Pearl’s Ending Explained: Why Howard Stayed With Pearl
Pearl goes on a killing spree, killing her parents and everyone she believes is standing between her and the life she deserves, but the ending sees her reorganizing the house and ready to settle down when Howard returns.
Howard is missing from most of Pearl, but through X, viewers know that after he learns what Pearl has done, he decides to stay with her. Not only does he accept Pearl’s blood thirty traits, but he also likely helps her cover the crime. What makes him stay?
*We may earn a small commission if you purchase through our affiliate links. All products are individually selected by Punk Head.
In X, Howard helps Pearl kill Jackson and move the body. He reveals that he “knows exactly what his wife is.” Later on, when Pearl’s feeling self-conscious, Howard also tells her that she is special and that he has loved her since the moment he saw her, which then leads to sex. So the decision to stay isn’t likely to come from fear but might have been a genuine choice made by Howard himself.
Can love truly be so blind? Why isn’t Howard horrified by Pearl like others have? On the note of that, those who cheated Pearl and treated her like a monster all died in horrifying ways. Howard is the only survivor. It’s very likely that he truly likes Pearl and isn’t bothered by her murderous nature.
Another thing to consider is that Howard is a war veteran. His perspective might have been altered or enhanced by his share of violence in the war, though that hardly can be the reason why one falls in love with a murderer and decides to stay with them forever. Though Pearl is the one who carries out most of the killing, the decision to be with her tells much about Howard’s character.
Let’s not forget Howard does participate in the killing of Jackson and Loraine in X. The hunt almost seems a romantic thing between the couple. It further proves that they do share similarities and in a way are “meant to be.”
This also explains why Pearl feels so trapped with normal people that she goes on killing her parents and sister-in-law only to live on the same farm with the man she is already married to. If not for a twisted yet genuine relationship, Pearl would have killed Howard long ago.
