Thoughts on Special Agent Oso

15.08.23

Found this in an old notebook, written about a year ago, and finally have a suitable place to publish. That was not edited since then - thus very messy.

I watched the video about Oso and I think I've solved the series.

The Shutterbugs film children all around the world and no one is bothered? That's because surveillance is very normalized. Not only that, but the government agency has inserted itself into private lives of the civilians. Everyone knows that surveillance is "for their own good" - whenever there is a problem, there is a chance that a government agent will arrive and help you. They're by no means limited to helping kids - it's just that Oso, due to his condition, is stuck with rudimentary tasks. Dottie, Wolfie or other employees might be dealing with actually difficult problems.

Yes, UNIQUE's main job is enforcing that every aspect of people's lives is under control, as well as normalizing the government intervention even in the most intimate business. That's why they get so much funding - it's a vital part of the totalitarian state, of course the higher-ups pour oceans of money into it.

Agents being Funny Animals fits pretty nice into that theory. Having a cute little animal sent to your home seems much less disturbing than if it were a 190-cm-tall Agent Smith.

As we have noticed, Oso is mentally deficient. He doesn't always realize the consequences of his actions and doesn't question his superiors. So I believe that in the end, he would be the one to do the most morally questionable tasks, like disposing of dissidents. Someone saner, like Wolfie or Dottie, would be left with some PTSD after that, but the bear would likely not even realize that he has committed a complete atrocity.