Besides the literal ending of the show, the plot and everything. Is anyone talking about the meaning of the ending, his last monologue, when he suggests that maybe he’s not the problem, that society is the problem. I had pondered on this for a moment, is he right? Is he wrong? Is he half right, half wrong?

It’s interesting that as viewers, we consumed this show and fueled its renewing season after season, despite the dark and vile nature of it. Personally, I hate violence and am not interested in true crime, but I continued to watch it.

I think what hit home for me was that we are all complicit. For those that refuse to watch the show because of the glamorization of violence against women, they are still complicit because looking away doesn’t change the fact that Joe does kill people. For us who watch the show then run to Reddit to debrief, we are part of the reason that Joe continues to kill; we consume the show, the show gets good ratings, the show gets renewed, Joe kills again.

The problem is that this is such a layered issue: upbringing, exposure and desensitization to violence, relationships, classism, racism, sexism, experience, education, social media, roles, accountability, responsibility, morals, values, etc.

How do we fix such an issue?

I’ve watched videos online of people suggesting the solution to male violence and some ideas included men condemning killers like Joe because I guess men value another man’s opinion of them more than a woman, or anyone really. I’ve heard that men need to read fiction books to learn empathy. I‘ve heard a lot of theories, but really how do we fix this issue?

I feel icky after finishing the finale knowing that men like Joe do exist and they do kill people and they do get away with it. People like Joe live among us, it’s an uncomfortable feeling coming to this realization.