MURPHYS [BG Spoilers]

[brentb]

Edited to remove spoiler from title.
 - Griff

Absolutely gutted by Murphy's death-suppose it will make a good story line for future books but why? and also hendricks

[bigdangmoose]

Because the way she was physically was only going to slow Harry down, example is the shopping cart scene. It isn't in her nature to stand by and let Harry go it alone, as exampled by her not staying put at Mac's. She has only been out of one book the entire series. Jim needed a way to shelve her for awhile or permanently but also give her an out worthwhile of her character.

She is now getting the rest she has earned before being awakened to get ready for the end of days. A lot of us believe she will be back before the end of the trilogy.

[The_Sibelis]

Hendricks didn't deserve to die... We need a hendricks microfiction! I wanna know what his thesis was!

[Bad Alias]

She has only been out of one book the entire series. Jim needed a way to shelve her for awhile or permanently but also give her an out worthwhile of her character.

While it's true that she left the city in the first chapter of Dead Beat, she's been shelved for most of the book several times.

Grave Peril: She's barely in the story because she's put to sleep.
Summer Knight: She gets injured after only showing up a couple of times.
Death Masks: She introduces Harry to Butters, goes on "vacation," and Harry talks to her on a cell phone once.
She's pretty involved in BR and from PG to SmF, then she has a medium sized roll in Turn Coat.

And in many of the books she's been highly involved in, her involvement in the action hasn't been the main thrust of her contributions.

My point is that Jim has repeatedly been able to keep her on the sidelines or out of the action in the past without killing her. He could have done it in future books. Especially if Harry is starting up a serious organization. Murphy could have been extremely useful for helping Harry administrator that. Especially since he has about zero experience running anything larger than a squad.

[Sormyst]

Isn't there also something to the admiration that Harry expressed about Lara Raith repeatedly across a number of books? Especially the comments not related to her vampire powers. Seems like a little foreshadowing about a possible future relationship. Especially, with the comments others make about how she treats Harry differently than others - in a weird but positive way i guess

[The_Sibelis]

So I'm wondering about Murphy's inheritance.. I know she had those diamonds, but she also owned her home and iirc made a deal with Marcone for land(in GS, or aftermath?) What happens to these assets? Are we going to see more of Murphy's clan come to town now?

[Arjan]

So I'm wondering about Murphy's inheritance.. I know she had those diamonds, but she also owned her home and iirc made a deal with Marcone for land(in GS, or aftermath?) What happens to these assets? Are we going to see more of Murphy's clan come to town now?

I do not know if that was official real estate or territory under “protection”
If there is no official deed the protection part can be taken over by Murphy’s successors but they have to enforce the claim. Harry will help if asked, just to irritate Marcone and for many other reasons.

For the diamonds it depends what Murphy did with them. If she just told nobody and hid them in the house some family member will have to make some decisions.

[bigdangmoose]

While it's true that she left the city in the first chapter of Dead Beat, she's been shelved for most of the book several times.

Grave Peril: She's barely in the story because she's put to sleep.
Summer Knight: She gets injured after only showing up a couple of times.
Death Masks: She introduces Harry to Butters, goes on "vacation," and Harry talks to her on a cell phone once.
She's pretty involved in BR and from PG to SmF, then she has a medium sized roll in Turn Coat.

And in many of the books she's been highly involved in, her involvement in the action hasn't been the main thrust of her contributions.

My point is that Jim has repeatedly been able to keep her on the sidelines or out of the action in the past without killing her. He could have done it in future books. Especially if Harry is starting up a serious organization. Murphy could have been extremely useful for helping Harry administrator that. Especially since he has about zero experience running anything larger than a squad.

You miss understand what I'm saying. I'm saying she can't physically move the plot point along. Jim removed her from the CPD to be defender of Chicago in Harry's absence. Then Harry came back, but she got physically crippled. So she had lost both her intelligence gathering source and her physical contributions to the team.

