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1[[AC:FridgeBrilliance]]
2* George never thanks the town for helping him out with the money in the end. This might seem kind of rude, but it makes sense because George is so used to doing things for other people that he simply doesn't know how to react when someone does something for him. This is also illustrated during his "honeymoon" with Mary.
3** It comes across as his being so stunned he couldn't speak.
4*** Also, it's not that his friends and family are doing a favor for him. ''They're'' thanking ''him'' for the many acts of kindness he's done for them all.
5*** It's also only about a minute or so before the end of the film. He may've thanked them after the credits rolled.
6* In the "I want to live again" scene, the snow doesn't begin to fall until George prays to God for his life back. That doubles as a Crowning Moment of Awesome for those who believe.
7* Potter may seem like a KarmaHoudini, but bear in mind that if angels exist, so do [[FireAndBrimstoneHell Devils]].
8* Potter likely won't be a KarmaHoudini in this life, either. When the bank examiner shrugs and makes a donation to George's funds, and the Sheriff grins and tears up the arrest warrant, it shows that Potter doesn't have as much power as he thinks he has. George has a reputation in Bedford Falls, and so does Potter. The Sheriff is more than willing to give George the benefit of the doubt and presume George, at worst, did not intentionally steal from the Building and Loan. Also, the Sheriff may have his own suspicions about Potter; Potter's life may get very, very interesting after Christmas, when the police and the bank examiner go back to work in full. If Uncle Billy ever realizes that he had the money when he went to the bank, but it disappeared after he ran into Potter....
9** In any case, Potter is already getting a [[LaserGuidedKarma perfect punishment]]... after all this time believing that he ''was'' the town (and would have named the town after himself if he had free reign), Potter is about to realize that he is completely ''irrelevant.'' That "rabble" that he thought would run George out on a rail? They jumped at the call to ''help'' George. ''George'' is the man who has helped make Bedford Falls what it is, not Potter. Even if he gets away with his crimes, Potter will live the rest of his life knowing that all his schemes, all his actions, everything he's done, has amounted to '''''nothing.'''''
10** And even if Potter does have the money, he can't use it. Even a man as wealthy as he is likely doesn't often have $8,000 in cash on hand[[note]]and this is in 1946, so it's actually equivalent to well over $100,000 in today's money[[/note]]. Someone is going to ask where the money came from at some point, and he won't have an answer. Not to mention if anyone at the Bailey house that night hears the story about who really lost the money, odds are one of them or someone they know will have been in the bank that day, allowing them to put two and two together. [[note]] Which is actually precisely what happens in the Series/SaturdayNightLive [[https://youtu.be/vw89o0afb2A skit]] about the "lost ending" to the movie [[/note]]
11* What's so bad about Pottersville anyway? Even more businesses seem to be booming. But, wait... In Pottersville, all the businesses in Bedford Falls went out of, well, business and were replaced with escapist entertainment -- gambling, bars, and strip clubs -- where people waste money and thus get deeper and deeper into the trouble that sends them there for escape in the first place. (Look at the size of that pawn shop.) The nature of the businesses in Pottersville is a sign that the residents have given up and are simply trying to numb the pain of existing rather than trying to thrive and live. Even worse, if enough money is squandered at these places, people land themselves in the poor houses of Potter's slum neighborhoods, perpetuating the terrible living conditions for the citizens living in this town, which ultimately seems only good for tourism rather than finding a home there.
12* When George finally snaps, take a look at the thing he destroys. It's a model of a suspension bridge, possibly built by George or one of his children (or ''with'' one of his children) as a hobby. Remember that George wanted to be an engineer or an architect when he was young, and that was just one of the many dreams he had to give up. But presumably he kept his love of engineering enough to build models in his spare time. And now that his life is starting to unravel, the first thing he sees is that model, that one pathetic reminder of his lost dreams of youth. No wonder that that model winds up taking the full brunt of his rage.
