I was thinking about the soldiers standing down, too, while watching it, and I hadn't in previous viewings. It is pretty questionable, but I'm willing to make the assumption that the man in charge at the scene had personal moral qualms with opening fire on that many civilians, and in the absence of official orders went with his gut. Had anyone higher in the chain been around afterward, I'm sure he would have had some career problems.

They could have made Valerie or Ruth (or both) POC. You'd run into the "oh, they're a racial minority AND they're gay" thing, but considering how few voices we really get of those who were driven our or killed, I think it would've helped.

I love Finch more with every viewing; I want POV fic. I haven't gone looking at all, maybe it is out there already!