What is Quinn's angle?

[Orbert]

I finally got a chance to re-watch the last episode, and something jumped out at me that I noticed the first time, but we really haven't talked about yet.

When Cael and Quinn are having their little chat, right before Quinn convinces Cael to call Dahlia, Cael is being a typical teenager, complaining about his dad, etc. Quinn is providing the sympathetic ear, Cael needs that right now, and Quinn knows it. But at one point, Quinn says quite adamantly "Wayne Malloy is doing what every good man before him has done; he's doing right by his family. And don't you forget it!" Sure, Quinn is playing Cael, but this sentiment struck me as genuine. We don't know much about Quinn, but if he's a family man, a father, then I'm sure that this is something he truly believes. He even goes on, "He is fulfilling his destiny, an example to us all, a King amongst Travellers" or something like that. He then raises a glass to Wayne Malloy. And once again, this struck me as genuine, whatever his underlying motives.

So the question is: What is Eamon Quinn up to? Why build up Wayne to his son? Why make a scene before the others about how he, a Quinn, and Cael, a Malloy, are standing side-by-side in a show of unity. It seems that there is some well-known animosity between the Malloys and the Quinns which Eamon is using here. Is it his Big Plan to unite the Clan, the Malloys and the Quinns (and whatever other lesser families are there), with himself as its leader? Now that Dale has done him a favor and taken Earl Malloy out of the picture, maybe his plan is to somehow also remove both Dale and Wayne. Dale he clearly doesn't consider a real opponent, but just as clearly, Wayne is. But with both of them gone, Cael would be the ranking Malloy, so it also makes sense that he would need Cael on his side. In a subordinate position of course.

This won't work unless Wayne is either eliminated in such a way as to appear an accident, or in a way which makes Wayne look bad in Cael's eyes, enough to make him throw his support behind Quinn. Behind him.

I don't know... I'm just throwing some thoughts out there. Anyone else have any theories?

[unholyghost2003]

[Orbert]

[unholyghost2003]

[Dian55]

[Dian55]

Orbert, call me a skeptic, but I didn't think anything about QUINN was honest. He seems evil to me .

[unholyghost2003]

[Orbert]

Hmmm, I just thought of something else.

Quinn convinced Cael to call his mother and assure her that everything is all right, because she must be worried sick and all that. Which is true, and Cael did. Then Quinn called Wayne to basically challenge him and say "Oh, and by the way, I've got your son."

We know that Wayne and Dahlia are currently separated (wow, I never thought of it that way before), but how does Quinn know that? It's the middle of the night, and Wayne and Dahlia would normally be about two feet away from each other. Cael just told Dahlia "I'm alright; I'm with friends" and then two minutes later Quinn calls Wayne and says "I've got your son." How is that supposed to work?

I can't think of any plausible explanation that doesn't include Quinn not knowing that Wayne and Dahlia aren't together right now and sharing every scrap of information. Therefore either it's a plot hole, or Quinn's intelligence network is better than we realized. It's only been a few days, and it's not particularly obvious that Wayne and Dahlia are on outs.

Unless (I just thought of this, too) that fake Private Investigator has been watching the house and knows Dahlia comes home at crazy hours and/or has another place downtown, and has been passing this information to Quinn.

Dian55: Quinn is definitely evil, but that doesn't dismiss or contradict his respect for Wayne. Remember when Quinn and Dale were talking in that diner (the conversation to which unholyghost2003 referred)? When Dale told Quinn that he had Wayne in the bag, Quinn stuck a fork into Dale's arm, hard. Yeah, he's evil, a true psychopath. He showed no remorse whatsoever about it, and it was just to prove a point. That he has no respect for Dale at all, no fear of him, and that he considers the very idea the Dale could outsmart Wayne Malloy so ludicrous that he was actually insulted that Dale would even try to tell him that.

Skepticism is a good thing. But no character in this show is black and white, and even if Quinn is pretty much "pure evil", that does not rule out him having smarts, and with it respect for an adversary. He's playing a game with Cael, but what he said about Wayne was sincere, or at least mostly sincere.

[unholyghost2003]

[ZinglebertBembledack]

I haven't finished watching the second series yet.

Quinn appears, to me, to be the writers recreating Dale as a frightening character. Yes, before he was a sociopath, but he was also comic relief. Quinn is a similar character, but not ignorant, so there are no "Oh, goofy Quinn" moments. Maybe ignorance got him into prison, but he is educated now. Dale is no longer a threat since he can be bought off (he wants some of the profits) and he has killed someone, but they're keeping Quinn's motivations hidden.

Anyway, into the character discussion. Quinn is educated, yet he goes directly to the camp after prison. His goals must be tied up with the travelers. Quinn has a degree or something in Philosophy, so likely he studied morality, so he likely knows it but that doesn't mean he follows it. There's the phrase "honour among thieves", and the traveler clan certainly embodies that, so maybe Quinn has at least a respect for his worthy opponents beyond how difficult it will be to overcome them. That, or to make him a complete psychopath would create a totally-evil character, and those get pretty boring (predictable, unchanging, simple).

On the plot hole, Dale is Quinn's spy, and he has been often around the house or in even in the house without the occupant's knowledge. It does seem like the writers were taking the current status of the Riches for granted, but it could be explained by the spies, or maybe Quinn believes Wayne won't tell his wife.