Exploring an amnesiac man’s journey of retrieving his memories, The Tourist poses a rather serious question: What would one do if given a second chance at life? For Lachlan Rogers, however, this is a different scenario, as he may never have that second chance.
Lachlan is initially presented to the audience as a high-ranking detective at the Major Crimes department, enjoying a celebrity status among his law enforcement peers. His introduction includes a scene where he gives a lecture to a class of recruits, depicting his authority and experience in the field. Amidst his professional demeanor, Lachlan’s personal life comes into focus when he makes a call to his wife in the middle of his lecture, revealing a meticulous resolution to his schedules, particularly emphasizing the importance of prioritising with his spouse.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Is Lachlan So Meticulous About Calling His Wife?
Lachlan’s relentless pursuit of professional success takes an unexpected turn with the devastating diagnosis of cancer. A man who dedicated years of hard work to ascend the ranks of law enforcement now faces the stark truth that he has only a few months left to live. This poignant realization prompts a significant shift in his priorities as he yearns to spend his remaining time with his beloved wife. The gravity of his health condition serves as a sobering reminder of the fragility of life and a better understanding of the importance of his family. An instance depicting Lachlan’s commitment to this clarity can be seen when he prioritizes discussing dinner plans for a Moroccan lamb dish with his wife after he abruptly pauses his lecture. In this instance, it becomes evident that Lachlan doesn’t concern himself with the opinions of the recruits, prioritizing his relationship over the expectations around his role; after all, who wouldn’t? But Lachlan’s actions in the story also question his outlook on life, as his narrative takes a rather dark twist.
Regardless of his newfound commitment and clarity, he is still a dedicated detective. His popularity in his line of business makes him the subject of gossip and discussions in law enforcement circles. He is dispatched on the case to track down Elliot Stanley after the explosion at the diner, which, coupled with Elliot’s unfortunate accident, raises some eyebrows among the higher-ups. Usually, officers of lower ranks like Officer Lammon do not expect a celebrity like Lachlan to get his hands dirty in pursuit of a case to solve by himself, but the esteemed detective is not the kind of man who got to his rank through tardiness and bureaucracy. Lachlan’s character shines as a beacon of diligence and commitment, a testament to the values he embodies and the hard work that propelled him to his esteemed rank. However, Lachlan’s health condition has changed his outlook on life. Although he sees his appointment with Elliot’s case as a drawing-the-short-straw kind of situation, he still does it out of a sense of duty toward his life’s work.
What Does Rogers Think Of Officer Lammon?
He meets Officer Lammon at the Burnt Ridge police station, a run-down police division with tardy-looking cops who do not see any form of seriousness in the explosion at the diner, despite knowing that it was a homemade bomb that caused the explosion. Lammon takes Rogers around the town, asking for Elliot and Luci Millers, leading them to Murray Waters, a neighboring town. Lammon, who adores Rogers because of his reputation for major crimes, is psyched when he is asked to accompany Rogers on the case. This is common among junior officers, who often idolize the likes of Rogers, seeing them as heroes in the profession. From this point on, Lammon starts taking his job seriously as well, as the narrative puts them in a teacher-student role.
Despite his initial annoyance towards the young officer, Rogers does not hesitate to impart words of wisdom to Lammon. The disparity in nature between the two men also depicts a disparity in wisdom and experience between them. The older man is a dedicated professional who, even though he dearly wants to go home to his wife, follows his sense of duty, preferring to get to the bottom of the case as soon as possible so that he can be with his beloved, while the younger man, being ‘Gen-Z,’ is led by instant gratification and shallow problems that do not affect the case. Despite this, the story makes us see Rogers as hopeful for the young officer’s future, encouraging him to work hard while he moves up the ladder.
Why Does Rogers Kill Lammon?
Throughout the first half of the series, The Tourist wants us to empathize with this hardworking arm of justice with a terminal sickness. However, the one thing the series does not disappoint its audience with is its unexpected twists and turns. While on their way back to Burnt Ridge to track Elliot Stanley and Luci Miller, Lachlan Rogers receives a phone call, the aftermath of which makes him anxious and impatient towards Lammon’s childishness. As it turns out, Kosta Panigiris, the international psychopathic drug lord, found out about his ongoing investigation, having his wife abducted for leverage over him and coercing him to hand Elliot over to him in exchange for his wife’s safety. Lachlan Rogers, a changed man with only a few months to live, no longer cares about breaking the law, especially for his wife. At this point in the story, Lachlan’s character takes a significant turn as he submits to Kosta’s ways. He dismisses Officer Lammon as soon as they reach Elliot’s location and orders every officer to stand down, with the intention of a solo pursuit of his target, so that nobody knows about his involvement in the obstruction of law. At the time of his confrontation with Elliot at the motel, Lammon, inspired by Lachlan’s dedication, defies his orders and joins him, believing that his solo pursuit might be dangerous, as Elliot was supposedly armed. As soon as Lammon is about to call for reinforcements, Rogers kills the young man, as he has become a hindrance to his motives. Sweeping the man further down this dark path, even though it is only to protect his wife’s life, Rogers does not intentionally work for Kosta, but with his wife’s wellbeing as Kosta’s bargaining chip, he is left with no other choice.
Why Does Rogers Frame Helen And Elliot?
Lachlan Rogers, by now a man riddled with the consequences of his actions, is too caught up in his web of deceit. He has nothing to lose, considering his health condition. He, therefore, prioritizes spending this time with his family instead. Knowing that his actions would get him imprisoned, he sees an opportunity to frame Helen as the killer of Officer Lammon, and Elliot as her collaborator, choosing his family over his dying morality. Perhaps it is common for a man like him who led a life of morality as an arm of justice to see the meaninglessness of existence after knowing the certainty of his death, which turns him into an absurdist of sorts, protecting the only thing that gives meaning to his remaining life now— time with his beloved.
