Tamal Kundu
As in the original anime series, The relationship between Spike Spiegel/Fearless (John Cho) and Julia (Elena Satine) serves as one of the main plot devices in Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop.’ In the series premiere, Spike is introduced as a Cowboy or bounty hunter, while Julia is shown to be married to the Syndicate capo Vicious. As the series progresses, we learn how their connection in the past affects their actions in the present. Julia believes that Spike is dead, whereas Spike thinks that Julia chose Vicious over him. They continue believing those lies until the truth confronts them. And then they make desperate attempts to get back to each other. If you are wondering whether they succeed in this endeavor and end the first season of ‘Cowboy Bebop’ reunited, we got you covered.
Do Julia and Spike End Up Together?
No, Julia and Spike don’t end up together in the first season of Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop.’ The penultimate episode of the season offers a glimpse into the shared history of these two characters. They met when Spike was Fearless, Vicious’ best friend and Syndicate hitman. On the night Julia performs as a singer at Ana’s for the first time, Vicious and Spike are there, and they both become smitten. Vicious decides to act first and asks her out. And Julia, going against the advice she received from Ana, starts a relationship with a Syndicate member.
Things become complicated when a deal between the Syndicate and the Neptune Cartel falls through due to Vicious’s impulsive nature and short-sightedness. Vicious blames almost everyone else but himself for what happened, especially Ka-Ching, his Neptune Cartel counterpart at the meeting. When he spots the other man one evening on the street, Vicious runs him over and then proceeds to torture and beat him to death. Julia and Spike are there with him at the time, and the former learns what Vicious is capable of. That night, after Spike takes her home, Julia turns to him, seeking comfort. They make love, and Spike later convinces her to run away with him. But he gets seemingly killed by Vicious and his people.
Having no other choice, Julia marries Vicious, desperately hoping that he will keep her safe. She spends the next few years in abject fear. The Syndicate is filled with psychopaths, but even among them, Vicious is unique. His cruelty and craving for violence know no bounds. And they are sometimes directed at his wife.
So, when Spike and Julia meet in a cathedral for the first time in years, it doesn’t go as Spike has hoped. She justifiably accuses him of leaving her in a hellish situation, and when she learns his reasons, she incredulously asks him how he could believe Vicious.
With the Elders already dead and Vicious dying, Julia tells Spike that they should take control of the Syndicate and run it together. But Spike never wanted that in his life. To be fair to Julia, neither did she, but because of Spike’s actions, she has become a ruthless pragmatic who will do anything to survive. She echoes Spike’s words from earlier when she says that their time together was like a dream before shooting him. Spike falls backward and breaks through the cathedral window. His stunned eyes still reflecting her as he drops hundreds of meters below. Spike doesn’t die, of course, and he and Julia are bound to run into each other in the future, but for now, their paths have forked, leading them toward different directions.
Read More: Where Is Cowboy Bebop Filmed?
