JOKER: Folie à Deux

*CUT TO THE CHASE*

NOTE: This spoiler was submitted by Jeremy

The film opens with a Looney Tunes-style cartoon called “Me and My Shadow”. It depicts Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) basking in his newfound adoration as “Joker”. He goes to his dressing room just before a live performance, where his shadow comes to life and tries to take over his identity. The shadow goes onstage and performs as Arthur before he merges back with his shadow. Police officers then show up to beat Arthur senseless.

Arthur has spent the last two years in Arkham Asylum after his live murder of Murray Franklin, as well as the three men on the subway and his former coworker Randall. He is abused by the guards, especially a sadistic one named Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson). Arthur sees his lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), along with his social worker, Debra Kane (Sharon Washington). They believe that Arthur has a split personality disorder, and that “Joker” is responsible for the murders. Arthur has also had a TV movie made about his crimes, and he has earned a few followers and admirers, including fellow inmate Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga).

During a musical therapy session, Arthur finds he is mutually attracted to Lee. He approaches her, and she tells him that she is there for setting fire to her parents’ apartment building. Lee appears to share Arthur’s morbid sense of humor, and she expresses interest in him after witnessing him kill Murray on his show. Arthur rejoins the group as they watch a news report in which District Attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) is hoping to prosecute Arthur for his murders and wants to charge him with the death penalty. When asked how this makes him feel, Arthur imagines himself singing “For Once in My Life” as a result of his newfound attraction to Lee.

The inmates are gathered to watch “That’s Entertainment!”. In the middle of things, Lee lights a fire, which quickly spreads through the room and causes everyone to run and scatter. Lee just approaches Arthur and kisses him. She sings the titular song as she and Arthur run outside of Arkham, attempting to escape and nearly succeeding until they reach the gates and are pulled back by the guards. Arthur is thrown into solitary while laughing madly, and he envisions himself and Lee dancing on a rooftop.

Arthur wakes up to find Lee in his cell. She tells him that she is being sent home because her her relationship with him. Lee says she will be at his trial everyday and wait for him when he gets out. She puts Arthur’s signature Joker makeup on him before they both have sex for the first time.

The next day, Maryanne accompanies Arthur as he is set to do a televised interview with Paddy Meyers (Steve Coogan), where he hopes to get “Joker” to come out, while Maryanne insists that Arthur only be referred to by his own name. Paddy prods Arthur with questions about the murders, while Arthur is adamant that they should be talking about how he is different now than he was before. Paddy also brings up the news report of Arthur and Lee’s romantic escape attempt. Arthur starts singing “Bewitched”, which everyone at Arkham watches. Lee watches on the streets with a crowd outside a TV store, and she breaks the glass and steals a small TV.

Arthur’s trial soon begins, with hundreds of “fans” gathered to witness, including Lee standing outside the courthouse. Dr. Victor Liu (Ken Leung) speaks on his beliefs that Arthur is faking his mental illness and committed the murders on his own accord, but he is still a highly disturbed individual with a traumatic past. Maryanne gives her argument defending Arthur’s case. After the day is done, Lee tries to argue with Maryanne that they are keeping her as far from Arthur as possible. Maryanne approaches Arthur in his cell and tells him that all the stuff that Lee said about her past (that she’s poor, her father’s dead, etc) is all a lie, as she lives in the Upper West Side with both her parents, and she got a degree in psychology. Maryanne warns Arthur that Lee is playing him for a fool, but he just has another musical fantasy about the two of them, which ends with Lee shooting Joker in the stomach.

Lee visits Arthur at Arkham. He asks her if she really was lying to him, and she just tries to turn Maryanne’s words back on her as if she were the one trying to manipulate Arthur. Lee also tells Arthur that she is pregnant, and he is elated.

