Red Eye Ending Explained: Who Killed Shen Zhao?

The British crime drama show ‘Red Eye’ tells a gripping narrative about a male doctor and a female police officer who find themselves in the middle of a huge conspiracy that has turned their lives upside down. Dr. Matthew Nolan, aka Matt (Richard Armitage), is being extradited to China after landing in the UK a few moments ago. As soon as he is taken for an interrogation, Matt learns that he is facing murder accusations for the death of a Chinese woman, Shen Zhào. He met her only once, and although he spent some time with her, he left her as soon as he realized he was in trouble, and in the process, he got stabbed.

In the unnerving story that gets the ball rolling, Matt proves himself innocent by uncovering a web of lies with the help of police officer Hana Li. The ITV series, created by Peter A Dowling, investigates a conspiracy that reveals a dark reality about the modern diplomatic relationships between nations. Even though most of the series primarily focuses on Matt and Hana trying to find out who is causing all the distress, it also showcases the hard-hitting truths about today’s political world. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Red Eye Recap

Dr. Matthew Nolan’s life is thrown into chaos when he returns to the UK after attending the World Pacific Medicine conference in Beijing, China. As soon as he starts making his way to immigration, he is asked for his passport and taken for interrogation. As such, he gets to know that the dead body of a young Chinese girl, Shen Zhào, has been found inside his car in Beijing, China. Nolan maintains his innocence, but he is visibly shaken when he realizes that he is being extradited to China. Meanwhile, three of his friends have also been asked to return to the foreign country. Their return has been demanded so they can testify against Matt because they are the only ones who came in contact with Zhào.

Consequently, a police officer named Hana Li has been tasked to take Matt back to China. The decision to send her with Matt is not related to work capabilities. Instead, it’s related to her cultural identity because Hana is an Asian-origin American. Due to this, her senior tells her that the chief wants Hana to be a part of the exchange so that there won’t be any cultural misunderstandings. Hana makes it clear that she was born in Hong Kong and has no desire to go to China. Later, we learn why she never wanted to go there, which was related to something that happened with her mother when she was young. Nevertheless, she says yes to the assignment and accompanies Matt on the airplane. However, it doesn’t take much for things to go down on the flight as, one by one, all of Matt’s friends begin to die in mysterious ways. As things begin to go haywire on the flight, Hana finds an unusual ally in the form of MI5 Director-General Madeline Delaney, who tries to help the detective by going deeper into this case and finding shocking details about the people she has previously worked with.

However, Madeline is not alone in this and is being helped by the CIA chief of staff in London, Mike Maxwell, who is also having an affair with her. Elsewhere, Hana’s sister, Jess Li, who is a journalist and wants to prove herself, believes that she could break important news if Hana helps in gathering the information. The relationship between Jess and Hana is a bit complicated. In the past, Jess wanted Hana’s help for a story, and when Hana didn’t give her what she wanted, she lost the story. Even though Hana denies helping her time and time again, Jess doesn’t let this one go and tries to uncover Matt’s case. As her investigation continues, she realizes that the case is not just about Shen Zhào’s death; it is about a massive conspiracy headed by the top minds of British intelligence.

Over the course of six episodes, Matt, Hana, Jess, and Madeline uncover a lot of shocking truths and how the CIA is trying to jeopardize the relationship between the two countries. With all of Matt’s friends dying one by one and Zhào working for the head of World Pacific Medicine, the unraveling of this information makes the case even harder for them to solve. Even though all the evidence points towards Matt’s innocence, it becomes really important for him and Hana to find the culprit. In the final episode, the duo, with the help of MI5 Director-General Madeline Delaney, get hold of the Nano SIM card that Zhào put after stabbing in the bar. As soon as they get to know about the contents on the SIM card, they realize that the CIA wanted to break the nuclear deal between the UK and China, which would have helped them.

Red Eye Ending: Who Killed Shen Zhào? Is Matt Innocent?

