My Indictment of an Unlikely Suspect as The Crooked Man. Long, but worth your time!
Hey guys,
After actually checking this board out, I love the discussions lately, especially those about Vivian being the killer. I am on board with that, but most of us agree she (killer or not) works for the Crooked Man, and I have a guess as to who that is. It is easier, because there is much less conflicting evidence, to say that the Crooked Man or the mastermind is some yet unrevealed character. The theory of the “crier” or “red-haired man” comes to mind. It’s a great theory, and it may turn out to be true. When I was looking at the evidence and the story, I realized there is a good argument for a character that is canon, but still fits.
That said, my indictment of this canon character indeed may rule out my pick to some of you, but please follow me on this, and see for yourself if I haven’t made a case for this dark-horse. After that, please feel more than free to comment. His role in the canon seems to be rather minor, and I do have explanations as to how it could be resolved, but canon notwithstanding, Dr. Swineheart may well be the Crooked Man, and/or the mastermind. At the very least, I think he is implicated.
Here's why: He has a unique position, which grants him respect, rights to private lives, and access to key information. He (along with Vivian) is the only character who has been mentioned early on and continues to be mentioned even in episode 4 preview. He (even more than Vivian) has ties to, literally (using the word correctly) every group and fable. He has conveniently been given information that we may have overlooked. He may appear to be missing a motive, however, by looking at the fairy tale on which he is based, making a (not necessary, but auxillary) connection, and looking at his moral character (as we can see solely from the game) and his description, I think, even with the Canon intact, Dr. Swineheart is at least a good dark-horse pick to be the crooked man and/or mastermind. At best, he might just be the most likely suspect.
First, let's look at how pervasive and ubiquitous this guy is in everyone's life. Recall Snow's line in the very early part of episode 1, "Dr. Swineheart was appointed Fabletown physician for a reason!" The reason is his expertise, but this quote is said to Bigby, who as we gather from Snow's tone, doesn't hate the doc, but is wary of him, or at least feels his services and advice are not necessary. From this quote we can also extrapolate that *Dr. Swineheart is the only doctor out there for all the fables. * This seems to go with the canon (to my limited knowledge). The man has an all access pass to the private lives and physical bodies of every character. The latter is significant because he could gather blood or hair, as well as information via casual comments like "that's a beautiful perfume you're wearing Ms. Snow. What's it called?" from which glamours, for instance, could be derived. He could do this with every fable. If this doesn't sound like a powerful tool to you, think about if your doctor shared information about you openly with whomever (your neighbors and enemies, especially). There doesn't seem to be any doctor-patient confidentiality in Fabletown, and nobody seems to question it. Most of the men don't like following his advice, but his skills never come into question. Neither does his character, though it should, and I will call that into question next.
Let’s remember how trusted this man is. The ever-scrupulous and steadfast Snow never for an instant is bothered when, Bigby asks about where Faith's body is. Let's not forget this: The body of Faith isn't lost; Doc Swineheart has it. Snow quickly replies, "Dr. Swineheart will probably want to run more tests on it" without batting an eye. Isn't it odd that the body just happens to fall into his hands without explanation or questioning but the head is just neatly placed there for all to find? Bloody Mary could have teleported in, using any pane on the Woodlands apartments at night as a reflective surface and placed it there, under the direction of the Crooked Man, who I argue is Swineheart. It is also odd that he is so trusted, because he freely shares (both truthful and falsified) information about other patients. Recall that after Bigby gets shot at Lily's funeral, he casually asks Swineheart about the condition of Holly and Gren. Also remember that Bigby is not exactly best friends with either of them. He's known both for only one day, and in that day has managed to mutilate one, and has crashed the funeral of the other's (seemingly) only sibling. Well, Swineheart just as casually replies that they took a cab back and were sent off with some juniper-water. First, if that were in today's