Tamal Kundu
‘You Don’t Know Me’ is a BBC/Netflix courtroom thriller drama series that tells the story of a nameless protagonist — referred to as the Defendant in the Netflix captions and Hero in the credits. He has been accused of murdering a drug dealer named Jamil Issa (Roger Jean Nsengiyumva). As his trial nears its end, the Defendant realizes he will be found guilty. In a desperate effort, he fires his barrister and gives the closing speech himself. The prosecution has a mountain of circumstantial evidence against him and is close to getting a guilty verdict. So, the Defendant does the only thing he thinks he can — tell the jury the truth, or rather, what he claims to be the truth. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘You Don’t Know Me.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
You Don’t Know Me Season 1 Plot Synopsis
In her closing speech, the prosecutor, Barrister Mahmood (presumably named after Imran Mahmood, the author of the 2017 namesake book on which the series is based), once more goes through the evidence the prosecution has shown the jury. Jamil’s blood was found underneath the Defendant’s fingernails. And the murder weapon, a Baikal pistol, was discovered in his apartment. He was spotted on the CCTV near the spot where the murder occurred, around the time when the murder occurred. The cell-site records also place the Defendant’s mobile phone at the place and time of the murder. Hair matching the Defendant’s was found in Jamil’s car. The prosecution has also demonstrated that the Defendant knew Jamil personally and claims that the Defendant told the other man that he was a waste, insinuating that the Defendant was threatening the would-be victim.
The Defendant has chosen not to give evidence until the closing speech. However, as he now has decided to give his closing speech himself, he has to lay it all bare. The Defendant begins by asserting his innocence. And then, he starts telling the jury about his relationship with a woman named Kyra (Sophie Wilde), claiming that the relationship and Jamil’s murder are interconnected.
The Defendant, a car salesman, first runs into Kyra during a bus ride. She is aloof and spends most of the time with her face buried in a book. He invites her to dinner and learns how to cook spaghetti carbonara (a dish mentioned in one of her books) from a friend who is an Italian chef. Soon, she moves into his apartment, though she keeps paying rent for her old apartment. The Defendant’s mother almost immediately takes a liking to Kyra, and his sister, Bless (Bukky Bakray) becomes her closest friend.
However, one day, the Defendant returns home to find that Kyra is gone. He tries to look for her, sticking posters on every other wall and tree, asking people to contact him immediately if they see her. When he goes to the police, he realizes for the first time that he has absolutely no idea who she is. Eventually, someone spots her in Camden, North London, and calls him. The Defendant immediately drives there and discovers that Kyra now works as a sex worker.
Although the Defendant briefly considers the idea of just walking away, Bless convinces him to go and rescue Kyra. He procures a gun from Jamil, the same gun that would later be used to kill the drug dealer. One evening, mustering enough courage, he goes back to Camden, shoots Kyra’s pimp, and rescues her.
Kyra was put on the street by a gang named Glockz. Her brother, Spooks, used to be one of their members, but he was arrested and subsequently became a police informant. As a punishment for his actions, Glockz forced Kyra to become a sex worker.
In the season finale, as the Defendant’s closing speech nears its conclusion, he makes big revelations about who Jamil’s killer is. The ending that series offers its audience is quite ambiguous. Although we know exactly what happened to Jamil by then, the jury’s verdict is left a mystery.
You Don’t Know Me Season 1 Ending: Who Killed Jamil?
The Defendant had gunshot residue in his hand because he shot the pimp, who ultimately survived. He called Jamil “wasteman” not to imply that he is going to kill him. It was his way of telling Jamil that he was garbage. The police found the Defendant’s hair inside Jamil’s car because Jamil and his underlings grabbed him and took him to meet their supplier, Face.
That interaction is shown in episode 3. Jamil has been selling drugs in Camden. When the Glockz comes looking for Kyra, they recognize Jamil, jeopardizing his business. Now, Jamil can’t pay the money he owes to Face, who explains the situation to the Defendant and tells him that he is the one who has to compensate for the loss.
Help arrives in the shape of Curt (Tuwaine Barrett), the Defendant’s childhood friend. Although he is a member of the Glockz now, he desperately wants to get out. Curt comes up with the plan of robbing Jamil of 20 thousand pounds. He will pretend to be a cocaine seller, and the Defendant will make the introductions. As he desperately needs money to pay off his debts, Jamil will try to buy the cocaine so he can sell it off for a higher price. However, after he is robbed, he will be too busy worrying about what Face will do to him to come after the Defendant. But Jamil shows up with a gun, and a brief but violent struggle ensues between the parties. It ends with Kyra shooting Jamil.
However, Jamil survives as the Defendant timely informs his family. At the present time, the Defendant claims that he was ultimately framed by Kyra, who refused to live in fear for the rest of her life. She took the gun and shot Jamil before placing the gun among the Defendant’s passport and some of the money they got from Jamil. He claims to the jury that they were supposed to meet at their apartment, but she vanished once more. Kyra apparently then tipped off the police about what happened.
In reality, it was Bless who killed Jamil. The drug dealer kidnapped her after she went to check up on him at the hospital. The CCTV caught the Defendant’s car as he drove to meet Jamil and Face. Jamil was about to kill the Defendant when Bless shot him. Curt seemingly beat Face to death and got shot himself, but he survived. After taking Curt to a hospital, the Defendant decided to take the blame on himself to protect Bless and told Kyra to run. She reluctantly left, but before she did, she made him promise if he was about to be found guilty, he would blame her. The Defendant then set up everything in his apartment to make himself look guilty. Besides the Defendant, Kyra, Bless, and Curt, the only person who knows the truth is the Defendant’s barrister, as he told her what happened.
What Is the Verdict?
Before the verdict is delivered, the Defendant imagines what will happen if he is found guilty or innocent. If he is found guilty, Jamil’s family will be happy. If the jury declares that he is not guilty, he will reunite with his family. It appears that Curt is on the run as well. He will find him and Kyra and get his happily ever after. The series ends before the jury announces the verdict for real. While the Defendant was very convincing during his speech, the judge reminded the jury multiple times that what he said during his closing speech should not be considered evidence. Moreover, as Barrister Mahmood pointed out, the Defendant didn’t provide single evidence to support what he was saying. Because of all this, he is likely to get a guilty verdict.
Read More: Is You Don’t Know Me Based on a True Story?
