Warning: Spoilers ahead for Netflix’s The Electric State movie!The Electric State went big on its all-star cast and dazzling CGI, and although the movie arguably fell short of what it could have been, I think there’s only one moment that feels like a lazy oversight. Although it currently has a disappointing score of 15% on Rotten Tomatoes, fan reviews on the same site combine to form a much more favorable rating of 71%. I will admit that The Electric State‘s cast never got the project the long list of stars deserved, but the comic book adaptation is also not as bad as some say. Actually, it’s pretty good.

The Electric State borrows actors from some of the biggest movie and TV franchises of all time. Some have accused the star-studded cast as an attempt to hide the movie’s weaknesses, but I don’t think that’s the case. It’s not perfect, but there are some great moments from both storytelling and visual perspectives. When it’s considered that the brothers behind some of the best MCU movies also directed The Electric State, this perhaps isn’t a huge surprise. With The Electric State‘s ending quietly teasing a sequel, it remains to be seen if Netflix will greenlight a continuation.

The Electric State Never Explains How The Butcher’s Drone Gets Fixed After Being Crushed By Rocks

Ethan Skate apparently just decides the Butcher’s drone can work again

Giancarlo Esposito’s Colonel Marshall “The Butcher” Bradbury is my favorite villain in The Electric State​​​​​​. He’s the movie’s only antagonist to get a real redemption arc, and although his shift in atтιтude toward Bots is a little predictable, it’s still rewarding to see it play out onscreen. However, when chasing Keats (Chris Pratt) and Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) 40 minutes into the movie, the Butcher’s drone being buried under a pile of rocks makes it seem as though the pursuit is over. Thankfully, this isn’t the last we see of the Butcher, but I hate how his drone somehow returns.

When enlisting Esposito’s character to retrieve the Bot that’s required to restore Sentre to its former glory, Stanley Tucci’s Ethan Skate tells the Butcher that his drone can be brought back online to continue the hunt. What Skate fails to explain is how he achieves this, and the movie simply cuts to a sH๏τ of the drone powering back up and freeing itself from the rubble. In short, it seems as though Skate simply decides the drone can work again, and The Electric State never reveals how he pulls it off. Instead, it’s simply swept aside.

How I Think Skate Managed To Get The Butcher’s Drone Back Online

2 The Electric State theories can explain how Skate fixed the Butcher’s drone

Even though The Electric State never accounts for this strange writing choice, there are two main theories that can prevent it from becoming a plot hole. The first one comes down to Skate intentionally severing the link between the Butcher and his drone – which may have just happened to coincide with the rock slide that seems to put the robotic unit out of commission. Skate’s motivation behind doing this could be to get the Butcher’s attention and prevent Esposito’s character from destroying the Cosmo Bot, and have him capture it instead. Then, Skate could have just restored the signal.

My other theory is similar, as it’s also about the signal’s strength between the Butcher and his drone. When the drone is buried under all those rocks, it’s possible the debris blocked the unit from receiving a signal, which caused it to power down. When Skate stepped in to enlist Butcher, Tucci’s character had all the resources of Sentre at his disposal. As such, it’s not unreasonable to ᴀssume that Skate could boost the Butcher’s signal to the point of reaching his drone through all the rocks. The Electric State never confirms or denies either theory, but they both work.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes