11/10   Now that everyone's had ample time to see it, can someone explain
        to me why all the Agent Smith's started to suddenly explode at
        the end?
        \_ okay, after reading a transcript of the final battle, I now fully
           believe in my Trojan Horse theory which is that when the big
           machine jacked Neo in for the battle, it jacked him in as a Trojan
           Horse. So when Smith copied himself onto Neo, the machine now had a
           link to Smith and could then shut Smith down. Note how the machine
           does an electrical surge on Neo's body just before Smith copies
           himself.
        \_ He's exploding because he can't stand the BAD FUCKING ACTING.
           The only worthwhile things in that movie were (a) Hugo Weaving,
           and (b) Monica Bellucci.  "Now, Ms. Bellucci, hold still for
           a moment."  *wrap wrap wrap* *stuff stuff* *loud wet pop*  *another
           pop* "Dammit!"  *stuff stuff stuff* "Now don't breathe!"  *wet
           pop*  *boingg*  "shit!" *stuff stuff stuff* and so it goes.  -John
           \_ John is a very persistant 13 year-old.
           \_ What are you, 13?  Jees.
           \_ Now I *have* to see the movie just to find out what this is
              about.
           \_ I don't recall. Did she even have any lines in the movie?
                \_ Yes, when Trinity has the gun at Merv's head, she says
                   something to the effect of believing that Trinity will pull
                   the trigger because she can see that Trinity will do
                   anything for Neo.
        \_ I've heard two suggestions, neither all that convincing. a) Neo
           or the Source was able to infect Smith with some virus by letting
           Neo be infected. b) Smith's whole purpose was to defeat Neo, and
           once he did, his program got deleted.
           \_ The latter is the better explanation. It also fits with the
              theme of beginnings corresponding with ends. Neo had to be
              defeated in order to complete Smith's purpose. And without
              purpose, he would not exist (see M2).
              \_ So is Neo dead or what?
                 \_ Quite.
                    \_ Probably not dead enough to appear in the sequel.
                           \_ I was bored because I didn't give a rat's ass
                              about the incoherent, incomprehensible story.
                              Contrast with "Oooh, shiny."
        \_ I thought maybe the part where Smith said he remembered standing
           Neo before meant that Neo had trapped Smith in something like a
           virtual machine.  But other explanations would be welcome.
                    \_ Conveyed primarily with overwrought, faux-solemn
                       "dialogue" that made little sense. Great.
           \_ He's defeated the "Neo" six times before. It is his purpose.
        \_ Norton Antivirus?
        \_ every program has a purpose.  When Smith converts Neo, he converted
           the entire Matrix.  The Matrix could end.  Didn't he say:
           Everything has a beginning and an end?
           \_ No, Smith's purpose ends. He has destroyed himself. The Matrix
              never ended. The other programs succeeded in "rebalancing" it.
              If Neo had not reentered the Matrix for the final battle and
              lost, then Smith would have destroyed the Matrix, the machines,
              and Zion while trying to complete it's task.
                                                \_ it is == it's
              \_ Great, so after all that shit it's the same old "GOOD IS
                 NOTHING WITHOUT EVIL!" crap? I was so bored during M3.
                        \_ bored? do you completely lack sensory perception?
                 \_ It's not good vs. evil. It's fate vs. free will and
                    acquiescence vs. sacrifice. If you believe the Ws put that
                    much depth into the film.
              \_ Wait a minute, i thought Smith's purpose like all other agents
                 is to look for and kill anomalies(people that have already
                 broken out of the matrix) in the matrix.  My understanding is
                 that a computer must follow equations, but when Neo broke
                 rules of the equations in the matrix, then the left hand side
                 did no equal the right hand side, so the matrix needed to
                 introduce a new object (the virus/agent smith) to
                 counterbalance the equations.  So when neo died, the virus
                 wasn't needed anymore (i.e no purpose).  But i guess once
                 a program contracts a virus, it cannot by extracted from
                 the program without killing the program itself...
                 \_ It's an alteration of CS as we know it. Smith (virus)
                    used other programs and humans as resources (as opposed to
                    physical CPU or memory). Upon EOP of Smith, all resources
                    were released with the programs perfectly recovered (See
                    Oracle Seraph and Sati). Dunno about about the humans.
              \_ If this was the case, do all programs just explode the exact
                 moment their purpose is accomplished? The Keymaster in M2
                 didn't. I don't buy this explanation, because renegade
                 programs still hide out in the Matrix once they are no longer
                 needed. They don't just explode on their own. They have to
                 get garbage collected.
                 \_ Yes, but if there's any program the system is anxious to
                    do GC on, it would be Agent Smith.
        \_ You're all looking for sense where there is none.
           \_ D00D!!!!1!! URA L2M3R1!!!!1!!! M2TR1X III R0000LZ0000RZ!!!
              I W@|\|T T0 B2NG TR1|\|1TY!!!!!!11!!!!
              \_ Heh, is there an elite-speak program somewhere?
                 \_ |\|0!!1!!! U D0 n0T U53 2 PR()GR4|\/| T0 SP33K 31337!11!!1
                    TH4T W0\/7|> B3 L2M3!!!!1!!!!!11!
        \_ http://www.matrix-explained.com
           \_ I think the correct response is: Get a FREAKIN LIFE!
           \_ Wow. I'm enjoying reading this site. Good stuff.