Aahana Swrup
As ‘Kleo’ season 2 comes to an end, it rounds out its various conspiratorial storylines, bestowing the answers to most questions introduced within its narrative upon the titular character. Consequently, Kleo Straub and her partner Sven Petzold walk away—at least for the moment—with the Raegan-Honecker pact under their possession, safe from exploitative organizations and operations. Furthermore, the former Stasi assassin also learns about her own forgotten past, discovering the truth about her connection to KGB Head, Nikolai Zhukov—her biological father. However, while Kleo receives closure regarding Nikolai, the opposite remains true for the audience, who are introduced to an intriguing part of the man’s life: A mysterious cosmonaut currently residing aboard a space station. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Cosmonaut From Kleo’s Past
Even though Nikolai’s Cosmonaut only enters the center narrative towards the season’s end, he remains scattered throughout Kleo’s previously explored memories. The former assassin has a mysterious childhood—most of which she can’t remember. Her memories become tangible only after her mother, Brigitte’s departure from her life, which landed her under her grandfather, Otto’s care. Therefore, she knows everything about her late childhood, early teenage years, and young adulthood when she was training to be a Stasi Agent. However, anything prior to the same is a haze.
Nonetheless, Nikolai’s return to Kleo’s life triggers some of these memories to surface. The RGB official is her biological father, who was present for much of her childhood. Even so, Kleo had forgotten him after he killed Brigitte’s husband and the man who raised her—Fabian. Consequently, after meeting Nikolai again, the former assassin experiences flashbacks to her childhood memories, where a cosmonaut is often present. Due to the relatively muddled nature of these flashbacks, the cosmonaut doesn’t immediately become a point of interest.
Yet, once Kleo begins digging into Nikolai and learns about his interest in space travel, the cosmonaut’s presence in her memories gains significance. Likewise, the KGB Head proves that he holds space travel in high regard after stashing the pact at the Monument to the Conquerors of Space. Therefore, even though Kleo doesn’t know it yet, the fact emerges that Nikolai has some greater connection to the cosmonaut from her faded memories. Ultimately, the protagonist remains oblivious to the same until the season’s end, but the viewers get an insight into the truth.
Harald: The Cosmonaut’s Connection to Kleo
As Kleo and Sven face off against Nikolai at the Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow, the altercation brings all three near their deaths. Nevertheless, in the end, Kleo manages to overcome her hesitance in killing her biological father and shoots him dead in retaliation for shooting at Sven. Thus, while the duo emerges from the confrontation alive and with the coveted pact, Nikolai meets his end, as the gunshot kills him. However, where his daughter has no tears to shed for his death—the possibility of another heir’s grief emerges.
After Nikolai’s death, news travels to his cosmonaut in space—who is revealed to be his son, Harald, Kleo’s twin brother. Therefore, pieces begin to fall into place, confirming that the cosmonaut from Kleo’s memories was actually her own brother, whom she has forgotten. Furthermore, it also explains Nikolai’s connection to space as well as his decision to use Kleo’s birthday as the code to access his treasured safe. He was actually using his beloved son’s birthday as his password rather than his estranged daughter’s.
After Fabian’s murder and Brigitte’s departure from East Germany, Kleo goes to live with her grandfather, Otto. However, Harald likely went away with Nikolai, who pushed him towards a future in space travel. Consequently, while Kleo grew close to her grandpa—following in his footsteps in the Stasi, Harald would have grown under Nikolai’s shadow, adopting his worldviews. For the same reason, after he learns about his father’s death, he makes the decision to immediately return to Earth. However, whether his return is in simple grief or a search for revenge is yet to be seen. As such, it is likely that Harald the Cosmonaut would return in a potential future season as an antagonist, prepared to enter a war against his twin sister.
Read More: Kleo: Is Uwe Mittig Dead or Alive?
