Bravo to Bad Monkey, because it’s the rare streaming show with a proper ending. Episode 10, “We’re in the Memory-Making Business”, brings all of the key Season 1 storylines to a sensible close while also leaving open the door — as it’s virtually mandatory to do these days — for more Andrew Yancy if we want it. I wouldn’t be surprised if enough people did that Apple TV+ pulled the trigger on Season 2 sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, let’s break down the finale and discuss the fates of Gracie, Nick, Eve, Yancy, Neville, and Rosa. Oh, and Griggs, even though, despite the show being named after him, he didn’t get a great deal to do.
The End of the Dragon Queen
“We’re in the Memory-Making Business” begins where the previous episode ended, with that confrontation between Gracie and Eve. But Bad Monkey‘s finale delivers its first major surprise right here in the cold open. Gracie, in full Dragon Queen regalia, confronts Eve and promises that the island will demand a sacrifice if she doesn’t hand back the land she stole and leave. Unfortunately for Gracie, she’s right.
Lightning strikes a nearby tree, and in the commotion, Eve pushes Gracie backward. She stumbles and falls right onto the branch severed by the storm. She’s impaled, fatally. In her final moments, her spirit, garbed all in white, appears first to Ya-Ya, then to Egg, and finally to the little girl, Lulu. She reminds Ya-Ya that she was right, and she’ll always love her; Egg that there’s love in his heart no matter how much he pretends otherwise; and Lulu that if she works hard and follows her heart, one day she’ll be called “Queen”. And then she dies.
It’s a beautiful and legitimately surprising scene, this, let down by only one thing — Gracie’s injury looks ridiculous, like PS2-era computer graphics. Not being more understated here and aiming for maximum gore was a real mistake, I feel.
A Perfect Plan (Almost)
Nick’s spine wound is also a victim of this — it oozes something that looks like what Nickelodeon shows used to dump on people’s heads. But his being consigned to a mobility scooter and only having functionality in three toes but neither of his legs is, somehow, the least of Nick’s problems.
Yancy has a plan — sort of. He contacts Director Rhodes back in Miami and tips her off that some fugitives may well be arriving Stateside soon courtesy of a pilot named Claspers who needs immunity from Uncle Sam. It’d be nice if the Feds were there to greet them, and it’d be even nicer if they’d freeze Nick and Eve Stripling’s assets so that they aren’t able to flee to Nassau and then London, as Nick plans to do.
This is a ruse cooked up by Yancy to lure Eve to the bank to withdraw their remaining cash before the accounts are frozen, and it works a treat until the police show up, accompanied by Egg. Earlier, Egg had spotted Claspers eating fritters — he has a problem, by his own admission — and threatened him into giving up the plan. Yancy and Neville are able to escape from the cops, but unfortunately so is Eve.
Ronald Peet and Vince Vaughn | Image via Apple TV+
Nick Sinks and Yancy Learns to Let Go
Speaking of Eve, if it wasn’t obvious before now that she’s the real villain of Bad Monkey, her actions in the finale confirm it. Having already killed Gracie at the top of the episode, Eve also claims the second casualty of the finale by killing Nick. Having realized that in his present paraplegic condition, he’ll be too much of a burden to the cushty lifestyle she’s looking for, she pushes him into the water by the yacht he thought they were escaping on and watches him drown.
After tricking Egg into leaving the yacht, Eve gets going. At that moment, Yancy and Neville arrive, the former diving into the water to give chase like a maniac. Clutching onto the rope the yacht is dragging behind it, he begins to lose consciousness. As he does so, he’s reminded of all the people in his life — Neville, shouting from the shore, Rosa, Rogelio, his father — that have begged him to let go, time and time again, to not risk his career and his life on pointless personal crusades. He already stayed behind, risking his relationship with Rosa. Now he’s willing to drown himself to prevent Eve from escaping. Eventually, you have to learn your lesson. So, Yancy let’s go.
Does the bad guy get away with it? Not quite. Eve escapes to Portugal and lives a brief life of luxury in a sprawling villa until she chokes on a baby carrot and falls from the roof to her death. Tilly laps up the blood that pools from the back of her head. You know what dogs are like.
Epilogue
Michelle Monaghan | Image via Apple TV+
Bad Monkey has a pretty happy ending. Bonnie is still on the lam with Tomas, but she gives Yancy a brief call for old times’ sake. He and Rosa aren’t together, and despite her showing up for a brief liaison, she isn’t quite ready to commit to a relationship. But it seems everyone else is. Neville and Dawnie (and Griggs!) are together and have Nick’s watch to fund the next stage of their life. Ro and Manny are finally taking the time to be present with one another. Even Evan has moved on.
This does leave Yancy somewhat adrift, but at least he has learned something about himself. He doesn’t need to be the cop of the day. He can evolve — and if not, he can at least be a catalyst for everyone else’s happiness. In the meantime, there’s something weird in the trunk of Ro’s car, and despite his claims to the contrary, Yancy can’t wait to take a look.
Season 2, anyone?
