A DRUNK OCTOPUS WANTS TO FIGHT

Because the way fandom discussions go people will say I’m defending the former. And I’m not. I’m not defending police brutality. These are fundamentally different actions coming from different mindsets and that’s why we talk about it.

Jean, fully sober, stealing mustard from a homeless man is crucial characterization too is the thing. It’s cruel, it’s unusual, it’s a petty display of dominance that is perfectly in line with how he treats Harry for the entire game. Jean is someone who punches down on people.

I can't believe I haven't seen much discussion about Burke being disabled and how that impacts the police response to Harry beating him, because yeah that's also such an important detail. I also think a lot of people severely underestimate how much cops as a whole (and most people in positions of power, but especially cops) aggressively hate homeless and disabled people. You wanna know a real easy way to get people to reveal themselves as fascists? Vaguely mention homeless people around a cop and there's a good chance you'll get a crash course on eugenics.

SO true!

At which point they will find an ovarian cyst, but they now get whatever fucked up satisfaction they derive out of proving you wrong, because you didn't believe it could a cyst at all, but guess what? They did find a cyst! It's such a good thing you didn't listen to your intuition and came to them to verify your lay diagnosis from that third party! Bonus? Doctor doesn't have to feel like they look stupid in front of a patient, which is really what all this is about. Not your health, why would you think your medical diagnosis is about your health? It's obviously about a doctor's potential ego.

And apparently this works. Apparently you just need to be able to always play 4D chess with your medical professionals in order to find an avenue of advocating for yourself and getting you medical needs met. Isn't that great?

Jean is the one who left Harry armed and in a dangerous state in Martinaise to begin with. Inexcusable. He knows Harry is capable of violence. Jean spends the whole game in the canteen where the tribunal is being discussed. Harry actively tries to talk about the case and is ignored. It’s Jean’s own fault if he doesn’t know about the tribunal. And speaking of tribunal? The game lampshades his inexcusable inactivity after! He left Harry and Kim injured while an active shooter was on the loose.

+

None of this is 'woobification' Jean tells Harry plainly that he hates him for being disabled. He says a load of repulsive shit to him. This isn’t about him having hurt feelings because contrary to fandom belief Harry has not spent the last 6 years abusing Jean.

+

Harry IS remorseful for his actions. The literal IMPETUS for the game is that he wants to unbecome a cop and kill himself! We see his remorse and grief intimately! Something Jean doesn’t show.

+

it makes him so much more of an interesting character like in defanging him people reduce him to Ashes they reduce him to Nothing