'Hollywood' Ending Explained: Jim Parsons as Henry Wilson spearheading meta feelgood gay love story is ironic
'Hollywood', a seven-episode miniseries set in 1947, reimagines a tinsel town where we follow the journey of five newcomers in the industry and how they fare in a racist, homophobic and predatorial industry. Jim Parsons as Henry Wilson, a celebrity manager, scouts Roy Fitzerald, one of the newcomers, when he arrives in the office to give a screen test for a small role.
Henry Wilson is a predator who preys on men who are new to the industry and are scared of confessing the truth about themselves. Roy made the cut to be his client because he was one such man, and with him, Henry finds himself with a puppet who would do anything that he wants in return for a chance to star in a film. He forces Roy to change his name to Rock Hudson, then he forces to be sucked off in a side room because he believes strongly that Rock has no other way but this to make it in the industry.
Henry repeatedly bullies Rock and makes him feel small about himself for being gay, for being sensitive and timid instead of "manly" which is what the industry would look for in a male lead. He begins to dictate every part of Rock's life and that includes his looks, his diet, and even the gap between his teeth. From forcing Rock to stay over the night at his place while he cross-dressed and danced to his heart's content against Rock's wishes in return for a screen test to forcing Rock to befriend strange men and bed them while he watched, Henry is a slimy b*****d who has no qualms about using people's weakness to his own advantage.
He keeps repeating to Rock that there is nothing the guy could do in the industry if he were to go against Henry Wilson but all of that changes when Avis Amberg (Patti LuPone) is made the head of Ace Productions when her husband is left incapacitated. She greenlights a revolutionary project, 'Meg', that changes Henry's place in the industry because the newcomers are not interested in falling for his tricks. For instance, Rock has an on-again-off-again relationship with the screenwriter of 'Meg', Archie Coleman.
This relationship helps Rock stay afloat amid his toxic dealings with a manager who promises him a job if he does as he is told. This fear that Henry induced in Rock, however, doesn't last till the end. In fact, when 'Meg' releases after all the obstacles it faced, including the film almost getting burned, it becomes a huge success breaking all box office records set in the last seven years, the industry has a chance. A chance to change for the better and Archie decides to take this chance.
By the end, it is not only about a Black woman taking the lead role in a film and excelling at it, but it is about all the restrictions that Tinseltown placed on itself. This included homophobic behavior. That's why, in episode 7, we see Archie decide to come out in the open about being gay and about being in a committed relationship with a white man, who also happens to be an actor -- Rock. The two stand proud and together at the red carpet and Henry, who feels that Rock is making a fool of himself, loses his calm.
He tries to force his opinion on Rock, and when that doesn't work, he demeans Rock. However, unlike the other times when Rock was treated like a doormat, this time he stands up for himself and for Archie. He calls Henry out on his predatory behavior and how abusive he was over the time that he was Rock's manager. He is told that his orientation is not a perversion, but the way he treated young men who approached him for work was reflective of how he was a predator.
Interestingly, Henry realizes his mistake and even explains his position to Rock later while apologizing for his behavior. Rock addresses everything that Henry did to him, explains how he still gets nightmares because of Henry and so he refuses to forgive Henry. Rock even explains that he is not sure if he can ever forgive his manager and their ill-fated relationship should have ended there.
However, in an attempt to make 'Hollywood' a happily ever after alternative, the show pushes Rock's trauma under the carpet by pushing Henry to do something for Rock in the hopes that he can be forgiven in the future. The result of this happens to be the feel-good gay love story that he wants to be directed by Raymond Ainsley (Darren Criss) and written by Rock's boyfriend Archie. He wants to produce this film and he wants to redeem himself through this. He even uses Ace Production's Dick Samuels' (Joe Mantello) death to spearhead the project in which he wants Rock to star in the lead role opposite Jack Castello (David Corenswet).
This is so forced that it is less feel-good and more like gaudy glamor towards the end.
All episodes of 'Hollywood' can be streamed on Netflix.