Occasionally I'll get part of a line of dialogue -- and sometimes just the rhythm or feel of a line of dialogue -- stuck in my head, and it'll bug the crap out of me until I can figure out 1.) the full line, 2.) who said it, and 3.) what it's from. And as I try and try and try to determine these things, I get even more frustrated because I know that if I could discern any one of them, I could derive the others from it and put my mind at ease.

Sometime early yesterday -- it might even have begun Monday evening -- I found my thoughts thus assaulted. This time, I didn't have even part of the line (which does make things easier; then I can google it and hopefully find the full line and circumstances on an episode transcript or list of quotes), just an idea of the rhythm behind it. For some reason, I also had the distinct impression of Lalla Ward saying the words rather coldly to a man who was genuinely trying to help her, but whom she did not trust and who was taken aback when he heard them. I could fit words to it -- and some of them fit very well -- but I was convinced that those words were wrong... mostly because the words that best fit the cadence in my head were a known line from Apocalypse in X-Men Evolution. ("Since when has mankind ever known what it needs." Incidentally, this was itself a mystery line of dialogue that got stuck in my head at one point.) Apocalypse is not in any way reminiscent of Lalla, and the scenario was all wrong. (more...)