Hey guys. Allow me to yap about Muir and my headcanons for a little bit.
So as we all know, Muir suffers a very real case of separation anxiety---and as a puppet, had some unfinished business... regarding his separation anxiety of course (such is why abandonment is all he thinks about in his puppet state).
What I find interesting is taking this in context with Innes' treatment of him. While yes, I won't deny that they are definitely really good friends who both treat each other well and simultaneously poorly, both ways around, we need to talk about Innes' tendency to push Muir around (and also his jabs at him, to an extent).
Like yeah, my man is inexperienced and can't lift pipes correctly but at least he's doing work while Innes is sitting there smoking, just watching him. It gets me thinking about how much Innes is able to push him around---how much Muir lets him.
Of all things, it seems like Muir's honestly uncanny joy is somewhat rehearsed and insincere. He's protective of what he has with Innes (i.e., cheerfully asking Caz to shoo in the intro cause they're alright and he can handle Innes by himself! Maybe I'm reading too much into it but that evidence is there) because he's not at all willing to lose it.
In my headcanons, his wife left him after having his two sons (source: he has a bunch of photos of his sons and nothing of his wife. Who the fuck does that if not cause you'd rather forget your wife?) and much earlier in his childhood, his father left him as well (source: I just get the vibes; i dunno. Do with that what you will). Perhaps we can say that part of the reason why Muir's personality turns on his head as a monster is because he's been living under some level of pretense for a while. He wants to appear pleasant to others---to have some say in the matter---so that they stay with him.
If anyone rubs him off the wrong way, he can't hold any grudges; he just has to smile and move on. He's stuck on a tiny platform in the middle of the vast sea, anyway---what choice does a man have but to forgive and forget? People can push him around but he can't lash back; deep down, he can't let himself have enemies. He wants friends.
So when he gets a closer friend out of the whole bunch, he'll do anything to protect what they had. Sure, Innes might push his buttons from time to time, but it's all in good fun, right? He can't lash out on him because that would be uncalled for! And what about everything else they had? He can't just throw that all out!
Although deep down, he's been having this suspicion that despite all of that work, Innes sees none of it and is trying to move on---to make other friends (particularly with the new electrician who came in like a couple months ago)... For the weeks leading up to the disaster, he's been subconsciously incredibly worried (losing sleep, too, if you look at his under-eyes) that all his "holding on" was for nothing; that Innes will drift towards Caz at the end of the day and leave him in the dust; that once again, he'll be alone. Of course, he does all he can to stem this possibility. If Innes is thinking of letting Caz under his wing, then Muir will lift his pipes in the worst, most dangerous way until Innes gets the memo that he's not ready to be left alone. If Innes starts bossing him around more than usual, then he has to accept every blow with grateful enthusiasm. He does anything and everything but actually communicate his fears with Innes---because what if that just drives him away? What a terribly predicament to be in, but he keeps holding on in the hopes of something better---that his efforts are working and above all, Innes will stay.
It's only when Muir needs him more than ever in his life (when his body is mutating before him, he is experiencing the worst pain of his life, and he reaches out to Innes) that he finally snaps. After *everything,* when Muir extends his hand (or so, that's what he thinks he's extending), Innes just takes off and runs away. Finally, he gets it---and it only took a horrific, otherworldly fate for him to realize: all of his efforts were for nothing. He suppressed all his negative thoughts/attitudes for the sake of appearing agreeable, all for nothing. He dropped grudges upon grudges for people who, at the end of the day, took off and left him when he needed them most---so what was the point in all of that?
There was no point---only wasted time, wasted energy, and lost sleep; now he is paying the price, and it pisses him right off. He definitely still pleads and tries to play the pity card, but fundamentally he's snapped past the point of no return.
Why would Muir suppress all the poisons in his mind (all of that blinding fury; the raging separation anxiety that he had never opened up to Innes about) when that had never done him any good? He did not make that mistake anymore.
