We often forget the darkness in Thelma & Louise, how trapped these women are that they decide that driving off a cliff is a better option than facing the authorities. There is an understanding between them—and the audience—that the system is just not built for them. Even in the case of the one good man cop who seems to empathize with them, there is no guarantee he’ll protect them. It doesn’t matter if their killing was justified or not; they’re bound to be punished. If anything, it makes them even angrier, but at least they get to enjoy their outlaw lives for a minute.
