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The "Mac is thr Thing" theory just makes no sense in the end.... sorry. I just don't buy it.

I thought It weird at the end when Macready said... "Lets just wait here and see what happens" Well what's gonna happen is him and Childs are gonna freeze, just like the The Thing wants to freeze... Always struck me as strange...

Right after the scene in the film where Mac makes the audiolog in his shack alone is when Mac gets assimilated. He hasn't slept in 2 days. He's drinking. He lives alone. He is his most vulnerable at this point of the film, and anyone could have gotte to him when exhausted and in an alcoholic induced slumber. We do not know how much time passes, but the next scene we see is Mac standing eerily behind Fuchs in the doorway. Fuchs relays they shouldn't share food, Mac leaves, and the lights go out. Fuchs then finds Mac's bloody clothes outside. There is your smoking gun. Everytime we find a pair of bloody clothes in the film, someone has been assimilated. It's just that simple. Then Fuchs dies and no one else knows not to share food except for Mac. Then Mac tries to get Nauls up in his shack alone, Nauls is THE COOK, and then Nauls finds Mac's bloody clothes yet again, stashed around his furnace. No one would be concerned about stashing Mac's clothes except for Mac's Thing. Arguments suggesting Mac was being framed are dumb. That's your bias trying to rationalize against an obvious Truth:: Mac was assimilated. Later, Childs drinks from Mac's bottle, the music ominously plays, and Mac chuckles. Now there will be two Things to contend with in the future after they're found frozen in the ice. Mac was a Thing.

I agree. I think the reason why people can't accept that MacReady was The Thing is because they believe that the movie is EXPLAINING what the thing is but that John Carpenter is SHOWING that they know nothing. They believe that The Thing is an evil microscopic pathogen because that would be how humans would perceive it. "It is an unknown beast. We must capture and dissect it. Oh no, we can't. I know, kill it with fire." It's not, it's an advanced organism and our own lives are microscopic in comparison to something that they could only determine had basically hibernated through the entire age of man. The Thing was also encountering them and began dissecting them instead. MacReady doesn't know until he realizes that even though he did everything right, he still lost because the game was rigged. The thing has things we know, things we know we don't know, and the main character is a thing we don't know we don't know.

One thing I've never seen mentioned (so it might just be me) is that the way Childs takes that swig from the bottle seems oddly slow and self-conscious, a bit like when the dog-thing was entering the kennel.

I think the issue that people are having trouble with is that if this theory were true, it would mean that there are varying degrees of knowledge about whether someone is the a thing or not. Think about it. Perhaps you come across some torn long johns. Maybe you genuinely believe that some other person is infected but not you. In reality, it's more like newly assimilated amnesia. They really don't know if they are a thing. Then there's the alternative. That sometimes when a person or creature is taken over, it can mimic the behavior of the organism better than other times. Perhaps the method of infection matters. Like perhaps if it's a fast infection by skin touch, they have a hard time controlling their behavior, but if they ingest a couple cells, they properly retain all memory and behavior of both the host and the original organism's intent.

I was ahead of my time when this movie came out. I loved it from the word go.

So he was alone with the Blair Monster at the end and blew it up. No one else was left but Childs. So why did he blow it away? Maybe i missed the explanation, but this makes me skeptical. Also if hes the Thing at the end why didnt he just attack Childs. Unless Childs was one. I dont think he was the Thing. Did John Carpenter really think that deeply about it. He may never tell, so we may never really know. Finally neither is saving the world by freezing. They may be found and thawed out and, just like the monster in the block of ice, the Thing would still be able to infect others. They would need to be burned up and buried. If either is the Thing they would infect the world. Its a good conversation, but only Carpenter knows.

“It’s Marshal Lucky!”… Nice call-back.

both Mac and Childs were things the thing primary goal is self survival and the are independent one wants to go back home the other wants to infect the earth and in the end they both were infected by the paranoia of humanity so they in turn didnt trust each other

He was not the thing. First of all, Carpenter is fun guy and great director but hes also full of Bs and over time done hes best to make it confusing. Point of ending (You also should chek other endings they had) is that unknown is most terrifing (same as Mist book version ending). It makes You overthink and look into small details that are unintenional/were probably not noticed when making film. Carpenter had sayd he sees game as continuation and there, both MC and Childs were human. Same in dark horse comic version. Moreover, there was ending to film where MC fought Childs as they both were paranoid other is the thing. The Thing also has most common problem shared by many if not most inviding aliens. They say its smart but by its behaivior, most time its bout as smart as a brick, lol. If it hasent exposed itself by assimilating dogs... It could have easly infect whole base without anyone even knowning whats going on :) And that goes trough movie, it exposes itself usualy in worst time and worst ways for itself XD

The best theory ive ever heard is that childs and macready are both the thing at the end but each still think the other is human and the paranoia has now spread from the humans to the thing/things. The humans have now infected the thing with a sense of paranoia, something its probably never dealt with before.

