'Cause, you see, when you really put everything on a bagel, it becomes this [...] The truth. 

 

What is the truth?

 

Nothing matters.

 

No. Joy you don't believe that.

 

Feels nice doesn't it? If nothing matters, then all of the pain and guilt you feel for making nothing of your life, it goes away. Sucked into a bagel.  

In a pivotal scene, Jobu Tupaki unveils the Everything Bagel to Evelyn, explaining that she created it to see what would happen if she truly “put everything on a bagel.” Into this void-like object, she pours everything she has seen, felt, and endured across the multiverse—transforming it into a swirling embodiment of absolute negativity. From this, Jobu concludes that “nothing matters,” having lived countless lives in countless realities, each one stripping away her ability to define what’s real or meaningful. Evelyn challenges this nihilistic worldview, but Jobu presses on, suggesting that meaninglessness offers a kind of relief: if nothing matters, then neither does pain, guilt, or the fear of failure. Her speech reveals not only deep despair but also a longing to escape the emotional weight of living. The film suggests that nihilism can become a refuge—a tempting way to avoid confronting one’s regrets, responsibilities, and the vulnerability that comes with hope.

I know you go through life with your fists held tight. You see yourself as a fighter. Well, I see myself as one too. This is how I fight [...] So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say... In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.

In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, an alternate version of Waymond professes his enduring love for Evelyn, despite the fact that she rejected him in this universe. Following her father’s advice, this Evelyn chose career over romance, becoming a celebrated actress and martial artist, while Waymond rose to success as a wealthy CEO. When the primary Evelyn verse-jumps into this timeline, she is dazzled by the glamour of her alternate life and begins to question her own choices. Compared to this version of herself, her real life—spent running a struggling laundromat with Waymond in Southern California—seems disappointingly small. But when Evelyn returns to the glamorous universe and speaks again with CEO Waymond, she is surprised to find that his feelings for her remain strong. Wondering aloud what might have been, he imagines a life where they stayed together, even if it meant a modest existence filled with work and taxes above a laundromat. His gentle confession—that in another life, he would still choose that life with her—helps Evelyn understand that fulfillment doesn’t lie in chasing alternate versions of success. It lies in embracing the present and the quiet, ordinary love she had undervalued.

Where are we? 

 

One of the universes where the conditions weren't right for life to form. Most of them are like this, actually. 

 

It's... nice. 

 

Yeah. You can just sit here, and everything feels really far away. 

 

Joy, I'm sorry about ruining everything, I -- 

 

Shhhh. You don't have to worry about that here. Just be a rock.

When Jobu and Evelyn fight using their verse-jumping abilities, their conflict spills over into countless alternative universes, including one where they are both martial arts masters, and others where they are animated, like cartoons. In one universe, however, their fight, and all action, is put on hold. In this universe, Jobu and Evelyn appear as two rocks resting near a cliff. Jobu notes that most universes are lifeless as they lack the right “conditions” to foster biological life. Evelyn is surprised to discover that she feels peace in this universe, and Jobu agrees that this planet allows them to simply “sit here.” The rock planet, then, offers a surprising respite from the noise and chaos of the other universes, though Evelyn momentarily disturbs this peace by attempting to apologize to Jobu. Jobu, however, does not fight with Evelyn but urges her to leave her worries behind and “just be a rock.” This planet, and their conversation, reflects the different priorities of Evelyn, who wants to reconcile with her daughter, and Jobu, who wishes to escape from the pain and confusion of human life. Further, Jobu’s claim that most universes are devoid of life suggests that humanity, and human life, is not that important in the grand scale of the multiverse.  

You know what I say? Cold, hysterical, unlovable [women] like us make the world go round[...]  

 

 

You aren’t unlovable. There is always something to love. Even in a stupid, stupid universe where we have hot dogs for fingers, we’d all be very good with our feet!

After Evelyn smashes a window in her laundromat and is restrained by a police officer, she has a surprising heart-to-heart conversation with Deirdre, the IRS worker who approved the repossession of the Wangs’ assets. After Waymond speaks with Deirdre, noting his attempt to serve Evelyn with divorce papers and the various stresses that might have contributed to Evelyn’s strange erratic behavior, she agrees to give the Wangs extra time to resubmit their paperwork, temporarily halting the repossession. She sits next to Evelyn on a bench outside of the laundromat and acknowledges, with unexpected frankness, that she behaved in a wild manner when her ex-husband served her with divorce papers, driving his car through their neighbors’ kitchen. 

In this scene, then, Deirdre reveals her own personal struggles, underscoring the fact that everyone is fighting their own private battles, even people who at first appear unsympathetic. When Deirdre speaks disparagingly of herself and Evelyn as “unlovable,” Evelyn insists that everyone is lovable, as there is “always something to love” in every person. Here, her words reflect the development of her beliefs throughout the course of the movie. In one of the various universes she has experienced, in which people have “hot dogs for fingers,” she and Deirdre are loving partners. With her newfound compassion, Evelyn insists that everyone has their own skills and strengths, as even in the hotdog-universe, people find other ways to use their bodies, becoming adept at using their feet for tasks in lieu of their hands.  

All of this time, I wasn't looking for someone who could defeat me. I was looking for someone who could see what I see. Feel what I feel...and that person is you [...] Not a single moment will go by in your mind without every other universe screaming for your attention...

When Alpha Waymond first confronts Evelyn in the IRS office, he warns her that she is in danger, as the villainous Jobu Tupaki has been searching for her through countless alternative universes and killing the other versions of Evelyn. At this point in the film, Evelyn believes that Jobu’s motive is to destroy the entire multiverse. When Evelyn actually confronts Jobu, however, she realizes that there is more to her story. In the Alphaverse, her mother, Alpha Evelyn, trained her in verse-jumping but pushed her beyond her limits. After experiencing countless alternative realities at once, Joy’s consciousness “cracked,” leading her to lose all faith in objective reality, value, and meaning, and to assume a new identity as Jobu. After Evelyn has also experienced the endless variations of the multiverse, Jobu admits to Evelyn that she searched for her across multiple universes in the hopes of finding “someone who could see what I see.” 

What Jobu wants, then, is not an enemy but someone who can understand her pain and disillusionment. At this point in the film, Evelyn, like Jobu, experiences the overwhelming demands of “every other universe,” and she understands the pain that Jobu feels. Ultimately, and despite her nihilistic attitude, Jobu still seeks out her mother as a source of support.  

Take a Study Break