'Baghdad Central' Season 1 Ending Explained: How did Khafaji and Sawsan escape?
Spoilers for 'Baghdad Central' Season 1
Muhsin Kadr al-Khafaji (Waleed Zuaiter) is an Iraqi ex-policeman who has only just found out that his daughter Sawsan (Leem Lubany) has gone missing. Having lost his son and his wife, Khafaji cannot lose his daughter. And so, in the backdrop of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Khafaji starts an investigation into the disappearance of his daughter.
But he doesn't go far until he meets Frank Temple, an ex-police officer (played by double Olivier Award-winner Bertie Carvel), who has arrived from Britain on a mission to rebuild the Iraqi Police Force from the ground up.
Khafaji soon finds out that Temple is not who he claims to be and is behind prostitution rings - that is how he makes his money. Eventually joining forces with the upstanding American Military Police Captain John Parodi (played by Golden Globe-nominated Corey Stoll), Khafaji sets out to find his daughter.
He quickly discovers that Sawsan’s disappearance is linked to the murder of an American employee, a case he begins with Temple but takes forward with Parodi.
In the final episode, Khafaji and Temple secure their exchange right in front of Professor Zubeida Rashid's (Clara Khoury) house. Temple is to come, take his money and give back Sawsan. At the same time, to ensure that Parodi can successfully arrest Temple and security op Douglas Evans (Neil Maskell), Khafaji calls him at the scene too.
Narrowly escaping gunfire that takes the life of Omar (Thaer Al-Shayei), the American army catches up with Parodi near the border with Jordan. Khafaji's family is waiting to escape Iraq and flee to the other side before it is too late.
But when Parodi catches him, it is clear that even though they are arrested, Temple and Evans will maintain that they were shot at first and then will be shipped back home. In that case, does it make any sense to arrest Khafaji, his daughter Sawsan and Professor Rashid?
Parodi acknowledges the fact that even with witnesses, Temple and Evans are functioning in a bullet-proof environment and if they're getting the chance to get off the hook, why not Khafaji. He orders his team to retreat.
Sawsan, who at first was reluctant to flee, is now on board - on the condition that she will continue to fight for her country, even if she is away from here. After agreeing, the father and daughter bid farewell on a good note.
With his family gone, Khafaji decides to stay back in Iraq, driving away in Karl's (Youssef Kerkour) taxi.
All episodes of 'Baghdad Central' are currently streaming on Hulu.
