Tamal Kundu
Netflix’s Polish sci-fi romance-drama series ‘A Girl and an Astronaut’ or ‘Dziewczyna i kosmonauta’ tells the story of two ambitious fighter pilots, Nikodem Borowski (Jędrzej Hycnar) and Bogdan (Jakub Sasak), and the girl they both fall in love with, Marta (Vanessa Aleksander). The narrative is split into two timelines. In 2022, Niko, Bogdan, and several other elite Polish fighter pilots are selected to participate in a space mission organized by the private Russian company SkyCom. Thirty years later, Niko returns to Earth to find the world has moved on. However, old feelings are soon rekindled, and forgotten rivalries are reignited. Meanwhile, a woman named Nadia seeks to continue her grandfather’s research and find a cure for her ALS in Niko’s survival. Here is everything you might want to know about the ending of ‘A Girl and an Astronaut’ season 1. SPOILERS AHEAD.
A Girl and an Astronaut Recap
The series begins in 2052. Niko regains consciousness after spending 30 years in sub-hibernation, and the SkyCom capsule carrying NIKO-ONE comes out of stealth mode, which alerts SkyCom and the Russian authorities. Marta (Magdalena Cielecka), now 55 years old, has a life with Bogdan (Andrzej Chyra), now 58, and their daughter Oliwia, however imperfect that might be. When she learns about Niko, she doesn’t know how to react and accuses Bogdan of lying to her all this time. Life has become significantly dystopic in the version of the future depicted in ‘A Girl and an Astronaut.’
The technologies in 2052 are used to control every aspect of people’s lives. Marta works as a remote dance teacher, while Bogdan operates drones that move shipping containers at the dock. They both are but a shadow of their former selves, when Marta used to be an internationally renowned DJ nicknamed Stardust, and Bogdan was a maverick F-16 fighter pilot.
The narrative shifts back and forth between 2022 and 2052. In 2022, Niko’s sister Karolina returns from London with Marta and moves into her mother’s home, believing that her mother lives with her new husband and Niko is away. The latter turns out to be inaccurate, and Niko meets Marta while she is having a bath. Marta meets Bogdan at a club, and the relationships she develops with these two fighter pilots are as different as their personalities.
We also get a glimpse of the personal lives of each of them. Marta had a turbulent relationship with her father, as does Bogdan, whose father, Wiktor, is a colonel in the Polish military and Bogdan and Niko’s boss. He is having an affair with Karolina and is abusive toward both her and Bogdan’s mother.
The pilots are put through one grueling test after another to select who among them will go to space under the watchful eyes of SkyCom CEO Sergey Pudovkin and the Head of the R&D department, Professor Andrey Davidov. After the list of pilots is narrowed down to Bogdan and Niko, the former decides to drop out of the program when he realizes that he prefers the chance to spend his life on Earth with Marta. Despite this, Marta ultimately chooses Niko. When he goes to space, and the incident happens, Bogdan tells Marta that there was an explosion and Niko is dead.
Bogdan and Marta rekindle their relationship and eventually get married. By 2052, Marta has grown miserable in the relationship. So, when the news of Niko’s survival becomes public, she starts to wonder whether she should have waited. In Russia, Nadia, who is Davidov’s granddaughter, hopes to find the answer to her ALS In Niko, who hasn’t aged a day in 30 years.
After regaining control of his body, Niko runs away, hoping to reunite with Marta. They reunite, and Marta decides to come with him. The days she spends with him bring her joy she hadn’t felt in years. While all this is happening, the FSB, Russia’s intelligence agency, takes an active interest in Niko, knowing the implications of his survival.
In the season finale: Bogdan goes to speak to his bedridden but influential father about finding Marta and Niko. Karolina now lives with Wiktor and his permanent caregiver. She convinces Wiktor to help his son. As Niko and Marta try to run from the world, parties with vested interests try to catch up with them, including Nadia, the FSB, and the Polish government.
A Girl and an Astronaut Ending: Does Marta End up with Niko or Bogdan?
Despite its sci-fi themes, ‘A Girl and an Astronaut’ is ultimately a love triangle, so the complex relationship between Marta, Bogdan, and Niko is at the core of the narrative. At one point in 2022, she loved them both, and Bogdan and Niko knew she was seeing them both. It didn’t matter to them that much because, like everything else in their lives, it was a competition.
Things are different in 2052. Bogdan has developed a heart condition and feels he doesn’t measure up to Niko, who is still in his 20s. On the other hand, Niko has his share of fears as well. He is a man out of time. The woman he loves has grown old and has experience life with another man while he was caught in limbo. Both men tell Marta that they love her. Niko resolutely says they can restart things where they left off 30 years ago. Knowing that the old feelings for the other man are surging again in his wife, Bogdan tells her to choose between them.
Ultimately, Marta chooses neither but herself, at least when the first season ends. Things might and probably will change if there is a season 2. But for now, Marta chooses herself. The brief time she spends with Niko makes her understand that they are in completely different junctures in their lives, and that will not change. And her relationship with Bogdan was already on the deathbed. Niko re-entering their lives has only accelerated their process.
Why Does Marta Smile in the End?
The final scene of the season depicts Marta on a pier, looking out at the ocean and contemplating the decision she has just made, choosing herself over Niko and Bogdan. Suddenly, she turns and smiles. This scene is juxtaposed with another scene depicting her younger self in a like. The younger Marta smiles in return. It seems that these two versions of the same characters communicate across time. The younger Marta offer her approval of the choice of the older version. It is also possible that one of her loved ones has found her, and the smile is addressed to them. As she just bid goodbyes to Niko and Bogdan, it can’t be them. This means it is most likely Oliwia, her daughter.
Why Hasn’t Niko Aged?
The SkyCom mission had two purposes; if the first was public, the second was kept a secret. The first involved checking the stealth system on NIKO-ONE, which turned out to be a success. In the second one, Niko had to put himself in sub-hibernation for 24 hours. He started to have severe hallucinations, which made him believe that he was drowning. He thrashed about inside the capsule and ended up setting up sub-hibernation for 30 years. He also turned the stealth mode back on, so he basically vanished into space.
A sub-hibernation process uses cryogenic technology, which keeps the body in stasis. The scientists, including Nadia, aren’t entirely sure why Niko hasn’t aged. Nadia believes that the answer can be found in her grandfather’s notes. She finds a USB device Davidov left for her but fails to access it, and JJ, her caretaker and bodyguard, gives it to the FSB. She is eventually forced to kill JJ to protect Niko. Nadia knows that as long as Niko is alive, she can find the answers she has been seeking.
Did Bogdan Know Niko Was Alive?
Bogdan was present when the ground control lost communication with NIKO-ONE. He didn’t know Niko was alive, but he didn’t realize that the other man was dead either. He chose to lie to Marta, knowing there was a slight possibility for Niko’s return, because it allowed him what he thought was his happy ending at the time. Bogdan went along with SkyCom’s official statement that NIKO-ONE was destroyed and Niko was killed. He grieved his friend and rival alongside Marta and eventually resumed his relationship with her. Life went on. She no longer remained a DJ, and he seemingly quit the military as well. In 2052, after Niko is discovered, Bogdan is forced to revisit his lies.
Read More: Where is Netflix’s A Girl and an Astronaut Filmed?
