Summary
Now, this is how you do season finales! Although the outcome is as you would have expected, it wasn’t entirely clear how Kirby would do it. With a bittersweet ending, it concludes on a note that fits with everything that we have seen in Shining Girls.
This recap of Apple TV+ series Shining Girls season 1, episode 8, “30,” — the finale and ending explained — contains spoilers.
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Shining Girls season 1, episode 8 recap – the finale and ending explained
In Chicago, 1848, a man places several flowers in between two pieces of wood. When he goes to “the house”, there is a man in modern-day clothing hanging from the ceiling. He has left a note saying “all yours”. In the current timeline, Harper returns to the same place shortly after killing Dan and finds that there is a dog in the house.
In the new timeline that they awoke in Episode 7, Kirby tells Jin-Sook that they must act as though they belong. Kirby goes to what was Dan’s address, but he no longer lives there. And after she goes to work, where things are very different for Kirby, there’s no sign that Dan ever existed. That is until Kirby and Abby learn that Dan has been killed at a local bar. Jin-Sook comes to Kirby just as she practically collapses from the news.
Meanwhile, Harper visits Leo. He asks Leo if he has told anyone about Klara. However, Leo doesn’t fully understand. Even so, as Harper knows that Leo will give it to someone, it will eventually lead to “them” finding him, so he becomes very stressed about finding the tape. Leo will help, but only if Harper takes him back to the house. Kirby realizes that the reason that Jin-Sook is alive is that Dan died instead. Whilst speculating on defeating Harper, Kirby declares that she doesn’t care what happens next.
Once Leo is back in the house, the lights stop, and he returns to full health. Leo wants to go back, but the door won’t work for Leo. He tells Harper to take him back, but he won’t. When they start to argue, Harper kills Leo. And therefore, everything changes for Kirby and Jin-Sook. She speaks to Marcus, who is now married to someone called Vicky and Kirby learns that she works in archives. As people in the building start to become suspicious of Jin-Sook’s presence, Kirby looks further into Dan’s death. She learns that the common belief is that Dan was stealing just before he died. Jin-Sook gets removed from the building by security, and when Kirby tries to find Jin-Sook, Marcus doesn’t even know who Kirby is.
The ending
Despite Iris not knowing who Kirby is, she allows her to search through Dan’s belongings. Because of that, Kirby is finally able to locate “the house”. When Harper returns to the house, Kirby attacks him. They fight to the death, and when Harper says, “it’s my f**king house”, Kirby stabs him in the neck. Shining Girls next goes back to when Harper visits Klara after she dances. Except for this time, she is more hostile towards him. And this time, Klara knows everything he is about to say.
When the time comes for Harper to steal the watch, a photograph of him at that exact moment is left for him to find. And in the photograph is the address of “the house”. He and Leo track down the house. Kirby is waiting for them, and she shoots Harper. She tells Harper to get out of the house and to never return, or she’ll kill him. And she warns that she’s killed him before. Once outside, Harper is confused as to why he has no uniform on. Leo tells Harper that he never fought in the war.
Now, all of Harper’s past victims are alive and living their best life. Except for Dan, he drinks alone at a bar. Kirby speaks to him, and although he doesn’t know her, she tells him that if he ever remembers her, he’ll know where to find her. At the end of the episode, Kirby returns to the house and allows Grendal, the dog, inside. Shining Girls ends with Kirby and Grendal alone on the sofa.
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