Years passed as the Minions forged their own civilization.Minions · 2015 — Chapter 2 of 14 · 3'57" · B2
Kevin Volunteers to Find a New Master, Explained: Truth be told
The Minions have built a civilization but lost their purpose, and the narrator warns they will die out without a master. Kevin steps up to leave the cave and bring back the biggest, baddest villain for the tribe, taking Stuart and a reluctant Bob along. "All was not lost," the voiceover says, because one Minion had an idea.
What happens
Without a master the Minions lose their purpose and sink into aimless depression, and the narrator warns that they will die out. Then one of them has a plan: Kevin will leave the cave and not come back until he has found the tribe the biggest, baddest villain to serve, with Stuart and Bob joining him.
Listen for
stepped upTruth be toldmade a life for themselvesthe biggest, baddest villain
00:00 / 03:57Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
Truth be told
to be honest
旁白揭穿斯图尔特：他被选中时根本不知道要干什么，只是喜欢被人欢呼。
Truth be told, I only joined the club for the free pizza.
Also in this scene
- stepped up
to volunteer when nobody else will
- made a life for themselves
to build a settled life of one's own
- the biggest, baddest villain
最大、最坏（的）
Everything marked in this scene
19 notes across 47 lines
elision
Years passed as the Minions forged their own civilization.to build a settled life of one's own
They truly made a life for themselves.They felt empty inside.flap
They felt empty inside.Without a master, they had no purpose.They became aimless and depressed.conditional clause
If this continued any longer, the Minions would perish.But all was not lost for one Minion had a plan.He was excited to share his idea with the tribe.and he would not return until he had found his tribe the biggest, baddest villain to serve.past perfect
and he would not return until he had found his tribe the biggest, baddest villain to serve.Bob was eager to go, But Kevin felt he was just not strong enough for the dangerous journey ahead.to volunteer when nobody else will
Luckily, someone stepped up.to be honest
Truth be told, Stuart had no idea what he was chosen for...The tribe said their farewells.He was going to be the one to save his tribe.Bob was frightened of the journey ahead.liaison
And they were off.Kevin Volunteers to Find a New Master, explained
What's really going on
The opening plays like a mock epic, borrowing the language of myth for a species whose only purpose is to serve someone worse than themselves. The narration gives the Minions a crisis of meaning — "Without a master, they had no purpose" — and then solves it with a quest, which is funny precisely because the goal is to find a bigger villain. Kevin is the straight hero of the piece, solemn about a mission that amounts to helping evil; Stuart joins for the applause, and Bob joins out of enthusiasm nobody asked for. The joke sits under every serious line, and the film lets the mock-grandeur carry the exposition instead of explaining it directly.
Theme
SurvivalA whole species is losing its will to live, and the fix is a quest to find a new master before they die out.
DreamsKevin's plan gives the tribe hope, turning an absurd errand into something they can believe in.
What you'll learn
- Use empty inside in a comparable exchange.
- Listen for the attitude around empty inside.
- Notice how the reply changes the scene.
Listen for
- forged their own — elision
- felt empty — flap
- were off — liaison
Without a master, they had no purpose.The Minions cannot function without someone to serve, so their loss of a master is treated as an existential crisis.
But all was not lost for one Minion had a plan.The narrator's turning point: a single Minion, Kevin, is about to solve the whole tribe's problem.
He was going to be the one to save his tribe.Kevin's sense of mission, framed with mock epic seriousness for a small yellow creature.
Kevin had given them something they hadn't had in a very long time.The gift Kevin brought the tribe is not food or safety but hope for the future.
Questions about this scene
Why do the Minions need a master at all?
Because serving a villain is the only purpose they know. Once their old master is gone, they lose their reason to live, which is the joke behind the narrator's tragic tone.
Why does Kevin choose Stuart and Bob?
Stuart steps up, though he has no idea what he is signing on for. Bob volunteers out of pure enthusiasm, and Kevin eventually gives in because almost no one else wants to go.
What does "stepped up" mean here?
It means someone volunteered to take on a job when it was needed. In this case Stuart is the one who happens to step forward, which is how he becomes part of the journey.
What is the Minions' goal on the journey?
To find the biggest, baddest villain in the world and bring him back as the tribe's new master. The plan is absurd on purpose, because it treats serving evil as a noble quest.
Minions · 14 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 3marked downMinions Wreck a Department Store
Chapter 1therein lies the rubMinions Can't Keep a Boss
Watching · Chapter 2Truth be toldKevin Volunteers to Find a New Master
Chapter 3marked downMinions Wreck a Department Store
Chapter 4a new bad man in townScarlet Overkill's Villain-Con Ad
Chapter 5stretch one's legsThe Nelsons Give the Minions a Ride
Chapter 6let's not kid ourselvesScarlet's Henchmen Tryout
Chapter 7get down to businessScarlet Assigns the Crown Heist
Chapter 8Bob's your uncleBob Pulls the Sword from the Stone
Chapter 9above and beyond the call of dutyScarlet Confronts the Minions
Chapter 10take this the wrong wayScarlet Breaks Up with the Minions
Chapter 11I proclaim theeScarlet's Coronation Turns into a Chase
Chapter 12how's that working out for youScarlet Gives Kevin Until Dawn
Chapter 13so help meScarlet Taunts Kevin, Then Flees
Chapter 14from here on outThe Queen Knights KevinChapter 2 of 14 · about 61 min to go