Pop culture WI : James Bond with an independent Scotland.

WarPlanInfrared

Bond being an Englishman in a dres... I mean, Scottish:p, what would happen to the movies and the franchise in the case the "yes" faction wins the referundum ? Personnally, I see 4 plausible options :

-Bond now working for the Scottish secret service (the problem would be that these would be anentirely new structure with new personnel, so no more Q or M ... And personnally, I think "At Edinburgh's secret service" has less flair than "At her majesty's secret service".

-Bond keeping his British nationality and still working for the MI6.

-Bond being retconned as being English (in that case, MGM should consider investing in bulletproof vests for its employees:rolleyes:).

-The franchise being rebooted to a time frame where Scotland was still British (maybe the 60s).

What do you think will be the most plausible ? Do you have any other ideas about the fate of the franchise ?
 

ColeMercury

Bond keeping his British nationality and still working for MI6. Obviously.

Bond hasn't even sounded Scottish since Connery left. The only reason why Bond was given Scottish roots at all was as a nod to Connery himself. And regardless of Skyfall confirming that he was originally from Scotland, the character has lived and worked his entire adult life in England (when not on assignment), sounds English, is played by an English actor, and overall is very much identified as an English character and not a Scottish one.

If Scotland had become independent, they wouldn't have had to change a thing. The issue of Bond's age meaning he would've been raised in an independent Scotland wouldn't have even come up for several decades. And even if it mattered at all, it would be a simple matter to retcon Bond as being English from birth -- and no one would really care.
 

Generaloberst

Banned
I still say that Bond is probably just a codename for the agent, that's passed down agent to agent as they die/retire.
 

Cryhavoc101

WarPlanInfrared said:
Bond being an Englishman in a dres... I mean, Scottish:p, what would happen to the movies and the franchise in the case the "yes" faction wins the referundum ? Personnally, I see 4 plausible options :

-Bond now working for the Scottish secret service (the problem would be that these would be anentirely new structure with new personnel, so no more Q or M ... And personnally, I think "At Edinburgh's secret service" has less flair than "At her majesty's secret service".

-Bond keeping his British nationality and still working for the MI6.

-Bond being retconned as being English (in that case, MGM should consider investing in bulletproof vests for its employees:rolleyes:).

-The franchise being rebooted to a time frame where Scotland was still British (maybe the 60s).

What do you think will be the most plausible ? Do you have any other ideas about the fate of the franchise ?
Click to expand...

I would say it depends who owns the Franchise but in this situation the first option

Also the 4 Characters that Fleming based Bond on were Englishmen - the Scottish bit was added in the final book written after Dr No (And now obviously based on Sean Connery due to the success of the first film) and Bond was "Retconned" into being a Scottish Gentleman (Actually Scot/ Swiss)!

The same sort of thing happened to the Character Richard Sharpe - who was initially described in the Earlier 'Sharpe' Stories as a Londoner -

However after Sean Bean brilliantly portrayed the character in the TV Films -
Bernard Cornwall subtle added that while still being born in London the character had worked in an Orphanage / Mill in the north of England while growing up - hence the 'Northern' Accent.

Also unless an independent Scotland became a Republic it would still be "At her Majesties Secret Service"

And in any case Scotland voted no so the whole thing is Hypothetical
 
oshron

oshron

i think it would also be entirely plausible that a new Bond is introduced who is distinctly English, or maybe Northern Irish if they want to keep the "British but not English" trait
 
Gaius Julius Magnus

Gaius Julius Magnus

Seeing as how Bond associates England rather than Scotland as his home country, it probably wouldn't change anything. If they were to address it, they'd probably just say Bond is of Scottish ancestry rather than parentage. Besides the series has never been one for keeping in continuity.
 

Devolved

Generaloberst said:
I still say that Bond is probably just a codename for the agent, that's passed down agent to agent as they die/retire.
Click to expand...

No real Bond fan says that.

If it were just a code name George Lazenby wouldn't have all the Sean Connery gadgets in his draw and Roger Moore wouldn't be putting flowers on Tracey's grave in For Your Eyes Only.
 
Clandango

Clandango

Devolved said:
No real Bond fan says that.

If it were just a code name George Lazenby wouldn't have all the Sean Connery gadgets in his draw and Roger Moore wouldn't be putting flowers on Tracey's grave in For Your Eyes Only.
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Or that first guy inherited the office with all the gadgets, while the second had the man paying homageto his predeccessors wife. Maybe the previous Bond was also buried there, unnamed.
 

Some Bloke

Generaloberst said:
I still say that Bond is probably just a codename for the agent, that's passed down agent to agent as they die/retire.
Click to expand...

I've always thought he was a Time Lord. When I first saw Sean Connery get shot in You Only Live Twice, I was expecting Roger Moore to climb out of the coffin.
 
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Cymraeg

Cymraeg

The headquarters of SMI6 was bit… unimpressive, thought Bond as he walked through the front entrance. He supposed that it made sense to have a base at the bottom of Edinburgh Rock, but the place was a bit dank at times.

He found N at his desk, where he was filling out a mound of requisition forms. After a moment he cleared his throat slightly, which made N look up. “Aha, Bond! There you are! I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Passport control was something of a pain, sir. They wanted to know why I’d spent so much time in England and what the provenance of the haggis I’d bought in Harrods for my mother was.”

