Summary
As long as there’s a second season, then this season finale can be considered a success. However, if there isn’t a second season of Now and Then, it’s likely that the ending will not age very well.
This recap of the Apple TV+ series Now and Then season 1, episode 8, “Tape 35” — the finale and ending explained — contains spoilers.
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Now and Then season 1, episode 8 recap – the finale and ending explained
Following a flashback where the main characters want to stay “forever young”, Now and Then moves to “Now”. As Pedro mourns his loss, Ana gets offered a job by his former opponent. Flora looks at herself in the mirror following her mastectomy. When she checks her phone, she listens to the voicemail that Belinda left her. Shortly afterward, she learns that no one has heard from Belinda since.
Sofia tells Marcos that she found Belinda’s missing tape in his father’s safe. Although she hasn’t watched it yet, she starts to wonder if Marcos’ father is the murderer. Despite her agony, Flora works hard to try and track down Belinda. And through a little detective work, Flora learns that Belinda’s mobile was last active outside Flora’s address.
As Pedro asks Ana whether she will accept Brady’s job offer, Marcos and Sofia arrive with tape 35. Flora finds out from a neighbour that whilst they haven’t seen Belinda, they did see Sullivan. Sofia, Ana, Pedro, and Marcos watch the tape, which has recordings of their night on the beach and the car crash. After watching the tape, they burn it in the microwave. Meanwhile, Flora goes through the evidence that Belinda looked at. In “Then”, Sullivan tells Flora that the unidentified print belongs to one of the emergency workers, which means she is back to square one.
Back to “Now”, Marcos tells Sofia to deposit the money as he needs to find out if his father is guilty. Marcos confronts his father and asks if he killed Daniela. His father denies it but does add that he wants every cent back that Marcos and Sofia stole from him. Just as Ana is about to accept the job offer, she hears on the news that there have been claims of a whistleblower from Brady’s campaign. Bernie and his thugs corner Sofia and force her to get into his car. He takes the money that she has, but it’s not enough. To make up for the remainder, Bernie hands her a phone for “one last job”.
Flora learns that her work access has been denied, so she forces Paul into helping her in return for the times she has saved his ass. She uses Paul’s access to search CCTV cameras, and although the audience doesn’t see what she sees, it’s likely footage of Sullivan, and Flora reacts in a mixture of shock and horror. With Ana’s job offer now in ruins, Pedro throws it back in her face and reminds her that she said they were “never a team”. Pedro tells Ana that he knows that he isn’t Alejandro, but he can’t keep comparing himself to a ghost.
When Flora’s boss spots her in the office, he has her removed. But not before she calls him a useless ar****le. At the airport, Marcos waits anxiously until Sofia finally turns up. Sofia finally admits that she planned the blackmail with Daniela. She adds that she needed the money after robbing her boss, and she now needed to pay him back quickly. Marcos sobs as he leaves Sofia at the airport.
The ending
Sullivan returns home, and Flora is waiting for him. She calls him a liar. Flora tells him that she knows he hid the fact that the fingerprints on the car belonged to Marcos. Sullivan goes for his gun, but Flora already has it. As she aims the gun at him, she asks what he did to Belinda and reveals that she knows he took tape 35 from the evidence locker. And not only that but she’s seen his bank account, which has much more money than what an officer could make. Sullivan tells Flora that as his wife, Lisa, was dying, Marcos’ father offered him money for better treatment for Lisa.
Next, Sullivan admits that he killed Daniela (on orders from Marcos’ father). As he tells Flora what he did to Belinda (claiming that it all happened so fast), he grabs the gun from Flora and knocks her to the floor in agony. Once he calls an ambulance for Flora, Sullivan goes on the run. Pedro and Ana make separate conferences; firstly, Pedro says that he will not give up on his fight to be mayor whilst Ana announces her candidacy for governor of Florida. Pedro visits Ernesto as Flora watches over as Belinda’s body gets recovered. Marcos’ father finally gets arrested, and Sofia gives Hugo three hundred thousand dollars. The first season of Now and Then ends as Sofia boards a coach, presumably to leave Florida.
Two Years Later. Flora reacts in horror to someone in a body bag. Although we don’t see who is in that body bag, I assume that will lead the story if there’s a second season of Now and Then.
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