“Joker: Folie à Deux” has officially arrived in cinemas and is getting people talking.

The sequel to 2019’s critically acclaimed Joker made a big splash after the addition of Lady Gaga as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn, as well as the musical elements included.

Five years after Todd Phillips’ Joker, Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, now in Arkham State Hospital awaiting trial for the murders he committed in the first film. As Arthur struggles with his two identities, he falls in love with Lee, who brings out a musical side in him.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” first premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 4th. The sequel received mixed reviews from critics, who criticized the thin plot and musical performances. As of its release on October 4th, the film currently has a 33% critics and 36% moviegoers rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reactions on social media also appearing to be divided.

So what happens at the end of Joker: Folie à Deux? Read below to find out what people are saying.

What happens at the end of Joker: Folie à Deux?

The entire film revolves around Arthur preparing for trial and standing in the courtroom. At the same time, it highlights the extreme conditions and abuse he endures in Arkham.

Since he behaves well, security guard Jackie (Brendan Gleeson) takes him to a music class where he meets Lee. She tells him a story about how horrible her parents were and how they had her institutionalized. Viewers later discover that it was all a lie and that she is simply obsessed with the Joker.

During the trial, his lawyer Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener) argues that Arthur suffers from severe mental health problems and a dual personality. It was the Joker who killed the people, not Arthur, she tells the courtroom. As people begin to testify and talk about his childhood and relationship with his mother, Arthur’s behavior begins to change from calm and coherent to his Joker-like self. He also stops taking his medication.

In the end he is found guilty. But while the jury was reading the verdict, a car bomb exploded next to the building.

Arthur runs out and escapes with the help of Joker fans, who push him into a car and drive him away from the scene. When Arthur comes to, he gets out of the car and runs to the famous stairs where Lee is waiting for him.

Lee, who had previously said she was pregnant with his child, decides she is done with Arthur after he says in court that he is not the Joker. On the stairs she tells him that she doesn’t want to be with him anymore. When Arthur mentions their child, it is assumed that she was lying, as she has made up stories in the past.

Arthur is then arrested by the police and taken back into custody. In Arkham, a security guard informs him that he has visitors. On his way down the hallway he is stopped by another prisoner to tell him a “joke”. The native then stabs Arthur several times in the stomach.

As Arthur bleeds from his stomach and lies on the floor, the inmate behind him appears to cut his mouth open to conjure up a smile. The film ends.

Is Arthur dead?

It is unknown whether Arthur’s attack was planned by the guards or someone else, or whether the prisoner himself was responsible. It is assumed that Arthur dies because he bled to death and no one comes to help.

Phillips seemingly confirmed Arthur’s death, telling IGN that “at the end of his life, Arthur found peace with the idea, with the struggle, that it was okay to be yourself. And that’s really what he always struggled with, you know what I mean? I like to think that he died in some sense at peace, being himself.”

He continued: “The boy says to him, ‘Do you want to hear a joke?’ And even though he thinks maybe it’s (Lee) downstairs. We don’t even know what’s downstairs, but that optimism that Arthur has is still within him. He says, “Yeah, sure, sure,” because he knows the feeling of wanting to make someone laugh. So he gives the child this moment.”

Additionally, the director told Slash Film that he knows the ending is “disturbing.”

“For the people who have seen this movie in general… at the end they sit and don’t move for about three to five minutes,” he told the outlet. “Then they text me, those who know me, or email me and say, ‘I need a minute to process the film.'”

Adding: “I find it disturbing.”

As for plans for a third film and seeing what happens with Arthur. Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter: “I feel like these two films were my time in the DC universe.”

What happened to Lee?

Lee, having lied about her past, decides to leave Arthur after he sheds his Joker self. She only seemed interested when he was the insane villain, and not when he was Arthur and found out who he was. After her moment on the stairs, that’s the last the audience sees of her.

Viewers will notice a big difference from the Harley Quinn portrayed in other films. Principal Phillips said it was intentional.

“The high-pitched voice, that accent, the gum-chewing and all that sassy stuff that’s in the comics, we left that out,” Phillips told Variety. “We wanted it to fit into the world of Gotham that we created from the first film.”

What do people say about “Joker: Folie à Deux’?Many of the online comments from fans criticized elements of the film.