except they weren't exactly absolved of it (by the writers), since borden lost his wife and his lover. the whole thing was about tit for tat and oneupsmanship. they kept doing things to cancel out the others' victories. it seems like it just wound up being chance that borden came out on top of it and not algiers. had algiers kept a few live clones in his back pocket, maybe he woulda came out on top in the end.

it felt random to me, because neither seemed presented as the protagonist. they were both anti-heroes.