Summary
Brace yourselves, Episode 5 brings a cliffhanger that will be making viewers scream for more. The Netflix series ends on a high note, cementing a credible series to sign bring in 2021.
This recap of Netflix’s Lupin season 1, episode 5 — the ending explained — 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 has been foreshadowing that Assane has been running out of luck since Episode 1, so it’s not surprising that the ending of Season 1 shows the thief running out of lives. Episode 5 opens by showing the viewers a newspaper; it’s confirmed that journalist Fabienne is dead. A sombre moment for Assane, who believes it is his fault. Ben is worried — he doesn’t want Assane to die and reminds him he has a wife and son. This is also confirmation that Claire is indeed his wife — they are separated, and the chapter brings context to their relationship that the audience has been dying to know.
During the day, Assane senses he is being followed by one of Hubert Pellegrini’s men and starts to leg it. He ends up on the roof of a parking lot. The man chasing him is the same one that killed Fabienne. This gave us a brief, yet thrilling chase scene that ends with Assane acting cockily by smiling backwards at the man.
It’s birthday time
Assane goes to Claire’s apartment for his son’s birthday. He gives Raoul a present — it’s a costume that is reminiscent of the Lupin books. Claire tells Assane she has plans and he teases her back that she’s seeing a new man. Assane wants Claire to join them for their son’s birthday and encourages her to join. And then comes context. A flashback in 2006 shows Claire in therapy talking about Assane. She’s unsure of what he does, and she’s evidently worried. Scenes show Assane acting like the police and has fooled the officers at a crime scene. He fooled an older woman into giving him all her most precious valuables to “keep them safe”. She gives him Belgian congo diamonds, earrings and gold.
The therapist calls Assane Claire’s soulmate. Claire says she believes it sometimes but then there are moments where he ruins everything — it’s a vicious circle. Claire thinks he’s a best friend, but not the one. Claire wanted to test the waters with Assane to see if he cared.
A family trip and showing Assane’s true colours
In the present day, Claire, Assane and Raoul go on a trip together on the train. It’s quite clear on the train that the writers are demonstrating that they are soul mates. They are very in tune. Assane meets Ben at a restaurant in a flashback — they are concocting plans together; Assane gives him the jewellery he took from the older woman when he was acting like the police. It seems Assane didn’t always have the moral high ground.
And that’s proven in the next scene. Suddenly, Juliette enters the restaurant and Assane follows her into a bathroom. The pair get close, but Assane tells her he is taken and that he can’t do it to Claire anymore. Juliette tells Assane that she loves him and that she will not let him go. He apologises and walks off, leaving her in tears. As he does, he leaves earrings on her. It’s evident though that Assane was having an affair.
Danger on the train
The ending of Lupin Season 1 notches up a few gears. Back to the present day and Assane tells Claire that he’s happy to be spending time with both of them. Claire gets a text from Marc, the new man she’s seeing. Assane keeps teasing her on it. The family take a selfie together but then when Assane looks at it, he sees Hubert Pellegrini’s man in the background.
Assane gets up and lights a birthday cake for his son and starts singing “Happy Birthday”. The whole train sings with them. Assane is signalling to the man that he knows he is there. Assane walks down the aisle and takes a key from one of the operators. Hubert’s man follows but ends up losing him. The pair end up fighting, and Assane uses a key to lock him in a storage carriage. When he returns, he lies to his family about where he went. That was intense, but it’s ridiculous how resourceful Assane is.
A couple embracing the good news
In a flashback, Assane takes Claire to a fancy restaurant despite telling him to find a quiet place. Assane apologises. Claire tells him that she’s pregnant. Assane smiles; he’s over the moon. Claire looks relieved, and Assane stands up and tells the whole restaurant that he will be a father. He then sees the older woman he stole from and tells Claire that they can leave for a quieter place.
It’s not over for Assane yet
In the present day, the man who Assane locked away manages to free himself, and he sits with the family. Assane sends a text to Captain Laugier under his alias name “Paul Sernine” and tells them his location and tells them he’s wearing a beige coat — he used that name when he stole the necklace. Assane tells Claire and Raoul to leave and sits with the man as the train stops. The man tells Assane to walk away with him quietly. Suddenly, the police arrive and arrest the man following Assane — he is wearing a beige coat. Inside the coat is a diamond — Assane has completely set him up. Give this man a medal… but it’s not over yet!
Baby names
Assane continues spending time with his family near the beachside. Raoul puts on the Lupin outfit. In a flashback, Assane and Claire talk about the date the baby is due — December 11th; Maurice Leblanc’s birthday. Maurice is the author of the Lupin books. He’s excited and sees it as a sign. They then argue over baby names and tease each other. Assane promises not to mess up.
Run out of lives
In the present, Claire asks Assane who the man on the train was. He tells her he had to settle something for him and Raoul and it’s linked to his father. Claire gets frustrated as Assane hasn’t spoken about his father for 25 years. Assane insists that he needs to see it through, and then he will tell her everything. He admits he’s told her this hundred of times, and she has little reason to believe him. Claire says she needs more and wants answers. Assane asks for one last chance. But then, the cliffhanger edges closer. Suddenly, Claire cannot see Raoul on the beach and panics. Back at the station, the police do not think they have their man as it doesn’t match the drawings they have of the necklace thief. Dumont gets angry and tells them the man they arrested was framed, which is ironic.
The ending
Claire and Assane look for Raoul, but many people have the same Lupin outfit because it’s Maurice’s birthday. It’s revealed that Raoul has been kidnapped by the man that works for Hubert Pellegrini. As the episode ends, the officer that linked the cases to Lupin books shouts “Lupin”, and Assane turns around. It looks like Assane wasn’t the only one that was obsessed with Maurice Leblanc’s birthday.
Brace yourselves, Lupin season 1, episode 5 brings a cliffhanger that will be making viewers scream for more. The Netflix series ends on a high note, cementing a credible series to bring in 2021.
Will Assane have to tell Claire what he’s been up to now? Looks like he has no choice.
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