Upamanyu Biswas
At the end of ‘Renegades,’ Matt, Stanton, and the rest of the crew look beyond their own self-interests as they realize the potential benefits of the lost Nazi treasure. Despite wanting it for themselves, a bigger picture emerges by the end, one that forces them to reflect on the types of people they want to be. The choice is made spontaneously, showcasing their inherent nobility and adherence to a moral code. However, acquiring the treasure is the bigger challenge in the equation, especially as they must go against their military directives and prioritize their personal agendas, potentially jeopardizing their future careers. Meanwhile, Admiral Levin worries that his charges are involved in something shady despite trusting them completely and allowing them discretion. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Renegades Plot Synopsis
‘Renegades’ begins in August 1944. A contingent of Nazi troops are transporting gold bars to Grahovo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They trample on the lives of the inhabitants while storing the gold bars in a bank vault. A young boy manages to escape the Nazi inquisition and hides in the shadows. The boy steals one of the gold ingots from an open crate and flees from the scene. He hides the bar in a secret location before a Nazi soldier spots him and tries to have him arrested. He slips out of the man’s grasp. Later, he is found by a group of resistance militia, who console him and tell him they are on his side. They lead him to a spot in the forest, where they have rigged the nearby dam to explode. The boy pulls the switch on the explosion. Subsequently, the entire town is submerged underwater, along with the 2,000 gold ingots in the vault.
In 1995, a group of SEAL team members consisting of Matt Barnes, Stanton Baker, Ben Moran, Jack Porter, and Kurt Duffy are handed a forced leave after turning a clandestine mission into a high-profile affair. Real Admiral Levin chastises them for their failure. However, he allows them to have a celebration night for successfully completing their job. The team heads off to the local bar known as Klub Korzo. One of the bar’s waitresses, Lara Simić, is involved in a romantic relationship with Stanton. After the night is over, Stanton drops by her house, and the two have sex. Later, Lara’s brother Milenko leads a local thug to the house, seeking to recover something valuable from Lara. Stanton fights them off initially and is then helped by Matt outside.
Lara shows Stanton a gold bar she has in her possession. It turns out that the little boy in August 1944 was none other than her grandfather, and ingot with her is the same one he hid away. She explains that the criminals are after her because of it. Lara tells Stanton that there are 2,000 gold bars lying under the submerged town of Grahovo. She hopes to do something good for her community with the gold but is unable to recover it. Stanton decides to help her and brings Matt and the rest of the team into the conversation. The team tries to keep their new heist plan hidden from their higher-ups while they collect the necessary tools for the mission. They also get in contact with a helicopter pilot named Jim Rainey to help raise the gold from the riverbed. Meanwhile, a local military officer named Boris catches on to their plan and tries to get his hands on the treasure himself.
Renegades Ending: Does the Team Find the Missing Gold?
After kickstarting their plan into action, Matt and his team face an unforeseen situation that requires some improvisation on the spot. While large chunks of the heist are planned beforehand, the crew eventually have to think on their feet when they discover that the vault only houses 10 gold ingots rather than the expected 2,000. The crew members immediately begin questioning Lara’s claims and whether she led them astray. However, Matt does not lose hope and soon discovers an upside-down wall with Latin letters that looks suspicious. He hypothesizes that the gold must be behind it. He breaks through the outer wall and confirms his hunch by laying his hands on the 2,000 gold bar treasure. The crew immediately bag up the gold bars while another obstacle emerges – Boris and his men.
With the help of his teammates, Matt collects all the gold ingots and heads for the surface. It proves to be a bumpy ride as Boris’ men continually bombard the crew with numerous hand grenades. Eventually, they manage to poke their head above the surface only to realize they have been cornered by Boris. He prepares to use a rocket launcher on them while Matt unloads a full clip of gunfire on him with questionable accuracy. It achieves nothing, and the crew is caught in a dire situation. However, a timely rescue by helicopter pilot Jim Rainey saves their lives and eradicates Boris’ forces. The crew can subsequently transport the gold without much concern.
Who Gets the Money?
Following the gold’s recovery, the SEAL team and Lara travel to the Forward Operation Base. There, Admiral Levin chastises them again for breaking protocol and involving a civilian in dangerous matters. However, he is able to spin the entire affair into a positive because of the net $300 million recovered from the treasure hunt. Half of the money is sent back to France, the same place it came from. The crew are commended for their efforts, and Lara receives a medal at a ceremony. Eventually, the matter of splitting the gold’s money comes into question. Admiral Levin hands each member of Matt’s team a cheque with their designated spoils. The team is stunned to realize that they have been handed a meager portion of the treasure.
They consider voicing their opinion on the matter until they realize that Lara has been handed half of the actual treasure’s worth – $150 million. Lara thanks Admiral Levin for his generosity and seems incredibly grateful to him. Watching her reaction, Matt’s team realizes that they don’t need the money as much as Lara and her people. Subsequently, they begin lining up one after another to hand over their cheques to Lara, stating that the money would be better off with her. It makes sense, as Lara previously expressed her desire to use the cash to build a foundation for the community and the nation. As they have been suffering from political instability, any funds for healthcare, therapy, and basic living standards would be an improvement to the situation. That is what Lara plans to achieve with the money.
Do Lara and Stanton End Up Together?
In the final portions of ‘Renegades,’ Lara and Stanton share a tender moment with one another in the admiral’s office. Levin gets emotional witnessing Lara and Stanton’s affection for one another. Matt teases the superior over his sentimental display, which leads Levin to kick them out of the office. Subsequently, they head off for bar night, with Lara promising to pay. Lara and Stanton kiss again before the screen fades to black.
Throughout the narrative, Stanton is desperate to recover Lara’s gold before he leaves. Despite loving her and wanting to be with her, he hopes that he can at least leave her with a parting gift. Thus, the Nazi treasure represents more than just money in his eyes. It is also a way to make his love for her concrete and tangible. He wants her to have something good from him. Matters get complicated when he begins questioning whether Lara is in love with him genuinely or faking it. He doubts that she may be using him to recover her money. Those suspicions are laid to rest when Lara reveals that she does love him but also needs the gold back.
As the SEAL team plans to move out of the station soon, Stanton only has a limited time in the country. Earlier, Lara mentions that she does not want to leave her country and wishes to give back to her community as much as she can. As such, it seems implausible for Stanton and Lara to continue their relationship. It is likely, however, that he might return for her in the future. Once Stanton’s military duties are over and Lara’s commitment to her people has been fulfilled, the two might start seeing each other properly without being veered away by their responsibilities. Their relationship has a complicated string of affairs tied to it, making it seem impossible in the short term. Still, it could come true in the long term.
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