Fictional Science: 100 Glaring Logical Issues With Prometheus

With Ridley Scott's Prometheus arriving on Blu-Ray, we look at 100 glaring logical issues that consume the film in a swirling sea of plot holes.

Part 7 – The Plot Falls Apart (1:20:00 – 1:34:30) 

Recommended Videos

63. Why is the medical pod “calibrated for male patients only?” Does this super-futuristic technology not have enough memory for programs on two different sets of anatomy? Moreover, why would Vickers have the medical pod calibrated for men if it’s part of her escape contingency? Is it possible that she herself is actually a man? Makes as much sense as anything else in this movie.

64. How can this sophisticated machine work so sloppily? When performing this massive, invasive procedure, it just sprays on a little local anesthetic, cuts Shaw open, rips the fetus out, and staples her shut. There would be severe risks to doing things that way.

65. How would Shaw survive that procedure? Or at least not pass out? She’s cut open without any deadening agents around the incision area, gets the alien baby pulled out violently, which would assumedly tear apart her surrounding internal organs, and then, to cap it all off, the baby’s amniotic sac bursts, spraying goo everywhere, including into her incision, which is then stapled shut and would presumably infect her further. Alien material killed her husband like two hours ago, and now she’s filled with it as well. Seriously, how could she survive?

66. How could Shaw move around freely after surgery? Wouldn’t running around with a freshly stapled cut open the wound, or cause internal bleeding? No way she could walk, let alone run. Not even close.

67. Why does the medical pod’s decontamination not kill the alien baby?

68. Why is zombie-Geologist magically able to contort his body into impossible positions and attain superhuman strength? The parasite could maybe control his actions, but not his actual physical limits and abilities.

69. How is Shaw not completely stoned from taking massive amounts of painkiller shots?

70. Why does absolutely no one react when Shaw walks in on Weyland and company, naked and covered in blood and goo?

71. Why, in turn, does no one ever seem surprised about Weyland being on board?

72. Why, for that matter, did Weyland bother deceiving them? What did tricking the crew into thinking him dead achieve? When he comes back, we never find out anything about this, and it never comes into play. He doesn’t mind for a second when Shaw finds out, for instance.

73. “If these things made us, then surely they can save us.” Why does Weyland think this? Even in traditional human theology, all versions of God let their creations die, at least in body. Gods do not save their creations from illness or harm. So what would make Weyland think this?

74. Why does Shaw not tell a single person about the alien fetus monster she just ripped out of her own stomach?

75. How could Shaw get into a super-tight space suit, zip it up as quickly and forcefully as possible, and not rip open her wound? Especially when she proceeds to run around like that for the rest of the film.

76. Why does the Captain suddenly know everything about the Engineers’ plans out of nowhere? He just barges in to talk to Shaw, says “don’t you know what this place is?” and proceeds to explain that it’s a military instillation, the pods were weapons, and the Engineers were killed by it. He has absolutely no reason to know or suspect any of this.

77. “You must care about something Captain.” Why, at this sudden point, is Shaw getting all moralistic and idealistic on the Captain? She just lost her husband, had an alien baby ripped out of her, and is running around covered in blood. What does she have left to stay up on her high horse about?

78. Why does Shaw not tell the Captain about the alien monstrosity in the medical pod, when it is now his explicit mission to protect the ship and not bring “any of this shit” back to Earth?

79. Vickers’ motivation for travelling with Prometheus makes no sense. She says she came along to be there when Weyland dies, so she would get control of the company, but if she had stayed on Earth, she would have four whole years, if not more, to gain control.

Continue reading on the next page…


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article ‘My day is ruined’: This furry surprise is every foodie’s grossest nightmare come to life
Screenshots of a post from TikTok user @funkyfrogbait
Read Article Oliver Stone’s 10 Best Films
platoon-1986
Read Article 5 Marvel characters Emma Corrin could be playing in ‘Deadpool 3’
Read Article ‘The Rings of Power’ EP promises a darker, grittier, and scarier second season
the lord of the rings sauron
Read Article What is the new student debt relief plan? How to sign up for student loan forgiveness, explained
Protest for student debt relief
Related Content
Read Article ‘My day is ruined’: This furry surprise is every foodie’s grossest nightmare come to life
Screenshots of a post from TikTok user @funkyfrogbait
Read Article Oliver Stone’s 10 Best Films
platoon-1986
Read Article 5 Marvel characters Emma Corrin could be playing in ‘Deadpool 3’
Read Article ‘The Rings of Power’ EP promises a darker, grittier, and scarier second season
the lord of the rings sauron
Read Article What is the new student debt relief plan? How to sign up for student loan forgiveness, explained
Protest for student debt relief
Author
Jonathan R. Lack
With ten years of experience writing about movies and television, including an ongoing weekly column in The Denver Post's YourHub section, Jonathan R. Lack is a passionate voice in the field of film criticism. Writing is his favorite hobby, closely followed by watching movies and TV (which makes this his ideal gig), and is working on his first film-focused book.