MovieChat Forums > The Departed (2006) Discussion > Barrigan (spoilers)

Barrigan (spoilers)

posted 8 years ago by filmbuff-6
6 replies | jump to latest

Barrigan admitted he was another of Frank's insiders before Collin shot him. Collin knew Costello his entire life. How in the world could he have possibly not known that Barrigan was another one of Frank's insiders?

[–] hammerbutt 8 years ago

I thought they just met at the academy

[–] filmbuff-6 8 years ago

They met at the academy but somehow Barrigan became one of Costello's men and it just doesn't make sense that Collin could never have known that. After Costigan gets capped, Barrigan tells Collin:

"Did you think you were the only one he had? Costello was going to sell us to the FBI. It's you and me now. We have to take care of each other. You understand?"

Collin, of course, takes the gun and shoots Barrigan.

This is a great movie with some very cryptic scenes and lines that are not easy to understand.

[–] osmundsadller 8 years ago

There's a saying that goes "Never let the right hand know what the left is doing". By having (at least) two spies in the MSP, Frank gains more intelligence on what his enemy is doing and is planning. He could have Sullivan focus on homicide investigations and Barrigan on vice, for example. There might be some overlap but where they can find out different things, it's more efficient to have two because they can learn more things and not raise suspicion as one on his own might by trying to cover too many lines of surveilance. By not telling them about each other, they only have to cover themselves and not each other, which might increase their risk of detection. If they know about each other, they might also pose a risk of one killing the other as Sullivan proved at the end. When the cops are told to rout out the mole, these corrupt guys know that they themselves are the rat, so they don't have to go looking for anyone else, leaving them to focus on misleading the investigation and help find the cop's mole in Frank's team. However, Barrigan may have found out about Sullivan almost by mistake during the misleading process. It also gives more evidence which shows how Frank really actually undervalues Sullivan (and possibly Barrigan) by not telling them about the other, which further justifies Sullivan killing him a few scenes earlier.

[–] RustyShacklefurd 8 years ago

filmbuff-6,

There are 2 possibilities for how Sullivan could not know about Barrigan also working for Costello. One possibility involves Barrigan being recruited by Costello before he entered the police academy. It's possible that Costello had already known Barrigan for many years. Though Sullivan had known Costello since he was a kid, he didn't know all the people that Costello knew. Barrigan may have grown up in a different neighborhood in Boston than Sullivan did. The second possibility is that Barrigan started off as a clean cop and wasn't recruited by Costello until some point after he graduated from the academy. Costello may have simply bribed Barrigan after he became a cop. Costello could easily do that without Sullivan finding out about it.

[–] franzkabuki 8 years ago

"How could he not know that Barrigan was another insider?"

Because Costello didn't tell him.

"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan

[–] Ronnoco (16) 8 years ago

Costello needed someone inside the State Police to keep an eye on Sullivan, to ensure that he was staying loyal to Costello. Sullivan knew an awful lot about Costello's activities, and that would make him vulnerable. He needed to have another rat in the Dept. to watch Sullivan, and keep him advised of Sullivan's activities. Costello probably made it a regular practice to place rats within the State Police. He probably had informers (rats) in the Boston city Police force, too. Not to mention plenty of Southie politicians that he was paying off, and who were taking care of him. That's Boston for you.