13* Speaking of the Potterville universe, there's a [[TearJerker Fridge-Tear Jerker]] for why George is so distraught when he sees Mary as an old maid. It's not merely a [[{{Narm}} narmy]] moment that plays up how [[FauxHorrific horrific]] it is that Mary ended up a single librarian. Rather, it sets up a tragic context, that it took George ''this'' long (and a trip to the world where he was never born) to finally '''grasp''' the very depth of Mary's love he's taken for granted: she loved him so much that in a world without him, Mary never found anyone quite as [[HonestCorporateExecutive honest and hard-working]], or [[DeadpanSnarker funny and witty]], or [[NiceGuy selfless]] as George Bailey in town, and thus went through life without falling in love. Only now is George realizing this...
14* It takes a while to realize, this movie isn't just the creator of the iconic trope ItsAWonderfulPlot: it's also its own modern take on Literature/AChristmasCarol! The first act is about exploring George Bailey's childhood (the Ghost of Christmas Past). The second act is about witnessing the day and the events that set off George's HeroicBSOD (the Ghost of Christmas Present). The last act has George experience a worst-case-scenario of what would happen if he hadn't been born (the Ghost of Christmas Future). And just like Scrooge, the ending has George celebrate his newfound gratitude for life and the people he holds dear.
15** Fittingly, Potter represents the worst part of Scrooge, his greed and his LackOfEmpathy towards his fellow men, just as much as George represents the part of Scrooge that was ultimately redeemable.
16* In the scene showing young George saving Harry's life, he calls out to his friends to form a "chain-gang". As it turns out, [[TruthInTelevision this is a very smart way to save someone from drowning in icy waters]]. This low-key [[EstablishingCharacterMoment sets up]] how George is just as smart as he is brave.
17** Additionally, there's a trace of FridgeHorror, knowing poor Harry drowned in the alternate timeline because none of the boys knew ''how'' to pull him out of the water.
18* Bordering on FridgeHorror, we see that in the alternate timeline, Mr. Gower was sent to jail for (accidentally) poisoning a child. If he went to jail, his drugstore would've been put out of business. And without the drugstore, that would mean less business for the town, meaning one more blow for the townsfolk. So by keeping Mr. Gower's secret about the poison, George helped Bedford Falls maintain its self-sustaining businesses.
19* When I saw this movie on the big screen this December, I noticed that Potter has a lot of foreign souvenirs in his office. [[CryForTheDevil Did he want to travel (much like George) but find himself unable to do so because of his disability?]] Or did he travel when he was younger, and despite having everything George wanted, he's still a bitter old man, enforcing the moral that money can't buy happiness?
20* I didn't realize this until seeing the trope for BookEnds, but when Clarence comes to Earth to save George from suicide, what's the first thing he does? Knowing George's life history, he immediately [[ChronicHeroSyndrome jumps into freezing water]].
21* Another BookEnds is the scene where George runs down the street through pouring rain to open the Building & Loan, and then at the end he's running (albeit on the opposite side of the street) through snow. Merrrrie Christmas, you wonderful old Building & Loan!
22* This troper realized that Mary doesn't tell George her actual wish and it comes true. George does tell Mary his wish and it doesn't come true.
23* When George is lending money to get the town through the bank closure, after one person insists on his full balance, most people start taking $20. But one old woman says that she only needs $17.50. When all is said and done, the Building and Loan only has $2 left. If that old woman had asked for $20 with the rest of them, the B&L would have gone under.
24** What's really brilliant is that Ellen Corby's "Could I have $17.50?" was spontaneous -- as was Stewart's reaction -- and Capra [[ThrowItIn threw it in]].
25* Sort of Fridge Anti-Horror: alternate-Nick's flippant joke about "giving out wings". Judging by the end of the film, he really ''was'' handing out wings to angels.
26* George wishes for ‘a million bucks’ a few times, and once to travel the world and build great things. By the end of the film, the whole town comes together to get him out of trouble and collects piles of money, enough to afford to pursue his dreams.
