How they know each other is never explained.

What Happened to the Mouse?: Smith recognizes Jesperson in the police station, and later Jesperson, having recognized him too, offers him mercy if he makes a scripted confession at the TV station.

Uh, should have thought of that before you shot him.

What an Idiot!: Jesperson shoots Smith when he turns his back on him defiantly and walks away at the end, then curses at him, even kicking his body, saying he needed to keep him alive.

Title Drop: The song that plays over the end credits, with, of course, the line 'let sleeping dogs lie.'.

Still to be fair, the Special Police Force are even worse.

The Revolution Will Not Be Vilified: Some of La Résistance show themselves to be quite ruthless two of them frame Smith, an innocent man, for the bombing of a police station.

State Sec: The paramilitary Special Police Force.

Only Sane Man: Smith just wants to be left alone in peace.

Though Smith's first name is viewable on the police file in a Freeze-Frame Bonus, when you pause it at that spot - it's Martin. They are only ever called by their last names, or 'Smithy' for Smith.

No Name Given: Smith, Bullen and Jesperson.

La Résistance: The guerrillas who draw an unwilling Smith into their fight against the police state.From Bad to Worse: What starts as a general strike in response to an oil embargo that the government was unable to lift turns into full-blown civil war when a False-Flag Operation occurs.The Film of the Book: Based on the book Smith's Dream by C. It also doesn’t hurt that Sleeping Dogs has a pretty layered and interesting story at its heart, which, when you consider how many clichéd tropes the plot has, is pretty impressive.False-Flag Operation: Jesperson pays some thugs to shoot soldiers clashing with pro-union protesters, giving the Prime Minister the excuse he needs to institute a police state.Bullen died just before, and the future of the war in New Zealand is left unknown. Downer Ending: Smith is shot dead by Jesperson after defying him.Day of the Jackboot: After a False-Flag Operation in which soldiers are killed, the Prime Minister has a referendum held to grant himself sweeping emergency powers, declaring martial law, trial by military courts, the death penalty for offenses against the state, and instituting a paramilitary Special Police Force.

Sleeping dogs tv tropes