Summary
Episode 4 thickens the conspiracy and brings in investigative journalism to help Assane’s cause — this is definitely a series that grows stronger with each chapter.
This recap of Netflix’s Lupin season 1, episode 4 contains significant spoilers.
We have recapped every episode — check out the toggles of the top of the page for next and previous episodes.
The opening
Lupin season 1, episode 4 begins with a drone, scoping out the Pellegrini residence late at night. The alarm goes off, and Hubert Pellegrini awakes. Security guards ask him to go to the panic room for safety. The security men break the drone and show Hubert the device. Inside is a note that says “I’ll get you”. Frustrated, he throws it on the floor. He knows he is being exposed, slowly.
Dumont provides Assane with information
Episode 4 continues to show Assane’s confidence as he takes on the issue head-on.
Assane sits next to Commissioner Dumont in a cafe while he eats his breakfast. He asks him about his friend Hubert Pellegrini and wants to know what he told him. He then brings up his wife and tells her she isn’t at work, implying that she’s in danger — Assane wants answers. Dumont tells him that to bring down Hubert, he needs to enlist Fabienne Bériot for help — she’s a journalist. When Assane leaves, Dumont rings his wife and learns she’s at work — he was fooled, again. Assane keeps pulling his pants down!
Meeting the old and weary journalist
Assane meets Fabienne by sneaking into her home. He asks for her autograph on her book to try and build rapport. Fabienne talks about how she faced an army of lawyers for uncovering the truth about Hubert Pellegrini. Assane tells her they have a common enemy. To convince her to work together, Assane tells Fabienne her story about her father and his childhood. Fabienne is paranoid, believing Hubert has spies everywhere, and asks Assane to leave.
Later on, Fabienne agrees to help Assane.
Connecting the dots
Investigators tell Dumont their theories on the necklace and his kidnapping. Guédira brings up Arsène Lupin and how the cases connect. He recognizes that the style, the anagrams, the craft are similar. Dumont pretends to be no wiser about his kidnapping but encourages the investigators to keep progressing their case.
The police manage to create an image of what the criminal looks like — and the image looks like Assane. Time is running out for our lead character to uncover the truth.
Retrieving a green VHS tape
Fabienne believes she may have something to bring Hubert down. She takes Assane to her old work building and tells him to retrieve a green VHS tape from an archive room. She tells him to break in. Assane acts like an informant dropping off files. Fabienne rings security and acts like an investigative journalist who has asked Assane to drop off files. The security guard gives Assane access. This felt way too easy!
The terrorist attack
Fabienne says the tape is about the Kuala attack in 1996. It was a terrorist attack that killed 11 people. Fabienne says it was revenge; a go-between swindled the Malaysian arms traffickers, so they blew up the French Embassy. The go-between was apparently Hubert Pellegrini. The video shows Hubert being the go-between and forging a deal. In the video, Hubert says he doesn’t care where the weapons end up or who they are used on. Fabienne believes Hubert used the necklace insurance money to buy the weapons. Assane wants to use Twitter to expose the story. He believes it’s a perfect storm for Hubert. It’s hard to disagree at this point.
The ultimatum
While having a meeting, Hubert is confused by a sudden commotion. There’s an ultimatum against him by an anonymous account. Hubert tells Juliette to delete the tweet as he has nothing to hide. Juliette asks him to promise there’s nothing as she cares about her foundation. Hubert shows his true character here; he will literally lie to his daughter for his own greed.
Claire is enjoying a doctor
Assane meets Claire as he’s looking after his son while she goes out with friends. He spends time with his son who reveals that she’s going on many dates with many men. The son mentions a doctor Claire is dating, and Assane tries to act like he doesn’t care. His son tells him to stop pretending that he doesn’t care.
The press conference
Hubert has to face the press about the ultimatum tweet. He states he is a philanthropist, a taxpayer and that he has nothing to hide. He tells the journalists about his company’s integrity and talks about his daughter’s foundation that will help youths. Hubert then asks the person behind the anonymous tweet to reveal themselves. Suddenly, Fabienne asks a question about the terrorist attack and how he was responsible. Hubert shuts down the press conference. Looking back at this scene, Fabienne truly brought the scoop down by being too excited.
A TV spot
Fabienne is followed on the way home, and she’s full of adrenaline from returning to journalism. She shares her excitement with Assane. Assane tells her about a TV spot he can get on that will be shown to two million people. Assane wants to put himself at risk and reveal Hubert to the world.
Dumont dismisses the investigators.
Guédira shows Dumont the photo that looks exactly like Assane. Dumont denies that this is the criminal and gets frustrated. He tells them they have two weeks to find the suspect. Guédira is frustrated, believing there’s something suspicious about the Commissioner, but his colleagues tell him to stop.
TV interview went wrong
Assane thanks Fabienne for her help while putting on his make-up. Assane then attends an interview on prime television by the name of Salvator. He’s pretending to be the anonymous Twitter account as an older man. The interviewer plays the green VHS as it’s meant to be a massive scoop. It’s clearly being manipulated to make Hubert Pellegrini look like he didn’t make a deal when it plays. As Assane leaves the stage, he has to fight a few men off to leave. Hubert is at the studio and wants Assane to be captured immediately. Juliette rings her father and tells him she thinks the man in the interview was Assane.
The ending
One of Hubert’s men goes to Fabienne’s house and asks for Assane’s address. Fabienne tells the man that a good journalist never reveals her sources. Assane senses something is wrong and runs into her home. She’s hung from the ceiling, dead. Assane sits down in shock, holding the journalist’s dog.
Lupin season 1, episode 4 thickens the conspiracy and brings in investigative journalism to help Assane’s cause — this is definitely a series that grows stronger with each chapter.