27** Alternatively, while he couldn't travel the world, he already built a great deal of things throughout his adult life, both literally and metaphorically. His efforts to keep Bedford Falls and the Bank out of Potter's hands has built a small empire where the people are still as self-made as they were the day George's father died. Not to mention he built those homes for people so they wouldn't have to pay rent in Potter's slums anymore. He's the one who gave advice to an old (successful) acquaintance to start his business in Bedford Falls so the people would have more jobs.
28* There are 2 subtle touches about the scene where George begs Potter for help after the money gets "lost" that make the scene even tenser and more powerful because they remind you how ''close'' George was to the truth in that scene:
29** First, when George claims he misplaced $8,000.00, a confused Potter replies, "''You'' misplaced $8,000.00?" -- not "You ''misplaced'' $8,000.00" or "You misplaced ''$8,000.00!''" but "''You'' misplaced $8,000.00?" He should be acting like this is the first he's heard about this, but he's so [[EvilCannotComprehendGood clueless]] that even though he needs to feign ignorance of any missing money at this point, he can't restrain his shock at ''George'' being the one taking the blame. He can't hide that the word "I" is the only part of the sentence that surprises him. If only George hadn't been so distraught, if he was thinking more clearly, he might've noticed the oddly-placed emphasis in the phrase and wondered why Potter would react that way...
30** And what does Potter do next? He pauses for a second before launching into his BreakingSpeech to give a brief glance back to his aide... which probably translates to, "Keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you," since the guy knows full well where the money the desperate man in front of them is frantically looking for ''is'' and might be tempted to blurt something out.
31** In a similar vein, Potter asking "Have you notified the police?" has a double meaning. While at first it seems like part of his faux-concerned act, he's ''genuinely'' worried about George talking to Bert or other cops. Why? Because an official investigation would likely lead to the police interviewing Uncle Billy and having him retrace his steps exactly...which would in turn have Billy at the very least remembering that he talked to Potter in the bank lobby (A simple "Did you talk to anyone while you were there?" would be enough to spark the memory). That would likely cause the cops to ask Potter about the events, and he would have to start outright lying to cover up his theft (and keep in mind that, while Potter is a cruel, monstrous person, he never technically does anything illegal until he keeps the $8,000). It's clear that Potter [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney thinks his money makes him untouchable]], but Bert has shown himself a dependable cop who would insist on following up every lead, and other officers might act the same. Potter wasn't asking to taunt George--he was asking to make sure his own involvement wasn't at risk of being discovered.
32* It’s snowing in the real world, but not in the World Without George. How did Bailey’s absence affect weather patterns? Answer: it didn’t. The alternate world was only a construct created to show George the results of his life, never intended to be a full, permanent universe. There was no need to include in it irrelevant details like several million falling snowflakes.
33* Though it’s often pointed out that Potter gets away with his evil deeds, the implicit existence of Heaven and angels means that there is no need for the old man to be punished in this life, as he will surely get his comeuppance in the next.
34* The B&L Board deciding to make George Executive Secretary (thus helping ensure that he never leaves Bedford Falls) seems like a screenwriter's ploy to keep the plot going...but considering that they only make the decision ''after'' George's ShutUpHannibal speech to Potter, it's clear that they picked George because he was the first person (other than George's late father) to stand up to Potter.
35** It is doubtful the Board was moved merely by George's empathy: George also points out that while his father was never truly wealthy, the B&L has kept Bedford Falls afloat through crisis, and this assures the Board stability for their interests in hard times. Potter, meanwhile, engages in predatory business practices that serve only him while acting as a detriment to the community in the long term. The Board would decide that keeping Building and Loan afloat does serve a pragmatic interest.
36* Any errors in the flashbacks -- continuity errors, George and Mary not aging, anachronisms, the idea of Uncle Billy's memory being so bad that he never puts together that Potter took the money -- are swept away when you realize the entire first two thirds of the film are ''Clarence's mission briefing.'' Joseph only has an hour to let Clarence know everything he needs to know to get George back on track, and Clarence isn't the brightest angel who ever existed. So, Joseph is giving him a Cliffs Notes version of George's life. Things that might seem off are simply things Joseph is simplifying so Clarence will understand it immediately not have to take time to ask Joseph to explain things.
