Whatever Happened to Gary’s Cats at the End of ‘Hit Man’?

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Netflix's “Hit Man.”

The big picture

• Gary's transition from cat person to dog person
  Hit Man
  it reflects the development of his character.
• The absence of Gary's cats at the end of
  Hit Man
  it symbolizes the changes in his relationship with Madison in the film.
• With no concrete answers, speculation abounds as to what happened to Gary's cats after their marriage.

The end of Hit Man, Richard LinklaterThe newest romance novel about a fake gun-for-hire and his potential client is anything but airtight. Based on the true story of Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), the film concludes neatly with its protagonists married, a couple of children to raise, and their enemies tricked or eliminated in what is considered a suicide. Unless you want to veer into fanfiction territory and start wondering what happened to Gary and Madison (Adria Arjona) after their happily ever after, there isn't much room for speculation. Carefully constructed by Linklater and Powell, the screenplay of Hit Man it's not for plot holes. Except one. If there is a question that Hit Man persistent leaves in the air, is this: What happened to Gary's cats after his marriage to Madison?

Maybe you didn't pay attention to this little detail. At the end of the film, as he describes their happy relationship, Gary, who wasn't a dog before he met Madison, is seen with a couple of not-so-small furries. This contrasts with Gary's pet situation when the film begins: in his former life, he is shown to have two cats, which he names Id and Ego, quite in line with his work as a professor of psychology and philosophy. In his happy home with his wife and children, however, these poor cats are nowhere to be seen. Considering that not much time passes between the time Gary and Madison decide to get back together and the scene at their house—about another five years, judging by the ages of their children—and considering that a common domestic cat has a lifespan of About 15 years, the average whisker lover only has to wonder: Did one of the dogs give Id and Ego a shot?

Cats Have Huge Thematic Importance in 'Hit Man'

Now, before we start pointing fingers at Fido and Toto, we need to understand that, from a thematic standpoint, it actually makes a lot of sense for Gary to go from cat person to dog person at the end of Hit Man. Gary begins the film as a cheeky boy, a bit scared of the world around him, introverted and definitely not very keen on being around other people. You know, kind of like a cat. We can all agree that cats also have a more independent streak, for which they are often praised, and are easily frightened by strangers. Second, well, Hollywood doesn't exactly have a stellar track record when it comes to kittens. From The Lady and the Tramp a Cats and dogsthey are often shown to be mischievous creatures, so there is nothing new in associating the poor babies with a nasty personality.

Like this, when we look at Gary when we meet him, it's pretty obvious that he's a cat, and not just in the sense that he prefers the company of felines. It also embodies many of the qualities commonly associated with cats. He prefers to be alone and is so detached from other humans that his previous marriage ended because he could not be part of a “normal” relationship. Also, he doesn't seem to miss people much, as his life seems to be quite complete without the company of others. Gary is never shown to bite because of his situation, and even when he hears his co-workers complaining about how annoying he is, he doesn't seem to mind. Heck, Gary even enjoys bird watching, a hobby he shares with the vast majority of indoor cats.

But there is one thing, or rather one person, that finally makes Gary regret his Gary. This is, of course, Madison. First meeting her as a fake hitman named Ron, doing his side gig catching killer contractors for the police, Gary can't shake this persona. Instead, he adopts a new way of being just to be by Madison's side. Slowly but surely, Gary and Ron's personalities begin to blend. They become confused as Gary begins to change, even taking on a more confident air in his college lessons, to the point where the students begin to wonder when their teacher got hot. At the end of the movie, after making the giant leap to the other side that is killing Jasper (Austin Amelio) and disguise it as suicide, Gary and Ron basically become the same person: a man named Gary who acts like Ron; a man who still enjoys birdwatching, but who is considerably more charming and gentle.

As part of this changing process, Gary also becomes more outgoing and confident, unafraid of the world around him. He becomes more like a dog. When he starts dating Madison, during a date at an adoption fair, he makes a mental comment about how dogs are needy. Well, by the end of the movie, Gary also becomes more needy, in the sense that he begins to recognize his need for attention and human interaction. Of course, these rules don't apply in the real world, but in a fictional universe, it makes sense for a man like the new Gary to have dogs instead of cats.

A Definitive Answer to Where ID and Ego Are Not Given in “Hit Man”

So yes, Powell and Linklater made a very smart, if somewhat in-your-face, choice when they gave their latest Gary two dogs instead of two cats. Despite this, that doesn't change the fact that the Gary we start the movie with has two adorable kittens who just disappear once installed with Madison. Actually, come to think of it, they basically disappear from the plot as soon as they both start dating, since Gary and Madison are just in place. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to get them out of the minds of cat-loving viewers everywhere. So what really happened to them?

well, the film does not give us a definitive answer. We are left with only speculation. And the possibilities are endless. Perhaps Id and Ego died of natural causes at some point during the early stages of Gary and Madison's relationship. Or maybe… gasp! – Gary and Madison got attached to the kittens. Come on, think about it, what's a cat or two when they're already in the business of killing people? But no. This is too horrifying to consider. Besides, they would never murder such innocent beings. They only eliminate abusive ex-husbands and blackmailing partners. Likewise, we can be sure that the dogs did not have their Id and Ego killed. Dogs aren't smart enough to hire a hitman, or at least that's what a cat would say.

There is also the possibility that Id and Ego are still very much alive. Maybe Gary is an irresponsible pet owner and simply passed his cats on to another guardian now that he has other interests. Or, maybe, they're just off-screen. You know, Gary's house at the end of the movie seems to be considerably agitated, with two small children and two dogs running around, so it wouldn't be surprising if your other pets simply prefer to lie low under the couch or on a soft, comfortable pillow..

The cats' absence says a lot about Gary and Madison's relationship in 'Hit Man'

We hope so, because if not, the absence of the cats sure says a lot about Madison and Gary's relationship. Gary is never himself with Madison, although the concept of self is one of the themes Hit Man. Of course, you could argue that he's just himself because Ron is also a manifestation of his personality, but Madison never gets to know the Gary that existed outside of her sphere of influence. For her, Gary changes completely, from his behavior to his taste for animals. While some changes are more natural than others, all are driven by a conscious effort to be the man Madison finds attractive on their first meeting.

Madison, on the other hand, doesn't change much for Gary. When he meets her, she is downtrodden and abused, and later becomes a more confident woman when she leaves her husband behind, but that's about it. In terms of personality, she makes no effort to alter parts of herself that Gary might find distasteful, but let's face it, the movie doesn't show Gary feeling rejected by any part of it. The only thing that bothers him Hit Man it is her constant desire to kill her ex-husband, and even that she is not able to resist.

Now, are we saying that Madison should adopt a whole new persona to become a better match for Gary? Definitely not! It's already weird that Gary would do it for her, and the movie acknowledges that. Despite this, It doesn't bode well for a relationship when one side is willing to change so much and the other simply refuses to budge.. So, for the sake of Madison and Gary's marriage, we hope that Id and Ego are hiding somewhere in this house, probably scratching something they shouldn't be doing or meowing for attention. Otherwise, we will see a messy divorce in the future.

Hit Man is available to stream on Netflix in the United States

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