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Onward · 2020 — Chapter 10 of 16 · 6'53" · B1

Ian Talks His Way Past Bronco, Explained: With all due respect

The chase ends with the brothers pulled over and the spell wearing off, so Ian disguises himself as an officer to talk them out of trouble. He stalls, sweats and almost gives them away. "With all due respect, you didn't answer my question," he says to the real policeman, and somehow it works. Bronco lets them go.

What happens

After a wild chase, Ian finally merges and gets the van moving, but the spell is wearing off and Dad's legs are exposed. When Officer Bronco pulls them over, Ian casts a disguise spell and appears as a policeman himself. He is terrified of messing up again, yet he answers every question with another question and talks the brothers out of trouble.

Police questioningInterrogationsConfrontingConfessingPolice & suspectB1slowamericanClean
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freak outWith all due respecttake full responsibilitypull my hair out

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Phrase of the scene

With all due respect

a polite formula used before disagreeing

假扮警察的伊恩没有回答问题，真警察不动声色地用 With all due respect 提醒他，礼貌底下其实是质问。

With all due respect, that plan has a serious flaw.

Also in this scene

  • freak out

    to suddenly become very upset or frightened

  • take full responsibility

    to accept complete blame for something

  • pull my hair out

    to be extremely frustrated or stressed

Everything marked in this scene

26 notes across 124 lines

Phrase · B1be able to do somethingRelax. They won't be able to lift those bikes.
Phrase · B2there's a sweet spotThere's a sweet spot.
Phrase · A2speed upSpeed up. I can't do this.
Phrase · B1never be readyYou'll never be ready. Merge.
Phrase · A2nice jobNice job.
Phrase · B1let someone inOh no. Get around 'em. They're not letting me in. Signal.
Phrase · B1stay focusedIan, stay focused. I can't. You have to focus or we are all dead.
Phrase · B1stay coolJust stay cool.
Phrase · A2Way to goWay to go, Guinevere.
Phrase · B2Hit itHit it.
Phrase · B1thanks to someoneHe's fine, thanks to the skillful driving.
Phrase · B2wear offI think the spell is wearing off.
Phrase · A2pull overPull over. I don't have a license.
Phrase · B2take full responsibility for something

to accept complete blame for something

I mean, I will take full responsibility for that fella right there.
Phrase · B2do the talkingNo way. I'll do the talking.
Phrase · B1change one's mindI, uh, changed my mind.
Phrase · C1with all due respect

a polite formula used before disagreeing

With all due respect, you didn't answer my question.
Phrase · B2not all thereThat guy's not all there today.
Phrase · B2be a little offYeah, he does seem a little off.
Phrase · B2if I'm being completely honestUh, actually, if I'm being completely honest.
Phrase · B2freak out

to suddenly become very upset or frightened

I'm not super great in this kind of situation and I'm starting to freak out a little bit.
Phrase · B2pull one's hair outMy girlfriend's daughter got me pulling my hair out, okay?
Phrase · B2be a handfulThat Lightfoot kid is a handful.
Phrase · B2be a stand-up citizenI think Ian's a pretty stand-up citizen.
Phrase · B1get goingI gotta get going. Gotta get Ian home. I mean, I'm late for work.
Phrase · B2sick and tiredI mean, tired. Sick and tired. Gotta go.

Ian Talks His Way Past Bronco, explained

What's really going on

The interrogation is the funniest scene in the film because it gives Ian exactly what he has wanted all day: a chance to be someone else. Disguised as an officer, he is still himself underneath, nervous and overthinking, and that is the joke. He tries to bluff his way through and immediately starts to unravel; honesty is the only thing that saves him, since the disguise spell requires him to avoid lies. "With all due respect, you didn't answer my question," he fires back, a line that is technically polite and completely evasive, and the real officer is too distracted by his own problems to notice. When Bronco admits "It's not easy being a new parent," the tables turn: the boy who feels he can do nothing right and the adult who is also struggling meet in the same moment.

Theme

CourageIan has to drive without a licence and bluff a real officer, staying calm when he is terrified.
IdentityThe disguise spell lets Ian pose as an officer, forcing him to speak honestly while pretending to be someone else.

What you'll learn

  • Catch the urgent command in “You have to focus”
  • Use “take full responsibility” when accepting blame
  • Understand “a little off” as a gentle criticism
  • Hear the pun in “hard” and “hardly”
  • Notice how "wearing off" changes the exchange.
You'll never be ready. Merge.

Barley's blunt driving lesson: waiting to feel ready before you act means never acting, so Ian has to merge now.

It's not easy being a new parent.

Bronco's unexpected confession: he assumes the disguised Ian is a struggling stepparent, and it reveals he is exhausted too.

Hey, it gets better. All right. Good luck, Bronco.

Ian's parting line as he leaves, oddly warm and encouraging, which shows how the bluff has softened into something almost genuine.

And I just feel like I can't do anything right and I'm a total weirdo.

Ian's outburst of honesty: the disguise magic requires him to tell the truth, and his real insecurity comes pouring out.

Questions about this scene

Why does Ian disguise himself as a police officer?

Because he has no licence and Dad's legs are about to be discovered. Turning into an officer lets him question his way out instead of being questioned.

Why must Ian tell the truth while disguised?

The disguise spell works like a lie, and the rules say he cannot add another one. As long as he avoids lying, the spell holds.

Does Bronco figure out who they are?

Not while they are there. He is distracted by his own problems, and Ian's calm, polite evasions keep him from looking too closely.

What is a sweet spot?

The exact point where something works best, like a clutch pedal position that finally starts the van. It can describe any ideal moment or setting.

Onward · 16 chapters

All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 11chin upBarley Trains Ian With the Sword
Chapter 1wiggle out ofIan's Sixteenth Birthday MorningChapter 2was wondering ifIan's Awkward Party InviteChapter 3get byDad Leaves Ian a Wizard StaffChapter 4Whatever it takesDad Comes Back as Just LegsChapter 5followed my gutThe Manticore Refuses to HelpChapter 6took the easy routeBarley Picks the Path of PerilChapter 7go bonkersLaurel Asks the Manticore for HelpChapter 8wear offThe Growth Spell BackfiresChapter 9not what it used to beThe Manticore Explains the CurseWatching · Chapter 10With all due respectIan Talks His Way Past BroncoChapter 11chin upBarley Trains Ian With the SwordChapter 12the worst that can happenIan Crosses the Trust BridgeChapter 13to the count of threeIan Tries the Arcane Lightning SpellChapter 14don't have a clueIan Blames Barley for the DetourChapter 15gauntletIan and Barley Take the Wrong PathChapter 16looked out for meIan Thanks Barley for Everything
Chapter 10 of 16 · about 37 min to go