History Fridge / Lightyear

!Fridge Brilliance

!Fridge Horror

!Fridge Logic
* The movie’s explicit LGBTQ+ representation makes this look super progressive for a family-oriented movie that, in-universe, was made in 1995.
** Makes more sense when you consider that either the director or writer either didn't mind about same sex relationships or did and figured 'Hey its fake what the hell'.
** Often times Sci-Fi series seek to portray future takes on humanity that are not reflective of the present. For example, Star Trek, even in the original series, had Black fleet members in high-ranked positions at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, even specifically higher ranked than Kirk, where that was very much not reality. It's likely they were going for a similar concept with ''Lightyear''.
** Same-sex couples in media have been around longer than most people think. From ''Heather Has Two Mommies'' in 1989 to 1995's "The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls In Love", the period in which this in-universe movie is supposed to have been created had quite a bit of representation.
* The perfected hyperspeed crystal suffered from a case of NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup due to it taking several decades to formulate and the computer getting accidentally destroyed during its production. So what powers the ship at the very end of the film when the Space Rangers enter hyperspeed?
** Three possible sources... the broken computer was salvaged in the hangar and the file was able to be recovered, the last ratios were still present in the fuel dispensers and recorded, or Sox himself remembered.

* Zurg could be considered a good metaphor for insanity. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Case in point, Buzz had tried perfecting hyperspeed a total of 15 times with each attempt failing while his friends had moved on with their lives. In an alternate timeline, Zurg had become so trapped and consumed in thus toxic nightmare, determined to fix his mistake, no matter who or what suffers. Best exemplified when Buzz points out that of they undo the Turnip crash, Alisha won't have Izzy, to which Zurg nonchalantly asks, "Who's Izzy?", and later on, when Zurg crushes his Sox for betraying him.

** Zurg is also a good metaphor for perfectionism, particularly unhealthy perfectionism. If you try to make to your life a flawless performance, you become devoid of all humanity, no different from a robot. And what did Zurg inhabit most of the time? That's right, [[Rule of Symbolism a robotic mech-suit]].

* Also overlaps with Fridge Sadness, as the origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the movie presents the character at his most vulnerable-- being stuck in his devotion to completing the mission, unable to be the hero he desperately wants to be, or the hero we know him as in ''Toy Story''. Seeing how popular Buzz is in the ''Toy Story'' franchise, he became that hero, both in the movie, and to kids like Andy. But the toy of Buzz he got? The one who faced the ultimate existential crisis when he learned he was a toy and not a space ranger? That means that everything he will go through in the film will have been '''''AllForNothing'''''. It's little wonder he took to being "Mrs. Nesbitt" so hard. It wasn't enough that he discovered his entire life was a lie; the struggles that he faced in the film, all that devotion to overcoming his flaws, never happened. True, Woody is able to convince Buzz that he has a purpose, but it makes his downfall over the whole thing all the more tragic.

* Remember in ''Toy Story 4'' how Bo Peep left Woody out to dry when he wouldn't' stop going after Forky, even when it was clear they stood no chance? Notice how Buzz was the only one who didn't chew him out for his attitude, instead gently encouraging him to go home. Even though he knows he's a toy, he still remembers his experiences from the movie, specifically his attitude towards "completing the mission" resulting in a future version of himself becoming Zurg, coming to the realization that this attitude was hurting everyone around him. With that in mind, he was trying to keep Woody from making the same mistake. It also explains why he was so willing to let Woody leave Bonnie's room and stay with Bo Peep--both were able to overcome their original mindset and move forward with people they cared for, so Buzz wanted Woody to have that chance.

* The first Space Ranger suits are sparse compared the new ones at the end of the film. However, as Buzz had the clearance to attend design meetings for the Turnip, he was able to contribute to the designs of the new suits based on his experiences in the movie.

** Or maybe the TS universe is in fact ''not'' our universe and people are overthinking this.
** Especially since it's a universe where Toys can move and talk.

** Often times Sci-Fi series seek to portray future takes on humanity that are not reflective of the present. For example, Star Trek, even in the original series, had Black fleet members in high ranked positions at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, even specifically higher ranked than Kirk, where that was very much not reality. It's likely they were going for a similar concept with ''Lightyear''.
** Or maybe the TS universe is in fact ''not'' our universe and people are over-thinking this.

* The film's twist of [[spoiler:Zurg being Buzz Lightyear]] actually was hinted at long before the film came out with the toy version of Buzz; ''1'' made him a delusion toy who thought he was a space ranger, ''2'' had him facing a Buzz who still thought he was a space ranger, ''3'' brainwashed him back to space ranger mode, and ''4'' cost him a few brain cells and made him think his voice box was his actual "inner voice". In other words, [[spoiler:Buzz's own worst enemy isn't just Zurg, but also himself.]] It only made sense that, this time, [[spoiler:the two were one and the same.]]
** Heck, ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' had Buzz being corrupted by Darkness by the main villain[[spoiler:'s ''past self'']].

** Another theme that returns from the Toy Story movies is the conflict of [[spoiler:Buzz vs. an inevitable future of saying goodbye to a loved one. Recall that Andy gets older and slowly outgrows his toys while said toys stay the same "age." Now look what happens to Alicia. The biggest difference being she doesn't just grow older; she actually passes away. Izzy could then be seen as a stand-in for Bonnie. First time we see her, she even appears to be roughly Bonnie's age.]]
* Remember in ''Toy Story 4'' how Bo Peep left Woody out to dry when he wouldn't' stop going after Forky, even when it was clear they stood no chance? Notice how Buzz was the only one who didn't chew him out for his attitude, instead gently encouraging him to go home. Even though he knows he's a toy, he still remembers his experiences from the movie, specifically [[spoiler:his attitude towards "completing the mission" resulting in a future version of himself becoming Zurg, coming to the realization that this attitude was hurting everyone around him.]] With that in mind, he was trying to keep Woody from making the same mistake. It also explains why he was so willing to let Woody leave Bonnie's room and stay with Bo Peep--[[spoiler:both were able to overcome their original mindset and move forward with people they cared for]], so Buzz wanted Woody to have that chance.

* [[spoiler:Future Buzz doesn't go into details about the Zurg suit, spaceship, and robots]]. It's possible the writer(s) left out certain details on purpose. His dialogue implies there was [[spoiler:already a Zurg long before Old Buzz came along]]. If the audience are not satisfied with the Zurg reveal, they could give them [[spoiler:the real Zurg in the sequel]].