin was impotent; whose baby Madeline carried; why Madeline did not turn Colin in; Damon and Leo switching parts; why the name Dignam

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:48:18Read transcript
  • Colin's impotence ties to his whole life being a lie and a performance.
  • His "I'm fucking Irish" speech to Madeline is judged sincere, his most Billy moment, with a Jets joke.
  • Whose baby is Madeline carrying: one thinks Colin's, others argue Leo's since only Billy is shown having sex with her.
  • Why Madeline does not turn Colin in despite the evidence; her exit is abrupt.
  • If Damon and Leo switched parts: worse, since nobody could do Costigan better than DeCaprio, versus Damon could have done it (Courage Under Fire, The Last Duel).
  • Why the name Dignam: one of Monaghan's naming flourishes.