It's just a simple substitution code like the one that we used to do as boy scouts.Zodiac · 2007 — Chapter 11 of 30 · 4'54" · B2
Graysmith Cracks the Zodiac Cipher, Explained: What's your angle?
One side of the scene is puzzle-solving — a substitution code cracked with the help of a double L and the word 'kill.' The other is a plea: the killer writes that he cannot stop himself, calling it a cry for help that may also be a performance.
What happens
A reporter explains the Zodiac's first cipher as a simple substitution code, the kind used by boy scouts: guess that the doubled symbols stand for L, then assume the word they spell is 'kill,' and the alphabet starts to fall into place. Elsewhere, the killer mails a letter to a famous lawyer asking for help, and detectives debate whether it is genuine.
Listen for
boy scoutshold something in checkcan't be too carefulWhat's your angle?
00:00 / 04:54Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
What's your angle?
what are you really trying to get out of this
妻子一听丈夫要掺和这桩案子，立刻反问 What's your angle，戳破他并不单纯的动机。
You never offer to drive me anywhere. What's your angle?
Also in this scene
- boy scouts
a youth organization that teaches outdoor and practical skills
- hold something in check
to keep something under control
- can't be too careful
it is wise to be very careful
Everything marked in this scene
31 notes across 78 lines
relative clause with used to
It's just a simple substitution code like the one that we used to do as boy scouts.Well, it's not that hard. You just got to know where to start.got to for necessity
Well, it's not that hard. You just got to know where to start.weak form
Well, it's not that hard. You just got to know where to start.You actually carry that around with you?So the Hardens start looking for double symbols, which they find here, here, and here.So now they've got a repeating four-letterword ending with two symbols that they assume stand for "L."participial phrase with ending
So now they've got a repeating four-letterword ending with two symbols that they assume stand for "L."But how do you go from "A" is one and "B" is two to figuring out this whole code?go from something to something
But how do you go from "A" is one and "B" is two to figuring out this whole code?Guess what it's called?elision
Guess what it's called?What do you want out of this?what are you really trying to get out of this
-What? -What's your angle?-What? -What's your angle?I'll be up in a minute. I need to make a phone call.I'll have Vallejo and Napa check with their city planners.-Get some sleep. -Yeah, sure."The one thing I ask of you is this. Please help me."I cannot reach out for help because this thing in me won't let me."liaison
"I cannot reach out for help because this thing in me won't let me."to keep something under control
"I am finding it extremely difficult to hold it in check "and I am afraid I will lose control againfind it difficult to do
"I am finding it extremely difficult to hold it in check "and I am afraid I will lose control againMelvin, he's reaching out to you.It is a cry for help, intended as a private communiqué.He's kind of crafty like that. Do you mind if I speak to her?Do you mind if for polite request
He's kind of crafty like that. Do you mind if I speak to her?He's kind of crafty like that. Do you mind if I speak to her?it is wise to be very careful
Well, you can't be too careful.flap
Well, you can't be too careful.Graysmith Cracks the Zodiac Cipher, explained
What's really going on
The cipher material is a reminder that this case runs on pattern-matching rather than certainty: a lucky guess about double letters is treated as real progress. The second half is murkier. The killer's letter frames him as tormented — “this thing in me won't let me” — and the lawyer repeats that reading, calling it a window into a soul. The detective's reply, “Or maybe he just likes the attention,” refuses the sympathy and keeps the case grounded in manipulation. Together the two halves show how the Zodiac is made: part arithmetic, part performance, and always inviting people to over-read him.
Theme
DeceptionThe killer's plea for help is read by some as genuine torment and by others as a performance aimed at attention.
PhilosophySolving the cipher becomes a question of method and luck, as guesses about letters are treated as real knowledge.
What you'll learn
- Ask what's your angle for hidden motives
- Hear a cry for help as framed distress
- Read in his blood as deep habit
- Use can't be too careful as caution
Listen for
- not that hard — weak form
- Guess what it's called — elision
- reach out for help — liaison
- can't be too careful — flap
It is a cry for help, intended as a private communiqué.The lawyer reads the letter as private anguish, arguing the killer wrote to him alone and wanted help rather than publicity.
Even though he tries to ignore it, it drives him.The lawyer's theory: the urge to kill is an addiction the writer cannot suppress no matter how he struggles.
Could be. Or maybe he just likes the attention.The detective's counterpoint: the letter may be less a confession of torment than a need to be watched and written about.
Well, you can't be too careful.A throwaway line while a stranger offers to tighten a wheel, yet it lands with menace given who may be speaking.
Questions about this scene
How did they crack the Zodiac's first cipher?
By treating it as a simple substitution code: assume the doubled symbols stand for L, guess that the repeating four-letter word is 'kill,' and use the matching letters to start rebuilding the alphabet.
Why does the killer write to a lawyer?
The letter is addressed to a famous lawyer and asks for help, suggesting the writer wanted a public voice on his side. The lawyer treats it as a private cry, though he still shares it with the press.
Does the lawyer believe the letter is genuine?
He argues it is a window into the killer's soul and that killing is a compulsion, so he takes the plea seriously. A detective counters that the killer may simply enjoy the attention.
What does 'what's your angle' mean?
It's a suspicious question meaning 'what are you really trying to get out of this?' You use it when someone's sudden helpfulness seems to hide a motive.
Zodiac · 30 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 12the more the merrierKathleen Johns Escapes the Zodiac
Chapter 1creep someone outDarlene Ferrin's Last Drive
Chapter 2I wouldn't kid youThe Zodiac Confession Call
Chapter 3shed light onZodiac's Cipher Reaches the Chronicle
Chapter 4get any ideasZodiac Attacks the Couple at the Lake
Chapter 5a hell of a get-upZodiac's Lake Berryessa Attack
Chapter 6flag a cabThe Presidio Cab Murder
Chapter 7did inZodiac Claims the Taxi Murder
Chapter 8skip townPolice Bicker Over the Zodiac Case
Chapter 9at a moment's noticeZodiac Calls the TV Talk Show
Chapter 10crack the codeBelli Tries to Catch the Zodiac
Watching · Chapter 11What's your angle?Graysmith Cracks the Zodiac Cipher
Chapter 12the more the merrierKathleen Johns Escapes the Zodiac
Chapter 13come out of the woodworkGraysmith Finds the Zodiac's Source
Chapter 14in my gutGraysmith Talks Zodiac on a Date
Chapter 15beat the bushesRiverside Investigators Compare Notes
Chapter 16lost in the shuffleThe Informant Describes Leigh Allen
Chapter 17the whole pointPolice Question Arthur Leigh Allen
Chapter 18greener pasturesPolice Question Leigh Allen's Mother
Chapter 19home turfPolice Build a Case Against Allen
Chapter 20tore out of herePolice Search Allen's Trailer
Chapter 21holding the bagBill Transfers Out of the Chronicle
Chapter 22fade into a footnoteGraysmith Pitches a Zodiac Book
Chapter 23yesterday's newsGraysmith Talks His Way In
Chapter 24more than just a coincidenceGraysmith Follows the Birthday Clue
Chapter 25tread lightlyGraysmith Chases Rick Marshall
Chapter 26blow overThe Letter That Framed Toschi
Chapter 27put yourself out thereGraysmith Chases the Case at Home
Chapter 28get it in your headGraysmith Meets the Theater Owner
Chapter 29the date that didn't endLinda Recalls the Painting Party
Chapter 30cancel each other outRobert Confronts Dave About AllenChapter 11 of 30 · about 96 min to go