Summary
- Gus Bell, played by Lee Tiger Halley, doesn’t speak for most of the first half of Boy Swallows Universe series until his brother Eli is in danger.
- Gus stopped speaking after a traumatic car crash involving his father and Eli, which was caused by their father’s panic attack. There were initial speculations of a suicide attempt but the panic attack was the true reason for the crash.
- Gus’s decision to not speak is attributed to his ability to see the future and his knowledge of the truth, which makes him a target and puts him in danger if he speaks too much.
One of the biggest headscratchers in Boy Swallows Universe is the mystery of why Gus doesn’t talk for so long in the new Netflix series. Gus Bell, who is played with great authenticity to the character in Trent Dalton’s novel by Lee Tiger Halley, doesn’t speak for most of the first half of the series. It’s only after Eli (Felix Cameron, Zac Burgess) is placed in grave danger that Gus finally decides to speak, which ultimately doesn’t save Eli from getting his finger cut off by the vicious henchman Ivan Kroll.
Boy Swallows Universe is based on Dalton’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, which was published in 2018. The character of Eli was based on some of Dalton’s real-life experiences growing up in 1980s Brisbane and many of the events that take place in the story were actually drawn from his true story. Gus, or August, Bell is the remarkably loyal older brother of Eli, who ends up saving Eli’s life from the wicked Ivan Kroll. Gus uses his finger to write out words as a means of communicating until he finally starts speaking later on in the series.
Boy Swallows Universe Ending Explained
The ending of the Australian-based Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe comes full circle as Gus and Eli fight to bring their family back together.
Gus Stopped Speaking After A Traumatic Car Crash
It’s heavily implied in Boy Swallows Universe that Gus stopped speaking at the age of eight after the traumatic incident involving his father and Eli in the car crash that is later revealed in the series. Gus and Eli’s dad had a panic attack while he was behind the wheel, which caused him to drive the car into a river. While there was initial speculation that their dad had intended to try and commit suicide by driving off the road, Boy Swallows Universe confirms that the anxiety attack was the real reason for the traumatic accident.
It’s possible that the car accident was enough for Gus to resort to a life of silence, but there are certainly other factors at play. He understands the criminal code through Lyle, which works best for people who play their cards close to their chest. There is also the factor that Gus has the ability to see into the future, which is an unbelievable talent that would likely result in many people, including series antagonists Tytus Broz and Ivan Kroll, trying to take advantage of his unique supernatural abilities.
10 Biggest Changes Boy Swallows Universe Makes To The Book
The Netflix adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe is a fairly close retelling of the popular Australian novel by Trent Dalton with some key differences.
Gus Can See The Future & Keeps The Truth To Himself In Boy Swallows Universe
The decision for Gus to not speak for parts of Boy Meets Universe is mostly attributed to the fact that he knows much more than he lets on. Gus wears his emotions on his sleeve throughout the series which makes it easy to know what he’s thinking or feeling without him even having to say it out loud. Gus’ ability to access the truth, and see through the lies of various characters such as the abusive Teddy, inadvertently places a target on his back, making it a wise choice for him not to speak so much in Boy Swallows Universe.
Boy Swallows Universe
- Release Date
- January 11, 2024
- Cast
- Travis Fimmel , Simon Baker , Phoebe Tonkin , Felix Cameron , Zac Burgess , Lee Tiger Halley
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- John Collee , Trent Dalton