Despite some answers being given to fans with the 2011 prequel, The Thing still contains many scenes and elements designed to make the viewer think. Many scenes and aspects of both John Carpenter's film and the prequel are meant to be ambiguous which helps in keeping the mystery of the alien so iconic.

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With generations of fans analyzing the two films from top to bottom, it led to years of theories, discussions, and of course, questions. Many questions are left unanswered by the filmmakers that while that is probably for the better, it's still fun for fans to ponder.

Why Did The Thing Attack The Dogs?

The Thing mutating into a dog monster in John Carpenter's The Thing

The truth is that the movie wouldn't be as interesting if the titular monster wasn't shown as much as it is, with The Thing showcasing some of the most gruesome practical effects in horror. However, for the sake of entertainment, it creates a slight hole in how the Thing operates. When the Thing-Dog is put into the kennel, it seemed to blend in just fine with no signs of being exposed.

For whatever reason, the Thing decides to transform and attack all of the dogs which causes enough noise to bring the crew's attention. In turn, this is what leads to the Thing being burned alive by Childs. If the idea is to blend in and assimilate, why did the Thing expose itself rather than wait?

Who Framed MacReady?

MacReady talking to the crew in John Carpenter's The Thing

MacReady was a level-headed leader who kept everyone in check, hence why he is one of the best characters in The Thing. So the Thing was smart to frame him as an imposter, leading to disarray in the crew. The question is, which imposter framed MacReady? The remaining crew seems to be all assembled when the lights turn back on but someone got to Fuchs outside, leading to him killing himself.

Was this the same imposter that framed MacReady by planting his shredded longjohns? Since Palmer and Norris were with MacReady, the only other potential Thing imposter was Blair. Blair's assimilation is left as a mystery as to when it happened but in the end, this remains one of the most ambiguous parts of The Thing.

What Was That Hologram In The Alien Ship?

Kate Lloyd observing a geometric hologram in the alien spacecraft in The Thing 2011

It is somewhat infamous that originally, The Thing prequel was going to reveal the pilot of the alien starship. This would have confirmed the theory that the Thing was cargo or a prisoner of another race but broke out thus leading to the ship crashing on Earth. Unfortunately, the final product digitally removed the pilot from the scene, and instead, Kate discovers a geometric hologram in its place.

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From an in-story perspective, this strange column is focused on but given no explanation. Is it a power source for the ship? An operating system for the ship's computer? From its design, someone could wonder if it's an extraterrestrial version of Tetris.

Whose Room Did The Dog Go Into?

Dog-Thing entering someone's bedroom with a shadow on the wall in John Carpenter's The Thing

In another case of intentional ambiguity, The Thing shows a dog enter someone's room and the shadow of someone is visible. It's never explicitly explained whose room it is but can it be deduced who is the unlucky victim? The shadow presents a man with bushy curly hair and a turtleneck shirt.

This suggests that it could be Norris since he does turn out to be an imposter later. At the same time, Palmer featured similar hair. However, it has been revealed that neither actor was used for the scene. Instead, Dick Warlock - who is one of many actors to play Michael Myers - was used as a body double to make it less obvious.

What Happened To Nauls?

Naul tied down during the blood test in John Carpenter's The Thing

John Carpenter's The Thing is typically not afraid to show what happens to the characters in some way. Nauls is the only character whose fate is never shown, even though it's implied that he was taken and killed by the Thing.

In the actual film, all that is shown is Nauls spotting the Blair-Thing assimilating Garry leading to Nauls walking off-screen. He never responds to MacReady and never reappears, so he could be dead but someone could argue that he simply bailed after seeing Garry die so gruesomely.

Is Kate Still Alive?

Kate Lloyd watching Carter-Thing burn in the snowcat in The Thing 2011

The prequel excels at showing how every person died at the Norwegian camp accordingly to create the mess that MacReady and Copper find in the original. It does its job as a prequel except for one question it raises by having Kate Lloyd, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, survive the encounter.

There was mention of a Russian base and another base known as McMurdo Station in both films. Does Kate retreat to those bases using the snowcat or does she freeze to death? Does she discover Outpost 31 after MacReady burns it to the ground? It's another open-ended ending similar to the John Carpenter film that leaves the viewer questioning things.

When Did The Thing Get To Blair?

Blair speaking with Clark in the kennel in John Carpenter's The Thing

In a bit of a twist, it turns out Blair was assimilated by the Thing and becomes the main antagonist of the climax. However, it's unclear as to how long he's been an imposter. The makeshift spacecraft built underneath the shack suggests it's been for some time but it could be a case where the Thing could build that ship quickly.

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Was Blair assimilated while he was in the shed? That is a possibility but there is no forced entry to the shack. There is the possibility that Blair was one of the first to be assimilated, acting crazy enough to be locked up as a contingency for the Thing to keep at least one imposter alive.

Childs Or MacReady?

MacReady speaking with Childs as the camp burns in The Thing

One of many reasons why The Thing holds up today is its cold, ambiguous ending in which MacReady and Childs share a drink as the camp burns to the ground. It's off-putting and makes for one of the scariest scenes in The Thing despite it being the end. This ending has sparked many discussions amongst fans.

Was MacReady a Thing, since it's never shown what happens after the explosion? Childs disappeared into the camp during the climax so he could be a Thing. They share drinks from the same bottle so that could be contaminated. Were they both human? Do they just die in the cold or does a rescue team miraculously arrive? None of these questions are answered which makes the ending so iconic.

Do Imposters Know They Are Imposters?

Palmer mutating into a Thing in The Thing 1982

It is shown that the Thing imitates whatever they assimilate perfectly, even down to their mannerisms and hairstyles. With Norris, it shows that the Thing even gets their flaws such as Norris' weak heart, and even suffers a heart attack. Did the Thing know this or is there something more to it? The Thing didn't expose itself until Copper shocked it with a defibrillator unit.

Perhaps, when they imitate a person, the Thing becomes that person, even mentally even forgetting what it is until the risk of exposure. Otherwise, why would the Thing wait to be attacked to be exposed? For example, if Palmer-Thing knew the blood would expose itself, why didn't Palmer-Thing just attack MacReady? Instead, Palmer doesn't even act like a monster until the hot wire burns the blood.

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