Although a lot of players are involved in this murder mystery, there is only one person who is behind the brutal murder of Shen Zhào. Initially, it is presented that Zhào died in Matt’s car after he crashed it. Consequently, he left her there to die. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Zhào’s death is a part of a massive international conspiracy. In the final episode of ‘Red Eye’ season 1, viewers are taken back to the night of Shen Zhào’s death in Beijing, China. After the conference, the duo made its way to a nightclub and enjoyed some time together. Initially, everything went smoothly, and Nolan enjoyed the night with Zhào. After having a few drinks, Matt realized that something was wrong, and he was feeling a little dizzy. He didn’t take much time getting out of the club and running away in his car. However, in the process, he was stabbed, which made it difficult for him to get out of the situation. As soon as he left, Zhào made her way out of the club and walked into what looked like an alley. After that, what viewers see is that the Chinese authorities found her body in Matt’s car.

Even though Matt said he was innocent, he didn’t have sufficient evidence to prove that he didn’t kill Zhào. As mentioned earlier, Zhào’s sudden demise took place due to a bigger international conspiracy, and it was unraveled when Madeline Delaney was trying to help Hana on the flight. Madeline gets to know about Operation Blindside, which MI6 has been using for several years. But when Madeline realizes that one of her colleagues, John Tennant (Jonathan Aris), knew about the covert operation, she demands an explanation for that. So, Operation Blindside is referred to as a “delivery service.” However, in this scenario, British citizens are the ones who are being delivered. In a way, they are being labeled as the “unwitting accomplices of democracy,” helping the UK in achieving what they want.

Shockingly, the people who have been chosen for this operation don’t even know what’s happening. In a broader sense, these people are being used for spycraft on foreign soil. Interestingly, this entire operation was being run by using World Pacific Medicine as a cover, and Zhào had some important information that she wanted to give to MI6. While Madeline felt flabbergasted by this humongous piece of information, someone close to her already knew about it and was responsible for the death of Zhào. Her murder was not just a reckless move, but a calculated one, and the person who ordered her murder was Mike Maxwell, the CIA agent and Madeline’s friend. In the later part of the series, it is revealed that Mike knew about Operation Blindside and had an idea about Zhào delivering something important to someone at the conference. But when she left with Matt for the nightclub, Mike and his colleagues followed the duo to the nightclub and kept an eye on them.

The situation gets bad when Matt leaves the club and Zhào tries to get away. However, Mike and one of his colleagues followed her and asked about the package that she was about to deliver. When he discovers that Zhào doesn’t have what he needs, he tells his colleague to kill her. Mike knew that she was giving some confidential information about the US trying to sabotage the nuclear deal between the UK and China. As a result, he wanted to stop her and find Matt, who possibly had the package. In the end, he stitches a plan to pay off the local police and place Zhào’s body in Nolan’s car. As Zhào was the daughter of a highly influential person in the Chinese government, the doctor wouldn’t be allowed to enter the UK and would be extradited to China, giving Mike a chance to catch him first and get hold of that package.

What is in the SIM Card Zhào Gave Matt?

As Matt tries to prove his innocence in the murder case of Shen Zhào, he realizes that it all came down to that one night he spent with the victim at the club. Initially, he thought one of the bouncers stabbed him, but it was later revealed that it was Zhào who stabbed her and inserted a Nano SIM Card inside his body. The SIM card included two versions of the same computer code. The first code discovered by the British intelligence was written by an MIT graduate, while the second one had been deliberately altered to make it appear as though China was planning to take over a nuclear facility in the UK and cause a catastrophe. The modifications in the code were made by none other than the CIA because they didn’t want the nuclear deal between China and the UK to go ahead. As per the deal, China would be making nuclear reactors in the UK, and the CIA didn’t want that to happen. So, the US agency tried to sour their relationship and put an end to the deal.

