Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The ghost of his father appears in the garden and directly instructs the fool to pursue the queen. This supernatural command gives the fool the confidence to proceed with his plan, despite the obvious danger. The ghost's intervention is presented as the catalyst that pushes the fool into action.

Foreshadowing: The father's ghost first appears when the fool follows the queen into the garden, establishing the supernatural guidance that drives his fateful decision.

• fool
• queen
• ghost
• father
• aphrodisiac
• elizabethan

The fool is caught by the king while attempting to undo the queen's chastity belt during the aphrodisiac's effect. The king discovers them in a compromising position and sentences the fool to death by beheading. His attempt to satisfy the queen while evading discovery ultimately fails, leading to his execution.

Foreshadowing: The sorcerer warns that the aphrodisiac could lead to the fool's demise if discovered by the king, foreshadowing the fatal outcome.

• fool
• execution
• king
• queen
• chastity belt

After Milos confesses his love for Daisy and asks Dr. Ross to help mediate, Ross becomes increasingly drawn into the bizarre situation. His professional curiosity transforms into genuine emotional attachment, leading him to visit Daisy himself at a hotel. This descent from professional counselor to obsessed lover represents the film's absurdist take on desire and boundaries.

Foreshadowing: Milos mentions that Daisy has become distant, setting up the idea that she needs attention, ironically prompting Ross to fill that role.

• dr ross
• daisy
• sheep
• bestiality
• obsession

Dr. Ross's obsession with Daisy becomes public when his wife discovers his affair with the sheep. This scandal leads to the loss of his medical license and his family, as his wife leaves him. The film presents this as the tragic consequence of his descent into absurdity.

Foreshadowing: The narrative shows Ross progressively more entangled in the situation, from counseling Milos to directly pursuing Daisy.

• dr ross
• wife
• divorce
• medical license
• scandal

The exact catalyst is left ambiguous, but while shopping together, Gina experiences a sudden transformation in which she becomes sexually assertive. This spontaneous change allows the couple to explore their relationship dynamically. The film treats this as a humorous moment of spontaneous desire breaking through social constraints.

Foreshadowing: Fabrizio's desperation and conversations with the priest set up the tension that is released when Gina's change occurs.

• gina
• fabrizio
• desire
• transformation
• public intimacy

Sam has a compulsion to wear women's clothing, specifically his future mother-in-law's dresses. During dinner with his daughter's future in-laws, he sneaks upstairs to try on her clothes, unable to control his urge. This act reveals his secret transvestite tendencies and creates the comedic chaos that follows.

Foreshadowing: The dinner setting and Sam's nervous behavior establish his internal struggle before he acts.

• sam
• transvestite
• cross-dressing
• identity
• comedy

When police arrive at the scene, Sam declares he is three months pregnant as part of the absurd comedic escalation. This farcical claim plays with gender expectations and adds another layer of humor to the segment, highlighting the film's ridiculous approach to sexuality and identity.

Foreshadowing: The escalating chaos of the dinner disaster builds toward this absurd peak.

• sam
• pregnancy
• police
• farce
• gender roles

The game show features contestants revealing their unusual sexual desires or practices to a panel of celebrities who must guess what their "perversion" is. In the shown segment, a contestant admits to exposing himself on subways, and the celebrity panelists make increasingly ridiculous guesses. The segment satirizes both game shows and society's attitudes toward sexual deviance.

Foreshadowing: The show's title and setting establish it as a comedic exploration of sexuality's boundaries.

• game show
• perversion
• celebrities
• subway exhibitionist

Victor Shakapopulis and a reporter visit Dr. Bernardo's clinic where they witness grotesque sexual experiments. One experiment goes wrong and creates a giant breast that terrorizes the area. Victor ultimately defeats it using an absurd method involving a giant match. This segment parodies both mad science and the sensationalism of sexual research.

Foreshadowing: The gas station encounter with the sex expert sets up the journey to the clinic.

• victor
• dr bernardo
• giant breast
• experiment
• mad science

The final vignette portrays the inside of a man's brain as a mission control center where operators manage the physiological process leading to ejaculation. These operators coordinate the "launch" of sperm in a choreographed, frantic manner, treating the biological process like a space mission. The scene culminates in celebration when they successfully achieve their goal, humorously anthropomorphizing male sexual response.

Foreshadowing: The title "What Happens During Ejaculation?" signals this technical, scientific approach to the topic.

• brain
• mission control
• sperm
• ejaculation
• physiology

The film structures itself as seven distinct vignettes based on David Reuben's book about sex, with each segment addressing a different question about human sexuality. This anthology format allows Woody Allen to explore varied aspects of desire, from historical traditions to modern science, while maintaining a whimsical tone. The vignettes are connected thematically rather than narratively, unified by the film's comedic exploration of human intimacy.

Foreshadowing: The opening credits with white rabbits and the Cole Porter song establish the whimsical, episodic structure.

• anthology
• vignettes
• structure
• woody allen
• themes