I think Murphy is going to get killed here is why

[groinkick]

I think that would be a very sad ending for her, better she go out in a blaze of glory.

lol pretty sure you just want her dead, and gone

[g33k]

I think that would be a very sad ending for her, better she go out in a blaze of glory.

I am pretty sure that a long life with loved ones is what Murphy wants for herself -- and deserves -- and anything else would be a tragic outcome.

Very much as Michael -- cane & all -- is now getting his own "happily ever after" with HIS loved ones.

I agree that it looks unlikely to be what Murphy gets...
 

[Mira]

I am pretty sure that a long life with loved ones is what Murphy wants for herself -- and deserves -- and anything else would be a tragic outcome.

Very much as Michael -- cane & all -- is now getting his own "happily ever after" with HIS loved ones.

I agree that it looks unlikely to be what Murphy gets...
 

Don't be so sure, that is one reason why her first marriage failed,  Murphy isn't cut out for domestication.   

[nadia.skylark]

Don't be so sure, that is one reason why her first marriage failed,  Murphy isn't cut out for domestication.

This. I feel like Murphy not being able to go out and fight the good fight anymore, and being stuck at home minding the house and kids, would do far more damage to her than merely dying. Mind you, dying is not a happy ending for her, and she might want to voluntarily retire at some point, but I feel like forcing Murphy into becoming Charity against her will would be devastating to her sense of self.

[huangjimmy108]

Don't be so sure, that is one reason why her first marriage failed,  Murphy isn't cut out for domestication.

The text told us everything we need to know about why Murphy 2 previous marriges fail.

Her first husband, Greg if I remember correctly, suffers from cancer and choose to leave Murphy because he don't want to burden her. From the pictures shown in book 4, those 2 are childhood sweethearts.

According to Murphy, her second husband wanted her to stay at home because he can't handle Murphy having a better career in the police force. From what he did in book 6 by marrying Murphy's sister and Mama Murphy's reaction, what Murphy say has quite some credibility.

From what I see, her 2 previous marriges fail because both of her exs is not strong enough to handle her. Murphy is too compotent, and becoming the spouse of such a woman is never easy for your average man. The same reason why a successful and rich career woman tends to have a hard time finding a husband in real life. The problem is not on the woman, it is on the man. It is easy for a strong man to marry a weak woman, but vice versa?

 difficult, difficult, difficult!!!

Why do you think Mama Murphy look so highly upon Harry once she saw he is able to win an arguement against Murphy? Mama Murphy must have seen a potential son in law right there.

[Mira]

According to Murphy, her second husband wanted her to stay at home because he can't handle Murphy having a better career in the police force. From what he did in book 6 by marrying Murphy's sister and Mama Murphy's reaction, what Murphy say has quite some credibility.

Perhaps, but that hints at more complex problems under the surface...  Didn't he go on to join the F.B.I? 

From what I see, her 2 previous marriges fail because both of her exs is not strong enough to handle her. Murphy is too compotent, and becoming the spouse of such a woman is never easy for your average man. The same reason why a successful and rich career woman tends to have a hard time finding a husband in real life. The problem is not on the woman, it is on the man. It is easy for a strong man to marry a weak woman, but vice versa?

Or perhaps has bad taste in men?  Usually the problems are not quite that one sided.  Quite often if the pair are on an equal footing things fall apart because both are so busy there is no time for the marriage...  Weak men marry strong women all the time for various reasons..  It also depends on how you define what strong or weak mean in either sex, it isn't just about who had the best career or makes the most money, one may want to be controlling, another may like being controlled...

[nadia.skylark]

From what I see, her 2 previous marriges fail because both of her exs is not strong enough to handle her. Murphy is too compotent, and becoming the spouse of such a woman is never easy for your average man. The same reason why a successful and rich career woman tends to have a hard time finding a husband in real life. The problem is not on the woman, it is on the man. It is easy for a strong man to marry a weak woman, but vice versa?

This may be the case, but I hardly think that the solution is to make Murphy weaker.

[kbrizzle]

I could see a couple of different endings for Murphy that don’t require her to become irrelevant to the plot. I agree that a happy domestic life does not seem to be in the cards for her (JB has spent too much time building up nuances in her character & highlighting her importance to Harry for her to simply retire).

I think Murphy will be the link that along with Maggie Jr. helps Harry keep his humanity despite the darker nature of the WK mantle. Not only that, she is Harry’s best friend & moral support system. For these reasons, I think it will be important for Murphy to continue to have a role in the series.

