Summary

• Howard's silent devotion to Pearl leads to enabling her murderous tendencies, trapping them both in a cycle of violence and repression.
• PTSD from World War I likely impacts Howard's reactions to Pearl's actions, blurring the lines between protection and enabling.
• Despite their deaths in X, Pearl and Howard's legacy will live on in Maxine's transformation, offering new layers to their twisted dynamic.

Pearl not only reveals how Mia Goth's character became the murderous villain seen in X, but also explores the relationship between Pearl and Howard - though questions remain about why Howard stayed with Pearl despite knowing she had an uncontrollable lust for murder. The duo act as the primary antagonists of X, slashing their way through the main cast as Howard protects Pearl at all costs, but not much is revealed about their marriage besides their shared frustrations. Pearl offers a different perspective, one in which Howard was once an innocent, doting husband serving in the army during World War I.

Pearl and Howard are a strange couple with a deadly dynamic. Howard only reacts silently to Pearl's murderous ways and forgives everything she does. When Howard returns from the war, he arrives to find a scene straight out of a nightmare — Pearl has murdered her parents and placed their corpses at the dinner table. Howard's smile fades, and Pearl proclaims that she missed him, before giving him a maniacal grin as tears stream down her face. Pearl and Howard's relationship is based on his devotion to her, which is why he stays with her even after she killed her parents.

The Real Meaning Of Howard Staying With Pearl

Howard Is So Devoted To Pearl He Can Even Look Past Her Homicidal Tendencies

The most common theory regarding Howard's decision to stay with his wife in the Pearl movie ending is him living in fear to protect himself. It's more likely it has a deeper meaning. Pearl's older self in X is meant to juxtapose Maxine, and as shown in Pearl, she didn't grow up in such a liberating time for women. Where Maxine and the film crew are sexually liberated and feel free to be with whoever they want, Pearl is restricted by the conservative society in which she grew up.

Pearl is unable to do whatever she pleases, taking these frustrations out on those around her. Pearl spends most of its time emphasizing how trapped she is, and Howard's decision to stay with her serves to do the same thing. This is due to Howard acting as a direct representation of both the best and worst husband. While he is undoubtedly in love with Pearl, Howard's devotion traps her. Howard is a very traditionalist character. He remains compelled to stay with Pearl no matter what she does.

Howard's devotion is what leads to Pearl's disillusionment towards her dreams.

Ultimately, Howard's devotion is what leads to Pearl's disillusionment towards her dreams, feeling shame towards her desires and resenting those who acknowledge their own. Howard's role as a devoted and protective husband leads to Pearl having no ticket to freedom, as they stay at the farm for the rest of their lives, so he can keep her safe from the outside world.

As a veteran of the First World War, it's also likely that PTSD — known then as Shell Shock — impacted Howard's reaction to Pearl's murderous ways, as he would already have been through many absolutely harrowing experiences in the trenches.

What Happens To Howard Between Pearl and X

It's Almost Certain That Howard Continued Enabling Pearl

While it is unknown how many others fell victim to Pearl between Pearl and X, it's safe to assume Howard helped cover up every single one. For example, X shows that Pearl and Howard had presumably kidnapped and murdered a man, who Lorraine finds in the couple's basement in X.

Additionally, the fact that they run a guesthouse and their killings appear planned could imply that Howard has been luring guests to the farm throughout the years to satisfy Pearl's rage and keep her there. Regardless, Howard ultimately enables Pearl, with his silence at the end of Pearl foreshadowing his silence towards her insanity for the rest of his life.

Will Pearl And Howard Be Explored In MaXXXine?

Pearl and Howard saw their story told in Pearl, and their tale is likely finished. Both Pearl and Howard died in X and when they returned to Pearl, it was to tell the prequel story of how they became killers to start with. There is no place for them since X, and that means it takes place after the couple has died. Of course, Mia Goth will be back, as she played both Maxine and Pearl in X and then returned as Pearl in Pearl. However, it's unlike Pearl and Howard will appear in MaXXXine.

When she ran over Pearl's head at the end of X, despite already winning the battle, a switch flipped in Maxine's mind.

It might be disappointing to not see any more of Pearl and Howard in the franchise — at least in the next installment — but that might be a good thing. After seeing how Pearl became who she was in X, it is now time to see what their actions turned Maxine into. When she ran over Pearl's head at the end of X, despite already winning the battle, a switch flipped in Maxine's mind.

There is no coming back from that, and seeing her turn into what Pearl became will be the next step in this story. While Pearl and Howard won't be back, there could be some flashbacks or hallucinations of her that Maxine has to deal with in the new movie, and their legacy will be felt long after the events of Pearl.