So with that said, every book, with the exception of DB, up to this point, Murphy played a factor in it. Jim had evolved her character to the point that she wanted to be physically in the fight all the time, from before being crippled but especially after. So to keep her on the sidelines wouldn't be in character for her.

As for killing her later, he couldn't do it any other way. Just killing her would have pissed people off, believing that she should have gone out in a blaze of glory. The set up for this book was just right for her to go. She didn't feel pain because of Mab, she killed a giant, and because of that she was chosen by Odin for the end of days.

[morriswalters]

Edited to remove spoiler from title.
 - Griff

Absolutely gutted by Murphy's death-suppose it will make a good story line for future books but why? and also hendricks

Maybe going forward his relationships are meant to be purely political. This would seem to fit with Lara.  Did die alone really mean, die without love?

On the other hand Hendricks became redundant with the appearance of Thorned  Namshiel.

[Arjan]

Maybe going forward his relationships are meant to be purely political. This would seem to fit with Lara.  Did die alone really mean, die without love?

On the other hand Hendricks became redundant with the appearance of Thorned  Namshiel.

It also isolates Marcone more. It makes it easier for Namshiel to influence him and corrupt him even further.

[Mira]

On the other hand Hendricks became redundant with the appearance of Thorned  Namshiel.

I totally disagree with that because Hendricks and Namshiel are so different.  Hendricks was the loyal body guard, he had no agenda of his own other than the agenda that Marcone had.  Namshiel is different, as we've seen with the other Fallen, his agenda is his own.  He will go along with his new host and help as long as the goals remain the same, but pressure heavily when they don't. So I could have seen them together on the same page.

Murphy on the other hand, especially after she was injured, did become redundant to a degree to Michael, and even Butters as to who would hand out common sense and moral advice to Harry.  One had to go, and Murphy happened to be that choice.

[Arjan]

Remember Butters and Harry's fake girlfriend?

Hendrix was not redundant for Marcone but he was a potential problem for Namshiel. The fallen like to isolate you from your real friends.

[Bad Alias]

You miss understand what I'm saying. I'm saying she can't physically move the plot point along. Jim removed her from the CPD to be defender of Chicago in Harry's absence. Then Harry came back, but she got physically crippled. So she had lost both her intelligence gathering source and her physical contributions to the team.

So with that said, every book, with the exception of DB, up to this point, Murphy played a factor in it. Jim had evolved her character to the point that she wanted to be physically in the fight all the time, from before being crippled but especially after. So to keep her on the sidelines wouldn't be in character for her.

As for killing her later, he couldn't do it any other way. Just killing her would have pissed people off, believing that she should have gone out in a blaze of glory. The set up for this book was just right for her to go. She didn't feel pain because of Mab, she killed a giant, and because of that she was chosen by Odin for the end of days.

I understand what you're saying. I just disagree. I think Jim's talented enough to have Murphy find a new purpose. It's not really that complicated. Especially after the events of BG (minus Murphy's death). It would easy to imagine Murphy being rehired as a captain in charge of a much larger S.I. once the Chicago government came to terms with the existence of the supernatural. Plenty of people on here theorized she'd get a job with the Librarians or the FBI.

All that said, my only problem with Murphy dying is if we have to deal Harry constantly moping about it. We've already read that book more than once with regards to Susan.

[Mira]

All that said, my only problem with Murphy dying is if we have to deal Harry constantly moping about it. We've already read that book more than once with regards to Susan.

It was worse when she half turned and left Chicago.  Harry went on a super guilt trip, even close to if not clinical depression over that.  When she died, it was bad, mostly Harry not wanting to face his daughter, but though he felt guilty I also think that Harry knew there was no other way to save any of them.  Yes, he is going to mourn Murphy for quite sometime, but it isn't just him anymore, he has a child to consider, that makes a heck of a lot of difference.

[Arjan]

He can not indulge too much because of the children and his other responsibilities.