During the next day of the trial, a testimony is given by Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz), Arthur’s former neighbor that he was infatuated with. She recounts the creepy encounters that she had with him, as well as the harassment she received from Arthur’s followers and press wanting to ask her about her involvement with him. Sophie also brings up how she used to talk to his mother Penny, recounting the things that she told Sophie about Arthur’s failed aspirations as a comedian. Arthur envisions himself singing “The Joker” before attacking the jury and the judge in his fantasy before blowing his brains out. Arthur cuts off Sophie’s testimony to fire Maryanne and represent himself, which his supporters cheer for. When he returns to Arkham, the inmates cheer and sing “When The Saints Go Marching In”, which pisses off the guards.

Judge Rothwax (Bill Smitrovich) reluctantly allows Arthur to represent himself while in his Joker makeup and suit. The next testimony is given by Arthur’s former coworker at Ha-Ha’s, Gary Puddles (Leigh Gill), who witnessed Arthur’s horrific murder of Randall. The incident not only traumatized Gary so much that it affected his work and sleep, but he was also shocked because Arthur was the only person at work who was ever kind to him. Arthur gives an impassioned rant about how he is not letting his tormentors keep him down, and that he feels free as Joker.

Arthur returns to Arkham and is beaten and raped by Jackie and two other guards since he insulted them during his rant. After being dragged back to his cell, a young inmate, Ricky Meline (Jacob Lofland), who has been one of Arthur’s biggest supporters, starts singing for Arthur. Jackie goes to his cell and strangles Ricky to death, which Arthur overhears.

During the closing statements part of the trial, Arthur eventually admits to everyone that he no longer wants to be Joker, admitting he is just sad and tired of life. He also confesses to killing his mother by smothering her. Lee and various other followers quickly turn on Arthur and leave the courthouse in disgust. Arthur later leaves a voice message for Lee, where he sings to her one last time.

The verdict is reached, and Arthur is deemed guilty on all counts of murder. He begins laughing maniacally, and a family member of one of the victims tries to attack Arthur, causing a frenzy. A car bomb goes off, blowing a huge hole in the courthouse and burning half of Dent’s face. Arthur starts to run out and is picked up by two Joker followers trying to sneak him away. Arthur ends up running out of the car and flees into the streets. He goes up the steps of his old apartment and finds Lee there. He tries to restart their romance, but she tells him they are done since she was only ever in love with the fantasy of Joker. She sings to him and leaves him alone before he is arrested.

Arthur returns to Arkham and is told by Jackie that he has a visitor. As he follows him, an inmate (Connor Storrie) that has been following Arthur’s Joker persona approaches him to tell a joke. When he gets to the “punchline”, he says “You get what you fucking deserve”, the same thing Arthur said to Murray before killing him. The inmate repeatedly stabs Arthur in the gut. He sees himself in one last musical number with Lee as he bleeds out and dies. Meanwhile, the inmate carves a Glasgow grin into his own face.

Two years after Arthur Fleck murdered six people, he has earned a large following for his "Joker" persona. As he begins his trial, he meets and falls in love with Harleen "Lee" Quinzel, a fellow inmate who admires his anarchist ways. Arthur views his romance with Lee through various musical sequences. His lawyer Maryanne Stewart wants to argue that Arthur has a split personality disorder, and that it was Joker who committed the murders, while District Attorney Harvey Dent wants to prosecute Arthur and seek the death penalty.

During the trial, Arthur hears testimonies from his former neighbor Sophie that he was previously infatuated with, along with his former coworker Gary, who witnessed Arthur's murder of their obnoxious coworker Randall. Later on, Arthur gets beaten and raped by guards at Arkham after he trashed them on TV, and one of his followers gets strangled to death.

On the day of the closing statements, Arthur admits that he really is just a disturbed and sad individual, renouncing his Joker identity. He loses a ton of supporters, including Lee. After he is found guilty of all the murders, some of his remaining followers bomb the courthouse, scarring Dent and allowing Arthur to escape. He wanders the streets and finds Lee near his old apartment. When he tries to run away with her, she tells him that she was only in love with the fantasy of Joker, and he ruined it. She leaves him to get arrested.

Arthur is eventually killed by an inmate who previously supported him. As Arthur bleeds out, the inmate carves a smile into his own face, indicating that he, or someone else, will become the next Joker.