Why would M say that?!

Well it's been two years. So has James Bond chasing this dude around for two years to get revenge? It seems like the state SPECTRE was in by 1971 Blofeld was probably a lot less relevant than he was just two years ago. I imagine just like OHMSS Bond couldn't let getting this guy get away go. And he would have been worse about it after Tracy's death, not that you can tell if you watched DAF. M was probably really annoyed with Bond at this point.

Nothing ever suggests this movie is a sequel to OHMSS.

Hunting Blofeld I guess was more of a personal thing.


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I guess he means he can focus on actual assignments rather than going around the world strangling women with their bikini tops.

I think M was referring to Blofeld killing Tracy

Nowhere near as insensitive as Moneypenny asking Bond to bring back a diamond, in a ring.

It's been suggested before that they just ignored OHMSS and carried on from YOLT. That's why the film opens with Bond still in Japan and explains Moneypenny's remark, since Bond wasn't a widower, M thought Blofeld dead after the volcano blew up, (we know Blofeld was alive at the end of OHMSS so why would M think he was dead) and Bond' reaction when he meets Blofeld. I don't know about any of you guys but if I mt my wife's murderer I'd rip the head off his shoulders and crap in the stump. I wouldn't sit there politely chatting.

It was always left purposely ambiguous. Bond's relentlessly hunting Blofeld, but it also begins in Japan. That leaves either option open to interpretation. Most of the script seems to ignore OHMSS more than acknowledge it:

In addition to M's comment we have:

1. Monepenny's comment about James bringing her "a diamond...on a ring". Not really the time to go back to their old flirtation if he'd lost his wife and just achieved closure.

2. After finding Blofeld still alive, there's no hint his anger has returned. He treats him no differently than any other villain.

3. His willingness to sail around the world with Tiffany at the end. Bedding her as part of a mission is one thing. Establishing a personal relationship, is another.

Tracy isn't mentioned again until "The Spy Who Loved Me". I'm guessing the feeling was enough time had passed to acknowledge the painful backstory, for Bond to have moved on in life, and for Moore to be settled in the role.

When M says to Bond "May I remind you that Blofeld's dead, the least we can expect from you is plain solid work!" Isn't that very mean since Blofeld killed his wife in the previous film OHMSS. What do you guys think?

I think what it meant was M allowed Bond a lot of leeway to go after Blofeld for personal reasons given Blofeld was responsible for Bond's wife's death in OHMSS (Bond is see killing his way to Blofeld at the beginning of this film), and once Blofeld was eliminated, M expected Bond to return to some semblance of normalcy. This somewhat conflicts with elements later in the film given the fact Bond doesn't go apesh*t when he discovers Blofeld is still alive.