Original artwork, not a still
Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.
— Pulp Fiction • 1994
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The line is a dry way to close a nightmare: Butch has just survived a basement and a katana, and he shrugs it off with three flat words. It is also a rare moment of grim humour for him. The phrase "X is dead, baby" is the part fans repeat, and it still turns up as a quote for any rival who has been dealt with.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Pulp FictionShow the scene
At the end of "The Gold Watch", Butch Coolidge has escaped the pawnshop basement on a chopper that belonged to Zed, after Marsellus Wallace was freed and Zed was put out of action. Butch rides back to the motel where his girlfriend Fabienne is waiting. She asks whose motorcycle it is, and he says it is Zed's. When she asks who Zed is, Butch tells her he is dead, closing the sequence on his sudden freedom.
Sources (2)
- Pulp Fiction (1994) script transcript, Springfield! Springfield!Butch and Fabienne at the motel, after the pawnshopReference checked
- Pulp Fiction, WikipediaPlot summary, pawnshop sequenceReference checked
Context reviewed
