Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ follows Ray Vernon, an aging thief who plans to rob the most secure vault in the world to take down his nemesis. The action thriller series created by Eric Garcia is presented in a unique format where the order of the episodes does not matter. Therefore, the interlinking stories of several characters leave plenty of unanswered questions. One of these lingering questions concerns Bob Goodwin, who struggles to speak and sports several injuries as the narrative progresses. If you are looking for an explanation about Bob’s speech impediment and injuries in ‘Kaleidoscope,’ here is everything you need to know! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Bob Develops a Speech Impediment Due to a Self-Inflicted Neck Injury
Bob Goodwin (Jai Courtney) is one of the crew members hired by Ray Vernon, aka Leo Pap, to execute an ambitious heist to rob the SLS vaults, the most secure storage facility in the world. Bob is an obnoxious and short-tempered safecracker who is married to Judy Strauss. Stan Loomis tries to recruit Judy for the heist, but Bob becomes part of the crew. However, in the episodes set after the theft, we learn that Judy leaves Bob and elopes with Steve. Moreover, Bob is unable to speak properly and relies on his phone’s text-to-speech feature to convey his messages.
In the episode titled ‘Pink,’ which is chronologically the last episode of the story, Bob struggles to speak and appears to have a speech impediment. In the finale, titled ‘White,’ we learn that Bob betrays the crew and tries to flee with the bonds, taking Judy along with him. He kills RJ, but Judy stops Bob and poisons him. Bob cut his neck to stop himself from dying, causing the blood to flow out. However, the incision also affects his vocal cords, causing the speech impediment. Therefore, Bob cannot speak properly and is forced to rely on technology to express himself.
Bob’s Initial Injury Occurs During a Heist
During the heist, Bob’s hand is injured. He is forced to work with one hand while cracking safes. Therefore, it becomes difficult for Bob to perform the task, which affects the entire mission. In most post-heist episodes, we see Bob with the injury, and his hand is concealed inside a cast. The injury occurs in the episode titled ‘Yellow.’ The episode sees Ray and the crew attempting a heist to raise the seed money required to rob the SLS vault. They decide to steal some jewelry from the Diamond District and plan to sell it for seed money.
During the robbery, Bob gets greedy and tries to grab more diamonds before escaping. However, security arrives and opens fire on the thieves. While running, a bullet hits Bob’s hand, and he is injured. The injury is the first of many that Bob suffers from this point onward. The bullet wound marks Bob’s downfall as he is again injured during the SLS heist when Judy poisons him, and he is forced to slit his neck.
Moreover, when Bob tries to find Judy and Stand’s location, he fights Ava and suffers another injury. Lastly, Bob is shot on the beach before meeting Judy when the FBI arrives to arrest him. Ultimately, Bob succumbs to his wounds and dies. Bob is the one who betrays the crew and is primarily responsible for the heist going sideways. Therefore, his constant strain of injuries reflects the chain reaction his selfish actions cause.
Read More: Is Ava Mercer an FBI Mole in Kaleidoscope? Does She Betray Ray?