37* The scene of Clarence talking Potter to death might be deleted. However, when you look at it, it becomes obvious why the scene is deleted aside of 'being too grim' for a Christmas movie: Potter is old, and probably it won't be too long until he expires of old age even without being shamed. George is younger, and his spirit is renewed after Christmas. It'll only be a matter of time that Potter dies of old age, hated and forgotten by people, while George still has a whole life (half if you count that he's married and has kids, but he's still looking like a fit middle-aged father) ahead of him, surrounded with people that love him and the day where Potter is no longer there to make George miserable will eventually come, and George's renewed endurance and spirit means that he'll be the one left standing in the end between the two. Having the scene of Potter dying might be considered overkill and after all God does teaches us mercy, even for those who wronged us, and it would go against the Christmas spirit, so that's why it's deleted and it usually falls to spin-offs, spoofs and parodies to make it happen.
38* When Clarence (and the audience) first see Potter, he's riding around in a carriage with a very haughty expression. Clarence seriously asks his superiors if the man is a king. It is obvious Potter rides around in a carriage because he deliberately projecting an image of royalty. By this time, around 1919, horse-drawn carriages had fallen out of favor as the main source of transportation. The only reason Potter would still use a horse and buggy, besides being old-fashioned, is pure vanity.
39* Was it really Clarence or Mary Bailey who saved George? The opening of the movie shows prayers ascending to heaven and Clarence being called as a result to go save George. The prayers are a direct result of Mary Bailey calling everyone they know and asking for help and prayers on George's behalf, and so is the town showing up to save the building & loan at the end. In a very real way it's Mary who is responsible for saving her husband's life.
40* As George is saving the Building & Loan, you can see Mary talking to Ernie (the cab driver), and see them sneaking out the side. Later, after George mentions that they missed the train for their honeymoon, Mary calls him at the B&L to come "home." She must have taken the train tickets and resold them to make the payment for the Granville house
41
42[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
43* In-universe example: George is horrified by how much worse things would be for everyone he knows without him.
44* George helps a bunch of squatters skimp by on cheap housing instead of letting the supposed "villain" win. We even get a glimpse of what this would mean: a bustling nightlife strip that would undoubtedly boost the small town's economy.
45** ...wow. I mean wow. You seem to have missed that the "bustling nightlife strip" was a street full of nightclubs and... shall we say, houses of ill repute? That this is all controlled with an iron fist by the "supposed" villain who has a stranglehold over the entire town as he owns ''everything'' in it? How about that the police are basically turned into a gang under the control of the "supposed" villain? [[SarcasmMode Wow, a boost to the economy sounds worth it.]]
46** Not to mention that the town in that timeline didn't seem much wealthier than it did originally.
47** Not to mention the size of that pawnshop means people are going into an unbelievable amount of hock.
48** Part of the point of this movie is that money isn't everything, you know. Some things are more important -- like integrity and charity (old-fashioned sense).
49** Think of Pottersville like this: with George never born, Potter was able to buy out all good institutions like the Building and Loan and now officially owns the town enough to rename and reshape it in his own image. The result is [[CrapsackWorld a dark town filled with cheap, trashy, tasteless establishments that people squander all their money on and perpetuate a lifestyle that lands many in the poor houses of Potter's slum neighborhoods, all while Potter gets to have all the wealth and power at the expense of others who are made miserable by the town's corruption and turn to the clubs and entertainment venues to drown out their sorrows, continuing the cycle of misery.]] Which is far from a healthy economy and removes all decency from the town. That ''these'' are the kind of institutions Potter deems "necessary" for ''his'' town proves that he really is sick in the mind and soul.
