Top 10 Inside Out Questions That Got Answered

The first film took us on an internal odyssey, from the razzle-dazzle of Dream Productions to the fathoms of the Memory Dump. While Joy and Sadness covered a lot of ground, they only scratched the surface. Much like a city, Riley’s mind is constantly evolving, tearing down old structures to make way for new ones. The most prominent locale introduced in the sequel is the basement of Headquarters where Riley develops her Belief System and Sense of Self. The emotions are later locked away in the Memory Vault where they encounter Bloofy, Pouchy, and Lance Slashblade. Other locations echo natural landmarks, such as the Stream of Consciousness and the Sar-chasm. Imagination Land is limitless and so is the rest of Riley’s mind.

“Inside Out” concludes with Riley accepting San Francisco as her new home. As she plays hockey, Joy mentions that Riley has made new friends, but we aren’t given much insight beyond that. “Inside Out 2” introduces Bree and Grace, the latter of whom embarrasses herself during a school presentation. Riley can relate to this, helping Grace along with Bree. Thus begins a beautiful friendship that’s jeopardized when Bree and Grace tell Riley that they’re going to a different high school. Although not the same as moving to another state, it’s still a long distance. Throughout the film, we see Riley struggle to juggle old friendships while trying to form new ones. In the end, Riley strikes a balance with her friends and within herself.

While “Inside Out” builds to a joyful resolution, it doesn’t revert everything to the status quo. Riley’s Personality Islands change while additional ones crop up. At the beginning of “Inside Out 2,” some islands are still going strong like Goofball Island. Others have been phased out like Boy Band Island and Tragic Vampire Romance Island. We don’t see any of the islands crumble in the sequel, but we learn that they can grow and shrink. Family Island, for example, is now overshadowed by Friendship Island. It’s firmly established that the islands will keep developing with Riley, reflecting her priorities with each passing year.

At a hockey meet, Riley bumps into a boy later revealed to be named Jordan. We’re given a glimpse into Jordan’s inner panic, although Riley’s feelings toward him are left open-ended. Their relationship is further explored in the short “Riley’s First Date?”. The question mark in that title should be stressed as every character, especially Riley’s parents, tries to decipher if this is indeed a date. In any case, Riley’s dad does a 180 after finding out Jordan is into AC/DC. While Riley is self-conscious around Jordan, it’s still unclear if she shares the same feelings. We’re given confirmation in “Inside Out 2” with Jordan prominently featured on Mount Crushmore, although this is his only appearance in the sequel.

Unlike Riley’s emotions, the audience (or at least the older crowd) knows what “puberty” means. We still weren’t entirely sure what the red button on the control panel would do. As Riley turns 13 in the sequel, we see her go through physical changes. Riley outgrows her rainbow shirt and gets a pimple, but this isn’t what triggers the puberty alarm. It sounds off in the middle of the night with puberty hitting Riley like a literal wrecking ball. Although this happens in a flash, puberty isn’t an overnight process. The demolition crew leaves much incomplete with the emotions needing to navigate around the mess. Speaking of emotions, Riley’s mind suddenly gets more crowded, which is what officially commences puberty.

Joy had an emotional breakthrough when she realized the importance of Sadness, igniting the waterworks. Some felt this was out of character, but it demonstrates why Joy and Sadness are closer than we assume. Sometimes, we feel better after a good cry and even when coping with loss, we can take joy in knowing that something so beautiful can move us to tears. If Joy can experience sadness, we wondered if she could convey other emotions. “Inside Out 2” finds Joy at another low point. This amounts to an angry outburst and more tears, earning sympathy from Fear, Disgust, and even Anger. It goes to show that happiness isn’t necessarily being positive all the time. To be truly joyful, you need to share every feeling.

It’s been argued that since the emotions have so much authority over what Riley does, she isn’t responsible for her own actions. Although emotions are integral to decision-making, “Inside Out 2” gives Riley more independence. Anxiety attempts to take over Headquarters, which inevitably results in Riley spinning out of control. Even after Joy calms Anxiety down and returns Riley’s Sense of Self, her panic attack continues. It dawns on Joy that for Riley to become well-adjusted, they can’t control her Sense of Self. Riley needs to develop another Sense of Self that isn’t so black and white. The emotions will always be there to guide her, but only Riley can determine who she is, who she wants to be, and how she views herself.

Working on the original “Inside Out,” the filmmakers thought about including a vault where Riley stores her secrets. The idea didn’t make the cut, but it was revisited in the next movie. When the emotions are locked in the Memory Vault, they encounter Riley’s Deep Dark Secret. Interestingly, this looming figure bears a resemblance to the titular, “Dark” from Netflix’s 2024 release, “Orion and the Dark,” a character voiced by Paul Walter Hauser, who also lends his talents to Inside Out 2’s Embarrassment. Unlike that more outgoing Netflix character though, Dark Secret is not ready to face the outside world, opting to stay in the vault after assisting in the jailbreak. Those who remained after the credits were rewarded with the Dark Secret dropping the bombshell he’s been bottling up: Riley burned a hole in the rug! While nothing earth-shattering, it is hilariously anti-climatic and relatable for any kid who ever felt enormous guilt over something relatively small.

Bing Bong makes the ultimate sacrifice for Riley, fading into the Memory Dump. Riley might not remember her imaginary friend, but does Joy? One might assume that Joy also forgot about Bing Bong as she doesn’t mention him in “Inside Out 2.” A subtle easter egg suggests that Bing Bong is still on Joy’s mind, however. As Joy sleeps one night, a figure resembling a familiar pink pal can be spotted. According to production designer Jason Deamer, “Everyone wanted to bring back Bing Bong.” Rather than undo the character’s bittersweet fate, the crew found a compromise. Deamer confirmed, “Joy hasn’t forgotten Bing Bong, so Bing Bong is in Joy’s cube, done in origami.” Even when we completely forget something, it may be buried deep inside.

The folks at Pixar are aware that people have more than five emotions. “Inside Out” was going to acknowledge this with up to 27 emotions potentially being in the film. For the sake of simplicity, the filmmakers narrowed it down to five. Since Riley was still growing, it seemed that there might be room for other emotions to enter the equation. “Inside Out 2” delivers on this with the arrival of Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui. Nostalgia drops by as well, although as the other emotions tell her, she’s a few years too early. This implies that even more emotions are waiting in the wings. It’s also established that grown-ups aren’t limited to five emotions, although some don’t pop up as frequently as others.

What “Inside Out” questions do you still have? Let us know in the comments.