Mere Musings

“Toy Story 3” was great, and wrapped up the characters’ journeys in a believable way. However, I can see how the finale would be polarizing, considering all of the unanswered questions. We waited fifteen years for answers to the mysteries of the series, and not all of them were answered to my satisfaction. Here are the questions that “Toy Story 3” left unanswered.

What are The Rules?

Obviously there is a set of Rules that govern how Toys can interact with humans. Sometimes the toys are completely inanimate when their owners are around. Maybe it is impossible for toys to be animate while humans are within a certain proximity. But then this does not explain how Woody is able to escape from Bonnie’s room while she is sleeping. Furthermore…

Why is Sid “special”?

Obviously, Sid has the distinction of being the only human that Woody has directly interacted with when autonomous (see season 1, episode 1: “Toy Story”). Why is Woody allowed to seemingly break The Rules? Is it because he was acting in the interest of other toys? Can he only use his powers for good?

Why is Barbie “special”?

Towards the end of “Toy Story 3”, Lotso claims that there are millions of toys identical to Barbie. However, Ken seems to think that she is “special”. What makes this particular Barbie so special?

Are the toys dead? 

At the climax of “Toy Story 3” (season 3, episode 1), the gang all join hands as they get ready to “move on” into a bright light at the center of the trash pit. Had the toys been dead the entire time since their encounter with Sid in the original “Toy Story”? It’s possible that this was some sort of purgatory-like sideways universe so that all of the toys could find each other and “move on” together.

What was The Light?

So was the Light acting as a cork, of sorts? Maybe it was what controlled how the characters flashed sideways. For instance, in the sideways timeline, Hamm was the evil Dr. Porkchop, but in the daycare timeline, he was sarcastic. Is it possible that the toys ascendancy with The Claw was them “moving on”?

What is Pizza Planet’s role in all of this? 

Pizza Planet has been seen in every single “Toy Story”. In “Toy Story”, Woody and Buzz climb into the trunk and front seat, respectively, of a Pizza Planet truck as it fills up at a gas station. In “Toy Story 3”, Lotso, Big Baby, and Chuckles all ride on the back bumper of a Pizza Planet Truck during a flashback. Is it possible that these two scenes occur in the same timeframe, showing the characters crossing paths?

At what point in the timeline does this take place?

Within “Toy Story 3” there are a number of nods to other occurrences in the Pixar universe. A postcard in Andy’s room is from Carl and Ellie Fredericksen from “Up”. How is Andy related to them? Was Ellie alive during the events of “Toy Story 3”, placing it before “Up” chronologically? Additionally, batteries from Buy N Large (from “Wall-E”) as well as references to racecars (from “Cars”) emerge. Are battery-operated toys the start of the catastrophic events that lead to the dystopian future of “Wall-E”? Does “Toy Story 3” take place before or after Lightning McQueen’s return to fame?

Why don’t any of the toys besides Lotso age?

Obviously time has progressed between “Toy Story 2” and “Toy Story 3” but none of the toys show signs of maturation or damage, aside from Lotso, who walks with a cane. Why don’t the toys age? Who gave them this “gift” of immortality?

Science or faith?

As set up in the first installment of “Toy Story”, we understand that Woody is a Man of Science while Buzz is a Man of Faith. Take the scene where Buzz demonstrates his flying prowess, saved by a seemingly random, Rube Goldberg-like series of events that make him appear as if he is flying. Woody tries to rationalize these events, but Buzz is more content to accept the events as his fate, musing on predestination. “Toy Story 3” never reveals which one of these philosophies is the correct one, choosing an ambiguous amalgamation of both.