i feel insane because i feel like everyone watched mouthwashing and was so focussed on the characters specifically as individuals that no one was looking at any broader themes or ideas that the game explores.
consider: the horror of realizing that the thing that the crew has spent literal years of their life shipping on extremely dangerous missions that have now led to their horrific deaths was mouthwash came from themes of labour exploitation. the fact that they spent every day fighting for their lives (which is referenced many times both before and after the crash), fighting to become the 'comfortable worker' (which is an idea both the cartoons on the tv and swansea in his final monologue explore) and it all was only so that some big company that didnt care to even give them real food or real medical professionals could ship mouthwash. that is the real horror of the scene where they uncover the mouthwash.
jimmy and curlys whole dynamic rests upon the struggle between the concept that if you just work harder, climb higher, do something bigger and better, you will eventually achieve happiness and success. the lie that capitalism sells, that every worker (if they try hard enough) has the opportunity to be the one at the top. curly made it to top, and had to realize that all that being at the top meant was to become the exploiter instead of the exploited. the gun assigned to be used by the captain only (the boss) is clearly labelled in jimmys inventory as being a 'protection device' meant to be used when the other workers on the ship get out of line. jimmy got to the top too, and we can very literally see demonstrated how he had to step over the bodies of many other people in order to make it there. swansea again points out this same thing in his final monologue, and additionally at the birthday party, describing how fictional all of these promises of success and happiness really are. jimmy literally sends daisuke through a vent that he knew was dangerous where he ends up mangled and dying, simply because thats his job and thats daisukes job. jimmy is in the role of the captain, he has to tell the others to risk their lives to achieve an end and daisuke as the subordinate has no choice but to do it. jimmy specifically invokes his authority as the captain when he tells him to do this.
the themes that we see constantly repeated throughout the game (as opposed to the one off character moments that everyone else seizes on) are themes of the capitalist/corporate promise that being a good worker, a hard worker, means that you will be happy and successful. the theme of climbing up the corporate ladder and being the one in control. the theme of having labour exploited and companies showing willful disregard for the lives of their workers. companies cutting corners and how that results in the death of workers. the idea that no one will find them or care- because no one does. these are the overarching ideas that are way more important to understanding the game than specific character interactions that dont carry throughout the game.