If Mac is the Thing the movie makes no sense. Its a chess game one in which Mac wins. Even though hes gonna freeze to death he beats the Thing. If he is a Thing everything Carpenter carefully set up makes no sense.

This is obscenely illogical. Ive watched THE THING for over 40 years and debated the ending. If MacReady IS a thing its not until AFTER the scene he blows up the Blair thing that pops up from underground. But I doubt he is infected. I sometimes even doubt Childs is infected. But your theories LACK logic and sense. Have you watched Rob Agers multiple chapter analysis? The blood test being fake is ridiculous. You provide zero evidence. A hunch does not count. MacReady is 100% human. Your video supports that while painting your own idea into a corner.

I think for every movie in the apocalypse trilogy, the main character is the one that actually brings the apocalypse

I think MaCready was infected at the blood test scene. When he tested Palmer's blood in the palm of his bare hand and got its blood all over his hand, i can picture sentient blood finding its way under his finger nail waiting to spread.

Mac didn't say that Childs cut off the generator. He said "He cut off the generator ". I thought that he was talking about Blair.

palmer was also a thing

I fear no man but THAT THING scares me. - The Thing

Childs and Macready didn't get infected by drinking alcohol, because alcohol kills microorganisms. Childs probably got infected by habitually sharing marijuana with Palmer, as this was clearly established.

I think its very likely mcready is the thing. I cant prove it, but there's a few things that do it for me. The way he speaks to the rest of the group is really similar to Palmer, they both stir the pot to keep everyone off guard. He's also very clever about who he moves around the camp with throughout. When the group splinters, if he can help it he's never with more than one or two people, and only two if there's no choice. He also chooses to neutralise the most critical members of the group; Garry, the leader, Copper, the scientist, Clark, the skeptical loner. All are less likely to be suggestible or able to be tilted, so they get tied down. He sokits off with Nauls to find Fuchs. Why? Because he's a cook, hygiene is 101. He'll need to be forcibly assimilated. I also think there's a very good chance Childs was the thing, and im pretty sure Mcready wasnt sure, up until the end of the film. Him taking his sip was confirmation, hence the chuckle. I cant prove it, but I'm fairly certain. He spent enough time alone with Palmer to get assimilated early on. I don't need to know for sure, but I'm currently pretty settled on this. I don't know how the blood tests were fudged, but there's plenty of feasible ways it could've been achieved. Perhaps Palmer confiscated it instead of just destroying it, and was used as a red herring later to deflect attention from the fully entrenched sleeper agents. Who knows? Cool movie though.

There's too many variables to know for sure. Or, at least, I've yet to see definitive proof. But I'll buy its fairly plausible. The moment that first has me questioning mcready is when he first gets the nationality of the other camp correct first time. Prior to that he called them swedes twice and abd was corrected both times. Its not enough but its enough to raise my suspicion. Equally likely that childs is a thing too though. He shares a joint with palmer early in the film, feasibly after palmer is turned; i believe its either norris or palmer that is visited in their quarters by the dog thing. Im fine not knowing. But i find it interesting that its entirely possible there's no humans left at the end of the film. Its possible there's multiple things trying to achieve conflicting things. For example blair thing clearly wants to leave, and Macready, if he is a thing, wants to go to ground, presumably with the premise of infiltrating the rescue team. There are multiple feasible scenarios to be honest.

my opinion on this the end bit that macready was human and childs was human if macready was the thing why did he kill blair as the thing near the end and if childs was thing why didnt he kill macready when his back was turned near the end.

This video is great fun, but the ONLY conclusion at the end, is they're both human! Both know they're the last two survivors... If one was human and one the Thing, the Thing would instantly attack the human! If both were the Thing, they would 'combine', join forces for a better chance of survival! Both human is the ONLY conclusion!!!

That's exactly what someone who IS the thing would want us to believe. Where's my flamethrower?

Y'all ever consider that both Childs & MacReady are the Thing at the end? Thats a fun new watch 😄👍

Why don't we just wait here for a little while...see what happen's?

I SEE YOUR POINT that mac could have been infected by drinking from blair's bottle in the tool shed. i hadnt considered that before.

During the blood test, when Mack held the petri dish which was inches from his face, and the blood burst up, blood particles could have gotten into Mack's eyes and beard. 🤔

Yep,people forget that mcready was alone with both Norris and palmer at the crash site. Mcready is also the one who left Blair with an opened bottle of whiskey when he locks Blair up

I love all videos The Thing.... this one is reaching far too much. This will be my 1st first thumbs down on a The Thing video👎

The whole idea of the movie is that its not supposed to have an answer. Fans who are 100% confident they have solved it are wrong. The entire premise at the end is that even the viewer is not supposed to know who is human. Its the paranoia and distrust that is our society.

What an absolute waste of time that was. Wow.

How McReady can be tha thing , will he f***n blew himself in tha generator room ? They were both humain at the end.

