To most people THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS is just an effortlessly diverse movie franchise about a group of street-racing dvd player thieves that evolved into a saga about car-based superheroes
Like Tolkien’s sprawling fantasy world, which starts with simple beginnings of The Hobbit and builds on Christian, Norse, & Anglo myths; THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS begins as a simple story about street racers thieves and their infiltration by a local undercover cop.
It’s also a metacritical reimagining of our cultural myths, namely POINT BREAK. 
Some themes in the Fast Saga – you recognize many of these themes from high fantasy literature, including Tolkien
What you may not have realized is that Dom Toretto is a cinematic parallel to Gollum – his obsession is his cross necklace. His Furious leaves him repeatedly throughout the saga only for him to get it back.
The Furious has its own purpose and destiny. The Furious is central to the Fast Saga – it is almost a character – imbued with protective and ill-defined-but-evocative powers. Please join me in tracing the humble silver cross' journey through the FAST SAGA
First some background–
Demand for Hobbit sequels gave us THE LORD OF THE RINGS, similar demand also gave us more Fast and Furious- though initially these seemed like an anthology of semi-related street-racing movies, much like Tolkien’s earliest conception of his “legendarium”
Demand for Hobbit sequels gave us THE LORD OF THE RINGS, similar demand also gave us more Fast and Furious- though initially these seemed like an anthology of semi-related street-racing movies, much like Tolkien’s earliest conception of his “legendarium”
Seemingly disparate episodes/writings start to come together as a whole to tell are larger, interconnected story. The Middle Earth Saga and the FAST SAGA were not conceptualized as whole, initially.
You’ll notice a difference in release order vs story chronology – the 3rd movie – Tokyo Drift is really the 6th
Aside from introducing some characters 2F2F and Hobbs&Shaw are not relevant to the Furious since Dom/The Cross are not featured in them.
Aside from introducing some characters 2F2F and Hobbs&Shaw are not relevant to the Furious since Dom/The Cross are not featured in them.
To clarify, TOKYO DRIFT fits in at the end of FAST & FURIOUS 6
The Saga is connected by Fellowship, by Fambly – Throughout the saga former antagonists, frenemies, and even villains who murdered members of the Fambly are welcomed into the Fambly fold. Notations are included for siblings and partners within the FAMBLY
This chart on the introduction and demise of each Fambly member– much like the Tolkien’s appendices - is not required to understand this presentation but closer examination would enrich your Fast & Furious experience.
The adventure begins: Dom Toretto’s first appearance – no cross on a chain
First appearance of Dom’s cross on a chain – only appears in this sequence and is absent the rest of the movie. It seems to be nothing more than a simple silver cross Dom has stumbled upon in his drawer and realized would look dope with a black tank top at a drag race.
In TOKYO DRIFT Han dies. Tokyo Drift seemed to be complete unrelated to the the previous movies. But the film ends with Sean, being told someone who is FAMBLY with Han is here –IT’S DOM, but no cross on chain on Dom – where is it? Committed Fast fans will learn 9 years later.
In the 4th installment Fast & Furious – after the opening gasoline truck heist in the Dominican Republic, Dom is wearing chain with cross at the heist after-party. And Han is alive?!?! WAIT WHAT?! WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON HERE?!
Dom, realizing law enforcement is on his trail and not wanting Letty to get caught, decides to go on the run and leaves the cross chain and pile of cash on nightstand for Letty.
Word reaches Dom that Letty is dead so he returns to L.A. and his cross, his FURIOUS, is hanging from the rearview mirror of his car where his sister Mia still lives.
It remains hanging from the rearview ….
Or clutched in Dom’s hands. After Dom saves Gisele’s life she meets up with him to direct him to the film’s villain, her former employer. Gisele is now Fambly.
The end of F&F and the opening of Fast Five are the same sequence of Fambly bustin’ Dom out of the prison bus, cross still hanging from the rear view mirror in Brian's possession. Brian is now finally done with law enforcement and is full-fledged hero criminal.
Oh Hey, it’s Perd Hapley!! You may recognize him from other things that featured him
Brian and Mia arrive in Brazil and find Vince who gets them involved in a job stealing cars from a train. Mid-heist Dom appears again to them–like a vision, wearing the cross–and admonishes them for not laying low as instructed. It turns out they pissed off a real bad bad-guy.
