How did Ripley survive drowning in Alien 3?

[Jermzzzy]

In Alien 3 the facehugger burns/cracks holes in both Newt's and Ripley's cryotubes. When they crash into the ocean on Fury 161 Newt's cryotube presumably floods and drowns her because of the hole in hers. What I don't understand is why the same doesn't happen to Ripley as there is clearly a hole in hers too. When the EEV is hoisted out of the ocean and Ripley is discovered to be alive you can see her breathing, yet she is encased in a cryotube which was completely flooded just moments before.

I love Alien 3 (it's actually my favorite in the series, and yes I have valid reasons ) but this plothole has driven me insane for a long time. Any explanations?

[8thPassenger]

I guess she was just lucky. 

Honestly, I've never been bothered by this. The film has plenty of other illogical things to keep me scratching my head. And I'm not even talking about the magic egg. 

[Nightmare Asylum]

Well, in the Assembly Cut she was thrown from the EEV and found on the beach rather than in the cryo tube.

[Jermzzzy]

I guess she was just lucky. 

Honestly, I've never been bothered by this. The film has plenty of other illogical things to keep me scratching my head. And I'm not even talking about the magic egg. 

I always found the explanation that the Queen could lay an emergency egg, and placed it in the cargo hold while Ripley and Bishop were tending to Hicks' injuries, quite plausible. Plus there's always the alternate explanation that Bishop was ordered by the company to collect an egg and stow it on the Sulaco while Ripley was rescuing Newt or beforehand (although I like the idea of Bishop being an entirely good guy who truly proves Ripley wrong).

On the other hand, staying concsious when immersed in an almost fully sealed container of water while sleeping is just impossible. Not to mention it would have been for a good while she was submerged as the prisoners needed to locate the EEV, attach cables to it underwater and hoist it out (possibly using oxes). I guess I'll just have to accept the AC as canon, even though I like the dog-burster and Ripley bursting at the end 

[Kol]

Any explanations?

maybe she was secured by the facehugger, that impregnate her & hold her alive with oxygen? like the hugger did to kane.

[Snowdog]

Any explanations?

maybe she was secured by the facehugger, that impregnate her & hold her alive with oxygen? like the hugger did to kane.

And there we have an explanation i can live with

[OpenMaw]

Any explanations?

maybe she was secured by the facehugger, that impregnate her & hold her alive with oxygen? like the hugger did to kane.

And there we have an explanation i can live with

Minus one issue I see. Why exactly would the facehugger detach itself?

On the other hand, staying concsious when immersed in an almost fully sealed container of water while sleeping is just impossible.

Well, yeah, you have to be awake to be conscious. 


See, the problem with the TC of Alien 3 is the intro has literally dozens of continuity issues between shots. The glass cracks, then it's not cracked, then it is, then the cryo tubes change shape completely, blah blah blah.  The burns appear and dissappear. It's a mess. There's no real way to know what happened. ALso, it's possible the EEV when it took on water only partially filled her tube, while fully submerging Newt's. If it hit at an angle that is.

[SM]

What I don't understand is why the same doesn't happen to Ripley as there is clearly a hole in hers too.

Ripley's had a bigger hole meaning any water would go in quicker, but also drain quicker.  Newt's tube had cracks, meaning slower intake, but also slower drainage.

[StrangeShape]

What I don't understand is why the same doesn't happen to Ripley as there is clearly a hole in hers too.

Ripley's had a bigger hole meaning any water would go in quicker, but also drain quicker.  Newt's tube had cracks, meaning slower intake, but also slower drainage.

Ten again, there are no holes in Newts tube later on

[avpfan101]

bthis is because the facehugger provides oxygen to its host

[Local Trouble]

Only part of the EEV remained submerged after the crash.

bthis is because the facehugger provides oxygen to its host

It was never shown, but the script says the queen swam out of Newt's mouth and into Ripley's after the crash.

[Salt The Fries]

Only part of the EEV remained submerged after the crash.

bthis is because the facehugger provides oxygen to its host

It was never shown, but the script says the queen swam out of Newt's mouth and into Ripley's after the crash.

Yep!

[Valaquen]

Really, pure plot necessity.

[Mr. Clemens]

It was never shown, but the script says the queen swam out of Newt's mouth and into Ripley's after the crash.

Oh yeah, I remember that from the comic, too. Glad they didn't do that bit - it would sure have taken the wind out of the big reveal later on...

[Local Trouble]

If one pays close enough attention to the opening sequence, it's obvious that Newt was the one who was initially facehuggered anyway.