"Planet P is Clean"

I don't know how many times I've seen Starship Troopers. Too many. It's arguably a pretty crap movie, but it has its moments. Who doesn't like big bugs spewing colourful plasma, after all?

Watched it again today and noticed something that I've somehow missed all these years.

When Rico's company is surrounded on Whiskey Outpost on Planet P he calls the fleet to request extraction. The conversation goes something like this:

Rico: "We're under attack and need evacuation!"

Fleet: "Under attack? But Planet P is clean."

Rico: something something angry whatever

Fleet: "What's your location?"

Rico: "Come down on this transmission!"

Fleet: "Whiskey Outpost? But that's Crazy!"

There's a certain dissonance here that I can't believe hasn't struck me before.

If Planet P is clean, why would it be crazy to be at Whiskey Outpost? Make up your mind, fleet communications operator!

-- CC0 ew0k, 2025-01-12