History Fridge / TheThing1982

** When [=MacReady=] is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say: they both encourage the idea that [=MacReady=] isn't human. Palmer says the Thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn [=MacReady=], and after he breaks into the building, Norris immediately states that they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering Mac and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

** When [=MacReady=] is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say: they both encourage the idea that [=MacReady=] isn't human. Palmer says the thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn [=MacReady=], and after he breaks into the building, Norris immediately states that they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering Mac and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

** Palmer repeatedly antagonizes Windows for no reason, even implying he could be an immitation, but there's no evidence to suggest these men were on bad terms beforehand. As an immitation himself, he's likely trying to make him angry and confrontational on purpose in order to sow distrust, as Windows had recently tried to steal a shotgun.

** Palmer repeatedly antagonises Windows for no reason, even implying he could be a thing, but there's no evidence to suggest these men were on bad terms beforehand. As a Thing, he's likely trying to make him angry and confrontational on purpose in order to sow distrust, as Windows had recently tried to steal a shotgun.

* Finding out that Norris and Palmer were both things put some of their earlier actions in a very different and horrific light, and shows just how much of a manipulator the thing is.
** Norris (who is a thing) rejects the idea of leadership supposedly because he's not up to the job. It's actually more than likely because he wants to remain in the background as one of the least suspected people. And when [=MacReady=] takes charge, framing him later is a good way to divide the humans quicker while remaining unsuspected.
** Palmer repeatedly antagonises Windows for no reason, even implying he could be a thing, but there's no evidence to suggest these men were on bad terms beforehand. As a thing, he's likely trying to make him angry and confrontational on purpose in order to sow distrust, as Windows had recently tried to steal a shotgun.

** When [=MacReady=] is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say: they both encourage the idea that [=MacReady=] isn't human. Palmer says the thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn [=MacReady=], and after he breaks into the building, Norris immediately states that they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering him and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

** Palmer repeatedly antagonises Windows for no reason, even suggesting he could be a thing, but nothing suggests these men were on bad terms beforehand. As a thing, he's likely trying to make him angry and confrontational on purpose in order to sow distrust, as Windows had recently tried to steal a shotgun.

** When [=MacReady=] is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say; they both encourage the idea that [=MacReady=] isn't human. Palmer says the thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn [=MacReady=], and after he breaks into the building, Norris immediately states that they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering him and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

** When [=MacReady=] is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say; they both encourage the idea that [=MacReady=] isn't human and agree he should be killed. Palmer says the thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn [=MacReady=], and after he breaks into the building, Norris is the first to say how they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering him and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

* Finding out that Norris and Palmer were both things put some of their actions in a very different light, and shows just how much of a manipulator the thing is.

** When [=MacReady=] is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say; they both encourage the idea that [=MacReady=] isn't human and both agree he should be killed. Palmer says the thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn [=MacReady=], and after he breaks into the building, Norris is the first to say how they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering him and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

** When [=MacReady=] is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say; they both encourage the idea that MacReady isn't human and both agree he should be killed. Palmer says the thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn [=MacReady=], and after he breaks into the building, Norris is the first to say how they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering him and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

** Norris (who is a thing) rejects the idea of leadership supposedly because he's not up to the job. It's actually more than likely because he wants to remain in the background as one of the least suspected people. And when MacReady takes charge, framing him later is a good way to divide the humans quicker while remaining unsuspected.

** Palmer repeatedly antagonises Windows for no reason, even suggesting he could be a thing, but nothing suggests these men were on bad terms beforehand. As a thing, he's likely trying to make him angry on purpose to sow distrust.
** When MacReady is accused of being a thing, watch Norris and Palmer closely and listen to what they say; they both encourage the idea that MacReady isn't human and both agree he should be killed. Palmer says the thing could've gotten to him at anytime and suggests they open the door to burn MacReady, and after he breaks into the building, Norris is the first to say how they now have no choice but to kill him. They're very subtly trying to manipulate the others into murdering him and whittle down their numbers quicker. If they had succeeded, they may have tried this trick again later until there was nobody left to stop them. And because the team are already so paranoid, it's likely nobody would've realised until it was too late.

* [=MacReady=] used the same scalpel on everyone during the blood test. But the creature can infect with just a single cell, including a blood cell. Garry should have gotten infected when the scalpel was used on Parker and then him.

* When the crew find MacReady‘s torn up jacket, everyone is convinced that he’s become the thing, but there’s a huge clue to indicate that he hasn’t! Earlier in the film, MacReady mentions that the name tag on the longjohns were torn off to avoid suspicion. If MacReady was a thing, he would never have left such an obvious name tag out in the open for anyone to find.

** The scene in the kennel - the crew pauses as the dog!thing starts twisting and changing. The sheer ''wrongness'' of it, an actual '''Thing That Should Not Be''' parallelizes them for a second.

*** Even worse thought: =MacReady=] made a recording and hid it. Now, if it somehow survived the blast, and someone found it, and listened to it, what are they going to think? The idea of a shape-shifting alien would be so mind-boggling that people would assume [[CassandraTruth MacReady went nuts, made the recording]] and killed everyone.

* [=MacReady=]'s chess game in the beginning is a good analogy of the final battle. The AI moves in with the queen to move in for the kill. However, [=MacReady=] could have actually captured the queen to both avoid check and instead put the AI in check, but the computer declares checkmate anyway. He bested The Thing's ultimate attack, but he still loses. His response? Destroy the computer... if I have to lose, you lose too.

* [=MacReady=]'s chess game in the beginning is a good analogy of the final battle. The AI moves in with the queen to move in for the kill. However, [=MacReady=] could have actually captured the queen to both avoid check and actually put the AI in check, but the computer declares checkmate anyway. He bested The Thing's ultimate attack, but he still loses. His response? Destroy the computer... if I have to lose, you lose too.

* [=MacReady=]'s chess game in the beginning is a good analogy of the final battle. The AI moves in with the queen to move in for the kill. However, [=MacReady=] could have actually captured the queen to both avoid check and actually put the AI in check, but the computer declares checkmate anyway. He bested The Thing's ultimate attack, but he still loses. His response? Destroy the computer.

* [=MacReady=]'s chess game in the beginning is a good analogy of the final battle. The AI moves in with the queen to move in for the kill. However, [=MacReady=] could have actually captured the queen to both avoid check and actually put the AI in check, but the computer declares checkmate anyway. He bested The Thing's ultimate attack, but he still loses.

* [=MacReady=]]'s chess game in the beginning is a good analogy of the final battle. The AI moves in with the queen to move in for the kill. However, [[=MacReady=]] could have actually captured the queen to both avoid check and actually put the AI in check, but the computer declares checkmate anyway. He bested The Thing's ultimate attack, but he still loses.