There is a reason behind the CIA’s move to dismantle the deal, and the reason is that the US wants to make a deal with the UK. With the US not having friendly relations with China, it wouldn’t want the UK to have a Chinese nuclear facility in the UK. Moreover, the code was written in a way that anyone could have had access to those nuclear reactors if they had this kind of program, meaning anyone could take hold of a nuclear reactor and wreak havoc. By altering the code, the US wanted to make it look like China was planning a cyberattack on the British, aiming to break the trust between the two nations. The underlying message was clear, and the US knew that the UK having a China-backed nuclear facility could be dangerous for its nation. Apart from the politics, the nuclear code was modified in a way that would leave the nuclear facility vulnerable to external threats. These actions didn’t just feel reckless; it was a pre-planned strategy to cause global disruptions, and Mike knew all about it.

Does Mike Get Caught? How?

Although it took a lot of time for Mike to face the consequences, he was taken into custody for his illegal activities and the brutal killings of Shen Zhào, Sir George Chapman, and all of Matt’s friends on the airplane. For most of the series, Mike plays a safe game by being in the good books of Madeline and the British authorities. He makes Madeline feel like he is a friend she can trust and tells her everything important. However, he has his motives and wants to make sure that his country doesn’t lose anything in the Anglo-China nuclear deal. In the penultimate episode, when Madeline finds out that one of her colleagues, John Tennant (Jonathan Aris), has tried to push her out of the case, she decides to get in touch with Mike for some assistance. Moreover, she takes Hana’s sister, Jess Li, who has been trying to work on the case as a journalist, so that she can be in safe custody. On the other hand, Madeline knows that Matt and Hana are returning to the UK. As a result, she meets them at the airport and they all go to the US Embassy situated in London.

After reaching the US Embassy, the group feels like they are saved now and among their people, but something happens that changes the entire situation. While having a conversation with Mike, the MI5 Director-General realizes that the CIA chief of station wants to know about the Nano SIM Card, even when Madeline never told him that Zhào gave Matt a SIM card. This creates doubt in Madeline’s mind, and she believes that Mike has been playing a game with her to know everything and kill everyone involved. He only proves her right when he tries to drug Hana, Nolan, and Jess so that he can get hold of that important package from them. However, his plan is foiled when Matt recognizes one of the officers who arrives to serve them coffee as a familiar face from the World Pacific Conference. Consequently, he asks Hana and Jess not to drink the coffee, suspecting it to be drugged. Consequently, when Mike’s team members come to check on them, the trio has the element of surprise that allows them to get the drop on the officers and attack them.

Hana, Matt, Madeline, and Jess flee from Mike’s turf after destroying the SIM card. However, Jess reveals the destroyed chip was just a regular SIM card swapped for the Nano SIM card that the CIA Agent wants. After sending the contents of the SIM card to her colleagues, Madeline stitches a plan to capture Mike. So, they disperse and allow Mike to find Matt and Hana. Nonetheless, it’s easy for Mike to find them because he has access to every CCTV camera in the region. The CIA agent finally finds them and asks them to surrender. Meanwhile, Madeline also arrives at the scene, and as Mike turns to face her, Hana reaches for her gun. Before she can even use it, Mike shoots. Nonetheless, Nolan heroically jumps in front of the detective, taking a bullet in the chest for her. Still, Mike believes that he can get away with his actions because the British authorities wouldn’t arrest him. Yet, he doesn’t realize that he is standing on the premises of the Chinese Embassy. Ultimately, the Chinese soldiers restrain him and arrest him for the murder of Shen Zhào.

Does Matt Die?

In the final few moments of the final episode of ‘Red Eye’ season 1, Mike shoots at Hana, but Matt comes in between and saves her. After Mike is taken into custody, Hana tries talking to Matt and urges him to keep breathing. However, things look bleak for him, and even though he survives everything throughout six episodes, it feels like Matt has taken his last breath. Fortunately, he doesn’t die and is saved by doctors. Matt’s decision to risk his life and save Hana from Mike’s bullet seems to be the culmination of everything the two characters went through together.

