Bond Continuity Theory: The pre-titles sequence in GE is related to events in AVTAK and TLD
sinlum
Posts: 118MI6 Agent
This is a complex theory and so I will first need to outline all the moments across the films which form the main part of the evidence. These moments can prove that the GE pre-titles sequence fits nicely between AVTAK and TLD and that all films share the same chronological timeframe. Here are the moments in the same order as they are depicted in the films:
AVTAK
a) Bond is in Siberia in the pre-titles sequence
b) Zorin mentions in the scene when he is confronted by Gogol that the British have penetrated the Siberian research centre.
c) Bond knows the Russian agent Pola Ivanova. It is implied they met before the events of AVTAK
d) Bond is given the Order of Lenin by General Gogol at the end of the film
TLD
e) The pre-title sequence of TLD involves three 00 agents (yes this is linked somewhat to the theory)
f) Bond knows Rosika Miklos who helps him with the pipeline in TLD. It is implied they met before the events of TLD
g) Bond gets frustrated with M over the mission to assassinate the sniper
h) Bond knows Pushkin. It is implied Bond has encountered him before and says to M he knows how he operates: “Our paths have crossed before”.
GE
i) The pre-title sequence of GE
j) Bond knows Valentin Sukovsky in GE. It is implied they met before the events of GE.
k) 006 goes renegade in Russia forming the plot of GE
Let’s try and put these things into chronological order and form the theory:
c) After OP, Bond meets the Russian agent Pola Ivanova and gets involved with her in her dressing room during the ballet performances in London. In one way or another he gains access to the flight plan of the ballet group and manages to fly along with the ballet group to Russia.
a) His mission in Russia at the beginning of AVTAK is to recover the microchip. To do this he works with 006. As a sidenote, when Bond first meets 006 in the pre-titles of GE, he speaks perfect Russian. I deduce that 006 was possibly a triple agent working within the Soviet Union possibly posing as a scientist. He could claim he was working as a double agent from the Soviet side but actually the information he gathers actually gets sent to MI6. So Bond works with 006 to get to Siberia and recovers the microchip from 003’s dead body.
h) Pushkin is the one who gets suspicious of MI6 agents operating in Russia. It would be logical for 006 to inform Bond as to what is going on and would know enough to let Bond know that Pushkin is the one snooping around. This is how Bond knows Pushkin from TLD. It’s possible that the soldiers who attack Bond in Siberia were sent by Pushkin.
b) The events of the pre-titles of AVTAK lead the Soviets to believe that there could be some mole in their Siberian research facility hence this explains Zorin’s comment in AVTAK. 006 gets relocated to Archangel probably by convincing the Russians that he is indeed working for them as a “double agent” and the breach was because of 003.
d) Once Bond is given the Star of Lenin at the end of AVTAK, he can enter Russia diplomatically which is what he does in 1986. He probably stays in one of the main cities and meets up with 006 again to plan the mission to blow up the chemical factory which happens in the PTS of Goldeneye. 006 is probably taking leave from his services in the chemical factory and after meeting Bond heads to Archangel to continue working there as an undercover scientist.
f) Bond then travels undercover to meet up with 006 later. He uses the services of Rosika Miklos from TLD. I theorise she sources a supply truck which she drives to Archangel with Bond hiding in the back.
j) Bond has some kind of altercation with Valentin Sukovsky. I can imagine that there is an issue with the truck Bond uses with Rosika Miklos to get to Archangel. Maybe she sourced it from Sukovsky and he wanted it back. Sukovsky confronts them at some kind of motel at which point Bond shoots him in the leg and takes his girlfriend.
i) The pre-title sequence of GE occurs. Bond is dropped off from the truck and runs to the dam to bungee jump from it and eventually escapes using the plane. 006 is angry with Bond for changing the timers. He is probably captured and then as he feels betrayed, he goes against MI6. He probably works out that Ouromov can be corrupted and the two plot the Goldeneye scheme together.
e) The pre-titles sequence of TLD occurs as M is worried about the combat effectiveness of his 00s. Remember three 00 agents had been killed over the course of three movies – 009 in OP, 003 in AVTAK and 006 in the pre-titles of GE. It is understandable that M wants to train his 00s to be more effective so that is why they are sent to Gibraltar.
g) Bond’s angry attitude towards M begins in TLD following his decision of not killing the sniper. His negative attitude towards M and MI6 in general continues in LTK which ultimately leads him to resigning from the secret service. He possibly has a more stubborn attitude based on the fact that he lost a good friend in 006 the previous year.
k) During the course of GE, Bond discovers his former friend is still alive forming the plot of GE. As Trevelyn was working undercover in Russia for a long period of time, it makes sense why he stays in Russia and plots with Ouromov there.
So there you have it - One theory that connects three films together in a chronological timeframe. I think it's crying out for a fan fiction novel 😂
Comments
well done, I like the way your finding and developing these clues to Unseen Missions.
we've discussed the Unseen Missions before, theres a thread somewhere. But mostly we discussed missions actually mentioned as such, whereas youre also focussing on the many characters Bond has met somewhere before and guessing how they might have fit in. Bond does have a surprising number of Russian contacts he has met before, since so few of the documented adventures actually happen in Russia
and yes the precredits of A View to a Kill are getting pretty close to the precredits of Goldeneye both in time and geography, never thought of that before. its logical Alec wouldve been involved, even if not seen.
(behind the scenes, you know Pola Ivanova was written in when Barbara Bach refused to return for a cameo as Anya?)
I like the linking of Timothy Dalton's more bitter and robust Bond interpretation to the events at Archangel and the 'death' of 006. Given the closeness of the two's relationship, that makes perfect sense and is really well thought out.
I may have been aware of Barbara Bach possible inclusion in AVTAK in the past but have since totally forgotten about that. Thanks for that little tidbit. I always thought she was a bit of an odd character in the film as she has some shared history with Bond but she is barely in the film. Admittedly this was also the case with Mary Goodnight and Octopussy but at least their backstories are at least referred to slightly more slightly for each of those characters. With Pola Ivanova she appears and disappears from the film within the space of about 5 mins.