Bond is known for duels, not for dual narratives, yet the opening of Skyfall gives us both. This movie is a gift that keeps on giving.

We have two parallel storylines at the beginning—Bond's and M's. Bond is chasing Patrice to get that list, while M is back at MI6 yelling at him about said list. When Bond "dies," M's storyline takes over briefly.

The storylines converge when Bond returns from the dead and begins working with M again. After that, everything shifts primarily to Bond—it is his movie, after all—but we do get glimpses into M's frustrated dealings with bureaucracy, like during her dramatic national security hearing.

M often talks about Bond working in the shadows, and there is a third storyline in the shadows—Silva's storyline. He's the puppet master who has been manipulating the strings from the beginning. Severine is a part of his storyline, and when she debuts, she comments on it to Bond.

SEVERINE: You made such a bold entrance into our little drama.

BOND: Did I over-complicate the plot?

SEVERINE: Who doesn't appreciate the occasional twist, Mr…?

BOND: Bond. James Bond.

From here, all three storylines converge—Bond's, M's, and Silva's—leading up to the dramatic shootout at M's hearing. At the end of the film, of course, both M and Silva are dead, leaving only one thread to continue forward—Bond's. The film may giveth, but it also taketh away.