'Barkskins' Episode 8 Preview: Propositions and future plans are being made, but is it all in vain during war?
Spoilers for 'Barkskins' Season 1 Episode 8 'The Black Sun'
This is it. The end of National Geographic's epic 'Barkskins' limited series run is here. The penultimate episode left so much to be addressed that it hardly seems possible that the show will be able to wind up all its open ends. As Wobik sits on the verge of death and destruction, everything that in the making seems pointless. War is imminent and there is no escaping it. The people of Wobik, however innocent they are in this vicious game of land and legacy, are privy to this attack. And what is human existence if not a set of plans strung one after the other. So they keep on planning, unaware of what is to befall them.
Mathilde (Marcia Gay Harden) had a proposition for Elisha Cooke (Thomas M Wright) and Delphine (Lily Sullivan) in the previous episode — one that she hopes will not only help the two but will also bring her prosperity. For Cooke, it seems like a good match, but will Delphine meet the same fate as last time? When it comes to matters of the heart, he is particularly sensitive and seems kind — just as Delphine had wanted.
On the other hand, Melissande (Tallulah Haddon) and Claude Trepagny (David Thewlis) are to celebrate their wedding feast but not before their share of domestic troubles are taken to the next level. Melissande cannot seem to get over the fact that Mari (Kaniehtiio Horn) has returned and is likely to demand she be gone. The enigmatic Trepagny wants to be nice to her but also cares for Mari. In the midst of this, what is the likelihood of Melissande and Trepagny's union?
There is no doubt that the ending to the National Geographic series will be an unsettling one — the show had proved its mettle with ruthless narratives played out by terrifying characters. We only hope that the final episode concludes its protagonists', if not all, open narratives and not leave anything to the imagination.
With this episode, 'Barkskins', which was touted to be a limited series, has run its course on National Geographic. All eight episodes are currently streaming on Hulu.