After pissing off a really bad guy they need a team to get themselves out of this mess. FAST FIVE is the moment that truly brings together the Fambly and transitions from car crime soap opera to elaborate team heist meets superhero cinema extravaganza. The CARVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
Super cop, bounty hunter Luke Hobbs is on their trail. He enlisted Elena, the only honest cop in Brazil, to be his translator. During Hobbs’ team’s first attempt to capture the Fambly – Dom loses his Furious and Elena picks it up.
From her encounter with the Furious she knows Dom is a good guy. Dom retrieves the Furious during a flirty break-in.
“Why risk it all for twenty Dollars worth of silver?” “Because’ it’s worth it.”
Vince dies in middle during an ambush that brings Hobbs and the Fambly together.
“Why risk it all for twenty Dollars worth of silver?” “Because’ it’s worth it.”
Vince dies in middle during an ambush that brings Hobbs and the Fambly together.
At the beginning of 6, Dom and Elena are living somewhere in the Americas. Hobbs shows up to show Dom a recent photo of Letty, ALIVE and part of a global terrorist organization. Dom is wearing the Furious and Elena lets him know it’s cool for him to leave and go find his love.
Letty and Dom have some car chase / street race /meet-cute moments. Letty has amnesia and Dom lets her know he knows her because he knows how she drives. Dom gives her his Furious and says it’s hers anyway.
Owen Shaw – the villain – confronts Letty with his suspicions that she isn’t loyal to his organization anymore. She gives Owen the Furious and when he tries to give it back she says “keep it” and then Owen tosses it onto a table. Gisele dies at the end.
The post-credit scene in FF6 retcons the chase in Tokyo drift and Deckard Shaw, brother of Owen Shaw appears. It turns out he is the one responsible for causing Han’s wreck –He approaches holding the Furious and tosses the cross into the wreckage before it explodes, killing Han.
Deckard will be the villain in Furious 7
Early in 7, the brief end scene from Tokyo Drift with Dom is elaborated on. Sean returns what is left of Han’s belongings to Dom including a charred photo of Gisele and… THE FURIOUS. After 9 years we know why Dom wasn’t wearing it. Look at that cross…. Just look at it.
A whole bunch of stuff happens in 7-what’s important to know is Dom has the Furious through most of the film and appears to die during the climax. Letty cradles Dom’s lifeless body and tells him that she remembers that they were married in the Dominican Republic–
and THE FURIOUS was the replacement for wedding rings! So this happened offscreen during the 4th movie.
As Dom comes to, he is clutching the Furious in his fist. Sadly, Paul Walker who played Brian O’Connor died during filming and the movie ends with a touching tribute.
FATE OF THE FURIOUS opens in Havana Cuba during Dom and Letty’s delayed honeymoon. While Dom is out to get some flowers, he encounters a woman who turns out to be Cipher, the villain. She asserts her control over Dom. In the next scene Dom is soldering something into the Furious.
After Dom betrays the Fambly and joins Cipher we soon discover what Cipher’s leverage over Dom is… Elena and unnamed Baby Toretto are captives on Cipher’s plane/base – Dom leaves the Furious dangling outside Elena’s cell. Elena dies.
It turns out Dom soldered a tracking device into the Furious and that’s how Deckard Shaw (and his brother Owen) rescue Baby-Toretto in one of cinema’s finest throwdown action set-pieces featuring a baby.
However, at the conclusion of the film when Deckard returns Baby Toretto – who is promptly named Brian (after Brian O’Connor) – we do not see the cross being returned, nor did we see it recovered from Cipher’s plane/base.
No Furious…. HAN THO! (unfortunately delayed due to Corona Virus). There's some good stuff about the Furious and its powers in the trailer - so check it out!
To summarize:
FAST AND THE FURIOUS sounds like just a joyously goofy name - but I hope it is clear that it is imbued with real meaning.
F9 trailer
BTW this was an actual PowerPoint I delivered last night during a PowerPoint party. My girlfriend, @readmoar, hosts them about twice a year and this is the first one done through Zoom because of social distancing.