Their fates bring them together for something more important, and even though initially Hana just needs to hand Matt over to the Chinese authorities, their relationship blossoms into something really special. On the other hand, the doctor’s decision to help Hana speaks volumes about loyalty and human connections. Both characters endure a lot in the nearly 11 hours of journey inside that airplane and get to know a lot about each other. But it is the shared trauma and their confrontations with betrayals that lead to a shift in their dynamic, and they know that they can trust each other. This means the doctor’s decision to jump in front of the bullet to save Hana is not rash, which also indicates that he might have done everything to save Shen Zhào as well. If he knew Zhào was in trouble, he could have put his life on the line to save the young Chinese girl.

What Happened to Hana’s Mother?

The ending of the ‘Red Eye’ Season 1 gave closure to almost every plotline, bringing satisfying conclusions to various narrative threads. However, one of the plotlines mentioned throughout the series is of Hana’s mother, who died when she was young. As the story progresses, the detective reveals that her mother worked as a lecturer and was arrested for inciting anti-communist dissent among the students she taught. After knowing this, the Chinese authorities arrested her, and Hana never saw her again. Moreover, she revealed that her mother died in custody, but she never got to know what actually happened to her.

After working with Madeline on the case, Matt tells her about what happened with Hana’s mother. So, Madeline helpsHana get her mother’s file to know the truth about her death. The detective presents the file to her father, but he’s reluctant to go through it because he doesn’t want to relive the horrors of his wife’s death. He has made peace with whatever happened with her. Nonetheless, Hana makes him realize why it is important for him to know the truth, giving him the closure that he needs about his wife’s death. After much convincing, Hana’s father opens the file and reads about what happened. One of the pages mentions a signed statement from Hana’s mother, which speculates that she did incite anti-communist dissent among her students and won’t stop. Moreover, she sacrificed her own life to protect her family and loved ones. Not only does Hana’s widowed father get the closure he never thought he would receive, but the moment also becomes a stepping stone to a more intimate relationship between him and his daughter.

Who is the Killer on the Plane?

Throughout the first season of ‘Red Eye,’ viewers see a lot of people dying, and most of the deaths were of people who came in contact with Shen Zhào. But things change when the flight taking Matt to China starts witnessing sudden deaths. When Matt is being taken back to China, he gives the names of four people who talked to or were introduced to Zhào during the World Pacific Medicine conference. As a result, those four researchers – Dr Kate Ward, Dr. Steven and Amber Hurst, and Dr. Chris Peele – were told to stay on the flight that brought them back to the UK. When they ask why they are being stopped, they say that they will be taken back to the UK to testify against one of their own in China. However, Chris decides to leave, while others stay behind to help the authorities and testify in the case, which involves Matt.

As the plane takes off, the situation gets tense as all of Matt’s friends on the flight get killed one by one. The killer tries to make the first two deaths appear to be accidents, but it is Dr. Ward’s death that makes Hana and Matt realize that someone has murdered all three of them. Apart from Hana and Matt, there’s another person who knows everything that has been happening on the plane, and that’s Air Marshall Zhang. He continues to be a big part of the investigation and believes Matt might be behind the killings. In a way, his suspicions are not incorrect. Matt had the motive to kill and probably didn’t want any of his friends to give testimony, but the truth is not that simple. When they try to uncover all the wrongdoings that have happened on the plane, Officer Zhang and Hana go into the area below the cockpit to check who is behind those killings.

But Hana comes face-to-face with a chilling truth when she sees a man in a green hoodie appearing from the depths of the cargo section. However, that’s not the only thing that shocks her. In the next moments, she finds Zhang to be a part of the entire scheme. They managed to neutralize the threats. Meanwhile, in the UK, the intelligence unit finds out that Zhang’s real name is Jia Yung, a Chinese ex-military officer. On the other hand, the hooded operative who killed Matt’s friends on the plane is Troy Hanks, an ex-Delta Force sergeant. They both have been working as freelancers and became a part of this case because of Mike. With the revelations of all the killers and perpetrators, ‘Red Eye’ concluded by linking all the dots and exposing the web of lies created by Mike.

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