50** George provides cheap (but ''quality'') housing by sacrificing his own profits; Potter provides overpriced slums, but he was poor families' only option until George and the Building and Loan created a better alternative. In the Potterville Universe, Potter's monopoly was complete -- he owned all the businesses and the housing, so the lion's share of the wealth from the so-called "bustling" gin joints and strip clubs would have gone to Potter while the towns' actual citizens would continue to be bled dry and live in horrible conditions.
51*** Also, the movie takes place just after WWII ended. The post-war boom in manufacturing and housing is going to do more for the local economy than Potter's mini-Vegas.
52** They're not squatters. They "work and pay and live and die" in the town. They're working-class or working-poor (they have jobs or are self-employed, but their income falls below the poverty level), big difference. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savings_and_loan_crisis#Background Building and loan outfits]] grew out of the Building Society movement in England. Potter was just pissed because he owned a for-profit S&L, probably a national one, and George was undercutting his business.
53* In the alternate reality, Martini is nowhere to be found, without explanation. Was he the child that was accidentally poisoned by the druggist?
54** In a DeletedScene, he was revealed to have died in a house fire in one of Potter's tenements.
55** Even if he lived- Potter's shown to be casually nationalist (angrily calling Martini and his family "garlic-eaters" at one point). If Potter controls all the property and real estate, it's pretty unlikely that Martini would be able to open his bar and make a living.
56* The alternate Bedford Falls is shown to be a place that is ''much'' less safe and friendly than it is in George's reality. In George's world, Mary is an outgoing, happy woman. Even when George hid her bathrobe, her first reaction was outrage, not fear. Now consider how her Pottersville self acted -- she walked hunched and clearly trying to avoid attention, and nearly had a nervous breakdown when George tried to talk to her. Sure, a strange man running over and insisting you were his wife is going to freak most people out, but her overall demeanor is far more timid and fearful in general. What could have happened in this alternate timeline to make her like that?
57** Given what a dirty, seedy den of iniquity the alternate-universe town is, and what's become of Mary's childhood friend Violet -- last seen outside a bar and surrounded by angry or indifferent men, being manhandled into a squad car -- Pottersville may be a ''very'' dangerous place to be a single working woman. (Perhaps the only thing that saves the situation from being a total nightmare is the strangers willing to help her fend George off -- and even they seem more ticked-off at George for making a fuss than altruistically concerned for Mary's safety.)
58** George chases Mary, grabs her, and holds her in that arm lock men used in old movies where they make the woman's head tip back and it's supposed to be romantic but looks soooo uncomfortable. Watching this scene I was thinking how terrified Mary must be to have a stranger grab her like that. Pottersville or not.
59* Potter's line "No securities, no stocks, no bonds, nothin' but a miserable little $500 equity in a life insurance policy...You're worth more dead than alive!" becomes extra chilling when you realize that Potter probably '''''wanted''' George to kill himself'' to make sure he was out of the way. About the only thing he didn't do was leave a loaded pistol in plain sight on his desk.
60** Even worse: life insurance policies don't cover suicides. [[note]]That's not true. If enough time has passed since the policy was purchased, most companies will pay out even for a suicide.[[/note]]If George went ahead and killed himself, the B&L would definitely have gone under and his family would have been left with nothing. How much do you want to bet that Potter knew this and goaded George into suicide because of it? In Potter's mind, the B&L would've been his whether George lived or died; making Mary and the kids suffer the consequences of George's death [[KickTheDog would've just been a bonus for him]].
61* Consider that most of the people George knew (of the right age) fought in World War II, and keep in mind that Potter was the head of the draft board for the town. Exactly how likely is it that Potter would send George's brother and friends off to war just to spite him, probably annoyed that he couldn't send George himself just to get him out of the way?
62** Potter's animus would've been against George's father Peter, meaning that George would also have gone to war, and might have died, [[BeneficialDisease were it not for him going deaf in one ear to save his brother]]. All this to spite old Pete.
63** For that matter, having Mr. Potter in charge of the Draft Board at all is kind of horrifying. He declares everyone in the particular clip to be 1-A- fit to be drafted. He sends every young man he could get his hands on to World War II.
