Pratik Handore
Apple TV+’s ‘Extrapolations‘ is an anthology series that follows several characters as they deal with climate change and other environmental issues in the near future. Each episode of the sci-fi series revolves around characters facing obstacles in everyday life while dealing with the larger implications of the issues that plague the world. The fifth episode, titled ‘2059 Part II: Nightbirds,’ sets aside the futuristic sci-fi vibe and explores the dark criminal underbelly of India. It follows two part-time criminals on an assignment to smuggle valuable cargo across the country. If you are wondering how the duo’s quest ends, here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Extrapolations’ episode 5! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Extrapolations Episode 5 Recap
The fifth episode, titled ‘2059 Part II: Nightbirds,’ is set in India and overlaps with the previous episode that follows Gita Mishra. In the episode, Gaurav (Adarsh Gourav of ‘The White Tiger‘) is a driver for hire in Mumbai who is assigned a task by the enigmatic “Madam.” From the onset, it is clear that Gaurav comes from a humble background and needs the money from the shady job. He is tasked with smuggling a consignment from Mumbai to Varanasi, and Neel (Gaz Choudhry), a wheelchair-ridden man and former soldier, is assigned as his bodyguard for the mission.
Due to extreme climate change, people in India can only survive outdoors at night and must remain confined during the day to protect themselves from the heat. As Gaurav and Neel undertake the journey, they are secretly tracked down by Olivia Drew (Keri Russell of ‘Cocaine Bear‘), a gun for fire working for Alpha Industries. Drew is tasked with intercepting the duo and stealing the consignment they are carrying. Meanwhile, Neel and Gaurav bicker due to their opposing ideologies and beliefs about climate change and humanity’s adversities. Eventually, they reach a police checkpost, where the police officers quickly retrieve the special tiffin box the duo is carrying.
After the police officers nearly kill Gaurav, Neel intervenes and shoots them dead. However, Neel explains that he only kills when necessary and balances the karmic scales by saving a life for every life he takes. The duo retrieves the tiffin box and makes their way to a dress shop in Varanasi, where they meet Anusha, the Madam. Anusha reveals that the tiffin box is a sophisticated storage device opened only with fingerprints. She then gives Gaurav and Neel a solar-powered car to help them travel during the day and evade the police. For the next phase of the assignment, the duo must transport the tiffin and Dr. Harbaksh, a genetic scientist, to a village in Haryana.
While driving to Haryana, Gaurav, and Neel open the tiffin with Dr. Harbaksh’s fingerprint, finding packets of several seeds inside. Dr. Harbaksh explains that the seeds were stolen from a secure vault. Moreover, the seeds do not have the watermark of any of the big corporations that have monopolized the seed business. However, Gaurav believes the seeds will never grow because they haven’t seen rain in over a year, and the crops won’t survive in the current heat. On the other hand, the more optimistic Neel believes it will rain, and the seeds will bring a new harvest.
While traveling through the outskirts of a small village during the day, the car is attacked by some children with a fruit sling. At the same time, the outside temperature rises and jeopardizes everyone’s lives. While Gaurav uses the tent to protect the group from the heat wave, Neel leaves the car to save one of the children who has fallen unconscious. After the heat wave passes away, Gaurav drives the child and Neel to the village, seeking help. As Neel is on the deathbed, Gaurav becomes determined to save his life.
Extrapolations Episode 5 Ending: Is Neel Dead? Are the Seeds Special?
In the episode’s final act, Gaurav tries to save Neel from imminent death. However, before he can leave to get ice to cool Neel’s body temperature, Drew catches up with the dup. She attacks Gaurav and claims the tiffin. Drew holds Gaurav at gunpoint and tries to kill him. However, Neel recovers and intervenes, saving Gaurav’s life once again. Gaurav gets hold of the tiffin while Drew and Neel engage in a gunfight. Drew gains the upper hand by using a drone to attack Neel. However, the mother of the child Neel saved stops Drew from killing him. When Drew refuses to spare Neel, the woman knocks Drew out with an injection.
Ultimately, Neel dies trying to save Gaurav as he wants to ensure the consignment reaches its destination. As a result, Gaurav completes the task by delivering the tiffin to its desired location. However, before he leaves, Dr. Harbaksh equates the seeds to the seeds from the Jack and the Beanstalk fairytale. Thus, the scientist implies that the seeds are special. Nontheless, Gaurav is a pessimist and non-believer who seems to disregard the scientist’s words. In the final moments, we see Gaurav return to the village where Neel died. He reunites with the child Neel saved and gives him a packet of the seeds as the rain starts pouring down.
The episode’s ending implies that Gaurav’s experiences and time with Neel have fundamentally changed him. Initially, Gaurav believed that the earth was doomed and the world would end soon because of several environmental issues. However, Gaurav handing the seeds to the kid hints that he believes in a new dawn and a future. Moreover, Gaurav’s beliefs seem to cement after he witnesses the rainfall, just as Neel had predicted. However, the rainfall does not seem to be a reprieve for humanity, as the ending credits feature a news broadcast altering people about floods.
Read More: Extrapolations Episode 4 Recap and Ending, Explained
