I've never really disagreed with Gently's actions until this episode. I know he sees the world in a rather black and white way, but what gets me is that he is not above bending or breaking the occasional law (like when he did everything but order Bacchus to break into the boys' house for evidence). And quite frankly, I think that should he be given a strong lead on his wife's killer, he'd do much the same as many who have stood before him.
An interesting post! I respectfully disagree. I don't think he sees the world in b-and-w; I think he sees the grays, which is why he has so much compassion for people. Following the rules is not at all incompatible with seeing the full spectrum of human behavior; the former is about wanting a better world, and you can't have that until you really understand what makes people tick, why they do what they do.
I also think his compassion stems from an awareness of how hard it is for anyone to follow all the rules, all the time (and/or, how everyone has some justification for why s/he has broken some rule). In some ep (I can't remember which, bc I've been binge-watching the series), GG acknowledges that tho he has tried to always follow the rules/tell the truth, he has occasionally failed.
And: The show is shot in grays partly (I think) to underscore that GG sees the world in grays rather than b-and-w.
And quite frankly, I think that should he be given a strong lead on his wife's killer, he'd do much the same as many who have stood before him.Interestingly, no! In the pilot, his wife's killer -- a really awful, sadistic, longtime criminal -- is on the ground, wounded, while GG has a gun trained on him; JB urges him to kill the baddie, and GG declines, saying, "There's meant to be a difference between us and them."