64** I always saw the film portraying Potter as taking the draft board seriously, one of the few things he at least partially put aside his evil, twisted, selfish ways for, and his declaring George 4-F to be a TakeThat. As a patriotic, selfless young man (in a Capra film), George would have ''wanted'' to serve his country. Potter declared him 4-F to demoralize him.
65** It's World War II, probably the closest thing to a battle of Good v. Evil. Declaring young men 1-A, if they are 1-A, isn't a bad thing. It's Potter's PetTheDog moment, probably the one time where his skills and heartless "efficiency" are valuable.
66*** The movie certainly agrees that fighting in the war is a good thing, but I don't think this was meant to be a PetTheDog moment for Potter. I think the ''intention'' of that clip is that while it's fine to declare people 1-A, it's not fine to be so casual about it. A better man would take the time to read each form carefully, contemplate the great sacrifices being asked of these men...and ''then'' declare them 1-A. Potter, in contrast, is going so fast that he's clearly not even reading the forms all the way through, and his crabby expression indicates that he doesn't really give a damn if any of these people live or die.
67*** Given attitudes at the time, many of the men would likely have been grateful to be qualified if there was any uncertainty... although their not having joined voluntarily suggests that there might have been obstacles to signing up. Regardless, it establishes the contrast between Potter's normal procedure and the way he treats George, particularly since deafness in one ear arguably doesn't necessarily disqualify one for military service. In the context of the broader scene, Potter is scum.
68** Even granting that George was properly classified as 4-F, the draft does represent one more chance for fate to pointedly deny George the opportunity to travel the world.
69* With the ideas of a Multiverse, this means that the world of Pottersville still exists, presumably to get worse and worse with the march of time.
70** Let's not really consider that as it's highly doubtful to be the intention and the whole point was only to show one person the kind of impact they had on one town in one country of one planet around one average star. I'd prefer to think it was a temporary thing. Besides, if that were the case, then George's lip wouldn't have ceased having blood on it because he would've carried it over from his universe with the rest of him, plus he would've had Zuzu's petals. It seems clear that something was done to alter history rather than dimension-hopping, and when George prayed to God to restore everything to the way it was, the timeline was allowed to snap back to its prior state.
71* Physical discipline of kids was a lot more common in the 1920s (or 1910s, whenever George is 12) but still, Mr. Gower would be carrying around some awful guilt for beating young George so hard his ear bled, only to find out George was trying to help and saving his life (and that of the other sick kid) and career in the process. Every time he saw George he'd think "there's the guy who kept me from poisoning someone, and all I did was beat him up for it." Serves as some Fridge Logic, too, in that Mr. Gower is the one who telegraphs George's rich friend Sam - in other words, helping to raise more money for George than the whole rest of the town combined (in addition to the fact that the Bedford Falls telegraph office is probably ''in'' the drugstore, as is still commonly found today).
72* If you remember that Gower is heard at the beginning praying "Help him, dear Father", then you realize this is obviously right after he's sent the telegram to Wainwright.
73* What repercussions have the deaths, embitterments, and nonexistences of the Pottersville timeline had through the present day? Case in point, when Clarence tells George that "Every man on that transport died! Harry wasn't there to save them because you weren't there to save Harry!" Every one of those men, with their own network of grief-stricken friends and family, people whose lives ''they'' could have saved or improved, marriages and children they never had, etc.
74* Poor Uncle Billy being institutionalized in Pottersville was bad enough on its own, but gets even worse when you consider that, because of the severe limits in psychiatric medical knowledge back then, mental hospitals [[BedlamHouse were a pretty terrifying place to be]], and lobotomies weren't unheard of for patients who couldn't be "cured." Also, who's to say that Uncle Billy even belonged in a mental hospital at all? Sure, he's forgetful and likes to drink a lot, but that's no reason to leave him rotting in one of those hellholes. It seems possible - nay, likely - that [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Mr. Potter]] pulled some strings to [[GoAmongMadPeople have Billy falsely declared insane]] just so he could get his grubby little hands on the Building & Loan and finally wrest complete control over Bedford Falls. With that in mind, lobotomy seems like a more likely prospect for poor Billy: after all, how else would well-meaning but knowledgeably limited doctors cure someone they've been told is sick but doesn't show enough symptoms for them to tell what's wrong with him?
