How The Day of the Jackal finale’s shocking twist sets up Season 2

Sky’s adaptation of The Day of the Jackal reached its explosive conclusion this week, with the finale ending on a shocking twist that paves the way for its confirmed Season 2. 

Based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel of the same name, the new TV show has proven a hit with viewers across the globe thanks to its gripping cat-and-mouse game plot and impeccable performances.

Ronan Bennett’s reimagining of The Day of the Jackal takes us into a modern political setting, centering on a ruthless British assassin known as the “Jackal” (Eddie Redmayne) and Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch), the MI6 agent hunting him down. 

Does she capture him in the end? With Season 1 Episode 10 out now, here’s how The Day of the Jackal finale sets up the next chapter. Warning: spoilers ahead!

The Day of The Jackal finale ends with unexpected twist

All things come to a head at the end, with the Jackal and Bianca coming face-to-face. Ultimately, Bianca pays the price and she’s killed by the assassin. In the final scene, we discover that the Jackal survived and is now looking for his family. 

It’s an unexpected development given how different this is to the book (more on this in a bit). The stand-off unfolds when Bianca and her associate Vince Pyne (Nick Blood) locate and head to the Jackal’s secret family home in Spain.

When they show up, they see the Jackal’s wife, Nuria (Ursula Corbero) – who knows her husband as Charles Calthrop – leaving with their young son Carlito.

Nuria’s brother Alvaro (Jon Arias) suffers from a case of the worst timing ever, showing up just as the MI6 agents are closing in. 

Not only is he killed, but this also lets Jackal know they’re there. He hides in the secret room of his home and surveilles the situation before doing what he does best: killing them both. 

It’s a close shave, especially after The Day of the Jackal Episode 9 shows the authorities hot on his trail. 

Jackal sustained a series of blows before his face-off with Bianca, including a car crash and a stab wound in the back from the old couple he held hostage (a bad move on their behalf, as he ended up killing them both). 

Despite his injuries, Jackal makes a recovery and, in the final scene, he’s seen walking through Budapest to meet up with his handler, Zina Jansone (Eleanor Matsuura).

What this means for The Day of the Jackal Season 2

The final scene of Episode 10 teases a couple of directions The Day of the Jackal Season 2 could go in: Jackal searching for his wife and potentially seeking revenge on Zina’s former boss Timothy Winthorp (Charles Dance).

Timothy was the one who booked the hit on UGC (Khalid Abdalla), which Jackal successfully completed. During their meeting, Zina points out that Timothy has failed to pay for the job. 

“I know you don’t like an unpaid debt,” she tells him, but Jackal has another task on his mind. “There’s someone I have to find first,” he says before walking away, alluding to the fact that he wants to find his wife and kid.

Although no official plot details have been revealed for The Day of the Jackal Season 2, it has been given the greenlight, so we know more episodes will be coming in the future. 

We’ll have to wait and see what the next chapter will focus on. It’s hard to predict given how the new series has strayed from the source material. 

The Day of the Jackal series completely changes the book’s ending

The show has essentially reversed the ending of The Day of the Jackal book and subsequent movie, which finish with deputy commissioner Claude Lebel killing Jackal in a final shootout. 

By taking a darker direction and killing Bianca, the twist ending is not only unpredictable but also allows the creators to continue the story beyond the book.

As well as Jackal’s hunt for his family, we may see MI6 agents seeking revenge for Bianca and Vince’s deaths. 

The Day of the Jackal Season 1 is streaming on Peacock now in the US. Be sure to check out our rundown of the best TV shows of 2024 and the most binge-worthy series to watch now.