Idea for a Bond anti-reboot

[james_davis_nicoll]

The next Bond, whichever actor is cast, has to dig through old case files and is astonished to discover that while the facts are as he remembers, his own appearance keeps changing. Then it strikes him how odd it is his memories as a double-0 go back to the 1960s. As far as he remembers, he's been somewhere between 30 and 50 for seven decades.

Then he comes across a file labelled JOE-90.

Way back in the 1960s, it turned out the ability to accept input from the Brain Impulse Galvanoscope Record And Transfer wasn't unique to one boy, just incredibly rare.

New MI5 hires are tested to see if they have the same knack Joe McLaine did. The lucky few get imprinted with Bond memories and skills, then sent into the field. Survivors memories are added to the Bond data bank.

Survivorship bias _is_ an issue.

Comments

[arpad]

I like it.

[philrm]

I would absolutely watch this movie.

[profiterole_reads]

I like this.

[james_davis_nicoll]

One possible issue that Bond forgets his failures but Spectre doesn't. "Oh, another Bond. You'll want to distract him with a volcano lair. He can never resist those."

[kgbooklog]

Someone remind me how many Bonds appeared in Casino Royale (the original one with Woody Allen and 6.5 directors)

[(Anonymous)]

Referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino_Royale_(1967_film)

Sir James Bond, David Niven, is the original, well known to be celibate (mostly celibate, it turns out).

I don't remember if the next character appears, but "the sex maniac who was given the name James Bond when he (Sir James) retired has gone to work in television." I don't want to support an allegation, but this one could be about actor George Lazenby.

Sir James "orders that all remaining MI6 agents be named James Bond 007" to confuse SMERSH. Six are identified in the cast. Four are women.

And Woody Allen plays Jimmy Bond, Sir James's nephew.

"Mata Hari" is a significant figure and had an affair with Sir James - and a daughter, who is Mata Bond, one of the James Bond 007s. But it does not appear that Mata Hari is present or is named Bond?

[(Anonymous)]

Unlikely to be about George Lazenby, since "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" didn't come out until 1969.

[movingfinger]

This would work really really well.

[ba_munronoe]

Well, today I learned something new about British television.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_90

If we're accepting the entire Bond timeline as canon, he has to have a very high survival rate or some archvillain would have destroyed the world, fundamentally changed the international balance of power, or at least greatly worsened the US drug problem by now.

[kgbooklog]

Did kids of that generation think "most special" is a complement? American kids a decade later certainly didn't.

[kedamono]

Which would lead to a slightly different scene...

James Bond: Do you expect me to talk?
Auric Goldfinger: No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die... Again!

[kedamono]

It does the beg the question: How closely do the new Bonds have to match the Ur-Bond physically? If the Ur-Bond was 6'2" and a strapping lad, then some of the more recent Bonds might find using his martial arts a bit daunting, as they don't have the reach or muscle to pull some of them off. Daniel Craig is a good 4" shorter that Sean Connery, and probably about 30 pounds lighter...

[bunsen_h]

We only get to see the missions which Bond survives. In the others, he regenerates.

[(Anonymous)]

I suddenly want to watch a Doctor Who / Dr. No crossover.

[kedamono]

It would be up there with Batman as a Timelord...

https://mediachomp.com/batman-is-a-time-lord-comic/

[bunsen_h]

That's lovely. I've seen some of that artist's work before, but I'll have to look up more of it.

[azurelunatic]

There's a Tumblr thing that says, approximately: "The existence of The Doctor and The Master implies the existence of a slightly lesser form: The Bachelor." To which someone has appended a gallery of various Bonds over the years.

[bunsen_h]

I have long awaited the coming of The Doctor's true nemesis, the Post-Doc.

[leecetheartist]

You win the internet today.

[movingfinger]

Accompanied by his sidekick, the TA.

[jessie_c]

M, holding their head in obvious pain: "Q, we're going to be needing another Bond again."
Q: What? That's the third one this week! Perhaps we need to rethink our strategy."

[bunsen_h]

Along with Kenny and Timmy.

[(Anonymous)]

But the agent has to wear the spectacles. It's not James Bond, it's Harry Palmer.

I suppose you could edit and dub "Billion Dollar Brain" into being this.

Robert Carnegie