world, would be a huge breach of legal contract, not to mention ethical taste. Second, the second part of that statement is a complete lie. Recall he actually sent them off with "Barmicidal Ambrosia". Ambrosia meaning "food for the gods" and "Barmicidal" meaning "something made up, but sounds like and acts as 'barbituates' do and are basically Marilyn Monroe drugs". Well, the doc here does his best to keep Bigby, Holly, and Gren out of commission for that night's Crane-mop-up-operation all while operating under the guise of a beneficent doctor. He tells Bigby to stay healthy and not go out. He gives the stubborn Gren a powerful drug and warns him not to drink with it (even though he knows and hopes he will). He gives the grief-stricken Holly the same drug, hoping to keep her in a haze (it works) and lies to Bigby about it. Notice too that Bigby clearly sees Gren is messed up, but does not question the doc's practice of medicine when he finds out he has been lied to and the others have been given (supposedly unecessarily because they're "Titans", a powerful sedative). This conspicuous absence of intrigue means both that Bigby trusts Doc so much he doesn't think about it (or at least question it), as well as (perhaps), the writers of TWAU might not want us to be thinking about Swineheart as a bad guy. There is just enough evidence (more to come) to retroactively justify a case for Dr. Swineheart , yet not nearly enough for most to even consider him. It's a ripe level of interest for a plot-twist. Let's look at Swineheart's own Fable entry and the story on which his character is based for more character-compromising evidence, and then to my last, yet greatest piece of evidence: the symbolism, from which I will make a prediction.
Dr. Swineheart’s Book of Fable’s entry states that he is a so a skilled surgeon that he is capable of performing surgery on himself (cool), and often does it just to impress locals (not so cool, kind of serial killer, sado-masochistic creepy, actually). Many of you have been saying how there might be a need for a clone of someone (perhaps it wasn’t Crane in the photos, etc.). A surgeon of Swineheart’s caliber wouldn’t even have to use a glamour to alter one’s appearance, and it could be more accurate. Either way, his story is based off the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale, “The Three Army Surgeons”. In the tale, three surgeons, one of which actually is Dr. Swineheart, agree to do the aforementioned “parlor trick” if you will. Overnight, their organs are snatched up by a cat, and Swineheart’s heart is replaced by a pig’s heart. Swineheart survives the ordeal, but is a changed man and longs for his human heart back. This sort of ordeal creates a dilemma in a character, wherein the adversity can be overcome (as it seemingly is) to form a hero, or it can fester and turn the character into a villain, which is what I think is going on. *I believe that Swineheart does these sick acts not to procure wealth. That is incidental. His main motivation is revenge upon the Fabletown, which, in its strict adherence to conform to a Mundy image, demands something from Swineheart that he knows he will never be able to achieve. Even at his very best, Fabletown won’t let Swineheart be able live down his past, or even his present identity as part man, part pig (no bear here). The entire system of Fabletown, the “rules”, which Bigby tells Toad (during the first conversation of the game) he doesn’t make, subvert not only Swineheart’s identity as a man, but also his talent, which even before the incident, was the prime component for his very character and how he saw himself. *
So that is one piece of symbolism, but if you’re not yet sold, let’s look at one last bit of symbolism. The names of the upcoming chapters and episodes are important. All of the chapter names though, have to do with character development and storyline. Episodes four and five, respectively, are “In sheep’s clothing” and “Cry Wolf”. Many of us were looking at the titles of the upcoming episodes and realized a few have to do with pigs, which is why the Boy who cried wolf theory is such a good one. It is also the same reason why a lot of us (myself included) think Colin will be involved, and possibly killed. The second chapter of episode 5 is called, “This house of straw”. We know the story of how Colin and Bigby met, but it would be hard to tie Colin into this without some sort of intermediary. I do not think that the second backstory (1st is Woodsman vs Bigby) to which we are introduced is just arbitrary character development about Bigby and Colin. The whole scene (unlike the Woodsman scene) seems at the time to be tangential and almost optional to the plot, but I don’t think it ultimately will be.
