Aahana Swrup
The thrilling chase between Agent Bianca and her formidable prey, the titular assassin in Peacock’s spy show ‘The Day of the Jackal,’ promises a grand conclusion with the finale, episode 10. Jackal immediately finds himself pursuing an escape plan on the heels of fulfilling his latest and most complicated assassination. With Spain as his destination, the killer is vying to return to his wife, Nuria, and mend his rapidly splintering relationship. Similarly, back in London, Bianca undertakes a desperate ploy of her own as the higher-ups at MI6 threaten to shut down her investigation, allowing Jackal to remain at large. As the two protagonists embark on their high-stakes missions, their journeys keep the audience on the edge of their seats. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Day of the Jackal Episode 10 Recap
Jackal narrowly escapes Ulle Dag Charles’ security detail after carrying out his assassination in open waters. As such, the episode finds him attempting to drive through the Montenegro border to return to Spain. Nonetheless, the rapid tightening of security makes it near-impossible for him to leave undetected. This results in a rash car chase between the assassin and the local police force. Although Jackal is an expert at eluding the authorities, he eventually gets in an otherwise avoidable accident after a child stumbles into his line of path. Fortunately for him, a van driver passes by in the nick of time to save him from the toppled-over car.
Unfortunately for the van driver, Jackal uses the opportunity to hold up his Good Samaritan savior at gunpoint and steal his vehicle. Yet, his escape from the country on his own is unlikely. For the same reason, he disguises himself as a friendly young man and dupes an older couple, Liz and Trevor, into giving him a ride to a nearby hospital. Once the couple gets him on the road, he reveals his true intentions—and his gun—compelling the couple to drive him to the border. Still, the heightened border patrol forces the trio to swerve off the path and spend the night in the woods.
Even though Jackal is less inclined to kill Liz and Trevor—either due to their old age or friendly persona—he ends up shooting them both after they attempt to fight back against him. Meanwhile, Bianca faces a frustrating situation of her own in London. Despite her belief that Jackal has a connection to Spain, her boss, Isabel, insists on keeping the case closed. In turn, the agent is unable to accept her verdict. As a result, Bianca ends up quitting the MI6 Agency. Initially, in the wake of her career, she tries to mend other aspects of her life, namely her family matters.
Bianca manages to convince her husband, Paul, that she has quit her job for good, even if she lies about the exact details behind her resignation. Thus, Paul and Jasmine return to the house, content to be a family again. Even so, they can tell that Bianca’s lack of work life is driving her up the wall. Therefore, when Isabel shows up at the Pullman residence with an offer to reinstate Bianca on Jackal’s case, Paul knows his wife will inevitably leave again. Surprisingly, Bianca initially turns down Isabel’s offer—perhaps in an attempt to maintain the
Higher ground.
The Day of the Jackal Ending: Does Bianca Give Up on Her Investigation?
Bianca’s storyline throughout the story revolves around her single-minded focus on catching the Jackal. From the get-go, she has been prepared to take any measure if it can bring her closer to her ultimate goal. In some ways, this makes her the perfect parallel to Jackal’s character, making the pair two sides of the same coin. By the time Isabel shuts down her investigation, the agent has simply lost too much to accept the reality of failure. For the same reason, she quits her job without hesitation. Yet, she can’t help but be swayed when she’s presented with an opportunity to regain the resources she needs to go after her target.
Bianca likely holds some grudge against Isabel for shutting her investigation down in the first place. Furthermore, she wants to prove to her family that she won’t always prioritize her professional life. Therefore, she initially turns down Isabel’s offer. Nonetheless, her drive and desperation to catch the Jackal are intrinsic to her character. As such, Bianca simply can’t let the opportunity pass her by. Consequently, she ultimately accepts Isabel’s offer and agrees to run an off-record mission to catch the Jackal.
In the end, Bianca teams up with her trusty—and only—friend, Vince, and travels to Spain, where she suspects Jackal to be behind Timmy’s death. Through the local authorities, she connects the criminal’s death to Alvaro, Jackal’s brother-in-law. Soon enough, she has the killer’s home address, where she and Vince stake out. Even though Isabel’s orders state that she wants Jackal dead, Bianca plans on bringing him in alive. The case won’t be fully solved for her until she uncovers the hidden pieces at play—such as the mole in the Agency. Thus, she’s prepared to face off against the deadly killer and apprehend him even at the risk of her own life.
Does Bianca Die? Why Does Isabel Bury Her Mission?
Since Nuria is still at home with her son, Bianca and Vince expect Jackal to return to his home base. Even after the former leaves, Bianca reasons that she is running away from her husband. As such, she has complete faith in her theory that her target would show up on the location. She turns out to be correct, as the killer beelines for his house once he arrives in Spain. Initially, he’s confused by Nuria and his son’s unexpected disappearance. However, he finds himself with an entirely new problem moments later.
