Cross-dressing Killer in Police Quest: Open Season

In Police Quest: Open Season, the movie theater proprietor with a stutter turns out to be a cross-dresser and the murder. At the end of the game, Detective John Carey lights the killer on fire using hairspray and a lighter. The sense can be viewed here (at 3:16:00), but *content warning* it includes transphobic violence.

pq4openseasonburn

Screenshot Image credit http://johnnydfox.blogspot.com/2010/09/we-got-ourselves-murder-in-pq4-alright.htm

On some sites it is claimed that the protagonist Detective John Carey’s ex-partner (who has been murdered) was a cross-dresser, though other reviews suggest the partner was possibly transgender. However, some discussion suggests this is not the case. Similarly, there is debate as to whether the “transgender bar” and “gay records in the music store” (which some authors have claimed as LGBTQ content) actually exist. Neither reference shows up in walkthroughs and is not evident in this full playthrough. Both might actually refer to this character who appears outside of those spaces. Moreover, the references to discovering Carey’s ex-partner was a cross-dresser might actually be in reference to learning about the killer (see above).

LGBTQ  references in this game: 

Cross-dressing serial killer

Gay NPC

Citations:

  1. Chyou, S. (2011, Novmber 16). That ’90s Blog: Daryl F. Gates’ Police Question: Open Season.” Thunderbolt. http://www.thunderboltgames.com/blog/that-90s-blog-daryl-f-gates-police-quest-open-season
  2. Daryl F. Gates Police Quest: Open Season. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mobygames.com/game/daryl-f-gates-police-quest-open-season
  3. Daryl F. Gates’ Police Quest: Open Season. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.giantbomb.com/daryl-f-gates-police-quest-open-season/3030-12901
  4. Fox, J. (2010, September 15). We got ourselves a murder in PQ4 alright. Johnny Fox’s Site. http://johnnydfox.blogspot.com/2010/09/we-got-ourselves-murder-in-pq4-alright.htm
  5. NintendoComplete. (2014, February 9). Police Quest IV: Open Season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BR1u-qT3J4
  6. Police Quest: Open Season. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Quest:_Open_Season
  7. Police Quest 4: Open Season, Darryl F. Gates.’ (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.legendsworld.net/adventure/game/4672
  8. Talk:Police Quest and SWAT. (n.d.). Retreived from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Police_Quest_and_SWAT