No Man’s Land season 1, episode 8 recap – the ending explained

By Daniel Hart
Published: November 18, 2020 (Last updated: last month)
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Hulu series No Man's Land season 1, episode 8 - the ending
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Summary

Episode 8 is an emotional ending that lands well; it manages to bring the characters full circle from the first chapters while also giving audiences hopes of a continuation.

This recap of Hulu’s No Man’s Land season 1, episode 8 — the ending explained — contains significant spoilers.

We recapped every episode — check out the archive.


The opening

As Anna is about to walk towards an injured Nasser, there are explosions in the distance; ISIS has brought reinforcements. Anna radios to the team telling them to retreat and that she will meet them at HQ. ISIS soldiers find Nasser. Meanwhile, Sarya tells Antoine to get into the truck as they have to get moving and that they will meet up with his sister soon. Meanwhile, Nasser returns to the city, and Paul learns that Iyad is dead. He’s heartbroken as he sees Iyad’s dead body at the back of the truck.

No Man’s Land season 1, episode 8 is more about loved ones if anything, the conflicts between YPJ and ISIS are secondary in the finale.

Antoine is staying

When Antoine returns to base, Sarya explains they’ve still not heard from his sister but that she won’t use her radio until she is back. Antoine talks about how calm his sister was when killing those injured soldiers. Sarya tells him not to worry as he looks to be in deep thought. The next day, Sarya tells Antoine that they will be going through the creek, but he wants to stay and wait for his sister. Sarya tells him he shouldn’t, but she understands. She apologises for not telling him that his sister was alive. There are still feelings between these two; the circumstances continue to strengthen whatever it is.

Paul knows the truth

Paul asks Nasser why he ran off to the Libyan to meet Iyad; he knows Nasser is lying — Paul shows him the device embedded in the Quran. Nasser tries to explain how he was lied to, and Paul starts to beat him up. He then points a gun at him, and Nasser asks him to shoot. Paul tells him he has lost his way before walking off. Nasser is in a dangerous position at this point, right in the depths of ISIS.

A wounded Sarya

Antoine finds his sister, and she’s unhappy that he didn’t follow Sarya as ordered. Antoine presses her about how she killed those soldiers, but she justifies it by stating how many thousands of innocent lives ISIS have killed. Suddenly, they hear gunshots, and they go into recon mode. They find Sarya who has been fatally wounded. Anna turns into medic mode to help her.

Called in

Nasser is called in by his superior. When he enters the office, Paul is sat there. The superior talks to them about their friend Iyad who died and asked them if he wants to publish him as a hero. Paul offers to marry Iyad’s widowed wife and that he doesn’t want his son here; he’s decided to dedicate his life to Jihadi. Paul does not snitch on Nasser, and they both walk out.

Afterwards, Paul wants answers from Nasser, and he is dismayed for how long this has gone on for. Paul wants them to be still “brothers” as he believes Nasser can be saved — Paul asks where Stanley is for revenge, and he wants Nasser to go to “paradise”, meaning it will be a sacrifice. The situation for Nasser is deepening; at this point, he must pick a side.

Sarya needs a machine

Antoine asks for an update from the doctor at the hospital; he’s told that Sarya’s lungs will collapse and that there’s nothing they can do as they don’t have the right machine. A panicked Antoine rushes out of the hospital. He asks squad leader Gilia if they can take Sarya to another hospital. Gilia raises how Sarya chose this life; she tells Antoine to be with Sarya in her last moments. As Antoine leaves, he wonders if his sister Anna has lost her compassion. Antoine returns to the hospital and sits next to Sarya. She’s on an invasive ventilator. The true cost of war is encapsulated in this scene.

The ambush

Nasser plans to meet Stanley, and it’s an ambush planned by Paul. When Nasser meets Stanley’s entourage, they point their guns at him and ask him to take off his clothes. Stanley isn’t there. They check out his clothes and then ask him to get dressed. Nasser is placed in their vehicle, and they drive to Stanley’s location.

Meeting Stanley

Nasser is fuming when he meets Stanley. He’s asked if he has been compromised as his Quran has been tampered with. Nasser explains his Quran got damaged when he was attacked. Stanley apologises that Iyad is dead. Nasser gets emotional, stating he tried to save Iyad, so Stanley hugs him. Nasser begs Stanley, asking if he can leave, but he says he can’t as they are so close to achieving their mission.

Stanley reveals he is leaving Syria; he introduces Nasser to Anna, who will be handling his mission from now on. Afterwards, Stanley tells Anna she is in this until the end now. The ending of Season 1 shows how structured Stanley really is; he always seems to be steps ahead of everyone else.

The Devil Stanley

When Nasser meets Paul, his friend isn’t happy and tells him to get on his knees; he doesn’t trust Nasser anymore. Nasser asks Paul to pray with him, and at the end, he tells him he is going to kill the “Devil Stanley”; he pledges allegiance to Paul and states he is going to use Anna to get to Stanley.

The ending

At the hospital, Antoine is asked to leave Sarya’s room so they can take some tests before transferring her to Turkey for a better hospital. Anna made sure the paperwork went through. Anna tells Antoine that he’s going with her — she warns if he comes back or talks about her, he’ll be putting her in danger. This is a goodbye. This is a stark contrast to what happened when Anna was in love with Navid; she’s making sure her brother is safe and will be with the person he loves. The siblings emotionally hug, and Antoine has to depart quickly.

As Antoine lands in Turkey, his parents embrace him. As he’s about to join the ambulance with Sarya, he’s been requested to speak to the Directorate for Internal Security. Antoine tells his parents that he found the girl in the video but that it wasn’t Anna — “Anna is dead”. And in many ways, she is.

No Man’s Land season 1, episode 8 is an emotional ending that lands well; it manages to bring the characters full circle from the first chapters while also giving audiences hopes of a continuation.

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