# Aliens question. Spoily bits inside. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000 "2010-09-16T18:55:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acorns.but_not_Bacon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/1 "2010-09-16T18:55:15Z")
Why do they need Burke? Ripley finds out Burke’s deception, the team then want to kill him, one of the team is about to do just that but Ripley tries to stop him and says “no we need him…” but just as she says it, the power is cut out and everyone is distracted by the big scary Aliens. That’s basically the crux of the scene I’m writing from memory. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/2 "2010-09-16T19:02:40Z")
Short answer: Maybe they need him to act as a (hostile) witness, to testify in a future criminal investigation into the company’s actions. The “Company” (I forget the name) allowed (or even setup) the colonists to be attacked by the aliens without warning them. (They are guilty of “depraved indifference”?) Ripley is rescued from her cryopod. She gives testimony to the company about the actions that occur in movie #1. While they have her on ice, they send the colonists on LV-426 to check out the reports of the Aliens [eggs]. > **[Aliens (1986) - Plot - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/plotsummary/)** > > Aliens (1986) - Plot summary, synopsis, and more... ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/3 "2010-09-16T19:19:52Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > The “Company” (I forget the name)… Weyland-Yutani. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/4 "2010-09-16T19:22:44Z")
I think Ripley wanted to take him back for trial, but I’m not certain. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/5 "2010-09-16T19:50:04Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > > [@mlees](#): > > > > The “Company” (I forget the name)… > > Weyland-Yutani. Thanks. 🙂 I typed what was my vague recollections first. Then I went to IMDB and read the synopsis, saw I had come close to the mark, and linked to it as an edit/addendum. ---
**Author:** ![Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@Acorns.but\_not\_Bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acorns.but_not_Bacon)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/6 "2010-09-16T19:57:01Z")
Hmmm, yeah I see, needing Burke to be a witness makes sense. Hadn’t even thought of that. Kind of optimistic viewpoint Ripley had there though. It’s on tonight and I never get bored of this movie. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/7 "2010-09-16T20:35:36Z")
Wasn’t it specifically because she wanted him to pay for his part in what happened to the colony? > [@](#): > > ``` > Ripley: I just checked the colony log, directive dated 6/12/79, signed Burke, Carter J. You sent them out there and you didn't even warn them! Why didn't you warn them, Burke? > Burke: Okay, look. What if that ship didn't even exist? Did you ever think about that? I didn't know! So now, if I went and made a major security situation out of it, everybody steps in. Administration steps in, and there are no exclusive rights for anybody; nobody wins. So I made a decision, and it was wrong. It was a bad call, Ripley. It was a bad call. > Ripley: Bad call? These people are dead, Burke! Don't you have any idea what you've done here? Well, I'm gonna make sure that they nail you right to the wall for this! You're not gonna sleaze your way out of this one! Right to the wall! > > ``` I always thought that Ripley was cut off by the power going out, and she was going to say something like ‘we need him alive so he can go back and…’. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/8 "2010-09-17T02:43:21Z")
I always thought that Burke sent the colonists in on his own order, without any company authorization at all. He had it set up so he’d have exclusive rights on whatever they found, but he was off the reservation. He probably volunteered to go on the rescue mission partly to cover his tracks, at least that’s how I always figured it. ETA sorry, no insight on the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/9 "2010-09-17T14:42:11Z")
Just wanted to say I never get tired of this movie, either. Except for some of the parts where Newt gets lost and they shoehorn it back into a horror flick for a while (I think this is mostly action or maybe survival horror - after all, the protagonists make it out!) ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/10 "2010-09-17T14:58:24Z")
[QUOTE=outlierrn] I always thought that Burke sent the colonists in on his own order, without any company authorization at all. [/QUOTE] Maybe that’s the question on Ripley’s mind in that scene: is it just Burke who’s responsible, or was he acting on orders from higher up? If he’s dead, it’s going to be harder to learn the answer to that. [QUOTE=Anaamika] I think this is mostly action or maybe survival horror - after all, the protagonists make it out! [/QUOTE] Oh. We’re supposed to root for the _humans_? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/11 "2010-09-17T14:59:24Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > [QUOTE=outlierrn] > I always thought that Burke sent the colonists in on his own order, without any company authorization at all. Maybe that’s the big question on Ripley’s mind: is it just Burke who’s responsible, or was he acting on orders from higher up? If he’s dead, it’s going to be harder to learn the answer to that. [QUOTE=Anaamika] I think this is mostly action or maybe survival horror - after all, the protagonists make it out! [/QUOTE] Oh. We’re supposed to root for the _humans_? [/QUOTE] You don’t root for Ripley? there aren’t many people in cinema whom I root for more than Ripley! ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/12 "2010-09-17T15:27:21Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > You don’t root for Ripley? there aren’t many people in cinema whom I root for more than Ripley! I wasn’t being serious there. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/13 "2010-09-17T15:29:37Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > > [@Anaamika](#): > > > > You don’t root for Ripley? there aren’t many people in cinema whom I root for more than Ripley! > > I wasn’t being serious there. Oh. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/14 "2010-09-17T17:22:17Z")
Slight hijack but to me the strangest thing about Aliens is the girl who played Newt never acted again. Before or since. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/15 "2010-09-17T17:41:36Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Slight hijack but to me the strangest thing about Aliens is the girl who played Newt never acted again. Before or since. Or during. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/16 "2010-09-17T17:53:48Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Slight hijack but to me the strangest thing about Aliens is the girl who played Newt never acted again. Before or since. Maybe she’s the sister of [Peter Ostrum](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0652578/) (Charlie Bucket from _Willy Wonka_). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/17 "2010-09-17T17:56:07Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > > [@Anaamika](#): > > > > You don’t root for Ripley? there aren’t many people in cinema whom I root for more than Ripley! > > I wasn’t being serious there. At least you don’t see the aliens screwing each other over for a god damn percentage. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/18 "2010-09-17T18:07:58Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > > [@Quimby](#): > > > > Slight hijack but to me the strangest thing about Aliens is the girl who played Newt never acted again. Before or since. > > Or during. I liked her. Anyway, I rarely complain about kid actors as long as they don’t scream through an entire movie (Dakota Fanning, I’m looking at you) or make me cringe so badly I just want to curl up in a little ball (the kid who played Anakin). Out of these two I hate Dakota more…which is why i remember her name. She was so annoying in WotW that I actively avoid movies with her to this day. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/19 "2010-09-17T18:16:37Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I liked her. Anyway, I rarely complain about kid actors as long as they don’t scream through an entire movie (Dakota Fanning, I’m looking at you) or make me cringe so badly I just want to curl up in a little ball (the kid who played Anakin). > > Out of these two I hate Dakota more…which is why i remember her name. She was so annoying in WotW that I actively avoid movies with her to this day. Well, you’ve definitely picked two very good targets for scorn there. For me, the benchmark is the kid who played the kid in _Shane_. Love that movie though I do, I will only buy it if they release a version of it with his voice dubbed over by someone less whiny and irritating. Like Fran Drescher, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000/20 "2010-09-17T19:18:26Z")
Would you settle for Gilbert Gottfried? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-question-spoily-bits-inside/554000.md?page=2)