Bad Monkey ending explained: How Season 1 sets up Season 2

Bad Monkey is a comedy-thriller that stars Vince Vaughn as a former police detective investigating corruption in The Bahamas. Here’s how that story played out, plus details of the way in which it sets up a potential Season 2.

Vince Vaughn top-lines Bad Monkey, playing former cop Andrew Yancy, who now makes a living as a restaurant inspector. But then crime comes calling via a mystery brought to Yancy’s door by former partner Rogelio Burton (John Ortiz).

Based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Carl Hiaasen, what follows is a twisty-turny thriller that plays out in both the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, as Yancy endeavours to take down corrupt businessman Christopher (Rob Delaney) and his femme fatale girlfriend Eve (Meredith Hagner).

Across 10 episodes, the show built to a death-filled finale; one that ultimately sets up a potential Season 2 in fitting fashion. So beware of SPOILERS ahead…

What happens at the end of Bad Monkey?

The villains are brought to justice at the end of Bad Monkey, while the show reveals itself to be a tale of joy, fate, and learning to let go.

Apple TV+

The finale begins in tragic fashion, with Eve shoving the Dragon Queen (Jodi Turner-Smith), who falls back and lands on a sharp tree branch that runs through her. Her spirit then says goodbye to her loved ones before the Queen dies.

Christopher and Eve then hatch a plan to grab what money they have left and head for London. But before they board their boat, Eve pushes the gravely injured Chris into the water, and watches him drown.

Yancy arrives just in time to see Eve motoring away, and dramatically dives into the water to grab onto a rope trailing from her boat.

He’s told to let go, both by friend Neville, as well as voices from earlier in the series, all of whom worry that Yancy never knows when to move on. Listening to this advice, for the first time in his life, Yancy lets go, and Eve sails away.

But fate eventually catches up with her, as standing atop her giant villa in Portugal, Eve chokes on a carrot and falls off the roof to her death.

How Season 1 sets up Season 2

It’s then a positive ending for almost everyone else involved, with characters coupling up and appearing to live happily ever after. Especially Neville, who gets with Dawnie, gets the money for a new house, and even gets his ‘Bad Monkey’ back.

But while Yancy’s new girlfriend Rosa returns to him following a spat, and the pair make love, Rosa then leaves to figure out where she belongs in her search for joy, telling Yancy she’ll see him down the road.

So Yancy ends the story back where he started, admiring his sea view, but with no one to share it with.

Then Rogelio shows up, much like he did at the start of the series. The friends share a beer, before Burton says: “I’ve got something in my car. It’s not strictly police business, but I’ve got a feeling something f**ked up went down. Want to take a look for me?”

Yancy re-iterates that he’s moved on, and “that stuff’s behind me.” But he thinks for a moment, finishes his drink, and says “What’s in the car, man?”

The men look at each other, smile, then get up to go check it out, thereby kicking off a new adventure. And while there’s no word yet on a Bad Monkey Season 2, there was a 2016 follow-up in book form called ‘Razor Girl.’ So it’s very much a case of watch this space.

All 10 episodes of Bad Monkey are now available on Apple TV+. For more from that streamer, check out our list of the 10 best shows on Apple TV+. Or head here for the best TV shows this month.