The unseen missions - ever wonder?

First of all I searched if this topic already existed; found nothing.

Does anyone ever wonder about Bond's missions we haven't seen?

For example, he was certainly off on other assignments between the GE PTS, and the actual start of the film 9 years later.

After a mission, Bond would either rest for a couple of days, or get back to work the next day. He wouldn't want to idly stay at home, and neither would M.
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Comments

  • zaphod99zaphod99 Posts: 1,415MI6 Agent
    First of all I searched if this topic already existed; found nothing.

    Does anyone ever wonder about Bond's missions we haven't seen?

    For example, he was certainly off on other assignments between the GE PTS, and the actual start of the film 9 years later.

    After a mission, Bond would either rest for a couple of days, or get back to work the next day. He wouldn't want to idly stay at home, and neither would M.

    Fleming tells us that in between missions Bond is bored and restless. Filling his day and with reading and commenting on mundane intelligence reports. He 'sharpens the saw' by being "thrown around by that damned Commando chap" and the firing range. It's then that he tends to drink too much and sink into maudlin depression. I love the idea of missions we don't see and treasure the occasional references to them and would love 25 to give us a snippet in the PTS.
    Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    ^ that's just like the first episode of Seinfeld! except Bond already knows what is the purpose of the top button of a shirt, because Vesper taught him how to dress.


    Bond's missions between missions might make for a good 6 episode miniseries.
    Smaller scale stuff, more dialog, less running around.
    Sorta like the 1954 Casino Royale, or the proposed tv series that got turned into FYEO.

    It would only work if Craig did it. The tone would be so different, audiences would not connect the two versions if it were anybody else. Just tell him, CraigDude, if you want to take four years off between movies, then you will have to do a six-episode miniseries halfway in between.


    I bet you MooreBond did spend all that time between missions doing his reading, like a good boy. How else does he fill braincells with trivia about rare plants on the Tiperare? If he was in my class at high school everybody would have hated him. CraigBond on the other hand does not read. We saw how he productively uses his leisure time at the beginning of Skyfall.
  • ChriscoopChriscoop Belize Posts: 10,449MI6 Agent
    I have often wondered about the inbetween missions, like the one handed to Bond at the end of Skyfall or the mission he was on when he was "killed" in yolt.
    It was either that.....or the priesthood
  • Dirty PunkerDirty Punker ...Your Eyes Only, darling."Posts: 2,587MI6 Agent
    If that were true back in the 60s Bond could've gone to Tokyo on '62-'63 and expanded on his interesting experience with M.
    a reasonable rate of return
  • Bond fan from OzBond fan from Oz Posts: 88MI6 Agent
    edited March 2018
    Roll gunbarrel sequence.

    The circle opens up to:

    Bond is in the Central Perk Cafe in New York. He's ordered a coffee, which Gunther serves him. Also present are Sandy Frinck, Tyler Endicott, Tommy and Sharon Rowland, and Jackie Childs.

    Seated nearby at a table, having lunch, are an attractive young couple, whose names are Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt Bukater. They are talking about this upcoming cruise they are about to take soon, on a luxury liner headed for Southampton.

    Seated at another table are another couple named Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. They are talking about starting a family, since they went straight.

    Gunther has made some new Friends.

    Suddenly, in burst C.W. Moss' grandson, Thomas Gabriel's illegitimate daughter, Poppy Adams' twin sister, Penny, and Debbie Ocean. They all pull out guns and are determined to rob the place. Debbie yells at the top of her voice,
    "DON'T ANYBODY MOVE, IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES!!!"

    HOWEVER

    In burst Frank Regan, Luke Hobbs, J.T. Lancer, Marge Gunderson, Judy Hicks and Jack Travern. It turns out they had them under surveillance for some time, and were waiting for them to make their move. Bond JUST HAPPENS TO BE their inside contact.

    The authorities enter and arrest the would-be perpetrators. Bond walks up to his fellow law enforcers. Frank says, "Good work, James."

    They are about to be led away, when Debbie says, without skipping a beat,

    "What if we could give you Cipher??"

    The law enforcement officials are VERY INTERESTED indeed.

