10 Small Details That Make John Carpenter's The Thing Perfect
3. The Final Toast
The ending of the film is one of the most hotly debated elements of the the story, one served by a follow up video game and the 2011 prequel film. There are many layers to digest in this one.
First, is Child's a Thing or not? Depending on who you ask - No. The oft-discussed clue is the lack of fogging breath, though this has been debunked under closer examination. If the events of the 2011 prequel are to be believed, the fact that Childs is still wearing his earring would suggest that no, he isn't an imitation. Keith David has been quoted as saying 'I don't know who was or who wasn't a Thing at the end of that movie, but it sure as hell wasn't me.'
Carpenter believes that the video game is a true continuation to the film. In that game, Childs' body is found frozen in the ice. He is still human, rather than the Thing he is assumed to be - leading many to conclude that he was human the whole time.
The opposing side argue that there is little chance he would have been able to wander off in the snow and return without running into serious trouble, as he claims to MacReady. There is also another clue - Childs' coat has changed from blue to a lighter colour. Previous incarnations of the Thing have also seen clothing changes, presumably as their layers had been torn off mid-assimilation.
There may never be a definitive answer, adding to the bleak and nihlistic ending of this famous film.