Why did Shooter have diplomatic immunity? Inside the secret life of 'Mumbai billionaire'
Contains spoilers for 'The Perfect Couple'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Perfect Couple' has exceeded our expectations regarding delivering a gripping murder plot and complex characters. While the Winbury family is at the show's centre, one standout character with limited but memorable role is Shooter Dival, played by Indian actor Ishaan Khatter.
Shooter is Benji's (Billy Howle) best man and childhood friend from boarding school. Hailing from Mumbai, he happens to be an heir worth billions. The charming young man gets entangled in the murder investigation of Merritt Monaco (Meghann Fahy), who is mysteriously killed a day before Benji's wedding. His decision to seek diplomatic immunity further raises questions about his role in the brutal crime.
What is diplomatic immunity?
As per International Law, Diplomatic immunity enables certain foreign government officials to have legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country, providing almost total protection from local lawsuits and prosecution.
"Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are not subject to the jurisdiction of local courts and other authorities for both their official and, to a large extent, their activities," explains the US Department of State.
Did Shooter Dival need diplomatic immunity?
Shooter could have landed in trouble if Greer (Nicole Kidman) wouldn't have been able to prove her innocence. When the show was nearing its conclusion, the cops were pursuing the theory that Greer hired Broderick (Thomas Flanagan) to kill Merritt Monaco and somehow convinced Shooter to pay for it so that he could shield her from blame and claim diplomatic immunity for himself.
Shooter paid Broderick $300,000 without knowing what the payment was for! However, it turned out that the transferred money wasn't the payment for contract killing. It was instead a loan to Greer as she needed money to pay off the gambling debts of Broderick, who is her brother.
Seeking immunity was Shooter's only escape route after he was unnecessarily dragged into Winbury's family drama.
How does 'The Perfect Couple' end for Shooter Dival?
Shooter is a handsome yet mysterious character for most of the series. He was even Amelia's love interest when they connected on a B train in Manhattan.
Shooter was a better match for Amelia (Eve Hewson), especially since he never showed off his money and Amelia loved him without knowing his rich background.
We can speculate that he moves back to Mumbai to live his rich life in Mumbai. Amelia and Benji's wedding is called off and the former moves to London to work in a zoo. If the series had more episodes, exploring the lives of these characters after the case was solved, Amelia and Shooter may have reconnected.
'The Perfect Couple' is available to stream on Netflix