The stakes were never higher for James Bond than in No Time to Die and likely never will be again. The movie brought Bond to a climactic confrontation with SPECTRE and opened up a conflict with Lyutsifer Safin that ultimately led to the conclusion of Daniel Craig’s time as the character.
The return of the characters like Felix Leiter and new arrivals such as Paloma brought several shocking developments of their own. All in all, No Time to Die would have left viewers with their jaws open at several points, ranging from the onscreen action involved to the developments in the story.
Paloma's Fighting Prowess
Paloma was introduced as something of a comic relief who seemed to be way in over her head. By her own admission, she only had three weeks’ worth of training, which set her up as an underdog. However, the moment things escalated, Paloma was on fire as she dispatched all the enemies.
There didn’t seem anything from her bubbly personality to suggest that she had the potential to be a full-on assassin and Paloma steamrolled through the opposition. It was equally surprising the way she instantly reverted to her happier nature after the mission was done, by which point Bond and viewers knew she was not one to be trifled with.
Logan Ash's Betrayal
Much like Paloma, Logan’s real identity is one of the biggest surprises in No Time to Die for different reasons. Having played the sidekick to Felix, Logan suddenly turned on the heroes by killing Felix and being revealed as Safin’s double agent.
It was mainly shocking to see someone who had zero set up as a threat to inflict such a heavy loss to Bond, as Logan managed to eliminate the hero’s greatest ally. He didn’t have much backstory either, which would have made viewers think Logan didn’t have enough characterization to take on the role of a deceptive villain.
Bond's Inaction During The Bombardment Of Fire By SPECTRE Assassins
Bond was shattered after he was led to believe that Madeleine had betrayed him to SPECTRE, who blew up Vesper Lynd’s gravesite to ambush him. He begrudgingly took Madeleine with him during the escape but suddenly seemed to give up altogether.
The assassins threw intense fire at the vehicle, which was bulletproof but its fortifications were weakened by the second. At that moment, it appeared as if Bond may have just decided to let himself and Madeleine die, as he was unmoving despite the fact that he was being shot at from every direction.
The SPECTRE Ambush At Vesper's Gravesite
Bond’s introduction in the movie was far more sedate than usual, as he was shown enjoying his retirement with Madeleine. The focus was on his attempt to move on from Vesper, which carried into the scene where he visited her gravesite.
It was a genuine moment where Bond was about to find closure when an explosion destroyed Vesper’s tomb. This came out of nowhere, especially considering the weight of the scene’s tone beforehand. Fans wouldn’t have thought that Vesper’s resting place would be last seen in shambles and that the final time Bond remembered her would result in calamity.
Obruchev's Reprogramming Of The Nanobots To Kill SPECTRE
There are some scenes that made a good case for No Time to Die to be considered as the darkest James Bond movie yet, and watching dozens of people poisoned at the same time is definitely bone-chilling. Moreover, SPECTRE members had cornered Bond at the night club and all signs pointed toward something big.
As it happened, Obruchev reprogrammed the nanobots to eliminate all the SPECTRE members instead, foiling Bloefeld’s plans. After Craig’s Bond spent the entire series fighting the organization, it was shocking to see every member die out in such a casual fashion.
The Reveal Of Bond's Daughter
James Bond has been married before in the original series but the matter of him becoming a father hasn’t been broached before. It was placed as a shocking moment for viewers as his daughter showed up just when Bond had reconciled with Madeleine.
It proved to be a real shift in tone for the series as Bond was never positioned in such a role before. His daughter Mathilde’s arrival left no question that the climactic part of the series had arrived as it was clear that a make-or-break situation was upon Bond and he was now fighting for more than himself.
Bond's Injection Of The Nanobots
While there’s no doubt that many fans will argue that it makes no sense for Daniel Craig’s Bond to be so easily ambushed by Safin in the end, the fact remains that the latter injected Bond with the nanobot that made it impossible for him to be near Madeleine or Mathilde.
It was a cruel twist of fate that fans wouldn’t have thought was coming since the movie’s conclusion was near and the James Bond series always had the protagonist win. It was not to be here, as Bond being injected meant there was no happy ending waiting for him.
The Death Of James Bond
This is an issue that James Bond fans will have questions about until the successor is announced. After all, Bond has never come close to being killed off before and his death brings the franchise into unprecedented territory. The movie also sprang this upon viewers right at the end, as Bond seemed to be winning mere seconds earlier.
Bond could have escaped the island and started over, but he made the decision to go down because he couldn’t live without being able to meet Madeleine and Mathilde again. No matter how many justifications the movie could have provided, fans will need a long time to come to terms with the demise of the series’ protagonist.