Logically, the couple of ways for her to do this while staying true to her character would be:

• She starts off becoming the head of the Chicago defense league (combining Harry’s allies with logistical support from the Paranet, Marcone & Lara Raith). This might eventually lead to her creating a more national level defense league in the war that is to come.
• Murphy gets a power up that enables her to keep helping Harry as he fights bigger & nastier foes. While there is talk of her becoming a Valkyrie or something, I don’t see it - she is Christian & doesn’t seem to believe in the Norse pantheon. When Harry sees Murphy with his Sight, she has the soul of a warrior angel - perhaps this is foreshadowing that she will eventually get killed & become an angel?

[nadia.skylark]

I think Murphy will be the link that along with Maggie Jr. helps Harry keep his humanity despite the darker nature of the WK mantle. Not only that, she is Harry’s best friend & moral support system. For these reasons, I think it will be important for Murphy to continue to have a role in the series.

Unfortunately, I think you're probably right.

[Mira]

    She starts off becoming the head of the Chicago defense league (combining Harry’s allies with logistical support from the Paranet, Marcone & Lara Raith). This might eventually lead to her creating a more national level defense league in the war that is to come.
    Murphy gets a power up that enables her to keep helping Harry as he fights bigger & nastier foes. While there is talk of her becoming a Valkyrie or something, I don’t see it - she is Christian & doesn’t seem to believe in the Norse pantheon. When Harry sees Murphy with his Sight, she has the soul of a warrior angel - perhaps this is foreshadowing that she will eventually get killed & become an angel?

Isn't there a WOJ that Murphy will never receive a power up?  If not it has been said so often it is hard to think that she will.  Also it will change her if it happens, then what?

I think Murphy will be the link that along with Maggie Jr. helps Harry keep his humanity despite the darker nature of the WK mantle. Not only that, she is Harry’s best friend & moral support system. For these reasons, I think it will be important for Murphy to continue to have a role in the series.

But little Maggie appears to be a wizard, possibly a strong one in her own right... Dad's job is seems will be to keep her from going dark..   Murphy is Harry's friend and perhaps future love interest, but Michael is his best friend, I believe he has stated that in one of the books..  Butters is also an understanding friend, so Murphy isn't the only vanilla anchor to humanity for Harry..

What is interesting by the nature of both Murphy threads both her going forward and she is going to get killed is almost every post is about what she needs to do to stay meaningful not just to Harry but the series... That in my opinion is a danger signal in of itself....  Because keeping her in the series, "just because," isn't a good enough reason...

[Bad Alias]

Even if Murphy is injured enough to keep her out of the field, there are a number of ways in which she can remain relevant to the story in addition to what's already been stated. She was a detective for years. Most of what detectives do is kind of the opposite of kicking in doors. So she can be useful in chasing down leads for Harry, including on the internet. If they're together and not living in a Svartalf fortress, she can have Mouse's old function of keeping their place from exploding while he's out on a case. I'm sure a bunch of other functions can be thought of.

Or she could recover to a point that she is still out in the field to the same extent she has been for most of the series. She's only really been in the thick of it a for a good chunk of the action a few times. Most of the time, she is only in one minor action sequence. In several books she's either put on the bench or a bus and doesn't really do any major fighting anyway.

[kbrizzle]

@Mira
I am not aware of the WoJ, although I’d rather that she not get a power-up too. One of the dimensions of Murphy’s character is her sheer competence - she is able to do some serious damage to supernatural forces (like kill Maeve, or maim the Whamp in GS) because she has the right mindset, knowledge & an understanding of her physical limitations in that arena - she shows how effective vanillas mortals can be if they are physically & mentally prepared.

While Michael is Harry’s best friend, that designation has waned since the whole deal with Lash - instead Harry grew closer to Murphy in the meanwhile. Given his religious beliefs, Michael is also somewhat limited in that capacity - Harry constantly has to watch his cursing around Michael & mentions how uncomfortable Michael was with certain aspects of his relationship with Susan in GP. At some level, Harry wants to impress Michael & be worthy of being his friend because of what a thoroughly good man Michael is - Harry’s relationship with Murphy is on more equal footing.

