| Errors | Missing | Unverified | Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 2 | 12 |
In Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), the plot is set in motion through a combination of a narrative recap, an extended flashback that provides the emotional catalyst for the entire series, and a proactive warning from the primary antagonist.
Specific actions that start the plot in motion include:
The film opens with a black-and-white close-up of Beatrix Kiddo (The Bride) behind the wheel of a car. She breaks the "fourth wall" to speak directly to the audience, summarizing her progress from Vol. 1 (having already killed O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green). This action establishes the current stakes: she is on her way to kill the remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad and, ultimately, Bill.
While the first film showed the aftermath of the wedding chapel massacre, Vol. 2 actually begins its narrative proper by showing the events leading up to it. This provides the "why" behind the plot:
Transitioning to the present day, the plot of the sequel is physically set in motion when Bill visits his brother, Budd, at his dilapidated trailer in the desert.
The first major conflict of the film—and the event that dictates the pacing of the middle act—is Beatrix's arrival at Budd's trailer. Unlike her previous encounters where she had the upper hand, the "action" of her walking through the door triggers Budd's trap:
This specific failure by the protagonist shifts the plot from a straightforward "kill list" into a survival story, forcing the narrative to flash back further into her training with Pai Mei to explain how she will eventually escape.
Multiple sources mention that during the opening credits, before the car monologue, the film shows the Bride's bloodied face and her saying 'Bill, it's your baby.' This is a distinct narrative element that precedes the car scene and provides additional emotional context.
Sources note that Reverend Harmony and his wife decide to seat the groom's side on both aisles since the bride has no relatives—a character detail that emphasizes Beatrix's isolation and establishes the setting's dynamics.
In the flashback, when asked why he's there, Bill responds that he came for a 'last look,' adding poignancy to the scene that immediately precedes the massacre.
Sources consistently mention that Beatrix is buried in 'Paula Schultz's grave' or 'coffin,' which is a specific plot detail. The AI Summary mentions 'a wooden coffin' but omits this named detail.
Multiple sources identify that Budd has an accomplice named Ernie who helps him bury Beatrix alive. This is a significant plot element that the summary overlooks when describing the burial scene.
Several sources mention a scene where Budd, working as a bouncer at a strip club, is confronted by his boss Larry Gomez. This scene establishes Budd's degraded circumstances and character state before the ambush.
During the warning scene at Budd's trailer, Bill asks about Budd's Hattori Hanzo sword, and Budd lies claiming he pawned it for $250. This dialogue establishes backstory and character tension between the brothers.
Before burying Beatrix, Budd threatens her with a can of Mace, saying he'll burn her eyes if she resists, but will give her a flashlight if she cooperates. This scene is noted as significant in building tension and demonstrating Budd's psychological tactics.
In Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), the plot is set in motion through three primary narrative actions:
1. The Opening Monologue (Present Day): The film opens with the Bride (Beatrix Kiddo) behind the wheel of a car, delivering a direct-to-camera monologue. She recaps her progress from Vol. 1—having killed O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green—and declares that she now has only one target remaining: Bill. This establishes the immediate stakes and forward momentum of the narrative.
2. The Flashback to the Massacre at Two Pines: The film then transitions to Chapter 6, showing in black-and-white the events leading up to the wedding chapel massacre. A heavily pregnant Beatrix is rehearsing her wedding to Tommy Plympton in El Paso when Bill unexpectedly arrives, playing a bamboo flute. After a tense but civil conversation where Beatrix introduces Bill to her fiancé as her "father," they return inside. Bill stays at the back of the chapel while four members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (Elle Driver, Budd, O-Ren Ishii, and Vernita Green) enter and kill everyone except the Bride and Bill. Bill then shoots the Bride in the head. This flashback provides the emotional and narrative foundation for the entire revenge saga.
3. Bill's Warning to Budd (Present Day): Returning to the present timeline, Bill visits his brother Budd at his dilapidated trailer in the desert and warns him that Beatrix has already killed two members of the squad and is tracking him. This forewarning fundamentally changes the dynamic established in Vol. 1, allowing Budd to prepare an ambush.
4. The Ambush at Budd's Trailer: When Beatrix arrives at Budd's trailer planning to attack him, he ambushes her instead—shooting her in the chest with a shotgun loaded with rock salt, then sedating her with a needle injection. With help from his accomplice Ernie, Budd buries Beatrix alive in a coffin (in the grave of Paula Schultz), offering her a flashlight to avoid complete darkness. This represents the first major defeat for the protagonist and shifts the narrative from a straightforward revenge plot into a survival story, triggering flashbacks to her training with Pai Mei that explain how she will eventually escape.
These four actions—monologue, flashback, warning, and ambush—work together to establish the plot's momentum, provide backstory, and create the central conflict that drives Vol. 2's narrative structure.