The Full Monty – Season 1 Episode 8 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

It’s Not the Waking, It’s the Rising

What does Gaz do to give Horse a proper burial?

The news of Horse’s death is met with deep regret and melancholy by the guys. Everyone is shocked at what has happened and they discuss his funeral at the cafe.

Gaz visits the local funeral home but is taken aback when he hears the prices for the coffins. Determined to give his dear friend a proper sendoff, Gaz steals his body from the morgue. He places it at Dennis’ prep table.

Destiny calls Gaz to bail her out of the police lockup but he cannot do it in time for her audition. When he reaches the cafe to give the guys the news about the body, he discovers that Sang-Chol has volunteered to cover all costs of the funeral.

Without saying a word, he goes through the back door and avoids a livid Dennis, who sees Horse’s body.

Gaz bails Destiny out. Later, Nathan thanks him for bringing Ben a chair by selling his own house and he offers Gaz a room at his place.

Does Destiny make it to the audition in time?

Unfortunately, Destiny is not able to make the audition in time. She reaches the college with Hetty and Gaz but the assessor isn’t willing to listen to their pleas. Gaz does not give up though and blames her lateness on himself.

The assessor has also heard about the “revenge choir” but isn’t comfortable with the profanity.

When Destiny is given the chance to audition, her equipment malfunctions and she loses the tune. It perturbs her but she keeps going. Her rage-filled rant is beautiful chaos unleashed with a scathing dismantling of the class structures. But she is not able to finish her set and storms out.

Gaz has another “fire to douse” as Dave sets alight the couch that Dilip used to have sexual intercourse with Jean. Gaz tells Dave about what he has done and the two manage to have a laugh about it. When Dave casually mentions they could cremate Horse,  a light bulb goes off in Gaz’s head.

How do the guys proceed with Horse’s funeral?

Gaz takes his new idea straight to the men at the cafe. He says that cremating Horse in the tradition of a Viking funeral would be a fitting send-off to his warrior-like spirit. It is illegal in Britain to do unsanctioned cremations like this, of course, and the guys realise they will be taking a big chance if they go through with it. Dennis is squarely against doing anything “in violation of the law.” But as Gaz says, “Horse followed the law all his life. Look where it got him.”

The profoundness of his statement convinces everyone to get on board with the plan. Jean visits the house and finally confronts Dave over his silence. It has been eating her up all her life and she finally says his piece. Dave gets teary-eyed when Jean says that he was the only other person in the world who could understand her pain. And yet, he remained silent and never shared his pain with her. Dave expresses his gratitude to Jean for keeping Michael’s death between them.

Dennis confesses that he is livid with Horse for taking his own life. He was too proud to let anyone pity him or come to his aid. The guys steal flowers from a stranger’s garden to honour Horse’s memory. They take shots around his dead body on the prep table. There is a peaceful and content look on Horse’s face, almost giving the impression he is smiling.

Why does Desinty break up with Tabani?

Destiny visits Tabani’s house after the audition. She had just expressed her intention to be Tabani’s girlfriend that morning. But now, she goes back on her word. Tabani is furious and confronts her about it. Destiny believes that everything she touches – every life she is a part of – ends up getting destroyed in the end. She thinks she makes everyone else’s life miserable.

Gaz is finally able to get a heads up on Destiny’s location and offers his wisdom to her. He assures her that as her father, he will always be by her side. And that everything, in the end, would be alright as long as they stick together.

The Full Monty Ending Explained:

The next morning, the guys get together and finalize the details of the cremation. They will have it on the old ski slope from where one can see the entire city. Dennis and Lomper will manage the catering arrangements for everyone. Darren will be making the pyre on which he will be cremated. And Gaz and Dave will be in charge of transporting the body.

Back at his house, Darren makes up with Silvan and the two kiss, getting back together. On the eve of the funeral, a huge crowd gathers to pay their regards to Horse. Gaz gives a rousing speech praising Horse’s spirit of life, kindness, and camaraderie.

As he lights the pyre, Destiny leads a vocal performance in Horse’s memory: “It’s Not the Waking, It’s the Rising.” A beautiful montage shows a younger Horse, full of life, prancing around without a care in the world. The montage is directly taken from the original film and it is a heartfelt homage to its legacy.

How does The Full Monty End?

Yaz concedes to Destiny that she was right about Brian. He is a paedophile and she found inappropriate pictures on his phone. Destiny declares she will be staying with Gaz in his caravan for the time being and makes up with Yaz.

Hetty hands over the response from the music college to Destiny. To her surprise, she gets through on the back of her raging audition.

Dave talks with Jean about their future together. He accepts his stoicism and how it further pushed them into oblivion. He asks Jean to give their relationship another chance and she agrees. Gaz is the last one to leave the place, sitting until the wee hours of the morning when the fire is fully extinguished.

The Episode Review

The rousing finale is capable, heartfelt work that directly strikes a chord. Horse’s death was a pivotal moment in the realization that the sense of community was getting away from them. Being there for each other is a cliched phrase often said lightly. But this is what it means. As tragic as his death was, it inspired confidence among the friends that their bond will only be stronger from here on in.

There was a feeling of inevitability throughout the episode. We neared the end of the great saga that started decades ago with the film. While the series wasn’t the most well-thought-out project, it veered in the corridors of nostalgia, which gave it an undying charm. The happy ending was expected. This does not make up for the lacklustre television adaptation of the story but episode 8 was a cathartic experience in itself.