I like Murphy & hope she is able to stay in a diminished capacity as the things Harry will be dealing with will be well out of her league (& Harry’s). She does annoy me from time to time (like her behavior with the Swords), but her role as someone who keeps Harry grounded & human (likely by being his consort/ gf) will become increasingly important - what other vanilla mortals other than Murphy & Michael (who is retired) does Harry really spend time with post his WK mantle? Interestingly both of them are also his moral & ethical support system, which will also increasingly need as his tasks for Mab become more complex & hence grayer.

@nadia
Why unfortunately?

@Bad Alias
Agreed, any of those would work.

[Mira]

While Michael is Harry’s best friend, that designation has waned since the whole deal with Lash - instead Harry grew closer to Murphy in the meanwhile. Given his religious beliefs, Michael is also somewhat limited in that capacity - Harry constantly has to watch his cursing around Michael & mentions how uncomfortable Michael was with certain aspects of his relationship with Susan in GP. At some level, Harry wants to impress Michael & be worthy of being his friend because of what a thoroughly good man Michael is - Harry’s relationship with Murphy is on more equal footing.

All of that is true, however since Maggie came on the scene I believe they naturally will get closer again.  Michael's place was her home up until now, Harry may turn to both him and Charity for child care advice.  Though what happened to Molly may put a crimp in the relationship.

[nadia.skylark]

Isn't there a WOJ that Murphy will never receive a power up?

I think I've seen that one.

While Michael is Harry’s best friend, that designation has waned since the whole deal with Lash - instead Harry grew closer to Murphy in the meanwhile. Given his religious beliefs, Michael is also somewhat limited in that capacity - Harry constantly has to watch his cursing around Michael & mentions how uncomfortable Michael was with certain aspects of his relationship with Susan in GP. At some level, Harry wants to impress Michael & be worthy of being his friend because of what a thoroughly good man Michael is - Harry’s relationship with Murphy is on more equal footing.

I'm not sure. First, I had always thought that they had grown closer again after Harry took Molly as his apprentice--certainly he couldn't have been avoiding Michael like he was before. Second, trying not to swear in front of someone does not actually affect your emotional connection to that person. Third, yes but it was mostly Harry not telling her that he loved her, which Harry has acknowledged that Michael was right there. Fourth, Michael can help Harry emotionally in a way that Murphy has proven she cannot. At least twice in the series, in Proven Guilty and Skin Game, Harry has been emotionally damaged by something he's done, has tried talking to Murphy about it but failed to fix anything, and has had the problem resolved with one conversation with Michael.

Why unfortunately?

Because I don't like Murphy. She was never my favorite character, but I still enjoyed reading about her  until Cold Days...look, I know it's not the way Jim wanted the scene to be read, but I can't not read the scene where she demands that she keep the Swords as anything but a particularly vicious bit of emotional manipulation. And just when I was getting over that, I was re-reading the series and got to Fool Moon...in the scene where Harry talks to his subconscious, the things he says about how it's his fault about Murphy and how he should trust her (and sleep with her) really do read as an abusive relationship. Between the two scenes, suddenly my interpretation of Murphy throughout the books shifted, and now even stuff I didn't mind before seems objectionable.

[kbrizzle]

All of that is true, however since Maggie came on the scene I believe they naturally will get closer again.  Michael's place was her home up until now, Harry may turn to both him and Charity for child care advice. Though what happened to Molly may put a crimp in the relationship.

Agreed, especially since we know Michael’s feelings about magic & Fae in general.

@nadia
While Michael & Harry have undoubtedly gotten closer (especially after SG), also remember how uncomfortable Michael is around some of Harry’s magical abilities (granted it is less so in SG than GP). My larger point here is just that Michael is more of a black/ white person while Harry is shades of gray. Therefore there will always be parts of Harry that Michael will judge (not always a bad thing). Also, a person can have 2 best friends, especially if he will be sleeping with one of them (probably needs 2 in that case). Also Murphy is on the path to becoming Harry’s girlfriend, so it’s a different kind of friendship.

Murphy has always been portrayed as headstrong & willing to do what she thinks is right - in many ways this is a good quality (like in PG or BR), but it is also a double edged sword (like in FM or CD when turned against Harry). I understand why she does what she does (even if a bit of manipulation is thrown in) - it remains consistent with her character. But agreed that since CD I’ve started finding her more annoying than I ever did before. Not to mention that she was the wrong choice in SG - Thomas would’ve been the best & would likely have picked up that Ascher had taken up a Coin.