# Manchurian Candidate **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066 "2013-10-23T23:05:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066/1 "2013-10-23T23:05:23Z")
I finally saw this movie, but I picked up the original which, I understand, is a little different than the remake. Regardless, I am not clear on what the Mother was thinking had her plan worked. Was she, ultimately, a puppet of the Communist brainwashers? I guess she thought she’d obtain power; yet, I doubt the brainwahsers would have allowed her to become anything. I assume they would have ultimately taken over? What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066/2 "2013-10-23T23:39:12Z")
If her plan had worked, she would have been First Lady to a President who did what she told him to do. It’s been while since I saw the movie, but I seem to recall the husband/step-father had no particular mind of his own, he was just good at giving speeches. That said, it’s not clear what her ultimate goal was, other than “gain power”. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066/3 "2013-10-24T00:03:42Z")
Yeah, I think “gain power” pretty much covers it. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066/4 "2013-10-24T00:27:54Z")
And Angela Lansbury played the spider woman to perfection. God, she was cold when her mask came off. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066/5 "2013-10-24T00:44:08Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > And Angela Lansbury played the spider woman to perfection. God, she was cold when her mask came off. Considering the per capita murder rate in Cabot Cove, this does not surprise me in the least. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066/6 "2013-10-24T01:04:31Z")
You know, I never considered her relationship to the brainwashers. She certainly didn’t seem like a pawn, or even a fellow traveler. IMH (and just now made up) O she struck a mutually beneficial arrangement. The evil ones were looking for ways to covertly influence the government and found her ready and willing. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manchurian-candidate/672066/7 "2013-10-24T01:33:24Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Considering the per capita murder rate in Cabot Cove, this does not surprise me in the least. Ka-ching!