If you recall, the interaction here is very heavy in terms of allegory, and we are shown such antithesis between Bigby’s glamoured form and Colin’s animal form. Bigby is a rather handsome fellow with full human anatomy & physiology, and Colin is a rather unsightly pig who must beg his roommate to take care of him as we would take care of a dog. However, all this goes on while Colin, the animal, is giving Bigby, the “human”, a lecture on how to be humane and act around other people. One looks like a pig, but acts like an adult, one looks like an adult but acts like a pig. Significantly, there is someone in this tale who actually is a pig, but looks and acts like an adult. What fable has both: 1) what Colin is and what Bigby wants and 2) what Bigby is and what Colin wants? Which human-porcine hybrid has a fully functional, bipedal, human body that Colin so needs as well as the respect, trust, and charm that Bigby so needs? Why it just happens to be good Dr. Swineheart! Admittedly, this next part is the “not necessary, but auxillary” stretch, but even without it, the theory holds. It calls for some poetic license, the exact kind that this series uses and has used to tie stories together.
What if we find out that the pig’s heart Swineheart received was possibly from Colin’s farm, perhaps even that of one of Colin’s dead brothers? That’d give Swineheart a reason to kill Colin. I, like many of you guys, predict Nerissa will be the next victim. I’ve thought so too, and think the killer is Vivian. One thing that solidifies her place as the killer (or at least being implicated) is the way she says, “these lips are sealed”. Unlike the rest of the girls, Vivian says the phrase proudly, and with a smile. Ultimately, I think she is being used by Swineheart, or by whomever the Crooked Man ends up being. I then predict around the end of episode 4 or the start of episode 5, Colin will be killed. I think Swineheart might do this one personally, however. That or, Bloody Mary will be used (we know there is a mirror in Bigby’s apartment). Even if Swineheart’s backstory has no relation to Colin’s, the fact that he has the heart of a pig in itself may be symbolic. We know the killer likes symbolism and sending messages (the placement of Faith’s head).
That’s to say, Swineheart can function as a human for all intents and purposes, but when it comes down to it, his moral fiber is subhuman, and he has the heart of, as Toad would say, “one of those animals”. You can take the heart of a pig and place it in a man, but once it’s there, you can’t take the pig (the greed for one's own agenda, the sociopathic, rutting-like fixation of revenge) out of the man, and that new man becomes his very name and identity.
Well there you have it. It is speculative, but it makes a lot of sense to me, and I wanted to toss in another name that nobody had considered. Though I spent a while think and typing this up, I still might not pick Swineheart over B.C.W. (the “crier” or “red-headed man”), only because of having to fit Swineheart into canon will be hard. It does seem odd to me as well that a random background character (I do not buy that it is just a reoccurring model – the red headed man is on purpose) would end up being the final villain. It has been done before though. In Kenji Kamiyama’s Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. Solid State Society, the main antagonist who is known simply as “The Puppeteer”, was a random background character. He is seen in the background, throughout the movie many times. What’s more, the very first time that The Major, the purple-haired, female protagonist (who looks a lot like Snow) spotted the elusive villain was: in her apartment building on her way to the elevator just as he was coming off of it… So there TellTale! Someone has done that before! 
But one major advantage with the crier is that you wouldn't have to fix the Crooked Man up into going into the canon, but the author of the theory himself, says that he is skeptical that the crier is the killer or the Crooked Man, and is perhaps just being used by him or someone else. The Queen of Hearts theory (supported by the actual magic mushroom in the Twins’ room and Mary’s “long live the Queen” statement) is seems tenuous, but plausible and helpful, as it would leave Swineheart or whoever, with an out, saying he was manipulated by someone even greater. There would be no fixing up here either.
As for how Swineheart might be resolved, it is hard to say. It is possible Swineheart realizes what he has done and uses his money (or makes Bluebeard use his) to buy a permanent memory wipe spell for himself. It’s possible that Bigby, Snow and the 13th floor make him do this as punishment, as they recognize him for the asset that he is. It is possible that maybe it isn’t the same Dr. Swineheart. Perhaps he had a brother or a father who was equally a skilled surgeon and they took his name as a necronym after the original was pushed down the wishing well. My basis for that idea is, while everybody looks somewhat different, Swineheart’s illustrations look radically different than how he is in the comics – much older, shorter and fatter. Considering fables are not supposed to age that fast, we could be dealing with another person. Perhaps Bluebeard and Bigby, seeing the value of reform over reprisal, step in and force sentence Swineheart to “parole” (he does seem to be the only doctor afterall) in place of killing him. We do know that mercy vs. killing is a common theme in the story. Who knows with the world of magic, or with TellTale? I suppose that’s why we play and write comments that turn into ridiculous essays like these.
