Abandoned mission; unexplained cooperation; trunk supplies; lone investigator; teacher disguise; stairwell dog; undisguised Eagles gear; late pointing; license plate photo; repeated boasts

In the discussion (13)

Approx. transcript time · 00:29:59Read transcript

A nit is raised early: a conspiracy-minded recluse agrees at once when an unnamed agency asks him to plan a presidential assassination.
Aborting the opening mission and leaving the two men behind strains faith in the military.
The film never explains why conspiracy-minded Swagger helps the government, or why he never realizes he is being framed.
It is doubtful every FBI car trunk holds blood-clotting supplies; the river escape is also listed.
Kate Mara's character having no boyfriend for three years in rural Kentucky is not believable.
Memphis is the only one investigating, despite spotting that CNN had pre-cut footage within 12 minutes.
A rural third-grade teacher suddenly plays bait in a blonde wig like a movie star, or Holly Hunter in The Firm.
Swagger foils several cops and a German shepherd, twice pulling the fake-surrender gun grab while the dog falls over the stairwell.
The most wanted man returns to Philadelphia without a disguise, wearing shiny Eagles gear.
Online discussion says a straight-on head shot would have been gruesome, explaining why the archbishop's shooting is barely shown.
Glover starts pointing constantly about 35 minutes from the end.
Glover photographs the car to capture a license plate he could have memorized.
Glover repeatedly telling people he always wins wears thin.

Casting What-Ifs

Older-star versions with Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford or Harrison Ford; Keanu Reeves

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:57:18Read transcript

The segment opens with a joke that Chris should have a ponytail by the 500th episode.
William Goldman did script-doctor work; an older Swagger was envisioned, with Clint, Robert Redford or Harrison Ford, all of whom passed.
An older sniper is not believable because eyesight worsens by the mid-40s.
Keanu reportedly passed, joked as having filed away the dog-revenge idea for later.

Recasting Couch

Casting left intact; less creepy Elias replacement; Taken 2 actor for the wheelchair role

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:00:37Read transcript

The casting is liked and would be left alone.
A slightly less creepy Elias replacement is floated, but no name is offered.
For the wheelchair guy, maybe use the guy from Taken 2; the passage is garbled and no actor is named.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Development history; filming locations; CheyTac rifle; sniper authenticity; weight loss

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 01:01:07Read transcript

The film was in development for 12 years, with seven screenwriters.
The assassination was filmed at Independence National Historical Park and the finale at Mammoth Lakes, California.
The main rifle is the CheyTac M200 Intervention, with a laser rangefinder, night vision and ballistics software, called the Ferrari of sniper rifles.
Online debate questions whether Wahlberg's eye-closing technique is authentic.
Marine scout sniper Patrick Garrity trained Wahlberg to shoot with both hands and handle adjustments; the sniper work is judged mostly authentic.
The soup-can shot shows Wahlberg lying frog-legged with his dog, which is funny.
Precision Remotes, the website Memphis visits, is real.
Wahlberg lost 20 pounds for a character who drinks Budweiser in the morning.
The dog was a Bernese Mountain Dog and English Mastiff mix, and a trailer shows an unused remote-detonated jet scene.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Swagger's funding; unreported Home Depot napalm purchases

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:11:22Read transcript

Earlier topics count as covered: Team Kate versus Team Rooney, John Wick and the missing Shooter 2.
How Swagger pays for his shopping is unclear, since he never robs anyone and a credit card would ping.
No one reports him buying napalm ingredients at Home Depot despite his face being on the news.