>>281189993
I don't really disagree with any of this, I just think it's giving Hemlock a lot of credit where Axeman didn't afford him much. I think he doesn't realize how some of the things he writes comes off to readers, since Hemlock's defeat is supposed to embarrass him for the audience, but unlike Fiona who just stubbornly cried about her loss, Hemlock got a few moments of doubt where he wonders if he was wrong all along.
And I don't know if Axeman has ever realized that he never had a moment like this for Fiona when he decided to start manufacturing sympathy for her; it doesn't seem like it since he completely missed the mark with what her main character flaw was in the previous short mission. That's why I think he automatically went to teasing Hemlock with Millie the same way he immediately introduced Franky to Fiona the next time she got added back into the story. Instead of consciously deciding to let them regret their actions, he just pairs them off with someone single the way Abe intended, I guess for a redemption.