Cheers.
Comments
You know, after looking at what BM says at the end of episode 3: I really don't think it has anything to do with an incoming queen as a villain. I think that whole long live the Queen thing was taken out of context and the internet ran with it, especially when the Wikipedia page began to say it was hinting at a new villain. I think she is just talking about Snow becoming the new acting Mayor of Fabletown.
Also, I am wondering if the choice to Kill Dum or not might actually be a big choice for how the game is played out. Either that, or it won't actually matter at all.
I am not convinced the twins are actually twins. I am wondering if it just Dee. Ever notice how at every Dum sighting (there have only been two), a sighting the the red-hared man immediately precedes it? I am wondering if Dum is just a glamour borrowed from Dee, slapped onto the crier. If that is the case, then most likely, Dum doesn't actually die when you kill him. If they do intend to run with the whole BCW arc, I doubt they would let you kill off a villain three seasons in the making just by making a choice before he even debuts. In that case, you might need a Doctor of some sort, to revive Dum right after the events...
If Swineheart is capable of such a feat, it's not unreasonable, as someone suggested, that Faith's body, at least, could still be "alive", masquerading as another person, perhaps Narissa, or possibly Bloody Mary, even. Before you write off Swineheart as incapable of being able to sew up a dead person like Dum or Faith, just remember the conversation with Nerissa about her legs. Bigby asks if it was a glamour. She said no, they were real, but that they were expensive. Swineheart could take care of the cosmetics, and as far as "implanting" another soul might go...well that is a bit harder to explain.
However, I do know there is another black market witch out there. If you check Lily's things from right before the fight with Bloody Mary, check the glamour tube. It is not of a white deer (Greenleaf). It is of a white dove, the first time we have seen that one. This would suggest Lily was getting her Snow glamours from Greenleaf for Crane, but may have been getting her glamours for the Woodsman from another witch. Might also explain how BM got his axe.
A smart guy like Swineheart, with good connections to witches, all the information in the world, would not even have to fight Bigby to be a huge pain in the ass. Get Crier/Dum and Dee, or Crier, Dum, and Dee on Surveillance. Get the pretty girls to control his other enemies, like Crane, Beast, Jack, Holly, Woodsman, possibly Bluebeard and Snow even by keeping them in debt, having them become whoever the client wants and playing mind games with them. Alternatively, you could have them become whomever some party close to Bigby doesn't to be involved. For instance, when "Toad" supposedly told the Trip Trap about Lily's Body right after we know that Toad said he would keep quiet about all of it because he is afraid for his son's life. Or have the girls become a victim like Faith to Bigby and Woodsman, or Lily to Holly or "Snow" to Snow. This would also mess up people close to Bigby. You would simply have to manipulate your way into making everyone around Bigby hate and or fear him even more and vice versa, until a tipping point is reached. That is why episode four's chapters are a lot about restraint and Bigby being great, feared, redeemed, and then happy.. Shapeshifting in the hands a genius is just as deadly, and much cleaner (and more interesting) than raw power. Just set em up and knock em down.
Dee and Dum are twins.
From what i remember, Nerissa got legs during her story from a witch.
Sorry to spoil the comics fo ya (if you planning to read them):
Colin is still alive in the comics.
Yes you're right, I realize he lives now. Well, I believe he will be targeted. Perhaps Bigby or some antihero (I'm picking Bluebeard as an antihero) will step in at the last second and save him.
See 14:05 - 14:16
I am confident about the Nerissa accusation. The Dum and Dee one was more of a theory, I wasn't sure. It's why I said "Get Crier/Dum and Dee, or Crier, Dum, and Dee on Surveillance".