Sumith Prasad
The second season of FX’s thriller series ‘The Old Man’ ends with the decisions Emily Chase/Parwana Hamzad makes concerning her future. Zoe McDonald and Julian Carson team up together to deal with the threat of Suleyman Pavlovic, who killed their mentor, Morgan Bote. While they take care of the Russian crime lord, Harold Harper learns about his adoptive daughter’s survival from his ex-wife, Marion, who conceives an elaborate plan involving the former. The eighth and final episode of the installment, titled ‘XV,’ also reveals what happens to Dan Chase after he gets poisoned by Pavlovic! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Old Man Season 2 Episode 8 Recap
‘XV’ begins with the mystery behind Emily Chase/Parwana Hamzad’s survival. After ending her call with Dan Chase, the former FBI agent is held captive by the soldiers sent by Suleyman Pavlovic along with the rest of her community. When these mercenaries kill Khadija, her aunt, she realizes that she has to agree to do what they want from her to save the rest of her loved ones. She leads the soldiers to the weapons they have stored and the documents concerning the Meshbahar lithium deposit. Meanwhile, with her Russian, she connects with a mercenary named Pavel. After the Russian force seizes the weapons and finds the documents, they celebrate the occasion with Emily by gifting her a bottle of alcohol.
Emily smashes the bottle on Pavel’s head and escapes from captivity. She reunites with the rest of the community, kills the Russians, and regains the lithium deposit’s control. The turn of events reaches the ears of Marion, who lets Harold Harper know that the person who reclaimed the deposit from Pavlovic is an American woman. While the revelation that his adoptive daughter is alive sinks in the assistant FBI director’s mind, he is taken away from his ex-partner by her Chinese associates. Meanwhile, Zoe McDonald and Julian Carson reach where the Russian crime lord attends an important meeting.
Using Harper’s connections, Julian walks into Pavlovic’s den, shoots his men down, and ultimately kills him for murdering his mentor, Morgan Bote. While the hitman eliminates the Russian criminal’s threat, Zoe discovers Dan Chase’s location. She drives to the place, finds him, and injects the antidote to Pavlovic’s poison into him. When the former CIA operative doesn’t wake up, she gets concerned and gives him CPR. After a point, Chase regains consciousness in a secluded house on an island, where Zoe takes him to seek refuge from their enemies. She remains in touch only with her son, Jason. Not long after their arrival at the place, Chase receives a phone and phone number in a parcel, which leads him to his daughter, Emily.
The Old Man Season 2 Ending: What Did Lou Barlow Do? Why Does Emily Want Him?
The name “Lou Barlow” is introduced to the viewers in the sixth episode of season 2. Zoe asks Dan Chase about him, adding that Morgan Bote wasn’t truthful about the individual. The former CIA operative then describes the person as the absolute “worst” among humans, which presents him as a highly condemnable being. After meeting her adoptive father, Emily asks for his help. She tells him that Marion has abducted Harold Harper to force her to surrender the autonomy of the Meshbahar deposit. As far as she is concerned, only Lou Barlow can help her fight Marion and rescue her second adoptive father.
Chase then reveals that Lou Barlow is none other than himself. Over the years, he has relied on several aliases to spend his life without attracting attention. The name “Dan Chase” helped him live as a recluse without any connections to the identity of the CIA agent Johnny Kohler. He has used “Henry Dixon” to build a businessman’s life in Los Angeles, California, away from his lonely life. Peter Caldwell is also among the aliases he has used. “Lou Barlow” is another one. It is unclear when exactly he relied on this identity. Still, from what we understand, it can be right after escaping from Afghanistan with Belour Hamzad/Abbey Chase and Emily/Parwana.
Since Chase describes Barlow as the “worst” among men, it is safe to say that the persona committed crimes that were absolutely wile and condemnable. The inference is unsurprising, considering how he had been able to remain off the grid for decades. The former CIA operative had to disappear from the surface of Earth for two reasons: it was absolutely necessary, and he had the means and resources to do it. Eloping from Faraz Hamzad with the latter’s wife and child is not a convincing reason to remain alone for decades, especially considering that he was ready to let Emily go and become an FBI agent.