Bingo! Accurate explanation of the ending.

While you have a few good points and reasons to see Macready the way you do, what sinks it for me is that Childs, paranoid and quick tempered Childs, has a complete change of demeanor in the final scene. That speaks louder than words. Macready did not change demeanor throughout the entire film, start to finish. In spite of information possibly withheld, it was not out of character for his behavior. He was suspicious of others from the start. Why else would he isolate himself in the crows nest of his shed? In the book version he had destroyed the chess game four or five times since arriving at the station. HE was a Vietnam vet. He was likely affected by his experience of the unknown in war.

Nope hes not

I love going through the characters actions and motivations it's really interesting, great video!

the book makes it very clear he is not

Good theory hind plan sight they all getting tired sleep

Back in '76, R.P. McMurphy was the Thing.

This is like putting on the glasses from They Live. Great vid and compelling case, some people just choose not to see!

When the Doc is brought to the Shed by MacReady, he isn't only left with rations. MacReady takes a sip from a bottle of booze and leaves it for him as well. To me, that's MacReady infecting The Doc. Macready's line "it wants to freeze and go back to sleep until it's found again" seems to me like exactly what he's doing at the end of the film. People try to suggest that MacReady's breath gives away that he's human. To me, it gives away that he wants to freeze. Child's comes out and gets close to the fire because he's cold. Why was MacReady sitting so far away from the fire that you could see his breath? He wanted to freeze. Why isn't his instinct to cozy up to the fire unless he wants to be cold? The line: "after there's one left to kill it, it's won" is also how the end turns out to me. When Child's drinks from the bottle, Macready infects him. Child's is the last alive. Now infected, Macready smiles and the music kicks in. There is no left to kill it. It's won." I figure Macready got infected right away. That dog at the beginning? Runs right up and licks Bennings gloves. Then Bennings get shot and Macready runs over and puts his bottle right in Bennings gloved hands. What does Macready say he wants to do? Go back to his shack and drink. And that's what he does and that's when he gets infected. His bottle is like a main character in this film. Really watch it next viewing.

20 seconds in and Carpenter has already nullified this video. Done.

It's fun to think about it from this point of view, and I enjoyed your videos - but only MacReady is left in generator room for the final battle with the monster, if he was a Thing then there would have been no conflict between them.

It doesn't matter what was in the flask MacReady handed to Childs. If Childs was still himself, he wouldn't have taken that bottle and drank from it. MacReady knew that, hence his reaction.

By the second tool shed visit Blair was already taken over and fully assimilated. The giveaway is the rope, as he was ready to hang himself but was taken by the loose Thing that escaped torching in the kennels. Having tools at it's disposal it started building another saucer while tearing down the helicopter. The last part needed for the saucer was the generator, but Blair got caught and had to deal with the survivors. That also explains why there's dog's heads with Blair's Thing form. Now about Childs... Childs saw Blair outside and trusted MacReady's word to burn him, he then grabbed the nearest coat to survive the snowstorm and chased him. The lights go out and then backup blue lights are on. Childs prefers to stay outside as there's gasoline barrels, it's not tight corridors and doors(as in perfect for an ambush sense) and if anyone approaches it's clearly a Thing or not human. The last scene is... both are human, MacReady survived by being a paranoid and Childs by being skeptical and logic. That's my point of view in all of this. The Childs is a Thing because he grabbed the coat logic is a red herring, as perfect assimilation takes time, not a brief pause while they walk outside just to look at the window and see a Childs Thing running out. MacReady obviously suspected him but given that Blair was obviously assimilated, he was their top priority.

Cool analysis. I don’t agree that it was odd for M to be examining the long John’s. He was examining the evidence. Ultimately a Thing would not try to kill other Things - they are the same organism. Hence, the final sequence proves M is human.

I've never heard anyone talk about the part of the Thing that got away through the roof of the dog cage. As big as it was i'm certain they all saw it but it was never mentioned throughout the movie. That's likely what could have got some of the others.

I feel like although this is an interesting theory, it has some flaws, for example, he had to have been human during the blood test because there’s no point in faking that entire test instead of just assimilated windows and then everybody else on the spot. Also, we see MacReady for a majority of the movie as well and alongside that, he did indeed fight the final form of the thing. If he was a thing, I doubt he would’ve killed their fellow alien and besides, he could’ve killed Gary and Niles on the spot instead of letting them help him blow up the facility. Also, if Mac wasn’t infected, why wouldn’t he just infect Child’s in the end, also, in the end, Mac seems to act the same way he did in the start of the movie, and a common way to find out who is a thing is by their change of personality. And finally, in the end scene, he seemed to be breathing a lot of frost while Childs wasn’t, and Mac was going to take a swig of his drink before Childs arrived anyways. And finally, why would he destroy the spaceship? The thing had the upper hand and if he was a thing, he would’ve helped it instead. I think Childs is a thing instead