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The Day of the Jackal Ending Explained: Who Lives? Who Dies? What's Next?
The thrilling conclusion of The Day of the Jackal is streaming now on Peacock!
**SPOILER WARNING! Spoilers below for Season 1 of The Day of the Jackal!**
When we last left the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne) in Peacock's Golden Globe nominated The Day of the Jackal, he had just spent a couple of days hiding in the guts of an arena. The whole place was locked down in preparation for the arrival of Ulle Dag Charles (Khalid Abdalla) and the announcement of River, a landmark new software which promises to change the world.
The Jackal wasn’t there for the talk, he was there to kill UDC in exchange for $100 million at the behest of some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people. That plan, meticulously imagined, was stymied by an unrelated assassin bumbling on stage and getting himself killed. With only 48 hours until River gets released and sets the economic world on fire, the Jackal needed to come up with a new plan to get at UDC on his home turf. The only problem is that the home turf is a tightly guarded private island.
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Meanwhile, Bianca (Lashana Lynch) was hot on his trail. She discovered the Jackal’s real identity and has a lead on his home base. With all the pieces on the board, The Day of the Jackal wraps up with a thrilling two-part finale to its first season. Here’s what happened to all of our favorite characters.
What happened to Nuria and Carlitos in the finale of The Day of the Jackal?
While the Jackal has been running all over Europe, moving from one job to the next and always two steps ahead of MI6, his wife, Nuria, and infant son, Carlitos, have been waiting at home. Increasingly unconvinced by the Jackal’s cover story (a job in corporate espionage) Nuria confronts the Jackal and forces him to tell the truth.
At first, Nuria is afraid, but later she sees the value of the Jackal’s skills when her brother Alvaro gets into trouble. She makes plans with the Jackal to go away together with Carlitos once this last job is finished. Then she slips away with Carlitos and as much cash as she can carry before the Jackal returns.
In the end, Nuria and Carlitos are on their own.
What happened to Alvaro in the finale of The Day of the Jackal?
Nuria's brother, Alvaro, has a problem. He’s trying to build a life for himself, and he’s gotten involved with some shady characters. He’s also intoxicated by the imagined power that comes from his association with the Jackal and he’s getting a little too big for his britches. He’s gotten into business with known gangster Jimmy Tejero, and Nuria is scared he might get himself hurt or killed.
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The Jackal promises to solve this problem and, as it turns out, it’s the perfect opportunity to test his new setup. Alvaro meets Tejero for lunch, but their meeting gets cut short when the Jackal takes him out from a boat over a mile away. Alvaro gets picked up by the local cops in connection with Tejero’s murder but is released after questioning.
Nuria picks him up from jail but tells him it’s the last time she ever wants to see him. Later that night, Alvaro arrives at the home of Nuria and the Jackal but gets caught and killed in the crossfire of the MI6 operation aimed at capturing the Jackal.
What happened to Zina in the finale of The Day of the Jackal?
Zina (Eleanor Matsuura) serves as the handler for the Jackal, facilitating communication between the Jackal and the powerful people paying him. She meets with the Jackal several times, coordinating activities and brokering the fee.
It’s her job to make sure the Jackal delivers, but as the noose tightens, she finds herself on the wrong side of those same powerful people. She’s savvy enough to see it coming though, and she slips away before her own killer arrives. Once the dust settles, she and the Jackal meet up one more time, suddenly finding themselves with a few shared enemies.
What happened to Ulle Dag Charles in the finale of The Day of the Jackal?
Every world needs heroes, and this world has Ulle Dag Charles (Khalid Abdalla), a seemingly benevolent billionaire committed to leveling the economic playing field with his software. His upcoming release, known as River, promises to provide complete economic transparency, showing everyone where the money comes from and where it goes.
Certain wealthy individuals aren’t too excited about UDC’s plans and they’re willing to do just about anything to stop River from being released. Of course, UDC has the best security money can buy and his very own private island to hide out on. But even that isn’t enough to save him from catching one of the Jackal’s bullets while out on his morning swim, killing him. As we've learned, the Jackal always gets his target.
What happened to Bianca in the finale of The Day of the Jackal?
Bianca is closing in on the Jackal when she’s called off and the investigation closed. She’s become so committed to this case that her family life is in shambles, her husband and child neglected to the point of leaving home. Her unwillingness to let go of the case gets her in trouble with the top brass and she quits. It’s a temporary reprieve before the inevitable. Bianca goes home, returning briefly to the safety and comfort of familiarity. Then MI6 comes crawling back.
“Bianca is struggling to remember parts of who she was, that anchors her in being a real human being and that’s quite tough for a woman like her, who has so much wholesomeness around her,” Lashana Lynch told NBC Insider. “She has such protection and a great foundation. It’s a wonder that she’s letting her job take her on this wild journey.”
Bianca sees the similarities between the killings of Tejero and UDC, also noting that Tejero is a small fish and probably a personal grudge. She learns about Alvaro’s presence at the murder and his wealthy British brother-in-law. Along with her partner, Vince, Bianca goes to the Jackal’s house and waits. When he arrives, they make their move. Vince takes a bullet to save Bianca’s life, but not for long. One short conversation later, Bianca’s story comes to an end, as the Jackal gets the drop on her and pulls the trigger, leaving her dead on his floor.
What happened to the Jackal in the finale of The Day of the Jackal?
The Jackal has an interesting problem. He’s a sniper who relies on an innate understanding of the environment. Making a shot from a mile or more requires knowing the wind speed and direction, the pull of gravity, and the unique characteristics of the weapon. It’s a difficult job on solid ground, but the Jackal needs to make a two-mile shot from the open ocean.
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He sets up an elaborate plan using a purloined boat, a long-range sniper rifle, and an elaborate camera gimbal system to keep it all steady. After the dress rehearsal killing of Tejero, the Jackal makes a repeat performance off the coast of the island, leaving UDC dead in the water just hours before the launch of River.
After making it back to land, the Jackal hits one roadblock after another in an attempt to get home. He’s stopped at a police checkpoint but escapes. He swerves to avoid a child in the road and rolls his car down a hill, escaping just before the car explodes. A little worse for wear, he steals another vehicle and disappears into the woods before bumming a ride from an elderly couple camping in their RV. He asks them for a ride to a hospital then forces them at gunpoint to drive to the border. Sadly, it proves to be the last scenic drive they’ll ever take. Finally, the Jackal gets out of Croatia on a tour bus and gets home only to find Nuria gone and Bianca on his trail.
“I do think there’s a question mark over both of these characters,” Lynch said, “that makes you wonder if they even know who the real person is.”
After coming out on top of a deadly tête-à-tête with Bianca, the Jackal chases after Nuria only to be sideswiped by a car en route. After a flash-forward, he reemerges sometime later, back in London, mostly healed and ready to get back to work.
Will there be a Season 2 of The Day of the Jackal?
Yes! The Day of the Jackal has already been renewed for Season 2.
While the two-part season finale wrapped up most of the narrative threads in a nice little bow, there are a few lingering questions. Questions like: Will the Jackal and Nuria ever meet again? How did the Jackal survive that car accident? Why did MI6 set up Bianca? And what happens when the Jackal goes after the people really pulling the strings behind this chaos?
We’ll have to wait for the answers to those questions when The Day of the Jackal returns for Season 2. In the meantime, you can catch the complete first season including the thrilling two-part finale streaming right now on Peacock!
