‘The Eddy’ Ending Explained: Did Sami kill Farid and will Elliot's dream of keeping the jazz club come true?
There's music everywhere, in the rustling of trees, in our heartbeats, in little sighs, and those goodbyes. Damien Chazelle's ‘The Eddy’ brings the rustic rhythms alive on screen wrapped in a poetical story on love and life.
A little jazz and the city of love, Paris. What more does one need? Academy Award-winning director Damien Chazelle has directed the first two episodes and the series charts on the same path as his previous films. It has bits and pieces of reflections from his old films — right from the complex relationship of a jazz drummer and his instructor in ‘Whiplash’ to the mesmerizing lovelorn couple in ‘La La Land’ — strewn across through eight hour-long episodes.
The series revolves around Elliot Udo (André Holland), a New Yorker who left his wife and kids and is busy handling his new business with partner Farid (Tahar Rahim). His life changes as he tries to balance out his on-again-and-off-again relationship with Maja (Joanna Kulig) and when his daughter Julie (Amandla Stenberg) comes back in his life.
Making way from dingy streets to local trains, the drum beats, saxophones, harmonium sounds and flute whistles will keep ringing through your ears. As will the beautifully penned down lyrics of the song, ‘The Eddy’, which goes:
"We've all learned to hide
What's burning inside
A yearning denied
Getting stronger"
One dialogue that will pinch you and probably serve as the gist of the show is: “Nobody's having any fun and music is supposed to be fun.” Delving deeper into the characters with every episode, Farid’s wife Amira (Leila Bekhti) and bartender Sim (Adil Dehbi) also come into the main narrative as does the gangster tribe along with a murky crime angle.
As the series draws to a close, the last episode begins with the band performing at the jazz club. Julia's mom Alison (Melissa George) and her stepfather are in town and while they want her to join them, she chooses to go with Elliot. The scene where she asks if he really meant he “cherishes her” will tug at your heartstrings and trace the incredible character growth of Elliot.
As Elliot goes to perform on the big night, his relationship with Maja is stronger as she motivates him and they kiss. As he starts to play for his daughter on stage, he freezes but Julia darts off to help him with the keys and together they spill magic. The emotions will kick you in the heart and make your eyes glisten with tears. But the moment you start to fantasize about a happy ending, there's a twist.
A blast and a loud explosion in his office forces The Eddy members to close the club again.
One major suspense that hovers over the slow-moving plot is: Who killed Farid? By the final episode, Elliot realizes how deadly Sami Ben Miled (Dhafer L'Abidine) is. Did Sami kill Farid? We find out that he definitely killed Zivko (Alexis Manenti) and Amira wants to take revenge. Elliot promises they will.
Since the very beginning, it has been Elliot's dream to keep the club open. After handling his financial problems and getting the criminals out of his way, he makes sure it comes true. He lets slip Sami's secrets to the cops. And as a backup, he also strikes a deal with Sami — to take him as a silent partner if he says no to drugs and violence — but is that the right decision?
As the band members come together for another sparkling musical night, the jazz club will be back in business. That's all Elliot ever wanted and in a way, the journey has made him free.
