Koala Man – Season 1 Episode 8 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Hot Christmas

What happens to Dapto after the Emu War?

Koala Man Season 1 Episode 8 picks up one month after The Great Emu War II, coming up on  Christmas. Kevin has been listed as one of the fallen Daptonians in the war, Liam has remained in a coma since the end of the war, and the Kookaburra has replaced Koala Man as the town’s resident superhero.

When Summer Santa drops a cigarette onto Dapto, the town goes up in flames. The Kookaburra tries to put it out with his wings, but only makes the fire even bigger, and everyone accuses him of ruining Christmas. Kookaburra then decides he’d rather they all burn if they won’t accept him.

Do Alison and Rosie run away together?

When Rosie comforts Alison over the “death” of her father and her comatose brother, Alison kisses her. The teens decide they want to run away together to Hollywood Island, but Rosie has to do something at home first.

When Dapto goes up in flames, Alison goes back for Rosie. But when she arrives at Rosie’s house, she’s greeted by lookalike Rosie triplets. Rosie I and III found Alison’s and Rosie II’s tickets to Hollywood, and they can’t allow Rosie II to leave. There being three of them is how they’re able to be so popular. And they have even bigger plans–to go after the Queen of Australia. Unfortunately, they can’t let Alison go now that she knows about their secrets.

What is Kookaburra’s secret identity?

When Vicky goes to the hospital for Liam, the Kookaburra is there waiting. He tells Vicky he knows she’s married to Koala Man, unmasking to reveal himself as Principal Baswell.

He tells her Koala Man is likely dead by now, then fills the hospital room with gas. He takes Liam and Vicky, announcing that they are going to be a family.

Vicky wakes up trapped in a nest with Liam inside another home that Kookaburra built. The unhinged principal tells them they will all be reborn in flames.

Does Koala Man escape Toothbrush Island?

After one month, Kevin finally breaks free from the tree he’s been tied to. He sees a vision of Mindy, who brings him to the Koala Realm.

Mindy tells Kevin he’s not alone. There must be a Koala Man in every realm, in every dimension, to be a guardian. Mindy shows Kevin the danger his family is in and how he can save them from Principal Baswell.

Koala Man is then rescued from the island by Maxwell, Louise, and Spider on a helicopter. He rides back to Dapto, hoping to save his family and his town.

Does Rosie die?

Alison successfully turns the Rosies against each other. While Rosie I and III fight, Rosie II sets Alison free. The other Rosies shoot a poison dart at Alison, which hits Rosie II instead. All the Rosies then fall to the ground. When one Rosie dies, they all die.

Rosie II and Alison declare their love for each other, and Rosie tells Alison she’s accomplished her goal of being the most powerful girl in Dapto. She then dies, along with her sisters.

What is Principal Baswell’s secret identity?

Koala Man breaks into the Kookaburra’s home, where he finds his wife and son. The Kookaburra tells him Baswell isn’t real, but is just another disguise.

Koala Man then recognizes Baswell as his childhood friend Christopher, a.k.a. “Pissy Chrissy.” His becoming the Kookaburra was all set in motion the day Kevin wouldn’t let him go to the bathroom without a hall pass.

That event set others in motion. Chris’ parents died in a car crash, which caused Chris to get a new face in surgery. His grandmother then died with no one at home to give her medication. The only thing Chris had left was his grandmother’s kookaburra. He hated that bird so much that he killed it. He then decided to become a kookaburra himself because the birds don’t urinate.

Now, he’s going to fully become a kookaburra. He injects the Greg brothers’ DNA solution into himself, thus transforming into an actual kookaburra.

Does Koala Man save Dapto from Kookaburra?

Koala Man sets Vicky free, who carries Liam out of there. Koala Man and Kookaburra fight, but Pissy Chrissy still exists inside of Kookaburra and cries out for help.

Koala Man decides to do something he should have done in school. He writes Christopher a hall pass. It’s now official: He’s allowed to go to the bathroom. 

Vicky gives a speech to the rest of Dapto to have faith in each other and that they are capable of more than they realize. They need to think that someone may be watching out for them.

Finally, Kookaburra gives himself permission to urinate, and his store of urine is powerful enough to put out the fire. Dapto cheers for Koala Man, Kookaburra, and Vicky for saving and inspiring them.

“Great job, Kevin… I mean, Koala Man,” Big Greg tells the returned hero. Chris then decides he’s going to Albion Park to be their defender. He and Koala Man amicably part ways.

How does “Koala Man” Season 1 End?

Alison is finally hailed as the most powerful girl in Dapto, but it doesn’t mean as much without Rosie. Still, Dapto could just be the beginning. She now desires to conquer other places.

Kevin apologizes to a comatose Liam for not being there for him. He has one Christmas wish, which Summer Santa grants: Liam wakes up to no voices in his head.

Still, it’s hard to recover from hearing the voices of every creature in the world in his head. Liam is not sure he can be at home in Dapto anymore, so Alison slips him her ticket to Hollywood Island. “Goodbye Dapto,” Liam says as he steps on the island.

Kevin decides to keep being Koala Man, whether the town appreciates him or not. The only approval he needs is from Vicky, who has realized she’s capable of so much more in her life. She wants to run for town council, and Kevin fully supports her. As long she fills out the proper paperwork, of course.

The Episode Review

There are a couple of out-of-the-blue revelations in this finale (Rosie triplets?), but the reveal of the Kookaburra’s identity had some well-placed hints. Principal Baswell, though having played a limited role in the series, did always seem to be inconspicuously setting events in motion. 

Although the principal’s time as a supervillain felt somewhat anticlimactic with the brevity of his reign, I can appreciate the comedy in a hall pass saving all of Dapto.

I’m not completely satisfied with Alison’s arc. I like the complex dynamics within her rise to power through Rosie’s death. But her desire to continue rising through the ranks isn’t provided with enough motivation. Wouldn’t Rosie’s fall give her pause in her endeavors? Still, we end in a pretty satisfying, if bittersweet, place. Vicky finally realizes her full potential, Kevin is more inspired than ever to be Koala Man, and Liam is on to bigger adventures.