Tamal Kundu
Created by Robert Carlock and San Means, Netflix’s ‘Mulligan’ is a satirical animated series. The story follows an unlikely group of characters who are forced to lead what seems like the remnants of humanity as the head of the U.S. government. With its low-cost animation and top-tier voice cast, ‘Mulligan’ follows the blueprint many modern Western animation projects adhere to. The show strives to satirize politics, entertainment, and social norms. Although it is not always successful, there are admittedly moments of utter brilliance scattered throughout the first season. Here is everything you might want to know about the ending of ‘Mulligan’ season 1. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Mulligan Season 1 Recap
The series begins with the invasion of the aliens from Planet Cardi-B. They destroy most of the planet, nearly wiping out the entire humanity. As the Cardibeans close in on Washington, D.C., sitting President Brad Chadman vanishes and is presumed dead. Just as the aliens are about to destroy the White House, two people arrive on a glider. We later learn that their names are Matty Mulligan (Nat Faxon) and Lucy Suwan (Chrissy Teigen). Matty is a quintessential dumb, generally courageous jock. He and Lucy land on top of a giant alien spaceship. Matty grabs a grenade and throws it into the ship through one of the air vents. It sets fire to the main spaceship, killing almost all the invading aliens except one, Axatrax (Phil LaMarr), who is taken captive.
Neither Matty nor Lucy is particularly bright. But the role they played in defeating the Cardibeans effectively makes them the most popular people on the planet. Among the political class of the U.S., only Senator Cartwright LaMarr (Dana Carvey) survives. He convinces Matty to be the President of the United States while LaMarr assumes the duties of the Vice President. In the pre-invasion world, LaMarr spent his entire life waiting for his turn, which never came. Now, as the world has changed, he eagerly tries to establish himself as an important component of the new world. As he doesn’t particularly like Lucy and wants a white First Lady for this new world, LaMarr actively tries to sabotage the relationship between Matty and Lucy.
However, it’s not like they need any help. Matty and Lucy came together under the direst of circumstances, but as things have begun to settle down, Lucy has started to realize how little they have in common with each other. She still stays with Matty because she likes the idea of being the First Lady but grows close to Jeremy (Daniel Radcliffe), an Englishman who declares himself the king of his country.
On Lucy’s suggestion, Matty establishes a cabinet to help him run the government, but like the President and First Lady, these cabinet members leave much to be desired. Dr. Farrah Braun (Tina Fey), a former DARPA scientist, takes charge of all the science-related issues. Simon Prioleau (Sam Richardson), a history scholar, joins the cabinet to advise the President about the past. The incompetency of others hinders their competency. But even they struggle to embrace the reality of their world and rise above their prejudices.
Matty puts General Scarpaccio (Ayo Edebiri), a young boy who finds a military uniform, in charge of what is left of the U.S. military. After a census is performed, it is revealed that only 1,132 people have apparently survived the invasion, with women outnumbering men 2 to 1. This seems to terrify a Puritan inside LaMarr, and he tries to distract the women by organizing a contest to see who among them should be put on a stamp. In episode 3, Johnny Zhao (Ronny Chieng), an influential donor originally from China, arrives and is stranded in Washington, D.C. After Matty outlaws money as the country has effectively become a barter economy, a desperate but resourceful Zhao redefines himself as a newsman, trying to unearth scoops on people in the government.
As the traditional religions begin to falter, LaMarr realizes that they will have one less tool to control the mass if that happens. This is when he finds Dave, a genuine prophet who correctly foretold the alien attack. After Dave dies while fighting mutated aliens, various denominations of Christianity turn him into a saint and survive. Brad Chadman, the elected President before the invasion, is found alive. But he has become so deranged because of his fears of the aliens that Matty and the others conclude that it will be better to send him back to the bunker they have found him in.
In the season 1 finale, the cabinet tries to hold an election with the aim to demonstrate full transparency to the public. However, it soon effectively devolves into an episode of ‘The Bachelorette,’ with Matty and Jeremy vying for Lucy’s attention.
Mulligan Season 1 Ending: Do the Cardibeans Return?
Among all the Cardibeans that invaded Earth, it seems that only Axatrax, the commander of the operation, is left alive. Matty and Lucy captured him and decided not to kill him. As he started to realize who these two were, he felt aghast and humiliated. Like other characters in the show, Axatrax, at times, feels purposeless in this new world. He doesn’t know how to deal with his failures and rapidly descends into depression.
Axatrax builds a device to establish contact with his home world, Cardi-B, and eventually musters enough courage to send out the message of his failure. Toward the end of the season, a massive vessel appears, making people fear that the aliens have returned. However, it is soon revealed that the vessel is a cruise ship, and its passengers are people, not aliens.
Does Lucy End up with Matty or Jeremy?
Lucy and Matty’s relationship serves as an important component of the narrative. They got together when the world was ending, discovering a perfect partner in each other. But as the world begins to settle down, they realize they have very little in common. Lucy is a beauty queen and is stereotypically interested in environmental causes. Matty takes an interest in those matters because he seems to have developed genuine feelings for her. Meanwhile, Lucy is attracted to Jeremy, who is sophisticated and considerate and seems to be the antithesis of Matty.
In the season finale, as the attempts at transparency turn into a reality show following the revelation of Lucy’s secret relationship with Jeremy, she chooses neither of them. All her life, Lucy has done what is expected of her. But this time, she decides to be selfish. LaMarr, who still seeks chaos to avoid voting, goads the two men by asking them if they will take the rejection silently. This prompts Matty and Jeremy to point out to Lucy that she knows everyone on Earth and will not do better than a king or a President. Just then, the boatful of people arrives, effectively extending the number of Lucy’s possible suitors.
Who Are the People on the Cruise?
The people on the cruise ship address LaMarr as their Senator and play a song about opening Christmas presents in Florida, so it’s safe to assume that they are from LaMarr’s constituency in the state. Their arrival will change the dynamic in Washington, and everyone knows it. LaMarr tries his best to avoid an election, as that will mean he would lose the powers he now had.
Although Matty is the hero of humanity, his actions since becoming the President haven’t impressed anyone, and the people have grown increasingly dissatisfied. Farrah and Simon know this, and that’s why they want to hold an election. Meanwhile, LaMarr wants to maintain the status quo and tries to distract the people with the dating show farce. But with the arrival of people from his constituency, LaMarr thinks he no longer needs to do that. He is confident that the people who have sent him to the Senate in election after election will continue to support him.
Who Created TOD?
TOD-209, or TOD, is a cyborg with a machine body and a human brain. Throughout the season, he has flashbacks to the past when he was a human. He was a soldier and was married until his wife’s death. In the season finale, TOD finally recalls that Farrah was the one who turned him into a cyborg and confronts her.
However, the confrontation ends up being much less bloody than one may have presumed. TOD effectively throws a temper tantrum and flies away. That doesn’t mean that this development will not impact the narrative long-term. It is possible that TOD might continue looking for the truth, venturing into the world in search of it.
Read More: Best Satirical Movies
