Something has always kept me wondering. It’s about Woody and what he was like before the events of Toy Story.
Now as you all know in the first Toy Story, Buzz was deluded actually thinking he was a space ranger, and he didn’t realise he was a toy until he saw the Buzz Lightyear commercial at Sid’s House. I was actually wondering if Woody was the same at one point. If he was deluded and actually thought he was a cowboy like on the Woody’s Roundup TV show, but later realised he was a toy somehow. I doubt he would have found out what he was from seeing Woody’s Roundup merchandise since he didn’t realise he was based on that show until Toy Story 2.
I also wondered if he was owned by anybody else before Andy got him. I’m thinking he could have been in Andy’s family for decades since he was made.
When Al tries to buy Woody in Toy Story 2, Andy’s mom said “he’s an old family toy”. I’m not sure about where Woody was before that, but it’s obvious that Woody had been in their family for a few generations.
My WMG theory:
The Davis family (Dad, Mom, Andy) went on a vacation to New Orleans while Andy’s mom was pregnant with Molly. While there, Andy’s dad was cursed by a person using a voodoo spell, and turned into a Woody doll. Andy found the doll in the hotel room. Everyone searched for Andy’s dad, but nobody could find him so they just went home eventually. Woody (Andy’s dad), had amnesia, but retained many of the characteristics Andy’s father had such as his loyalty and leadership towards his family.
i always thought that before andys father went away (died), he gave woody to him, posibley along with slinky…but it never really made sense because this seems to be woody’s first time saying goodbye to a kid (in ts3).
I think Woody belonged to Andy’s dad when he was a child and when Andy’s dad died (which is how I explain his non-appearance in the films), then perhaps Andy’s grandparents remembered the old cowboy doll that Andy’s dad had when he was a child and gave it to Andy (or perhaps Andy’s dad had given Woody to Andy before he died).
As for whether Woody originally thought he was the Woody - I have no idea. I don’t know whether it is just a characteristic of the Buzz Lightyear toys (or electronic toys in general) to believe they are the “character” they represent or whether it is true of all toys. It’s obvious that there is some kind of “over-ride” that normally prevents a toy (even if that toy believes it is a real person/character) from being “alive” around humans (since Buzz kept freezing whenever Andy was around until he realised he was a “toy”).
I’m going to guess that Woody always knew he was a toy, but I don’t really have any “evidence” to back that up.
Yeah, I also thought Slinky might’ve belonged to Andy’s dad because the real-life Slinky Dog would’ve been made about the same period as Woody. The only thing is that in a deleted scene, Woody mentions how he saved Slinky from being donated to Goodwill, but Andy’s mom probably wouldn’t have done that if it belonged to Andy’s dad.
Also, the Buzz Lightyear line was the only one shown to think they’re the real characters that they’re based on. Prospector was aware that he was a toy from the start, as he could remember sitting on a store shelf, not being bought. Logically, the same should go for Woody.
And Woody was confident about Andy growing up at first, because of the circumstances that he ended up being passed down to Andy in the first place. The problem was that he couldn’ve guarantee the fate of the other toys, which weren’t as important as him to Andy.
Regarding WHEN Woody was passed down, we have little information. I’d say it was when Andy was very young, because at the time of Toy Story, he appeared to be normal, with no signs of trauma from his father’s passing. Just a guess, though.
Yeah, I’ve wondered before why toys from the Buzz Lightyear line (including Zurg) are the only ones shown to have these delusions. Maybe it’s because they are “designed” (or programmed) to “awaken” from hypersleep, and this experience is something that actually could happen to the “real” Buzz Lightyear, so it’s not character-breaking in any way for the toy to integrate this into its sense of self. However, the “real” Woody from “Woody’s Roundup” wouldn’t “expect” to spontaneously awaken, so when the toy version “awakens” (after being manufactured or whatever) he is fully prepared to ascertain from his surroundings what his situation actually is.
It could just be a difference between “electronic” (programmable) and “not” though.
For all other toys, it’s not really a question of how they know they’re toys, they just automatically know, it can’t really be explained. The real question is why Buzz thinks he’s a space ranger (it would be a good question for Lee). I really have no idea what would cause Buzz to think he’s a real space ranger. But that’s just another one of the mystical aspects of Toy Story.
I don’t really see how a defect could explain Buzz’s actions. Basically, his voicebox malfunctioned, and his hand falls off in the deleted script. It doesn’t seem like there’s a direct connection.
Don’t forget that Zurg was also shown to be deluded, thinking he was the character he was based on, wanting to “destroy” Buzz Lightyear. Like Agent 86 suggested, maybe this only applys to toys that run on electricity.
Well, I basically assumed the same thing happened with Zurg, because they were made and released under the same circumstances. But maybe this one is best left a mystery.
