I’m passing the time in a stupid airport, reading the Tron 1982 novelization
It occurs to me: In the novel, things are a little different with the Clu scene.
He’s not talking back and forth constantly with Flynn. He’s just doing his thing, and thinking about what he’ll tell Flynn later if he can get to the I/O Tower to report.
Novel version makes more sense, in keeping with the canon implication that programs have to go there to contact the user.
But if one wanted to accept the movie version as the true canon instead…. how would one explain this constant contact Flynn seems to manage?
What’s interesting is the novel seems to do the opposite for the MCP and actually adds context to the scene that yes, it’s actually speaking to Dillinger and Flynn through speakers. This used to drive me insane on if it was metaphorical or not as they both very clearly carried out a conversation.
With clu i think it is straight up metaphorical, like Flynn’s muttering to himself at his desk and clus response is more hyping himself up/to make the scene more dynamic. I love it as it shows the reflection programs are of their users, Clu hovers over the tank controls just like Flynn at his computer, even takes a sip of something in a mug (even though it’s completely nonsensical for him to have one).