Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ follows the story of a group of thieves who plan to execute a heist of a lifetime. The plan is dangerous and potentially lethal, but the prize is seven billion dollars split equally between the six crew members. While this is motivation enough to keep every member dedicated to the task, this is also something that makes them think about betraying others and running away with all the money. By the end of the story, we find the characters in different situations where they have to decide whether their need for money is bigger than the people around them. Judy finds herself in a similar situation, though the circumstances are much different than what the others go through. If you are wondering what she ends up doing, then we have the answer for you. SPOILERS AHEAD
Judy’s Dilemma: Between Love and Freedom
Judy is brought on board as a chemist who is really good at her job. She proves to be a resourceful person who can come up with a solution to even the most impossible of situations. Still, she finds it harder to come up with the solution to the problems created by the members of her crew. At the end of the heist, when her husband, Bob, decides to run away with the bonds, she doesn’t have much time to think. She decides to go with him, but then, unfortunate circumstances lead her to kill RJ. This is a breaking point for her because she was a thief but not a killer.
While Bob tries to console her, Stan shows up. Bob, who already has a grudge against Stan, runs after him to kill him. Judy knows that Bob will kill Stan and she doesn’t want another person to die because of him, so she kills Bob instead. It was a heartbreaking thing for her, to kill the man that she loved, but she couldn’t simply sit and watch him kill another innocent person, especially when that person was Stan, whom Judy cared about and had feelings for.
With Bob out of the picture, Judy and Stan stick together. For the next six months, they spend time in hiding, doing small jobs to get them through the day. But slowly, the money runs out and they call Ray for help. Things get so dire for them that Judy is forced to give away the bracelet that Bob stole for her. This was the only thing of him that she had left, but she knows that it won’t help them survive unless it is turned into money.
While she and Stan are busy trying to figure out their next move, unbeknownst to them, Bob is out there looking for them. It turns out that Judy hadn’t killed him and now he is out for revenge. Bob forces Ray to give up Stan and Judy’s location, but the old man plays him by calling the FBI instead of Stan. While Bob arrives at the said location and has a showdown with the feds, Stan and Judy are nearby, having breakfast. While Stan is busy eating, Judy senses that something is going on around them.
She notices Bob’s car parked across the street and recognizes it instantly. Inside it, she finds the bag full of money, which Bob had stolen from Ray. With all this money, her and Stan’s problems would disappear for a good while, but then, she wonders whether the money would last longer if she was alone. She watches Stan enjoying his breakfast at a distance, unaware of the money she’s found and unaware of the fact that his life is about to change. Judy looks longingly at the empty road, wondering if she should just get in Bob’s car and drive away.
While we never get to see what Judy chose in the end, it is possible that she chose to run away. Her previous actions have proven that she is not afraid to make hard choices, especially when they are for the greater good. She didn’t hesitate from killing her husband when she thought he was going to kill Stan. This means that the choice between choosing Stan or leaving him behind and starting her life anew somewhere else with all the money in her bag mustn’t be a difficult one for her. While she does have feelings for Stan, she stayed with him not only because she liked him but also because it increased her chances of survival. Now that she doesn’t need him anymore, she is free to leave, and there is a greater possibility that she did so.
Read More: Kaleidoscope Ending, Explained