    ROLL OPENING CREDITS
  • JTMJTM Posts: 3,027MI6 Agent
    Confused would be an understatement :s
  • Bond fan from OzBond fan from Oz Posts: 88MI6 Agent
    If you're confused, you have the Internet. Use it.
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    now, now, Oz, I did Google all the names in your first line, and all I came up with was Cosmo Kramer's lawyer.
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    ah, now I get it. very clever.
    You know it would be cool if Pumpkin and HoneyBunny were in the background of more diner sequences in more films.
  • Dirty PunkerDirty Punker ...Your Eyes Only, darling."Posts: 2,587MI6 Agent
    Gymkata wrote:
    Pumpkin and Honey Bunny = PULP FICTION
    Tyler Endicott = POINT BREAK
    Jack Dawson and Rose = TITANIC
    Marge Gunderson = FARGO
    Luke Hobbs = FAST 5 - FATE OF THE FURIOUS
    Jack Travern = SPEED
    Cipher = THE MATRIX

    Those are the only ones that I recognize. Surprised Johnny Utah, Bodhi, and Frank Drebin aren't in there.
    Recognised the same list right off the bat.
    Caractacus, I know you know movies but do you know movies? :D
    a reasonable rate of return
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    well I should have got Fargo, especially since Frances McDormand just gave that Oscar speech, I've seen her photo a lot these last couple of days.
    Titanic I do know, but against my will, same with The Matrix actually. Did not retain their characters' names over the long run.
    I'm quite sure I have no idea what The Fate of the Furious is
  • Dirty PunkerDirty Punker ...Your Eyes Only, darling."Posts: 2,587MI6 Agent
    I'm quite sure I have no idea what The Fate of the Furious is
    Trust me, you don't want to.
    Everything after Tokyo Drift sucks.
    a reasonable rate of return
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I love the F&F movies. Sheer over the top escapism
    filled with fun and laughs. -{ they don't make a lot
    Of sense, but they are crazy :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • walther p99walther p99 NJPosts: 3,416MI6 Agent
    Getting back on topic I do think the unseen missions offer a lot for the imagination to ponder. Particularly in the years between Quantum and Skyfall where Bond went from the new naïve 00 agent to the grizzled "old dog" between films. I like to think that's where all of Craig Bond's standalone missions happened since in Spectre nothing is brought up of his life or missions between Quantum and Skyfall. So to me those are where all of his Spectre free missions took place.
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    My biggest disappointment is the Craig era. The films were so sporadically released, they squandered the first truly magnetic actor to take the role since the 1960s and ended up with what is essentially one story stretched over four movies.
  • OrnithologistOrnithologist BerlinPosts: 583MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    ended up with what is essentially one story stretched over four movies.

    Yeah, but except it isn't even. A well planned-out epic story of how Bond tracks down and defeats Quantum (or if they want, call it Spectre) over several movies, and develops his character, gets over Vesper, etc etc., COULD have been great. But instead we got something completely different (Skyfall) forced within what turned out to be a retroactive trilogy, and the Austin Powers half-brother bullshit in Spectre, which retroactively takes away the whole "more serious" approach set up before it.

    Edit: And yet I still love the Craig era. But in my view they threw away so much potential...
    "I'm afraid I'm a complicated woman. "
    "- That is something to be afraid of."
  • Dirty PunkerDirty Punker ...Your Eyes Only, darling."Posts: 2,587MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    they squandered the first truly magnetic actor to take the role since the 1960s and ended up with what is essentially one story stretched over four movies
    they threw away so much potential...
    I'm afraid they're some complicated producers.
    a reasonable rate of return
  • OrnithologistOrnithologist BerlinPosts: 583MI6 Agent
    I feel tempted to quote my own signature :))
    "I'm afraid I'm a complicated woman. "
    "- That is something to be afraid of."
  • zaphod99zaphod99 Posts: 1,415MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    ended up with what is essentially one story stretched over four movies.

    Yeah, but except it isn't even. A well planned-out epic story of how Bond tracks down and defeats Quantum (or if they want, call it Spectre) over several movies, and develops his character, gets over Vesper, etc etc., COULD have been great. But instead we got something completely different (Skyfall) forced within what turned out to be a retroactive trilogy, and the Austin Powers half-brother bullshit in Spectre, which retroactively takes away the whole "more serious" approach set up before it.

    Edit: And yet I still love the Craig era. But in my view they threw away so much potential...

    I think you are right in as much as It would/could have been good instead of a clumsy half arsed Retcon. I choose to ignore it and not let it tarnish the preceeding 3.
    Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
  • mpoplawskimpoplawski New Jersey, USAPosts: 128MI6 Agent
    As per the books it seems Bond spends most of his time in boring office routine. Comes to the office after 9:00 and then reviews documents for professional knowledge. Signs off and into the outbox. Eats lunch in the canteen or goes out with Tanner. He also has scheduled activities like medical checkups, marksmanship, perhaps some sort of martial arts. He may also test some new equipment or prepare equipment for his mission like zeroing a rifle and getting familiar with it. He has also spent time developing a fieldcraft manual for the 00 section. Maybe a meeting with M. Then end of day, off to change for the evening in preparation for a night of dinner and gambling. Two or three times a year he is sent on a mission...and wonders how many of these he will complete before he is killed. Will he make it to retirement age of 45 for field agents?
    Bond: "But who would want to kill me, sir?"
    M: "Jealous husbands, outraged chefs, humiliated tailors . . . the list is endless."
  • BodieBodie Posts: 211MI6 Agent
    We have had mention of various unseen missions:

    DN - Bond's Baretta jammed during his last mission so the change to the Walther. In the novels the Baretta jams in FRWL and Bond gets the Walther PPK at the start of DN but as the books are filmed out of sequence we can only guess at the previous mission.

