Monsieur Spade – Season 1 Episode 6 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Episode 6 

Why did Jean-Pierre hand over Zayd to Philippe?

The finale of Monsieur Spade Season 1 begins with a tender flashback to the time when Jean-Pierre was slated to start his military duty. Marguerite and he were seemingly a normal couple in love with each other. There are hardly any dialogues but the effervescence of their dynamic can be strongly felt. Cut to the present day, Marguerite is in a state of shambles. Although it may not seem by looking at her, there is an internal storm brewing. Sameer, who gave Zayd to Jean-Pierre in the first place, expresses his regret and guilt.

Patrice and Spade pay their respects as well. But all she wants in the moment is to be left alone. In the conversation, it is revealed that while handing over Zayd, JP said, “I have paid my debt now.” Marguerite explains that Philippe got JP out of the war. This is why JP felt like he needed to hand Zayd over. 

Who is the biker who shot at Spade and Teresa?

Spade spots the same motorcyclist heading into Anatole’s garage after he leaves Marguerite’s house. Upon following him, he learns that the shooter was none other than Henri. It is revealed that the soldier – and the mechanic – are part of a rebel organization called the Action Francaise. They are working to remove the current government. When Anatole insults and accuses Spade of spreading hate around Bozouls, the former detective fires back by calling out their disruptive agenda. 

Henri wanted to get to Philippe using Teresa, which also explains his recent romantic interest in her. Spade leaves and goes back to his house, where Mr Kuhn is waiting for him. He introduces himself as a PI working for powerful people, who want to see Zayd go back to his family. He envisages a situation where Philippe and Gazala are arrested, and Zayd is safely returned. But he would need Spade’s help in that scenario. Despite him saving Spade’s life the other night, he wants to stay out of this mess.

In a flashback, we see how Gabrielle brought Spade out of his shell and made him feel things again. Probably that is why he fell in love with her. Spade remained indoors, confined to the house for most of the days. However, due to her intervention, he learned to be outgoing, including his habit of diving in the pool. In that particular flashback, Gabrielle is leaving the house and Spade so that she can die beyond his eyes. Spade pleads with her to stay but she has made up her mind.

Who is Gazala and what is her secret plan?

Teresa and Henri come clean about their hidden intentions. It is clear that Philippe has a mark on his head. But Teresa is no longer concerned for his safety. Maurice goes into the city chasing shadows and Patrice grows concerned over his disappearance. Gazala turns out to be an MI6 asset as we see her and George involved in a passionate makeout session. She is feeding info about Philippe’s movement and plans to George. The duo have a plan of their own…a plan is most certainly afoot. Neither Philippe nor Cynthia know anything about it.

Philippe is to take the boy with him from Lyon to Spain. In another surprising turn, George is run over by a car right after he and Gazala go their separate ways. It is Cynthia in the car, who has found out about George’s betrayal. 

Ending Explained: Where does Zayd end up?

Maurice runs into Marguerite at The Hole but leaves without saying much. She is intrigued and follows him but goes on a different path. She goes to Audrey’s house, where we learn Philippe is hiding. He has assembled a sniper rifle aimed toward the bridge. She gets emotional while placing the gun that Philippe gave to JP on the table. She knows Philippe killed him and vows never to speak to either of them again. 

Patrice is informed by Madame Huchet that she saw Gazala and Zayd at the bridge near the bar. Teresa is walking on her own in the streets and is apprehended by Angelo Friars, the monk whom everybody believed to be dead. Maurice arrives on the spot but is unable to free Teresa. Patrice, Spade, and a few others find and save him. They rush toward the bridge when they learn of the monk’s comeback.

Kuhn meets Gazala with Zayd at the bridge. While Philippe is taking an aim for Kuhn, Henri is hidden nearby taking aim at Gazala. However, before the exchange can happen, Philippe kills Kuhn.

Henri’s inexperience shows as he is outsmarted by Philippe and Gazala is able to successfully get away with the money. Laurent Suchet, the officer from the Ministry of Interior in Paris who had come to the station to take away the case from Patrice, tries calling for Zayd. But the child runs in the other direction. When the monk shows up with Teresa at the bridge, he calls out for Zayd, who promptly comes out.  Teresa and he run away as the monk chants a prayer. 

He is finally killed by shots from Philippe and Patrice. Before Philippe can pack and leave, Cynthia arrives at the house, pointing a gun at him. Meanwhile, at the bridge, a new player storms the place.

What happens to Zayd? Whom does the woman represent?

The woman is revealed to be Virginia Dell, who now works for the United Nations. All the major characters are assembled at Philippe’s house, where Father Morgan – who most probably works for the CIA – also joins them. She beckons everyone to share information but none come forward. Souchet informs them that Zayd was born in yesteryear France and that his father is in jail for treason. Dell also accuses Morgan and the Vatican of having sent the monk – a mental patient – to kill nuns and kidnap Teresa. 

He leaves in anger, along with Suchet and Henri, who are on the same side. Philippe gets up to leave with them but Patrice arrests him for murdering JP. Cynthia is also dismissed from the room by Dell. It is just Dell, Spade, and the kids left in the room. Spade reveals that it was George who killed the SDECE agent in his pool. Earlier, we saw Bassem showing Spade the tree with a bullet hole that matches George’s revolver. Dell leaves with Zayd. Henri also goes with her.

Phillipe is taken away by Patrice. Cynthia invites Spade to her place for a drink but is dryly turned down. Spade and Teresa look like they will stick together for longer than we expected originally. He is not going back to San Francisco and has taken a permanent break from his renewed PI career. 

The Episode Review

I must say, the ending of Monsieur Spade is poetic and fitting of the noir magic we have seen unfold over the past few weeks. I still think a lot of work could have been done to shore up the storytelling, which I found to be very distracted and fractured. The final scene felt anticlimactic and unintentionally chaotic. However, the bookended conclusion must not overshadow the rest of the finale, which is riveting.

The combination of camera angles, lighting, and editing produces a masterful narrative that is as tense as it is rollicking. Following the story without dialogue in the gravel stone streets of Bozouls transported me to the great works of Orson Welles from the 40s and 50s. It felt like what the show should have looked like throughout. 

Clive Owen’s moments of vulnerability do catch you off guard. He only lets himself be exposed momentarily but the execution is memorable. His characterization of Spade has been superb on the show, although I expected him to play more of a central role. Monsieur Spade gets a thumbs up from us but the final opinion remains decidedly against calling it a modern masterpiece.