Furthermore, Chase’s resources are well beyond the means of a former CIA operative, which indicates that he did things that were beyond an agent’s jurisdiction and pay grade to garner the strength and influence he has now. Since Emily believes that she can use that persona to deal with Marion, who represents the Chinese government, Barlow must be a criminal with international dealings. He might have been a fixer or a hitman for some of the most influential people in the world. Using Barlow’s identity, Chase might have committed the worst crimes and gone to extreme lengths to satisfy his clients. By wanting this persona, Emily can be expressing that she wants the contacts and connections the former made.
Do Dan Chase and Zoe End Up Together?
When Zoe becomes immensely involved in his world and crimes, Dan Chase clarifies that he is concerned about her. Initially, he even asks her to leave him and his life-threatening predicaments. His love for her gradually stops him from trying to keep her apart. He negotiates with Suleyman Pavlovic to build a life with Zoe, irrespective of his belief that the Russian crime lord killed Emily. His dream materializes when they reunite and hide from their enemies on an unrevealed island. However, Emily’s arrival to make him Lou Barlow again threatens his togetherness with the woman he loves.
Emily concludes that Chase hesitates to become Barlow again because he doesn’t want Zoe to encounter the condemnable persona and leave him. When she asks him about it, he doesn’t state that she is wrong, which indicates that he fears the same. He must be thinking that his partner is an outsider at the end of the day who may not be able to tolerate his past deeds. Another concern is the life of Jason, her son. Emily finds them by tracking down her communications with her child, which clarifies that he is exposed to their enemies and allies alike. If Chase returns to the battleground as Barlow, the move will provoke his adversaries, who must be as condemnable as he is.
Zoe cannot rule out the same enemies potentially hunting down Jason to hurt Chase/Barlow. To ensure his safety, she may even consider leaving him. Having said that, it is only a minimal possibility. Zoe knows Chase enough to tell herself that her partner is a good, acceptable man who has disassociated with his past and his actions as Barlow. In addition, she is not an outsider anymore. Her life with Chase and Morgan Bote must have taught her the necessary lessons to realize that her man’s actions have always been governed by his goodness, irrespective of how terrible they are.
Most importantly, Zoe does not run away from challenges. She has been brave enough to put her life on the line multiple times for Chase, and she has done the same despite having a son she loves. She is wise enough to understand that Jason has been exposed, and it is too late to run away. Therefore, she may remain with Chase and eliminate his threats to cherish their togetherness. Zoe considers herself part of her partner’s world, which will most likely stop her from blaming and leaving him.
Who Arrives to Get Dan Chase? Why?
Dan Chase and Emily’s meeting starts as a long-awaited reunion of a father and daughter. When she asks for his help to find Harold Harper, he promises the same as Emily’s dad. The dynamics between them quickly change when a group arrives at the place for the former CIA operative. These individuals belong to her and her former employer, the FBI. Since Harper and her community’s lives are on the line, Emily does not have the time to reason with her adoptive father and convince him to help her. As a loving daughter, she may not even be able to force him to do as she wants.
That’s why she arrives as Parwana Hamzad, the child of a merciless Afghan militant leader, rather than Emily, the woman who loves her American dad. As far as Parwana is concerned, Chase is just a tool to save Harper and her Afghan family’s lives from Marion’s impending threat. She doesn’t have the luxury to allow her sentimentality to enter the predicament and sway her from what she should do to achieve her goals. Thus, she brings the FBI officials to take Chase with her if he is not ready to join her. As the person who controls the Meshbahar lithium deposit, she can easily force the federal agency to assist her.
Lithium is an essential part of nuclear weapons, which makes Parwana and her resources extremely important. The FBI cannot risk ignoring her needs and letting her join hands with an enemy of the United States, especially China. She may have gained the federal agency’s support by promising lithium in return. After forming this unholy partnership, she sets out to take Chase with her, regardless of his thoughts about her plan and whether he is ready to embark on this mission with her.
Read More: Are the Dogs in The Old Man Real or CGI?