    LALD - the Rome assignment where he acquired Miss Caruso

    TSWLM - what was he doing in Berngarten

    MR - returning from Lagos were presumably he was on a mission

    GE - as already pointed out must have had a few missions in the 9 years before encountering 006 again

    TND - his time in Zurich when he met Paris

    CR/QOS to SF - when he went from rookie 00 to hard bitten almost burned out veteran
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I think he was buying a lighter in Berngarten ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • RemingtonRemington CAPosts: 239MI6 Agent
    I like to think GE, Bloodstone, and 007 Legends occurred between QOS and SF. It would fill out the era nicely.
    -{
    1. Connery 2. Moore 3. Dalton 4. Brosnan 5. Craig 6. Lazenby
  • UnderwaterBattle007UnderwaterBattle007 Posts: 284MI6 Agent
    Bodie wrote:
    We have had mention of various unseen missions:

    DN - Bond's Baretta jammed during his last mission so the change to the Walther. In the novels the Baretta jams in FRWL and Bond gets the Walther PPK at the start of DN but as the books are filmed out of sequence we can only guess at the previous mission.

    LALD - the Rome assignment where he acquired Miss Caruso

    TSWLM - what was he doing in Berngarten

    MR - returning from Lagos were presumably he was on a mission

    GE - as already pointed out must have had a few missions in the 9 years before encountering 006 again

    TND - his time in Zurich when he met Paris

    CR/QOS to SF - when he went from rookie 00 to hard bitten almost burned out veteran

    Also in Dr No (film) in M's office we find out he's been a 00 for 10 years.
    FRWl, CR, OHMSS, TSWLM, SF, GF, TLD, LTK, TND, FYEO, OP,TWINE, GE, LALD, TB, SPECTRE, DN, YOLT, TMWTGG, QOS, MR, DAF, DAD, AVTAK, NTTD.

    "Do you expect me to talk? "No Mister Bond I expect you to die"
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    yeh what was up during those ten years?
    presumably there was an unseen ConneryBond version of the Casino Royale caper, that'd account for a few days, but ten years is a long long time.
    especially since he was averaging one epic adventure per year in those days, too.
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    unless maybe ten years previous he literally was NelsonBond, and MI6 spent the rest of the decade training him to shpeak like thish.
  • UnderwaterBattle007UnderwaterBattle007 Posts: 284MI6 Agent
    I get the impression he's a fully blown 00. M threatens him with a return to "standard intelligence duties" if he doesn't except the new gun instead of the Beretta. Also M states it jammed on his last mission and he spent 6 months in hospital as a consequence.
    FRWl, CR, OHMSS, TSWLM, SF, GF, TLD, LTK, TND, FYEO, OP,TWINE, GE, LALD, TB, SPECTRE, DN, YOLT, TMWTGG, QOS, MR, DAF, DAD, AVTAK, NTTD.

    "Do you expect me to talk? "No Mister Bond I expect you to die"
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    I'm joking about the Barry Nelson reference. You're absolutely right, according to the dialog in the very first movie there should be at least ten previously unseen, full blown epic adventures in his past (assuming an average of one per year).

    I gotta dig out my copy of Pearson's 007 Biography. He does describe several missions preceding Casino Royale, written as 10pg mini-adventures. The two kills that earned Bond 00 status were during WWII, so even in the books' timeline there's at least seven years worth of missions preceding the first Fleming volume.
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,596MI6 Agent
    I'm joking about the Barry Nelson reference. You're absolutely right, according to the dialog in the very first movie there should be at least ten previously unseen, full blown epic adventures in his past (assuming an average of one per year).

    I gotta dig out my copy of Pearson's 007 Biography. He does describe several missions preceding Casino Royale, written as 10pg mini-adventures. The two kills that earned Bond 00 status were during WWII, so even in the books' timeline there's at least seven years worth of missions preceding the first Fleming volume.

    That's something that people missed about the Casino Royale novel when the 2006 film came out. They thought that because the film showed Bond on his first mission that the novel also showed Bond on his first mission. And EON used it being the first novel as an excuse to make the film into an origin story. It really messed up the film for me. I think that one of those earlier unseen missions would have been a better origin story.
    Visit my blog, Bond Suits
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,907MI6 Agent
    you know that dam incident at the beginning of Goldeneye would be a previously unseen mission that occurred between A View to a Kill and The Living Daylights. So they have showed us one. They should do more flashback sequences like that
    (...as long as they don't involve previously unmentioned foster brothers).
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