Sumith Prasad
In the concluding scenes of the first season of Disney+’s historical comedy series ‘Renegade Nell,’ Nell Jackson sacrifices her superpower by letting Billy Blind, the source of her undefeatable strength, go to save the life of Thomas Blancheford. Even though Thomas killed her father Sam and falsely accused her of murdering Lord Blancheford, she doesn’t treat him vengefully. She sacrifices her “most important thing” to safeguard the young man’s life and accepts normalcy for the rest of her life. She gains the tenancy of her family’s pub, the Talbot, and returns to Tottenham. However, it doesn’t seem like Billy is ready to leave her! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Theory 1: Billy Doesn’t Leave Nell
In the closing shot of the first season of the series, Nell is seen returning to her hometown of Tottenham with her siblings Roxy and George, along with Rasselas. As their journey progresses, a small sphere of light follows them without Nell seeing it. The sphere can be none other than Billy. The entity has made it clear to Nell that he is obliged to safeguard her no matter what. Although they don’t know the reason behind his obligation, it is evident that he cannot abandon her in any way. Therefore, his departure from Nell to help Thomas can be a one-time service. Since he is obliged to protect the highwaywoman, he must have returned to her.
Nell asks Billy to leave her and help Thomas when the latter slowly dies because of the Earl of Poynton’s pendant. The involvement of Poynton can be the reason why Billy helps Thomas irrespective of his obligation to the highwaywoman. Poynton’s evil force that slowly kills Thomas is the same thing that threatens Nell’s life as well. Its victory over Thomas is expected to endanger Nell more. Thus, the evil force’s elimination must have turned out to be essential for protecting the fugitive from the wrath of Poynton. If that’s the case, by freeing Thomas from the pendant, Billy is only saving Nell as he should.
In such a scenario, Billy may not have necessarily left Nell for good to help Thomas. Protecting him can be seen as just a step to save Nell as far as Billy is concerned. The Blancheford heir may not have gained Billy despite the assistance he receives from the entity. After ensuring Poynton’s death and Nell’s security, Billy must be returning to his rightful companion, as the closing shot of the installment depicts. He may continue to assist Nell in life-threatening situations after she returns to Tottenham. While running the Talbot, she may come across several men who want to take advantage of the three sisters like Thomas tries to do.
Billy may provide Nell with much-needed power to fight such threats from now on. After learning about the source of the highwaywoman’s power, it will not be a surprise if Thomas himself tries to take advantage of her. His sister Sofia resorts to dark forces to not lose her estate Broadwater Hall and other fortunes. Since Nell banishes her from the same, she may seek other means to remain wealthy. Her ambitions may lead her back to Nell.
Theory 2: Nell Loses Her Power
Since Nell demands Billy to leave her, knowing very well that he may not be able to return to her, there is a possibility of the highwaywoman losing the entity and the power he provides her with for good. The sphere of light in the closing shot can be Billy checking in on her. Since they have created an inseparable bond ever since their first encounter, the entity may have wanted to make sure that she is well after the series of life-threatening predicaments she had to deal with. After ensuring Nell is fine, he may have to return to Thomas, his new master.
If Billy can go back to Nell easily, he may have done it right after the death of Poynton. Since his return doesn’t happen in no time, he can be still attached to Thomas. The sphere of light that follows Nell can also be some other entity similar to Billy. If Nell is supposed to have a source of superpower, Billy’s departure may have paved the way for the introduction of a creature that resembles the latter. Her sacrifice and generosity may have even made her qualified to receive more than one power. The new entity can be someone or something that can offer much more assistance to Nell than what Billy has provided her with.
Ben Taylor, who directed the first two episodes of the series, revealed that the second season of the period drama is already being written. “We’re now in the process of writing a possible second series, so you’re able to take stock and figure out what would be the 2.0 version and focus on the stuff that was really working and do more of that,” he told Radio Times. According to Taylor, the superpowers are a significant part of the upcoming installment’s narrative. “It’s about where we leave the characters, and what powers they have or don’t have by the end of series 1 is sort of informing the jumping off point for series 2. I wish I could tell you, but there is some crazy, crazy stuff in store,” the director added.
Therefore, the viewers may not need to expect to see Nell leading a normal life back in Tottenham. The superhuman power she has or lost will most likely remain a part of her life in one way or another, irrespective of whether Billy is with her or not.
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