I will say that it’s taken so long to cobble this post together because the finale left everything pretty well wrapped up and I just didn’t have much inspiration or pressing need to understand by writing about it. I felt very calm and at ease with the ending. So hopefully this recap makes any sense at all.
The Perfect Pace
How everything unfolded once Burr and Joel got to town and met up with Pine was just the best. We saw him do things, work with Jed (oh the roulette table code giving!), work with Youssuf and Burr/Joel, and then in the final minutes it all unfolded. Of course Jed getting tortured was likely not part of Pine’s plan, but the overall pace of when and how the audience learned information was so well done. I really enjoyed it.
Not gonna lie though, when they did this at the hotel bar I was panicking about as much as I did when he snuck into her tent in the previous episode. Like, what are you doing? Roper is RIGHT there. “Really funny joke.” NO. You cannot stroke her back, visible to everyone else there, and not expect Roper to not notice. How To Not Have An Affair 101, Pine.
Youssuf is the cutest
Speaking of Youssuf helping Pine, he is the serious cutest. I kind of want Youssuf to have his own spinoff. Youssuf and the Arab Spring. Youssuf and the Foreign Job Offer. Cooking for the Nefertiti: A Compilation of Youssuf’s Best Recipes (foreword by Youssuf). And as someone on tumblr said, that scene with Pine and Youssuf in the stairwell 100% is what Tom seeing his pre-fame friends is like. “It’s just a watch.”
Jed + Pine
I wasn’t sure Jed would live through all of this. Or Pine for that matter. But they did and then they have the most envious snuggle spoon session… it’s really what we all want with Tom.
Before this scene though, when Pine was alone in bed, I loved how he was shown in the same shirtless and alone position as the beginning of the miniseries.
The Sleeve Rolling
The scene when Pine kills Freddy is the real reason people are talking about how Tom could be the next Bond. It’s not because he played a spy, it’s because he murdered two people in this series while acting sang-froid as hell. “No maid?”
Angela Burr Doesn’t Die
I basically was sure all the good characters would die. So I was super pleased that Angela did not, and that she and Joel rekindled their friendship in a healthy way. Also, according to an interview with the director, this hug between Pine and Burr was an improv by Tom and Olivia. They’d not shot together in a while, so it was basically them saying hi to each other while still in character.
Roper’s Ending
Okay, but this is where the questions begin… what was Angela and Joel’s big plan here? They got him arrested, and then what? Roper seemed completely unfazed by this turn of events and certain he’d be out free in a few days’ time at most. So, what was the point of it all? Why not just have Jonathan McMurderHands Pine kill Roper in the beginning of it all? Or even in that scene when they came in the back entrance right before Angela confronted him? Pine could’ve easily killed him in that hallway.
Also, what happened to Frisky? I know Angela shot him in the leg (which was AWESOME), but then we never saw him getting hauled out in handcuffs. So… did he get arrested before then? Will he be out free in three days? Is Frisky gonna get the second season all to himself? I think he’ll need more dialogue if that’s the case…
Full Circle, Just the Way I Like It
The final scene, after Jed leaves to go reunite with her family and son, was just perfection. The night manager coming out to ask Pine if he needs anything. And then Pine is just standing there in his socks. Can’t even be fussed to put on shoes after all that hot sex and snuggle-spoons. Just like LOST starts and ends on Jack’s eye, this starts and ends with Pine looking out from the entry to the Nefertiti in his breezy blue button down.
Final Thoughts
I loved that it left us wondering what will be next up for Pine. If he’ll really go visit Jed. If he’ll just move on to something else. Though one nitpick… when Jed was all “What if he doesn’t know I’m his mom?” and then Pine is all, “A child always recognizes his mother. And if he doesn’t, then I’ll tell him.” But then Pine wasn’t going with her. So how is he going to tell him?! It was a weird line for him to then not be going with her.
What a series, though! I just loved it. Beautifully directed, beautifully shot. Just excellence from the start to finish. What did you guys think?
Bonus: AMC still has all the episodes up if you wanted to rewatch them. I think they’re only up for 30 days.
