Dark One's telepathic command to Leo Wong

[on:]

Why did the Dark One telepathically command Leo to destroy the star in ITWGY (means: Having to fight for the detonator first), when a "Leela, push the plunger!" would have been sufficient?

[Reply #1 on:]

It doesn't control people's actions, it just tells them what to do, they don't have to do it if they don't want to. Leo is just really stupid. Would you just instantly do what a voice in your head tells you to do?

And you really think Leela would have agreed?

[Reply #2 on:]

I do what the voices in my head tell me all the time. But, yeah, maybe the Dark One tried Leela first, she ignored it, and he moved to Leo. I mean, how would Leela know it was a voice. Have you never been driving down the road and let your mind wonder and think, huh, I could steer this thing right into that Walmart. I wonder what kind of damage that would do. And just as quickly dismiss it? It's just your mind playing "what ifs" with you. And hearing the D.O. tell Leela to push it would be just as quickly dismissed by her. Just a guess.

[Reply #3 on:]

I don't know that I ever hear distinct voices in my head, and I'd be kind of disturbed if I did, but maybe I'm the freak. In any case, Leela wouldn't have pushed the plunger - which she had been fighting against the entire movie - just because she head some weird voice, she'd just be like "what was that? That was weird."

[Reply #4 on:]

It doesn't control people's actions, it just tells them what to do, they don't have to do it if they don't want to. Leo is just really stupid. Would you just instantly do what a voice in your head tells you to do?

And you really think Leela would have agreed?

Didn't they have more power than that though? I mean, they psychically kill Frida Waterfall from what I remember. Surely they could tell Leela to push the detonator, then start to psychically murder her when she refuses and only stop when she does it? Got to be worth a try, right?

[Reply #5 on:]

Didn't they have more power than that though? I mean, they psychically kill Frida Waterfall from what I remember. Surely they could tell Leela to push the detonator, then start to psychically murder her when she refuses and only stop when she does it? Got to be worth a try, right?

Yep, Frida's Death made me guess that it's not just a "voice in the head". I think even Leo Wong would have wondered where such a voice suddenly came from. His immediate compliance with that order hinted (at least imhO) that his free seemd to be overridden somehow.

Leela resisting a telepathic command would have raised the question regarding Fry's chosen one role (if anyone can ignore the dark ones, why the need for someone without a Delta Brainwave?).

Come to think of it (again an alternate scene by Hein, you have been warned ):
It might have worked with Leela being telepathically forced to push the trigger. And -when "waking up again"- she sees Fry holding the device at him.
(Would have added to the "maniplated by the Dark One" aspect, and the only thing he could not forsee was Fry still willing to sacrifice his life for Leela).
Well...just some random thought...

[Reply #6 on:]

I think it told Leo to do it since he was going to do it anyways.

[Reply #7 on:]

Like hypnosis. Much easier if the individual would already have been inclined to take the action being suggested. Quicker too.

[Reply #8 on:]

Yeah, sounds logical.
But still, that "Why the big fuzz to get someone without a Delta-Brainwave when any just really stubborn person would have been sufficient" still buggers me...
(But not TOO much...I also got others things to worry about )

[Reply #9 on:]

It doesn't control people's actions, it just tells them what to do, they don't have to do it if they don't want to. Leo is just really stupid. Would you just instantly do what a voice in your head tells you to do?

And you really think Leela would have agreed?

Can't it just hijack their bodies as well?  I'm pretty sure the Dark One telepathically squeezed Frida's trachea shut or something similar.  Like Carrie squeezed her mother's heart so it couldn't beat anymore in the book.

[Reply #10 on:]

I think what it did was shut off the life functions.