How Did "I See You Called in Dead" by John Kenney End? All of the Plot Twists and Spoilers!

 

How does "I See You've Called in Dead" by John Kenney end? Have you finished reading "I See You've Called in Dead" and desperately need to discuss it? Or maybe you've read it, but can't remember how "I See You've Called in Dead" ends, or do you want to skip ahead to discover all the spoilers? Need a refresher on "I See You've Called in Dead" before heading off to book club tonight or before seeing the movie? Keep reading to discuss this fiction novel and all the twists and turns at the end!

 

 

Spoilers ahead!

 

How Did " I See You've Called in Dead" by John Kenney End?

What Are the Twists and Spoilers?

Clara tells Bud that she is going to Bhutan

While out together, Clara tells Bud that she is leaving for Bhutan in five days. Clara will be staying in Bhutan for a year. While Bud is initially shocked by this revelation, he is then struck by how that immediacy adds meaning to the time that they do have. Bud mentions that some flies only live twenty-four hours, so really they have five lifetimes before she has to leave.

Clara and Bud attend Leo's birthday party

Bud, Tim and Clara attend Leo's birthday party. Leo is initially shy; Clara charms Leo and they hit it off over their shared love of the Minions movie. Bud then surprises Clara and Tim with helicopter rides over the city. After the helicopter ride, they head back to Tim and Bud's home. 

Tim and Clara share about their experiences with depression

After the helicopter rides, Tim, Clara, and Bud head to Tim's home. Over a bottle ( or two) of wine, Tim and Clara talk about their experiences with depression. Tim acknowledges that after he became paralyzed, he attempted suicide more than once. Tim shows Clara and Bud a scar that he has from his suicide attempt on his wrist.

Tim has a medical emergency

Tim has difficulty swallowing his wine and collapses in his chair. It becomes clear that he is unconscious and experiencing a medical emergency. Bud attempts to provide aid while Clara calls 911. Tim is taken to the hospital where he is diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot. This is not an uncommon occurrence for someone Tim's age who is paralyzed. Tim acknowledges that he knew he was developing a health condition and had visited Cedars- Sinai while visiting his sister in California. After a day in the hospital, Tim is about to be discharged. Bud heads to get Tim's car and pick him up from the hospital.

Tim passes away 

While Bud is getting Tim's car, he receives a phone call saying that Tim has passed away. Bud has to go to the hospital to identify Tim before the coroner can take him. Afterwards, Bud goes back to his apartment where he speaks with Leo. Leo knows that Tim has died and comforts Bud, saying that like Leo's sister, Tim will always be with them. Bud spends time with Clara and Esther, Tim's wife.

Bud returns to the office to write an obituary for Tim

Bud returns to his job to write an obituary for Tim. While there, Bud sees his replacement sitting at his desk. His replacement isn't friendly and calls Bud, "the drunk obit guy". Obviously under a great deal of emotional duress already, this sends Bud off, and he grabs the replacement writer by the throat. Bud's boss, Howard, and Tuan rush over to comfort Bud and break up the altercation. Tuan shows Bud that he has already written a beautiful obituary for Tim. 

Bud apologizes to everyone. His replacement, however, does not accept it and instead threatens Bud with legal action and with telling his father, an executive at the newspaper. Hearing this, Howard tells the replacement to leave the office.

Bud visits Tim at the morticians

Tim had requested that a specific pair of shoes be placed on his feet for his funeral. Bud takes the shoes to the mortician’s office and asks to put them on Tim himself. While there, Bud has a long conversation with the mortician, a kind and compassionate man who reassures Bud that Tim is being cared for with dignity and respect. The mortician makes it clear that Tim’s life matters deeply to him, just as the lives of all the people whose bodies he prepares after death matter to him.

Humorously, Bud contemplates tying Tim's shoelaces together. Bud invisions Tim finally able to walk again in the afterlife being tripped by Bud's shenanigans and the humor they would've shared in that idea.

Bud is officially fired on his way to Tim's funeral

Bud gets a phone call from the newspaper letting him know that he is officially "undeceased" and can now officially be fired. He is invited to come to the office to complete the paperwork. Bud goes to Tim's funeral and gives a beautiful speech, reminding everyone how inspirational Tim's spirit was despite the adversity he faced.

"Here we are, as Tim would've said, all of us, on this lovely day, alive. What are we going to do with that?" ( page 267)

Bud returns home and gets a new job

After the funeral, Bud returns home and finds out that Tim has left the unit to Bud. Tim encourages Bud to find a tenant like himself, someone who needs help getting their life together. He receives hundreds of emails in response to the ad for the apartment and ultimately chooses a young woman working to get her GED with a six year old son.

Bud goes to the newspaper office to be offically fired. While there he gives an impassioned speech about how they get obituaries wrong and that a longer form article is needed to really capture who someone was and what they meant to their friends, family, and community. 

"But that's not why I'd fire me if I was on your side of the table. I'd fire me because we do the job wrong. Obituary writing, We sit in a room in this building and we make phone calls and type down data and facts and birthdays.... and people read it and think...nothing." ( page 274)

Bud takes Clara to the airport, but before they leave they have sex for the first time. At the airport Bud tells Clara that he loves her, and she said, "I know, me too."

At the very end of the novel, Howard offers Bud a new job at the newspaper. Bud accepts the job to write long form obituaries, just like he had spoken of when being fired. 

What else were you surprised by reading "I See You Called In Dead" by John Kenney? Did you see the ending coming for each character? Did "I See You Called In Dead" end how you had hoped? Comment down below and let me know!