ok so im going to be VERY mentally ill about "mystery of the druids" for a couple of paragraphs now, specifically halligan & lowry and their rivalry/relationship dynamic.
no human being should ever think this much about a terrible PC game from 2001, but i did, and here it is...
THE RIVALRY! Why does Lowry show so much animosity towards Halligan?
Let us consider this: Halligan must demonstrate a level of competency at his job that keeps him employed. If we look at the events throughout the game, Halligan manages to solve the murder case without any funds, without access to the computer database, and without conventional tools or weapons. Remember - he manages to commandeer an elite fishing rod to retrieve salt deposits from a dock. Who problem solves like that? He displays an unconventional approach to problem solving that may seem insane, but proves to actually be extremely effective and inspired. I am going to argue that this cannot be the first case that Halligan has shown these unique traits - he may be a disaster of a human being in most considerations, but he's undeniably successful when it comes to unearthing the truth and getting results.
And THAT'S the true reason why Lowry despises him so much - that Halligan, with nothing going for him in life at all, is so remarkable at being a detective. Halligan's never had to actually work for it, but he's innately talented at solving cases. And what does Halligan do with these rare talents? He solves cases so that he can then waste his pay by gambling and sitting in his dingy office, throwing darts, smoking and eating pizza. It's like the ultimate spit in the face to Lowry, who is so very methodical and thorough in every manner - that Halligan has this innate and almost "magical" intuition to solving cases, and then treats the whole thing like one big joke (remember the joke warrant that got Halligan banned from the database.) It infuriates Lowry to no end, and he can then only channel this frustration into trying to disprove his own feelings of inadequacy. He presents himself as neat, stylish, wealthy, and successful to try and indirectly undermine Halligan and try to reclaim his wounded ego. Lowry surrounds himself with objects of status and his own success. Although Lowry isn't even consciously aware of it, Halligan makes him feel ineffective and insecure - and these repressed emotions manifest as an outer vitriol and spite. (I would argue that Lowry isn't even interested in Janet, he just wanted the date as a way to tell himself that he's "better" than Halligan.)
Let us then consider the following hypothetical: could Lowry potentially let go of this jealousy and rivalry? A hypothetical turning point in the narrative where Lowry is faced with an inner realization that his feelings of inadequacy are self-indulgent, and only hindering both parties. Lowry admits to himself that Halligan - even if undeserving - has a keen ability for uncovering potential leads and evidence. Lowry realizes he could bring focus and precision to Halligan's "reckless" efforts by offering his own organizational skills, knowledge of protocol, and resources (see: office stationery) to the table. In this way, Lowry and Halligan could both complete what the other party lacks! Perhaps, even entirely by accident, the two awkwardly stumble into the realization they actually work really well together in the field.
Halligan admits he may have been too dismissive of Lowry because he felt inadequate when confronted with Lowry's wealth, luck with ladies, status, and outward aura of control - and Lowry confesses his previously hidden feelings of jealousy. They both realize that they were kind of alike, in their silly inadequacies! Could they begin to move past their initial rivalry, and begin a tentative partnership and friendship? Maybe Lowry could offer a helping hand in getting Halligan's office tidied up, and Halligan could offer Lowry a valuable new insight into unconventional detective methods he had never considered before.
..............ok did you actually read this far? that's fucking incredible. anyway,
NOW THAT WE HAVE LAID ALL THE GROUNDWORK, WE CAN MAKE IT GAY!!! 🏳️🌈 after that, they fall in love and give each other kisses!!! 💋 mwa mwa xoxo ♥️ HA HA! it was all a PLOY so that I could be self-indulgent and make it a slash romance!!! 😎
