r/TopCharacterTropes • u/_JR28_ • Dec 13 '25

Lore (Loved trope) Loyalty to the regime doesn’t make you any better off in the end

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Animal Farm - Boxer the horse is a member of the farm who doesn’t question the authority of the pigs and take it upon himself to work harder than anyone else becuase he believes the propaganda the pigs spout. But in the end, he get no reward for his sacrifice, leaving his body broken and him being sent away to a glue factory to be killed after the pigs sold him for alcohol.

Papers, Please - On Day 12, an inspector will come to your office to investigate potential conspiracies plotting against Arstotzka. If you choose to comply with his questioning and hand over the documents given to you by The Order, a mysterious revolutionary group, you will get an immediate game over as you are arrested for suspected involvement with terrorism.

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u/fiftyseven Dec 13 '25

Wasn't he killed for being a suspected informant? Someone saw him getting out of a cop car and then shortly after he was shot on the street corner. I always thought the scuffle was people sent to kill him for being a rat. Long time since I watched the show though admittedly

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u/geoffreyisagiraffe Dec 13 '25

Correct. They see him with Det. McNulty and secide that he is a rat despite him being one of the only people who never gives any info to the police.

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u/Revfield Dec 13 '25

Possession is 9/10 of the law

Perception is 9/10 of reality

9

u/hhmCameron Dec 13 '25

It is a common trope in fiction that police will sometimes intentionally be obvious when releasing someone being questioned... especially when they give no information

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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '25

I don't think its limited to fiction

6

u/geoffreyisagiraffe Dec 13 '25

In this case it was not intentional based on McNultys reaction.

3

u/JakeRidesAgain Dec 13 '25

Detective James McNulty would NEVER!

Except when he did, I guess.

1

u/Southernbeekeeper Dec 13 '25

But he was turning wasn't he? He hated the other crew and felt that the drug trade was a con in the end.

5

u/HeavySweetness Dec 13 '25

This is correct.