*Spoilers* David and the Engineers

[Ingwar]

Why wouldn't David have simply plotted a course to Earth and dropped the goo? 

He doesn't have enough goo.

Spoiler

He used it all to wipe out the Engineers on Paradise.

[close]

Plus it's a mission to colonise other planets. David wouldn't just simply change its course back towards Earth.

[The_Foxcatcher]

I hate to say it..  But this is all starting to feel a bit contrived..

David's goal : Keep humans from spreading off of earth.

- Fly to Engineer homeworld,  Goo the inhabitants.
- Spend 10 years playing Doctor Moreau to create perfect human killing machine
- Get lucky enough for humans to come along to complete experiments
- Get experiments onto ship
- Live for next film

Why wouldn't David have simply plotted a course to Earth and dropped the goo? 

Absolutely agree.

[timiteh]

I hate to say it..  But this is all starting to feel a bit contrived..

David's goal : Keep humans from spreading off of earth.

- Fly to Engineer homeworld,  Goo the inhabitants.
- Spend 10 years playing Doctor Moreau to create perfect human killing machine
- Get lucky enough for humans to come along to complete experiments
- Get experiments onto ship
- Live for next film

Why wouldn't David have simply plotted a course to Earth and dropped the goo? 

Perhaps because he knows that he won't be able to bomb any city on Earth as easily as he bomb the so-called engineers on "Paradise".
If Prometheus can stop that easily the Juggernaut than human Warship should be able to obliterate the Juggernaut !
This is one of thing that really disapoints me about Engineers technology !
I don't think that humans will allow an Alien ship to come that close to any city without destroying it !

[whiterabbit]

To do bad stuff you need to be well hidden from the view of pesky meddlers. A far off world would be the best bet. Back on Earth, even a rouge state with enough funding to support an army isn't enough in today's world.

[Mustangjeff]

Why wouldn't David have simply plotted a course to Earth and dropped the goo? 

He doesn't have enough goo.

Spoiler

He used it all to wipe out the Engineers on Paradise.

[close]

Plus it's a mission to colonise other planets. David wouldn't just simply change its course back towards Earth.

Sorry, I probably didn't explain that very well.

So David and Shaw are on the Juggernaut.  The ship is set on a course to paradise.  At some point on the journey David gets his head attached and decides humans aren't worthy to spread throughout the stars.  He's got a Jugger full of black goo, and the only thing standing in his way is a woman who is about 100lbs soaking wet.

At this point why not set course for Earth and finish the LV223 Engineer's mission?  Why go to paradise at all? If he goes because he is curious, I get that. 

Why go to Paradise and goo the joint as your first act?

[cliffhanger]

because that's not what he actually thinks.

also he doesnt black goo the planet, he lightning strikes it and hence the charred bodies.

[TheBATMAN]

Well isnt David's dialogue taken from a completely seperate scene set 10 years later? Perhaps the bombing of the Engineers is Shaw's idea to stop them getting to Earth? Then when David gets more into his experiments he eventually turns against her.

[Stanley]

Shaw is partially / temporarily shielded from David. 

Since her Faith baffles and interests him. 

He can understand the concept, but not feel it. 

Could be part of his motivation to create / recreate super xenomorphs to exterminate the heathen virus plaguing the galaxy. 

Religion is a major aspect of so many wars over the years. 

[Ingwar]

Why wouldn't David have simply plotted a course to Earth and dropped the goo? 

He doesn't have enough goo.

Spoiler

He used it all to wipe out the Engineers on Paradise.

[close]

Plus it's a mission to colonise other planets. David wouldn't just simply change its course back towards Earth.

Sorry, I probably didn't explain that very well.

So David and Shaw are on the Juggernaut.  The ship is set on a course to paradise.  At some point on the journey David gets his head attached and decides humans aren't worthy to spread throughout the stars.  He's got a Jugger full of black goo, and the only thing standing in his way is a woman who is about 100lbs soaking wet.

At this point why not set course for Earth and finish the LV223 Engineer's mission?  Why go to paradise at all? If he goes because he is curious, I get that. 

Why go to Paradise and goo the joint as your first act?

Once they left LV-223 David didn't intend to wipe out humanity. Covenant takes place 10 years after Prometheus. We don't know what really happened after they landed (crashed) on Paradise. It seems that David discovered some kind of ancient knowledge in the Citadel. Then he changed his mind? We'll find out soon.

[cliffhanger]

oh dear, somebody using hatred against religion to approve mass murder through artificial alien lifeforms to.......do exactly that which accusing others of....irony much?

[Evanus]

because that's not what he actually thinks.

also he doesnt black goo the planet, he lightning strikes it and hence the charred bodies.

Wut.

I don't think that's what happens. 

[Infected]

Why wouldn't David have simply plotted a course to Earth and dropped the goo? 

He doesn't have enough goo.

Spoiler

He used it all to wipe out the Engineers on Paradise.

[close]

Plus it's a mission to colonise other planets. David wouldn't just simply change its course back towards Earth.

Sorry, I probably didn't explain that very well.

So David and Shaw are on the Juggernaut.  The ship is set on a course to paradise.  At some point on the journey David gets his head attached and decides humans aren't worthy to spread throughout the stars.  He's got a Jugger full of black goo, and the only thing standing in his way is a woman who is about 100lbs soaking wet.

At this point why not set course for Earth and finish the LV223 Engineer's mission?  Why go to paradise at all? If he goes because he is curious, I get that. 

Why go to Paradise and goo the joint as your first act?

Good question, the only reasons i can come up with is, humans made him, the engineers ripped his head off, the engineers maybe made us, his ego wants the creators of these lowlife humans, why kill its servants when you can kill their god.
The humans arent much of a mystery to him, he sees the pot of gold with the engineers i think.

Shaw is partially / temporarily shielded from David. 

Since her Faith baffles and interests him. 

He can understand the concept, but not feel it. 

Could be part of his motivation to create / recreate super xenomorphs to exterminate the heathen virus plaguing the galaxy. 

Religion is a major aspect of so many wars over the years.

Or is it, isnt everything you stand for or willing to defend at all cost a religion? i think religion isnt really the problem, its how far are you willing to go, to defend your beliefs and how tolerant are you willing to be to other people and beliefs and things. Some people are prepared to fight someone if they cant have their dinner at six, its their belief their culture.

[SpeedyMaxx]

I hate to say it..  But this is all starting to feel a bit contrived..

David's goal : Keep humans from spreading off of earth.

- Fly to Engineer homeworld,  Goo the inhabitants.
- Spend 10 years playing Doctor Moreau to create perfect human killing machine
- Get lucky enough for humans to come along to complete experiments
- Get experiments onto ship
- Live for next film

Yep.

I find what we know about David and Shaw's roles in this film to be largely lazy and contrived. If you don't want to use Shaw or the Engineers it's whatever, but there are other avenues to take. I think it makes the David character a lot more boring, a stock villain, and while they could shock me on opening night with more to it, it just feels very safe as a horror movie and sets up increasingly diminishing returns for more unnecessary prequels that will not advance the franchise, only limit it.

[Ultramorph]

Regarding the CinemaCon footage

Spoiler

I've been wondering about the second ship escorting with the Juggernaut, and I hadn't ever considered that David can communicate with the Engineers. Maybe he tells them he's come in peace and gets escorted to a landing. That kind of solves the question of why the Engineers couldn't defend themselves.

[close]

[rabidranger]

It does sound like the Engineers expect the ship David is on to land when it's really a Trojan Horse.