# Edge of Tomorrow ending. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456 "2017-06-08T20:54:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/1 "2017-06-08T20:54:31Z")
I am sure this has been discussed here but my search brings up nothing. So, my son tells me he just finished reading the sequel to All You Need Is Kill. As he’s explaining why he likes how these novels deal with time travel I say that it sounds a lot like the movie Edge of Tomorrow. Which, I learned, is true because the movie was based on this book. Well then, time travel is handled horribly, I say. Nope. Apparently the book ends differently then the movie. That last loop Tom Cruise did, can it be explained. In universe, I mean and not because the movie wanted a happy ending. FWIW, I loved the movie and Tom Cruise getting killed over and over again was only a small part of my enjoyment. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/2 "2017-06-08T21:25:41Z")
Take a look at TV Trope’s page on the film, specifically the Headscratchers page (the section devoted to discussing confusing plot points and such). There are some theories there I like. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/3 "2017-06-08T21:26:01Z")
Well, are you sure that it was a happy ending or was it just a bump back to an earlier point in the same endless cycle? They’re working on a sequel, which may mean I’m right. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/4 "2017-06-09T13:14:14Z")
My take was that killing the omega functions pretty much the same as killing the alpha - it resets time for the person exposed to its blood, at a point of T-minus 24 hours (or whatever). Since Cruise killed the omega at a time earlier than the alpha (the night before the invasion), after Cruise dies it changes his timeloop starting point to the new T-minus 24 hours, only with the omega and the rest of the aliens now dead. My assumption is that Cruise could then continue to live out his life, and (assuming he never got a blood transfusion) would always reset to the same new timeloop starting point whenever he died, maybe even of old age. Although since there’s a sequel coming out, they’ll probably have to “rewrite” whatever the original ending intention was in order to create drama for the follow up. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/5 "2017-06-09T13:53:18Z")
The story is based on how video games work. As you play and encounter situations that kill your character, you reset to the last save point and try again, now behaving differently to avoid the previous methods of death. That’s exactly how it operated in the movie. Therefore, if you follow that through to its logical conclusion, once the big boss is defeated, the game resets to its beginning scene again, and a new replay begins. The sequel (it’s in pre-production now, I think) follows on immediately, and really can be considered the next installment of the game franchise. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/6 "2017-06-09T14:08:33Z")
This movie famously came super close to stopping production to figure out its ending. They filmed a number of different endings before settling one the one in the movie. I forget how or why they chose what they chose, but there are interviews out there about it. Oddly enough, Mission Impossible 5, another recent Cruise movie…did stop production to figure out its final act/ending. They re-worked the script and shooting schedule and came back to shoot it. It turned out not too bad. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/7 "2017-06-09T14:26:59Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > This movie famously came super close to stopping production to figure out its ending. They filmed a number of different endings before settling one the one in the movie. I forget how or why they chose what they chose Well, clearly they just tried a bunch of different endings until – hey, wait a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/8 "2017-06-09T15:21:10Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Well, clearly they just tried a bunch of different endings until – hey, wait a minute. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TYphoonSignal8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@TYphoonSignal8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TYphoonSignal8)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/9 "2017-06-12T03:49:46Z")
Nice. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > The story is based on how video games work. As you play and encounter situations that kill your character, you reset to the last save point and try again, now behaving differently to avoid the previous methods of death. That’s exactly how it operated in the movie. > > Therefore, if you follow that through to its logical conclusion, once the big boss is defeated, the game resets to its beginning scene again, and a new replay begins. The sequel (it’s in pre-production now, I think) follows on immediately, and really can be considered the next installment of the game franchise. Still. Are the invaders video gamers, or is Chronos out there with his thumbs on the Xbox controller? Why reboot to that particular moment when he is in the chopper? I do really like this movie, and the last 30 seconds are awesome. But I was bmildly othered by the happy ending time frame of the conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/10 "2017-06-12T14:48:04Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > So, my son tells me he just finished reading the sequel to All You Need Is Kill. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/11 "2017-06-12T18:37:04Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] Apparently the book ends differently then the movie. [/quote] Oh, yes indeed! Haven’t we discussed this before? I _swear_ we had this exact same thread yesterday. Don’t you remember? [spoiler]After killing the “backup” mimics in the order they had planned, Keiji and Rita expect a victory. Instead, they find they are thrust back into the same time loop again. Rita correctly deduces that the mimics must be using one of the two of them to reset the day instead of one of their own. So, the next day, when they try this plan again, after killing the last mimic, Rita turns her axe on Keiji - although it’s not clear if she’s actually trying to kill him, or goading him into fighting back so he can kill her - which he ultimately does, breaking the loop. Keiji is court-martialed for killing Rita, but the military realize they now have their new hero to replace the Full Metal Bitch/Angel of Verdun. He paints his jacket sky blue to commemorate Rita’s fondness for the colour of the sky.[/spoiler]Oh, and before you ask - yes, the green tea is complimentary. > [@Omar\_Little](#): > > :dubious: That’s what I said. Sequel?!? I didn’t know Sakurazaka had written any more. Is it a spin-off manga based on the manga that adapts the original novel? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/12 "2017-06-13T07:46:20Z")
> [@psiekier](#): > > That’s what I said. Sequel?!? I didn’t know Sakurazaka had written any more. Is it a spin-off manga based on the manga that adapts the original novel? Hey, I’m just going by the conversation I had with The Boy. I read neither original nor the suspect sequel. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-of-tomorrow-ending/788456/13 "2017-06-13T17:35:03Z")
Previous threads on the movie: > **[Edge of Tomorrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=725496)** > > Has anyone else scene this yet? It’s bombing hard at the box office, which is a shame because it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen this year so far. I’m not usually a big fan of Groundhog Day loop stories, because they tend to get repetitive, but... > **["Edge of Tomorrow" was so freaking good!](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745412)** > > so… why didn’t the studio want to make any money off it? Seriously, if I showed you the DVD case and asked you to find the actual title on it in ten seconds or less you’d fail! It’s hidden way down at the bottom. WTF? I watched Snowpiercer...