N looked at Bond. “A good point.” Then he shook himself slightly. “Well, we’ve made some progress here. You will be glad to hear that you have a licence to kill again. Well, a licence to maim, we’re still working on the kill bit. The negotiations with the EU are proving to be something of a trial. Q Branch – sorry, R Branch – has your equipment.”

Bond perked up. “I have a mission sir?”

N waggled his hand slightly. “Yes and no. You’re still not licenced to maim overseas – not that Scotland has many overseas interest at the moment. However, we’ve heard that the North Korean embassy in Edinburgh will be in a room over a pie and tatties shop near Murrayfield. We need you to observe whoever they send.”

Well, it was better than nothing. “Very well sir. Oh – do I have a designation yet?”

“Um, yes,” N muttered as he signed another piece of paper. “MI6 have been somewhat… sticky about you retaining your old designation. Apparently MI6’s new 007 is one Rhodri Llewllyn.” Oh. That tosser. “As a result we have been forced to come up with a new designation system. You are now… Scottish Professional Operative One.”

Bond cringed inside. “Could you reconsider that please sir?”

“Why?”

“Because that spells ‘Spoo’. And whoever is the next person to get a designation would be Agent Spot.”

N frowned. “Ah. I see your point. We’ll look into it. Well – off you go. Mind that you remember to save your receipts. The First Minister’s still having a spot of bother with the finances. Turns out that certain oil reserves aren’t as full as he said they were.”

Bond nodded respectfully and then wandered off to R Branch, which he found in a smallish room off a corridor. Q – sorry, R – was sitting on a chair and scowling at a collection of objects. Then he noticed Bond. “Ah – 007!”

“Sorry R, it’s Agent Spoo now.”

R’s bushy white eyebrows waggled with confusion for a moment, like two caterpillars headbutting each other. “Spoo?”

“N’s working on a new designation.”

“Oh good. Now – I’d tell you to pay attention, but this shouldn’t take long. Here’s your equipment.”

Bond looked down at the table. On it lay a set of knuckledusters, a cheap mobile phone and some lockpicking tools. “Is that it?”

R coughed with embarrassment. “Yes, well, funds are a little low at the moment. I’m sure that we’ll do better soon. Oh and I forgot something.” He pulled something out of his pocket. “Your bus pass. Try not to lose it Agent Spoo.”

Bond sighed deeply, pocketed everything and then wandered out. Well, he had an Embassy to observe. Perhaps he should have stayed in London?
 

Ultimate Paragon

Banned
Cymraeg said:
The headquarters of SMI6 was bit… unimpressive, thought Bond as he walked through the front entrance. He supposed that it made sense to have a base at the bottom of Edinburgh Rock, but the place was a bit dank at times.

He found N at his desk, where he was filling out a mound of requisition forms. After a moment he cleared his throat slightly, which made N look up. “Aha, Bond! There you are! I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Passport control was something of a pain, sir. They wanted to know why I’d spent so much time in England and what the provenance of the haggis I’d bought in Harrods for my mother was.”

N looked at Bond. “A good point.” Then he shook himself slightly. “Well, we’ve made some progress here. You will be glad to hear that you have a licence to kill again. Well, a licence to maim, we’re still working on the kill bit. The negotiations with the EU are proving to be something of a trial. Q Branch – sorry, R Branch – has your equipment.”

Bond perked up. “I have a mission sir?”

N waggled his hand slightly. “Yes and no. You’re still not licenced to maim overseas – not that Scotland has many overseas interest at the moment. However, we’ve heard that the North Korean embassy in Edinburgh will be in a room over a pie and tatties shop near Murrayfield. We need you to observe whoever they send.”

Well, it was better than nothing. “Very well sir. Oh – do I have a designation yet?”

“Um, yes,” N muttered as he signed another piece of paper. “MI6 have been somewhat… sticky about you retaining your old designation. Apparently MI6’s new 007 is one Rhodri Llewllyn.” Oh. That tosser. “As a result we have been forced to come up with a new designation system. You are now… Scottish Professional Operative One.”

Bond cringed inside. “Could you reconsider that please sir?”

“Why?”

“Because that spells ‘Spoo’. And whoever is the next person to get a designation would be Agent Spot.”

N frowned. “Ah. I see your point. We’ll look into it. Well – off you go. Mind that you remember to save your receipts. The First Minister’s still having a spot of bother with the finances. Turns out that certain oil reserves aren’t as full as he said they were.”

Bond nodded respectfully and then wandered off to R Branch, which he found in a smallish room off a corridor. Q – sorry, R – was sitting on a chair and scowling at a collection of objects. Then he noticed Bond. “Ah – 007!”

“Sorry R, it’s Agent Spoo now.”

R’s bushy white eyebrows waggled with confusion for a moment, like two caterpillars headbutting each other. “Spoo?”

“N’s working on a new designation.”

“Oh good. Now – I’d tell you to pay attention, but this shouldn’t take long. Here’s your equipment.”

Bond looked down at the table. On it lay a set of knuckledusters, a cheap mobile phone and some lockpicking tools. “Is that it?”

R coughed with embarrassment. “Yes, well, funds are a little low at the moment. I’m sure that we’ll do better soon. Oh and I forgot something.” He pulled something out of his pocket. “Your bus pass. Try not to lose it Agent Spoo.”

Bond sighed deeply, pocketed everything and then wandered out. Well, he had an Embassy to observe. Perhaps he should have stayed in London?
Click to expand...

Please tell me you're continuing this. :D
 
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