Y: The Last Man Season 1 Finale: Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Victoria

Episode 10 of Y: The Last Man begins this finale with everyone converging toward Yorick’s location. He is the end-goal here, and orchestral singing humming in Agent 355’s mind starts us off on an ominous note. She’s been sleepwalking, and wakes up in the middle of the street on her back.

These scenes are the proverbial calm before the storm, and our agent senses that they’re in danger the longer they stay. She wants to go in 24 hours’ time, but Yorick isn’t sure whether they should or not.

That much is especially true as Roxanne and Nora close in on Marisville. Both of them come to blows over the best way of proceeding forward, with Rox wanting to go in all guns blazing and Nora convinced a more tactical approach is better.

While they discuss this at the swimming pool, Hero learns from a couple of outlaws who show up (and subsequently are shooed off by guns in their faces) that the Pentagon has been attacked. For now, they all contemplate what to do next as Hero is left reeling over this revelation.

In the midst of all this drama, Nora notices a bloody towel and realizes that Mackenzie has had her period. She hands over her ring and tells her daughter that she’s a woman now, imploring her to continue on down this path and to be strong.

Christine and Kim wake up in a barn, after the latter has a dream about sleeping with Yorick. She believes this is her destiny and remains determined to find him. Don’t get your hopes up though guys, this is the last we see of the pair through the whole chapter.

Jennifer Brown is still alive of course too, currently out with Beth who tells her the system is broken and she’s had enough. That’s why the activists all attacked the Pentagon, desperate to instigate change. That evening, they hide out where Sam suddenly rocks up. Unfortunately he’s not alone as the house is surrounded by soldiers, demanding they come with them.

Speaking of surrounded, Roxanne and her small band of Amazonian, pink-clad ladies, rock up in town and demand to see Yorick. A stand-off soon ensues as warning gunshots sound the beginning of the end. Yorick and Allison scurry out of view while Agent 355 outsmarts her captor, turning the tables in her favour. A big old fight breaks out off the back of this, as the Amazons fight against those from Marisville.

While all this is going on, Hero races out into the fields where she finds Yorick running away with Sonia (who he slept with the previous night) and Allison. When she notices Yorick, Hero tells him he needs to run, as the Amazons are going to kill him. And just like that, a bullet to Sonia’s head kills her outright. Likewise, Hero kills the rogue Amazon warrior.

In the wake of all this, Nora steps up and decides to surrender. Roxanne is livid at this transgression as she begins cursing, walking away in frustration. When the rest of the ladies join, seemingly let go by those in Marisville, Nora decides to instigate a coup, turning all the ladies against Roxanne.

After shooting her in the chest, Nora tells the other ladies that the world will learn to fear them, in all of the *checks timestamp* 8 minutes left of this show that’s been cancelled.

How does Y: The Last Man end?

The ending of season 1 cuts to Yorick determined not to be the victim anymore. Agent 355 agrees to help train him up, as the gang drive away. Only, they do so into obscurity as this disappointing adaptation bows out with an indifferent shrug.

The Episode Review

So Y The Last Man bows out with an ending that’s not really an ending after all. You’d think that when it was announced this series was cancelled that the creators would have banded together to actually try and salvage some sort of conclusive finish for those who have stuck with this one. Alas, it’s not to be and instead, the show concludes with nothing really resolved.

The actual drama this chapter feels anticlimactic too, with the big fight between the Amazons and those in Marisville cut short by Nora surrounding. It also feels a little off that Nora survives too, given her big speech to Mackenzie. This seemed to hint that she was passing the torch to her daughter.

I can’t help but feel a more effective and shocking end would be Rox killing Nora for surrendering and then back at the swimming pool Mackenzie, wracked by anger and sadness, shoots Roxanne in the chest and causes a real power shift with the ladies as they feel conflicted over whether to follow her or not.

Meanwhile, we get some really boring flashbacks for Yorick’s family dinner which honestly, I haven’t even bothered to mention because it’s so inconsequential. And that is ultimately the word that sums up this show – inconsequential. Y: The Last Man started relatively promisingly before slipping into disappointing mediocrity. With this series so desperate to put its message before plotting, Y: The Last Man was perhaps doomed to fail from the beginning.