# The line that should have been said, but wasn't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2013, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041 "2013-01-04T08:21:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/21 "2013-01-07T22:23:37Z")
Spock: “I never took the Kobiyashi Maru test. What do you think of my solution?” Kirk: “I think it sucks, Spock.” ---
**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:** [January 7, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/22 "2013-01-07T22:53:18Z")
> [@slitterst](#): > > The speech ends with “My name is Andrew Sheppard, and I AM the President.” > > Missing from that has always been “So FUCK YOU, Bob.” Listen closely; you can hear it resonate in the echoes. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/23 "2013-01-07T23:33:55Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > As ever, I marvel at the scene in LES MISERABLES where the fugitive with ‘24601’ on his chest strides into court and tears open his shirt like Superman to vindicate an innocent accused of being the fugitive with a ‘24601’ on his chest: _“That man bears no more guilt than you; who am I? TWO! FOUR! SIX! OH! ONE!”_ > > The line should’ve been: _“That man bears no more guilt than you; remove his shirt; does it say TWO-FOUR-SIX-OH-ONE on his chest? No? The defense rests.”_ I totally agreed with you for a long time, but I now believe (and this is not clearly communicated in the musical) that the intention is that all convicted criminals get a brand on their skin, but it’s just a generic brand leaving a scar, not an identifying number. So ValJean and the suspect had both been in prison, and both had brands on their chests, but the brands themselves didn’t distinguish between 24601 and other criminals. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/24 "2013-01-08T00:22:29Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Clearly, history prefers the phrasing, “Luke, I am your father.” Actually, when the lightsaber slashed through his arm, I was hoping Luke would say “Now _I_’m Hand Solo!” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/25 "2013-01-08T00:59:28Z")
Leia: I love you Han: I know. Leia: You think that corbormite is cold, you just wait and see what happens the next time you try to get something from me you son of a bitch! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/26 "2013-01-08T02:09:41Z")
Superman, as written: Co Pilot: [Superman supports Air Force One’s damaged wing] What the hell happened, we got our engine back? What the hell is going on out there? Air Force One Pilot: Fly. Just fly. We got… something. I ain’t saying what it is. Just… trust me. As it should have been: Co Pilot: [Superman supports Air Force One’s damaged wing] What the hell happened, we got our engine back? What the hell is going on out there? Air Force One Pilot: Fly. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/27 "2013-01-08T03:31:09Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Superman, as written: > > Co Pilot: [Superman supports Air Force One’s damaged wing] What the hell happened, we got our engine back? What the hell is going on out there? > Air Force One Pilot: Fly. Just fly. We got… something. I ain’t saying what it is. Just… trust me. > > As it should have been: > > Co Pilot: [Superman supports Air Force One’s damaged wing] What the hell happened, we got our engine back? What the hell is going on out there? > Air Force One Pilot: Fly. You don’t like the way the guy acted the line as written? It’s always struck me as OK. It’s not a super memorable moment, but it seemed fine as written(or…your version is no better, anyway). Did I miss something? ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/28 "2013-01-08T04:02:55Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I totally agreed with you for a long time, but I now believe (and this is not clearly communicated in the musical) that the intention is that all convicted criminals get a brand on their skin, but it’s just a generic brand leaving a scar, not an identifying number. So ValJean and the suspect had both been in prison, and both had brands on their chests, but the brands themselves didn’t distinguish between 24601 and other criminals. I believe it would have been a V for _voleur_ (thief), historically. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/29 "2013-01-08T04:09:15Z")
During the attack on the first Death Star, Wedge’s reaction is “Look at the size of that thing!” You just know someone was DYING to say, “Yeah, that’s what SHE said!” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/30 "2013-01-08T04:21:19Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > You don’t like the way the guy acted the line as written? It’s always struck me as OK. It’s not a super memorable moment, but it seemed fine as written(or…your version is no better, anyway). Did I miss something? I just felt it was unnecessary, and not what somebody would say in that situation. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/31 "2013-01-08T05:32:59Z")
At the very end of the Michael Douglas thriller _The Game_, as he and the girl get in the car and drive away, the camera should have pulled back and revealed two or three leather-clad people on cool motorcycles. One touches his helmet and says into the built-in radio, “Begin Phase 2.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/32 "2013-01-08T05:44:33Z")
_Planet of the Apes:_ GEORGE TAYLOR: You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell! NOVA: Well, really, George! You might have worked **that** out when you noticed that there are at least three species of sapient anthropoids on this planet, and they all speak English! ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041/33 "2013-01-08T06:14:27Z")
In _ **LA Confidential** _, after Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) has described an investigation to his chief (James Cromwell) that will expose his corruption, I expected Cromwell to cut him off with “That’ll do, pig” before murdering him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-line-that-should-have-been-said-but-wasnt/646041.md?page=1)