Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Copenhagen Cowboy’ is a psychedelic mix of crime and supernatural, the kind of story that can only come from the mind of Nicolas Winding Refn. The show begins with a character named Miu and the mystery surrounding her, but by the end of the show, it expands to a much bigger scale, paving the path for a broader storyline in the future. The story progresses at what could be considered a conventionally slow pace, taking its time with every shot and every scene. Yet, in the last fifteen minutes so much happens at once that the viewer is left with a lot of questions. Here, we break down that confusing ending and clear the view to see what the future holds for Miu. SPOILERS AHEAD
Copenhagen Cowboy Plot Synopsis
Miu, considered a good luck charm, is bought by a woman named Rosella, who wants to get pregnant. At first, it looks like her powers might have worked, but then Rosella becomes convinced that Miu does not bring good luck. Instead, she has a darkness about her that brings bad things to people around her. She gives over Miu to her brother, who runs an escort service.
Here, Miu meets Cimona, a girl who came to Denmark with the hopes of becoming a model but is now stuck in this life. She offers Miu an escape plan and they decide to meet at a designated point. Cimona shows up early and before Miu arrives, she takes a lift from Nicklas, who later kills her. Cimona’s sudden absence causes Miu to embark on a path that leads to the destruction of many people along the way.
In between this, we also get acquainted with Nicklas and his family, all of whom seem just as mysterious as Miu. Nicklas, in particular, becomes fixated on Miu, after seeing her profile on the escort service website. However, when they finally meet, Miu proves to be much more powerful and challenging than he imagined. This leads him to look for someone who can match her power and make her pay for what she did to him.
Copenhagen Cowboy Ending: Who and What is Rakel?
There are a lot of weird things about Miu, which make her an intriguing character, but if there is someone more mysterious than her, it is Nicklas and his family. On the surface, they look like just another rich, peculiar family. But there are certain things about them that reveal their past. It is clear that they are not normal human beings. They are dangerous and have psychopathic tendencies, but it has more to do with their supernatural character, which is further highlighted with the introduction of Rakel.
On discovering that Miu is not just another normal human being, Nicklas is forced to accept that he can’t fight her alone. He needs someone who is much more powerful than him and has the mettle to go up against Miu. This is when the spirit of his sister, Rakel, appears to him. She asks him to wake her using the blood of their mother. The aesthetic of her inside a coffin and being awakened with the blood dripping on her mouth indicates that she is an immortal being, possibly a vampire.
Considering that she is his sister, Nicklas, too, is a vampire or a supernatural creature that falls in a similar category. The bottom line is that their life span is much more than normal humans, as at one point, Aske mentions that he has been serving their family for centuries. What sets Nicklas apart from Rakel is that she has powers similar to Miu’s. Because she is much older and has been aware of her powers for much longer, she exercises greater control over them, making her more powerful than Miu, who is still trying to find out where she came from.
The scene where Miu sees Rakel in her mind and is attacked by her proves that Rakel’s energies are much more focused and are, hence, much more destructive. We see her shooting lasers out of her eyes, which would put her in the same bracket as Superman. At one point, Miu mentions having an encounter with aliens when she was a child, which could point towards the possibility that others like her also come from another world, which is why they don’t follow the rules of this world.
What are Miu and the Girls in Blue Clothes?
While we are fascinated by Miu’s powers, we can’t help but wonder what she is. Several characters ask her the same questions, with all of them coming up with their own version of who she could be. But despite presenting all these possibilities to us, the show never confirms who she is. At least, not directly. It is in the final scene when Miroslav tries to find out how to survive Miu and her powers that she is referred to as a spirit. She is already powerful on her own, but then, we discover that she is not alone. She is many, a part of a cluster, and she had been unaware of it just as much as the audience.
A lot of Miu’s past remains shrouded in mystery, especially when it comes to her origins. She asks Miroslav about it, showing that she doesn’t know where she comes from. Her powers make her a unique individual that is sought by everyone who wants to use her to get what they want. This isolates her even more from the rest of the people and we can see that loneliness inside of her in every frame. This is why, she easily gets attached to the people that show her even the slightest kindness, and she is ready to go to any lengths to help or avenge them.
Miu tries to figure out more things about herself, but Rakel immediately knows what she is and all the things that her power can do, indicating that Rakel has been doing it for much longer than Miu. This means that they might have originated from the same place, but there is a marked difference between the two of them. Despite her powers, Miu seems to be a good person. Rakel, on the other hand, is an immediate villain who seeks nothing but to destroy Miu and others.
It is Rakel who first mentions that Miu is not one but many, and then we find Miu walking into a forest and meeting with the girls who are dressed similarly. All the girls seem to have similar powers and even though they look different from each other, all of them have the same posture. They walk and stand in the same manner. It is possible that all of these girls are actually different facets of Miu’s personality. When Rakel said that she is many, she could be referring to the fact that she is somewhat of a legion.
Another possibility is that all of these girls are very real, and more of a group that Miu belongs to. Considering that Miu was compared to a witch at several points in the story, it is possible that this is her coven. They have been waiting for her all this while as she explored and enhanced her powers, and now is the time for all of them to get together. Though it remains to be seen what they want to do next, especially now that Rakel has set her eyes on Miu and is intent on destroying her.
What are the Giants?
The fact that ‘Copenhagen Cowboy’ is a supernatural series leaves the door open for any number of such things to appear in the show. Miu and Rakel’s identities could be perceived in any number of ways. The possibility that they could be vampires or witches or some weird combination of both remains open. Interestingly, the show never gets into the specifics of that, which keeps the audience on their toes about the kind of world that Refn is creating and whether it connects to any known supernatural set. It isn’t until the final scene that we get a hint as to where the mythology of ‘Copenhagen Cowboy’ might find its roots.
In an unexpected cameo of Hideo Kojima, it is revealed that Miu is a spirit and a very powerful one at that. He advises Miroslav to seek help from the Giants, who are the only ones that can fight Miu. Miroslav doesn’t seem too pleased by the idea. In fact, he seems even more scared of going to them for help than facing Miu and the danger she poses. Even though nothing else is revealed about them, it is clear that the Giants are even more powerful beings than Miu. But what exactly are they?
If we go into Scandinavian mythology, the Giants would correspond with the Jötuns. Considering that the story takes place in Copenhagen, one would prefer to lean toward this interpretation. But the fact that Hideo, a Japanese, gives this information to Miroslav makes it a little weirder. Once again, it makes us wonder if this is just another known term used in the story but actually is a radically different form of supernatural beings created for the show.
It could refer to the Titans or any other interpretation from some other culture. At this point, anything is possible. But, one thing’s for sure. Whoever these Giants are, they are powerful, influential, and certainly worthy of their name, if not in size then in reputation. Miroslav knows better than to mess with them, which means that should the story continue, Miu already has a worthy villain.
Read More: Is Netflix’s Copenhagen Cowboy Based on a True Story or a Book?
