Burke has continued to track Lottie because catching a serial killer is his only chance to be remembered. Why do you suppose being remembered is so important to him? Do you believe most people strive to be remembered in some way?
Burke was dedicated to protecting the community. He thought he had caught the serial killer but the prosecution was not successful. He wanted to end his career by doing some great thing that would always be remembered - like rid the community of a serial killer. It would have been the future discussion topics of retired police members who sat around weekly and reminisced. I think we all hope to be remembered fondly by those we love, or for things we’ve created or done to bring joy to others, or in some way made a positive difference for those we leave behind.
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Burke didn’t like losing so he dedicated his life to finally catching Lottie. He became obsessed with her. I do not think that most people have the need as Burke did, however, if your life was dedicated to finding killers, and you lose, one could be trapped to this spiral.
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Yes, @Carol_N I totally agree about your opinion of Burke’s obsession of catching Lottie
I felt sorry for Burke. He was so obsessed with catching Lottie that it affected him enjoying his life and retirement. Rather than being remembered for work, I would want to be remembered for being a true friend, a loving family member and a kind person.
Lottie was Burke’s Moby Dick - an itch that he could never stop scratching. I actually think it was a combination of wanting to be remembered and wanting to finally catch the one that got away. I do agree that most people hope to be remembered, but I think that being remembered means different things to different people. It would be sad not to be remembered at all, but I don’t think everyone strives to be remembered the way Burke did.
Regardless of occupation, some people tend to need the accolades from others to prove they are good enough. Some occupations are more likely to require that than others. It was not good enough for Burke personally to have been a good detective - he needed the admiration of others - in my opinion a personality flaw. Most people are satisfied to be remembered as a good mother, a loving wife, a happy person, but there are those who must have a greater remembrance - something larger to feed their ego.
I think most people want to be remembered and for Burke it seemed that catching Lottie would have been the highlight of his career. He would be remembered as the one that caught the woman serial killer. However, his obsession was detrimental to his life and was it worth it? Not in the end!
Having worked in the 3rd largest law enforcement agency in the US for 14 years, I know how cops think. The good ones who are truly dedicated to the department’s mission do not ever want to fail. They want to solve cases and see justice done. And yes, they want credit for doing that. Burke was very typical in that regard. His gut told him that a killer evaded punishment . . . and that feeling was not something he could live with.
Thanks for your insight.
Burke was obsessed with proving Lottie was the killer. He’d caught her years ago, but wasn’t able to prove her guilt. He was totally aware of Plum wanting to do the docuseries to somehow catch Lottie in a lie. When Plum disappeared, he was determined to catch Lottie this time, and also reveal her past guilt. It ruined his life, and took his life, because he couldn’t live with not proving her guilty. He wanted to amend that failure, prove his worth., and be remembered for it. He couldn’t live with that failure. I think the majority of individuals want to be remembered by the friends and family that loved them. Beyond that, I don’t care who remembers me.
Burke was obsessed with catching Lottie because she was the one who got away. And if he had been successful he would have been a hero and remembered for that. I also think that we want to be remembered favorably by our friends and neighbors.
I think most people want to be remembered in ways that are important to them. Some want to be remembered by family and friends for the positive influence they had on their lives. Others focus on professional achievements or public acclamation. Burke wanted to be remembered as a good cop; that was his identity. Recently, I had the experience of attending a funeral in which the eulogy was written by the deceased. His focus was on his professional achievements. His family had to edit the document because it was so lengthy. I found that very sad but also reflective of the importance that the individual had placed on awards and recognition during his lifetime.
How interesting that he chose to be remembered for achievements and recognition. Years ago I read a memorial also written by the deceased. She wrote of family, friends and love.