One of the members of the Cosmopolitan Polyglot Society, Henry Thorpe is an alien who’s taken the job of an anthropologist. Often teaching at University, Henry seems like a man who can’t hurt a fly. After Ozark, Jason Thomas Butler nails the role of Henry and gets under your skin in a creepy way really well. Sugar has had many revelations throughout the first season, but Henry turning out to be the main antagonist is something not many saw coming.
Spoilers Ahead
Who is Henry Thorpe?
You first see Henry at Ruby’s party, a very timid figure who is unnoticeable until Sugar meets him. When Sugar tells him about the Shibuya Crossing, Henry listens to him with great interest, or at least pretends to do so. This brief introduction to the character doesn’t really make much mark, as one would think he’d be completely inconsequential to the narrative. That changes after a few episodes when Sugar somehow drags himself to a motel after the Stallings incident. He asks Melanie to call Henry, who arrives immediately to patch him up back to health. It’s now that you begin to realize that Henry is one of the closest people to Sugar, and he trusts Henry to save his life. Melanie, too, sees Henry as a friend who cares about Sugar, and puts his problems first rather than his own.
Why does Henry help Sugar to find Olivia?
After Sugar gets to know that Ruby was helping Stallings, and Miller tries to kill him, he goes to Ruby’s house to see the society planning to leave the planet. A command from ‘home,’ their secret is out in the world and it’s no longer safe for them to stay. Sugar refuses to leave before he finds Olivia, and he shouts at everyone for answers. It’s Henry who takes Sugar to a separate room and tells him about the whole situation. He also writes the address for him to save Olivia, and asks him about the murders at Stallings’ house. Henry seems concerned that Sugar is losing himself and becoming more human. He even wishes Sugar luck for saving Olivia. Little did Sugar know that Henry knew where Olivia was all along, and just played dumb to fool him.
Why won’t Henry go home?
The day of the evacuation is here, and Ruby tells Sugar that Henry is being tantrummy. Henry tells Sugar that he’s having mixed feelings about leaving, and showers appreciation on Sugar for helping the people who need it. Henry tells him that he should be showered with rose petals on his feet and revered for the person he is. This whole exchange between them is sketchy, and I can tell none of Henry’s words mean anything at all. Henry has grown a massive fascination for humans during the course of his life on earth, and conveniently picked up the worst qualities of human beings. Assisting a murderer was normal for him, so one could only imagine what he’s capable of. The fact that he managed to convince Ruby and the others that it’s okay to torture and kill people for the sake of his research is just a testament to the fact that he’s off the rails.
Why was Henry assisting Ryan Pavich?
Sugar’s world comes crashing down when he realizes it was Henry who knew where Olivia was all along. Henry conducted his research on the torment of women, and Olivia was just another research subject for him. His partnership with Ryan was the last thing Sugar expected. Henry calls him and admits that he expected Sugar to know about the truth when he borrowed the cassette player from him. He talks to Sugar just to make him feel worthless for all his attempts to do good, and mockingly leaves actual rose petals in the room for him. Henry is the perfect antithesis to Sugar’s kindness. He refuses to go home, and tells Sugar that people like them have no business back on their home planet. He hangs up on Sugar soon, but he left his final surprise for Sugar in the wardrobe, and Sugar finds Djen’s dress inside it. He realizes it was Henry who took Djen, and Sugar has no idea what happened to her. Henry is adamant that he’ll take his chances rather than going home, as Earth is the perfect playground for his research and experiments.
What’s next for Henry Thorpe?
Henry is a character who you just can’t hate despite the evil person he is. He stayed back on earth despite the risks and he’s completely aware of it. Henry’s research on the people of this planet is far too important for him to leave midway, and the psychopath nerd is ready to lose everything for the sake of his research. He’d also have to deal with Sugar who’s out for vengeance. What Henry did with Djen is still a mystery, and the second season will have more of him and his wickedness.
