--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just the idea that someone is married and…" description: "\"Just the idea that someone is married and they've got a kid, and he reports for work one morning and his boss says, \"You're wife is a spy. Shoot her.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/steven-knight-2205_boss_just-the-idea-that-someone-is-married-an_1819021.jpg" --- # Just the idea that someone is married and they've got a… ![“Just the idea that someone is married and they've got a kid, and he reports for work one morning and his boss says, "You're wife is a spy. Shoot her." In the real story, he just went back and did it, which would have been a short film. Therefore, I had to spend some time exploring what you would do.” quote by Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/steven-knight-2205_boss_just-the-idea-that-someone-is-married-an_1819021.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/steven-knight-2205_boss_just-the-idea-that-someone-is-married-an_1819021.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/steven-knight-2205_boss_just-the-idea-that-someone-is-married-an_1819021.jpg) > “Just the idea that someone is married and they've got a kid, and he reports for work one morning and his boss says, "You're wife is a spy. Shoot her." In the real story, he just went back and did it, which would have been a short film. Therefore, I had to spend some time exploring what you would do.” [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A spy‑marriage twist creates moral conflict and narrative tension for the protagonist. **In simple terms:** A secret spy wife forces a hard choice. Key Takeaway Explore ethical dilemmas in storytelling. Themes trust deception conflict Mood suspense dramatic Type creative narrative When to use this quote - film script - short film - writing workshop - storyboard session Key Concepts morality plot‑twist character‑choice Questions to Reflect On - How would you develop the protagonist’s inner conflict? - What stakes make the decision believable? A Different Perspective Such twists can feel contrived without character depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) [Exploring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploring/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Idea Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-married-1925482/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-story/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Short film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-film/) [Short films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-films/) [Spy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spy/) [Spy Shoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spy-shoot-2178000/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) [Wife Spy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife-spy-2177999/) ## Related quotes > [A gem of a short film has a sense of pure joy in animation that is different from anything you see in a feature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/a-gem-of-a-short-film-has-a-sense-of-pure-joy-in-animation-that-is/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [I remember when I was like 19 years old and I started a desk calendar company to pay for my first short film, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/i-remember-when-i-was-like-19-years-old-and-i-started-a-desk-calendar/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > [I guess because I'm so young, I m not sure of what lies ahead for me. 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It is way easier to get someone to watch a 15-minute film then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-ozeki/i-think-the-power-of-the-short-film-is-incredibly-underrated-it-is/) [Nicholas Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-ozeki/) > [I want to release another CD this year, finish writing a screenplay, and make another short film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-barry/i-want-to-release-another-cd-this-year-finish-writing-a-screenplay/) [Todd Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-barry/) > [I did a dance sequence in my second short film, which was my best short film, called 'Hairway to the Stars,' and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/i-did-a-dance-sequence-in-my-second-short-film-which-was-my-best/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [I have little art piece, a kind of short film thing I filmed with my friend. 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I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-routh/well-i-m-superman-just-not-action-i-m-kind-of-looking-for-something/) [Brandon Routh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-routh/) ## More by Steven Knight > [There's a convention in English stuff that if something is more than 100 years old, people have to say 'do not' instead of 'don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-a-convention-in-english-stuff-that-if-something-is-more-than/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's lots of different ways of writing stuff and lots of different mindsets to have, but I think when it's your own creation, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-lots-of-different-ways-of-writing-stuff-and-lots-of-different/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [It's such a gift when you know who you're writing for and you know that that actor is capable of so much that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/it-s-such-a-gift-when-you-know-who-you-re-writing-for-and-you-know/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I'm not a great film-goer, and I never have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-m-not-a-great-film-goer-and-i-never-have-been/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's no writers room, or any other writer involved. I write everything from beginning to end. Maybe it's just me not being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-no-writers-room-or-any-other-writer-involved-i-write/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I've realized that the only thing I'm interested in is the performance. If the performance is right, then I'm happy. You offer up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-ve-realized-that-the-only-thing-i-m-interested-in-is-the/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [“It seems to me, that if there is a bad taste in your mouth, you spit it out. You don't constantly swallow it back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/it-seems-to-me-that-if-there-is-a-bad-taste-in-your-mouth-you-spit-it/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [With FX in particular, they've been fantastic and were really hands off. I mean, it helps that you've got Ridley Scott on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/with-fx-in-particular-they-ve-been-fantastic-and-were-really-hands/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I often find in the film world, that it's very self-referring. If you talk to someone about films, they talk about them in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-often-find-in-the-film-world-that-it-s-very-self-referring-if-you/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Whenever I went to L.A. the first thing people said in the meeting, no matter what it was about, was how much they loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/whenever-i-went-to-l-a-the-first-thing-people-said-in-the-meeting-no/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [ I've spent three hours with Snoop Dogg, talking about how he loved \[Peaky Blinders series\]. And David Bowie loved it. The late Leonard Cohen… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-ve-spent-three-hours-with-snoop-dogg-talking-about-how-he-loved/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I think the best research is people you meet and things that they say, rather than second hand accounts of something. I think when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-think-the-best-research-is-people-you-meet-and-things-that-they-say/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Writing, when it works, one needs to access whatever it is that creates dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/writing-when-it-works-one-needs-to-access-whatever-it-is-that-creates/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Making a film is hard because you're not dealing with the intangible. When you're writing, it's perfect because it's only in your head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/making-a-film-is-hard-because-you-re-not-dealing-with-the-intangible/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's a grown-upness about television now that wasn't there before. You do know you're doing stuff for adults who can tell the difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-a-grown-upness-about-television-now-that-wasn-t-there-before/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) [Explore all 179 Steven Knight quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) ## More Boss quotes > [ME AND SUMMER GUNNA BE MOVING IN TOGETHER HELL YA ITS GUNNA BE BOSS!!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hawes/me-and-summer-gunna-be-moving-in-together-hell-ya-its-gunna-be-boss/) [Jon Hawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hawes/) > [“having sex with her boss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-henning/having-sex-with-her-boss/) [Stephen Henning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-henning/) > [Once in a while there's wisdom in recognizing that the Boss is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/once-in-a-while-there-s-wisdom-in-recognizing-that-the-boss-is/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. 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They set traps, asking you to do things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-me-spell-it-out-with-the-psychotic-boss-nothing-you-do-is-ever/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) [Browse all 1,833 Boss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Just the idea that someone is married and they've got a kid, and he reports for work one morning and his boss says, \"You're wife is a spy. Shoot her.\" In the real story, he just went back and did it, which would have been a short film. 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