75* As well as Ma Bailey's reaction when not-George mentions seeing Billy; remember, since she lost her only son at the age of nine (since George wasn't there to save Harry), she then loses her husband when he has the stroke (during what would have been Harry's graduation/party). The Board of Trustees for the the B&L only voted to keep the place open if ''George'' took over the leadership position. ''That'' was when the B&L would have been shut down. That is why Ma Bailey is so hostile to not-George when he mentions all the things she lost on one day.
76* Considering how Gower was so ''wrecked'' by the loss of his son that he came close to poisoning a kid (and did in the alternate timeline), what kind of grief did Peter go through after the death of Harry in the Pottersville world?
77** The failure of the Building and Loan in Pottersville might've resulted from that personal tragedy. Remember that the Building and Loan isn't strictly profitable: Peter runs it to keep Bedford Falls afloat and faces opposition from people like Potter who only care about money. What if after the loss of his son, [[CynicismCatalyst he stopped caring about doing any good and let B&L collapse]]. Or what if the stress of losing his son killed him? It could also explain why Ma turned out so bitter: her husband losing his faith in the world and then dropping dead would traumatize anybody.
78** Uncle Billy is a man who already isn't "all there," but imagine how much worse the loss of his nephew would've made his mental health, on top of his brother [[DespairEventHorizon shutting down and not caring about the world]], his own wife dying, and his town taken over and ruined by a heartless monster? Unsurprisingly, all these things happening would've driven him to despair and institutionalization.
79* It is easy to mistake Potter as a grumpy Scrooge-like businessman who only cares about money. But Scrooge eventually felt guilt over his greedy and uncaring behavior and was always scrupulous in his affairs, but Potter shows remorse for ''nothing'' and is willing to cheat. The fact that he enjoys the desolation of Pottersville means he's something ''much'' worse: He is an outright psychopath who enjoys having power over others, holds deep contempt for virtue and decency, and straight-up enjoys ruining other people.
80** His willingness to ruin his business rival through straight-up ''theft'', reveling in the man's misery, and then telling him to kill himself goes well beyond illegal; it is a sign of some serious anti-social tendencies.
81** Like many psychopaths, Potter lacks any meaningful human connection and is more or less content with that. But what if he never married because his antisocial tendencies make him a ''[[DomesticAbuse rotten]]'' husband?
82** Potter also shows signs of superficial charm: he pretends to show respect for Peter and his lofty ideals while trying to manipulate the Board into shutting down his rival's business, and he nearly convinces George to work for him directly with a promise of money and benefits. As George observes, the man plays the spider, spins his web, and waits for delicious insects to come toward him.
83** The moral cesspit of Pottersville isn't just an ''accident'' of his greedy ways: he's just a monster who loves seeing his fellow man consumed by misery on top of the power he holds. And if he's capable of causing so much ruin to others, what other horrible things does he get away with when there's no one to stop him?
84* When George returns to the RealLife timeline, this is when he learns that ever since he stormed out of the house, Mary has been calling people left and right to ask for help and they all come rushing in shortly after. Just imagine if George had jumped and killed himself, never knowing that his problems had been solved and there was no reason to commit suicide. It's the ultimate example of what's often been said about suicide--"A permanent solution to a temporary problem."
85** What's worse, George had snapped at his children and Mary had angrily told him off for scaring them, causing him to storm off and Mary to realize what was really going on. If George really had died, the family's last memory of him would had been of him angry and distraught, with Mary in particular having to live with the fact the last words she would had ever said to her beloved husband were full of anger and not realizing his issue until it was too late to comfort him.

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