As it turns out, Timothy Winthorp, Jackal’s employer, had sent out his men to neutralize Zina, the middle woman between the two. Winthorp doesn’t want any loose ends that can connect UDC’s assassination to him. This means neutralizing Zina and the Jackal. Unbeknownst to Bianca, her presence in Spain results from his attempts to achieve the latter. Since Zina finds herself hunted, she manages to warn Jackal about his employer’s betrayal. Yet, the warning comes a little too late as Jackal already finds himself caught in Bianca’s trap.
Consequently, Jackal’s manor becomes the final destination for the showdown between him and the MI6 Agents. The altercation between them remains sharp and calculated. Bianca manages to get under the killer’s skin by bringing up his real identity as Alexander Duggan. Inversely, he realizes the similarities between himself and the agent in their dogged attempts to achieve their goals. In the end, Jackal emerges victorious as he successfully shoots Bianca and Vince down. Thus, the MI6 Agent’s story comes to a bitter end.
Worse yet, in the wake of Bianca’s death, her department only further tarnishes her and Vince’s name. All this time, Bianca was being used as a tool by the same people who were puppeteering the Jackal’s actions. Winthorp hired the assassin to eliminate UDC from the board and stop his efforts at financial transparency. However, the businessman doesn’t want anyone to make the connection between him and UDC’s demise. For the same reason, he puts in a contingency plan to neutralize Jackal by putting MI6 on the case. It was his own orders that initially foiled Bianca’s investigation as he used his partnership with the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Whitelock.
Similarly, Winthorp and Whitelock were responsible for putting Bianca back on the case. Under Whitelock’s orders, Isabel recruited the agent for the mission, convincing her to carry it out under the radar. Bianca doesn’t question it because it brings her closer to her ultimate goal. Nonetheless, now that she and Vince are dead, Isabel can use the unsanctioned mission’s plausible deniability to offload Bianca’s responsibility, labeling her a rogue agent. Yet, as it turns out, the latter had calculated for this outcome. Bianca was always suspicious of the mission’s off-record nature. Therefore, she sent a text to Osita to inform him of the mission in case anything went wrong. Ultimately, it will be up to Osita to reveal the truth about Bianca’s death and get to the bottom of MI6’s partnership with Winthorp.
Why Does Nuria Leave Jackal?
After Jackal’s confrontation with Bianca and Vince, the assassin is left with a precious few minutes to facilitate his escape. He first tries reaching out to Nuria, hoping for a reunion. Nevertheless, she ignores his calls. Therefore, he’s left to pack up his getaway bags alone and leave their home. Yet, he isn’t giving up on his picture-perfect family so fast. Throughout the story, Jackal uses Nuria and their son, Carlitos, as touchstones to deal with the eccentricity of his life. They’re a haven away from his dangerous life that helps him feel a sense of normalcy. For the same reason, he doesn’t wish to let them go.
On the other hand, Jackal’s treatment of his family has pushed them further and further away from him. It’s easy for Nuria to love Jackal—or Charles as she knows him—when she doesn’t know the gritty details of his life. Nonetheless, his work as an assassin has directly affected her life in the past few weeks. Furthermore, it has made her realize that she doesn’t actually know the man she married at all. Nuria doesn’t wish to be associated with someone who kills people for money. At times, she entertains the idea that she and her husband can work through their issues—primarily for their son’s sake.
Yet, Jackal continues to betray her trust. When he returns to Spain, he continues lying to her about the level of danger he and his family are in. The same convinces Nuria that she can never trust Jackal to tell her the truth. Jackal consistently lies to her to shield her from the brutality of his job—and more selfishly—to ensure she doesn’t leave him. Still, in the end, his dishonesty cements Nuria’s decision to leave him.
Is the Jackal Alive?
While Jackal is driving away from his home on his way to find Nuria, he’s in an emotionally distraught state. His perfectly crafted life has burned down around him in the last few weeks. His employer betrays him, the MI6 comes dangerously close to unveiling his identity, and his family has abandoned him. As a result, he’s more than a little manic during the car ride. While his attention is occupied with leaving an angered voicemail to Nuria, a car sideswipes him. This isn’t a simple roadside accident and is actually Winthorp’s second attempt at killing the assassin.
Much like many of Jackal’s near-miss maneuvers, his altercation with Winthorp’s men also unfolds off-screen. The next time the audience meets the Jackal, he is alive and well—in a new disguise. He meets up with Zina, who similarly manages to evade Winthorp’s attempts on her life. The two seem to have formed a tentative partnership of their own. Zina tips him off about Winthorp’s identity to ensure the latter doesn’t get away with his action. However, the assassin has different plans. Before leaving, Jackal informs her that he intends to find someone. This is likely a reference to his continued chase after Nuria.
Read More: The Day of The Jackal Episode 9 Recap: A Last Chance
