Three decades have passed and neither Carpenter nor any cast and crew members have offered an answer, and it’s probably for the best – The Thing was all about paranoia and distrust, and the mystery of the sabotaged blood is a big part of that. This idea is supported by Palmer’s reaction when they discovered the blood, as he remained quiet, and cinematic language, with Palmer being out of focus when Garry stepped down as commander. With this in mind, most fans have pointed their fingers at Palmer, accusing him of the sabotage. It’s unclear when Palmer and Norris assimilated, but it’s possible that one of them picked up the keys after Windows dropped them, destroyed the blood supply, and returned the keys somehow. Those confirmed to be non-Things at that moment were Garry, Copper, Childs, MacReady, Nauls, and Windows, so there was no reason for them to sabotage the test. When they found the sabotaged blood it was still dripping, so the attack was recent.

None of them were Things at the time, and the only ones not on the spot that were later revealed to be Things were Norris and Palmer. The team members who were on the spot when Copper suggested the blood test were Childs, Garry, Fuchs, and MacReady, with Blair locked in the shed, Clark with his dead dogs, Nauls probably in his own area, and Windows recovering from his recent beating, somewhere. Garry was in charge of keeping the keys, and Copper was the only one who had constant access to them. Once they got there, the blood supplies had been destroyed, and they never learned who did it. When the team learned that the creature didn’t need much time to assimilate an organism, Copper suggested they all took a blood test so they could compare it to the samples they had in storage. Related: Why Michael Myers Isn't In Halloween 3 It’s a big cast, but each character played an important role in The Thing, some with more screen time than others, but all of them have been under the microscope for decades, as the film left a big question that fans are still trying to find the answer to. Wilford Brimley as Blair, T.K Carter as Nauls, David Clennon as Palmer, Charles Hallahan as Vance Norris, Peter Maloney as George Bennings, Richard Masur as Clark, Joel Polis as Fuchs, and Thomas Waites as Windows.

Copper, and Keith David as Childs, as well as A.

The Thing stars Kurt Russell as helicopter pilot R.J MacReady, Donald Moffat as station commander Garry, Richard Dysart as Dr.

Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr.