Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Partner Track’ follows the story of Ingrid Yun. She is a young and talented lawyer, who is singularly dedicated to achieving the one thing she wants more than anything else in the world. She wants to become a partner at her firm Parsons Valentine, and all things considered, it looks like this year, she’ll make it. While she has to battle the sexism and racism that holds her back, the arrival of an old flame, Jeff Murphy, creates more hurdles for her. While it looks like something good might come out of her passionate romance with Murphy, the ending of the first season states otherwise. If you are wondering what it means for Ingrid and her relationship with Murphy, here’s all you need to know. SPOILERS AHEAD
Partner Track Plot Synopsis
Ingrid Yun is on her way to becoming a partner and to seal the deal, she has to make sure that the huge deal with Sun Corp doesn’t fall through. She manages to become the point person for the deal, even when her colleague, Dan, is hellbent on taking it for himself by hook or by crook. A complication arises when Jeff Murphy, a recent transfer from London, joins her on the case. It wouldn’t have been such a problem working with him if the slate was clean between them. But a few years ago, Ingrid and Murphy had met at a wedding and sparks flew.
Presently, while Ingrid is caught up in Murphy’s charm, he doesn’t even recognize her. Soon, his memory is jogged, and once again, things get heated between them. But by now, Ingrid is already in a relationship with Nick Laren, who is ready to take their relationship to another level. This only makes Ingrid more nervous because she thinks that things are going too fast with Nick. Meanwhile, Ingrid’s best friends go through their own personal and professional crises.
Tyler is forced to question his place in Parsons Valentine when Dan’s racist remarks are shrugged off by the people who claim that they are working towards equality and inclusion in the company. As a result, his relationship with his long-time partner also suffers. Rachel goes through a similar crisis when the sudden death of a client makes her reconsider her career in law, especially when she discovers that she has a flair for writing. Her affair with a new paralegal, Justin, also brews trouble for her at the firm. In the end, however, Ingrid, Tyler, and Rachel find themselves in a place that is better suited to their ideologies. Still, there’s one big twist left for Ingrid.
Partner Track Ending: Did Jeff Murphy Betray Ingrid?
Jeff Murphy was trouble when he walked in, and everyone but Ingrid seemed to know that. She’d had a great time with him at Rosecliff, and the connection between them had been so good that Ingrid went as far as to say that it was love at first sight. But that was some time ago, and the Murphy that Ingrid met that day is nothing like the one she meets at Parsons Valentine. He joins them as a transfer from London, and when their paths cross, he doesn’t recognize her. For the moment at least. There is something very tumulting about Murphy’s intentions towards Ingrid, and her best friend, Tyler sees that from a mile.
When Ingrid gets together with Nick, Tyler repeats his warnings to Ingrid to stay away from Murphy. While Nick is the perfect match for her, Murphy is nothing but trouble, and for a while, Ingrid agrees with that. However, as she spends more time with him, she is ensnared in his charms and starts to believe that his feelings towards her are just as real as hers for him. However, she fails to see that from the very beginning, the only thing that Murphy cares about is himself. While their colleague Dan might make a show of it, Murphy hides his real intentions beneath his charms, and that’s what costs Ingrid her shot at becoming a partner.
When Murphy comes to Parsons Valentine, he immediately starts working towards getting himself in the race for becoming a partner. He doesn’t want any distractions in the process, which is why perhaps he first ignores Ingrid. However, when he sees that she is clearly brilliant and dedicated, and a fierce competitor, he finds it best to keep her close, and it pays off in the end. He knows that due to their history, he has some hold over Ingrid, and he makes full use of it to distract her from his actions. Like, when Ingrid is drowning in papers, trying to figure out a way to save the Sun Corp deal, Murphy, who has already given up on the case, goes to dinner with Marty and Lassiter. It is Ingrid who saves the day, but Murphy also gets the credit, and he is quick to dismiss Ingrid’s anger about him sneaking behind her back.
Throughout the show, we see Ingrid going to extreme lengths to resolve the Sun Corp deal, and while Murphy does exhibit competence, he is always in the background in the moments that could make or break the deal for the firm. But that’s understandable to Ingrid, who believes that she is running point on the case so, of course, she has to make more efforts. What she fails to see is that Murphy continues to play his game throughout, indulging in an affair with Victoria, when it suits him. At the end, when the Sun Corp deal is done, Murphy believes that the credit will fall on him too, paving his way to partnership. But, around the same time, Hunter manages to land a deal that puts him in the race. This means that, for this year, Dan, Hunter, and Ingrid will be chosen partners, which upsets Murphy very much. And that’s when he makes a move for the title.
Previously, Ingrid was arrested due to her sister stealing the earrings that Nick had given to Ingrid. Around that time, Nick’s proposal and the debacle at the diversity gala put her at odds with Nick, and instead of calling him to bail her out, she calls Murphy. He promises to keep it a secret from everyone, which he does until it serves him. When he discovers that he is out of the race of becoming a partner, he decides to use Ingrid’s arrest against her. He knows he can do nothing about Dan or Hunter’s claim, but it will be very easy to get Ingrid out of the way. So, he tells Marty about it, which clearly doesn’t reflect well on Ingrid’s record, and her dream of becoming a partner is quashed in one swift move.
What’s worse is that Murphy not only goes behind her back and sabotages her, but all this while, he also claims to be in love with her. Not only that, but he consoles her, saying that she is the one who deserved the title, keeping up with the facade. Ingrid, who is utterly sad for herself, is actually happy that at least Murphy got to be the partner. In the end, however, Marty reveals that it was the man that she loves who revealed to the firm that she was keeping her arrest a secret from them. It turns out that Tyler had been correct in his assessment and Ingrid would have been better off staying away from Murphy.
Read More: Is Partner Track Based on a True Story?
