Episode 5 Discussion [rewatch]

[JHyde]

But it was a warning shot anyway. I had great trouble working out the shot thing when I was writing the diary entry; the continuity is a little off.

[lwhite53]

Yeah, that's something I never really resolved for myself. Was Tom aiming at Mark when he took the shot? Or was it a warning shot? I'm not sure we're really meant to know.

[Tea Lady]

I dont know but isnt it a bit stupid to be shooting a gun at someone who is standing in front of a pod, which you dont want to be opened because the VX may get in ! What if the bullet smashed the glass in the pod? I think Tom should have been marked down for that.

[YourFutureMuse]

Ah it was hilarious though when he was like 'will that get me good marks or bad?' hahah

[lwhite53]

Good catch! Yes, it would have been foolish to breach the pod with a bullet hole, Tea Lady.

[YourFutureMuse]

Maybe the pods are bullet proof?

[lwhite53]

I'm not sure there's any glass or plastic that's actually "bullet proof." It's most likely bullet resistent, but Tom was close enough for it to have cracked had the bullet hit directly. Artistic license, I think.

[YourFutureMuse]

ah bullet resistant makes more sense tbh I only said that because I had that song in my head But like the really thick stuff they have at banks and suchlike, when a bullet hits them don't they just have those little cracks on the surface.
Anyway, long live artistic license

[Silktie]

Merely the fact that they actually replaced the ammunition with blanks seems to indicate that they had every intention to push the officers to breaking point with this exercise. I don't think it was a warning shot, I think Tom really went for it. I base this on Tea Lady's astute observation that they wouldn't want a hole in the pods, and Tom knows this. He knew at that point blank range he couldn't miss his target.

[HellsBells]

At that close range a blank bullet would surely have hurt the guy. I don't think he would still be standing.