‘Rabbit Hole’ Ending, Explained: Is Crowley Alive? What Can We Expect From Season 2?

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Now that we are done with the finale of Season 1 of “Rabbit Hole,” we must comment on what a gradual letdown the series has been. What started out as a gripping narrative was eventually dumbed down to generic fear mongering. The few twists and turns that are thrown in added very little spice to the narrative because, other than a surprise element, we realized that nothing was really at stake for it to matter. Like the fact that the woman we had been assuming to be John’s wife was not her but a decoy that John had kept on hand for situations like the one she found herself in. Imagine making a career out of being a decoy. That can be the internet’s next best joke after that of wanting to be a trophy wife. Then there was Hailey. She added nothing to the narrative except to fill the diversity quota. But the final twist at the end of Episode 8, one that promises a “Rabbit Hole” Season 2, means that the biggest discussion point of this episode is Crowley, his intentions, and finally, his future and whether we think he has one or not.

Spoilers Alert


What Is John And Ben’s Mission?

John and Ben, and until recently, Miles Valence, were working together to stop Crowley from taking over the world by manipulating the data that people consume. John and Valence used to be in a similar business of data, but they worked for individuals and most commercial brands rather than for such far-reaching political objectives. But that changes when Ben comes back into John’s life. He is John’s father, and until that point, John believed him to be dead. But John had to fake his death to protect his family while he could keep looking for Crowley and counter his plans. He shows up after all these years because he wants John and Valence’s help to do that. Currently, a Senator, Nora Evers, was being blackmailed by Crowley to advocate for the Data Act, which would allow private organizations to access individuals’ private data. But Crowley had Nora Evers killed while making it look like it was the work of her detractors. This increased support for the act subsequently brought Crowley’s plan to fruition.


What Did Crowley Want?

When the Nora Evers Act became the law, Ben says that what Crowley wants is something akin to a caste system in America. He wants to use data to create a white supremacist reality for the country and, eventually, for the world. Honestly, we found this a little hard to believe that a man who understands the manipulation of data has the limited worldview of a bigot. According to Ben, Crowley had said something about people knowing their place. We believe he was speaking in terms of intelligence. In “Rabbit Hole” Episode 7, Crowley spoke about how they were better than the people who employed them because they knew how to actually do the work. This means that Crowley is a man who values power and has spent his life in pursuit of it. Crowley would want to be the supreme leader of the world, and that means putting himself on top by any means necessary. However, as we follow this train of thought, we begin to see what Ben meant about Crowley’s bigotry. Racism, casteism, sexism, and even something as basic as colorism are all structures enforced to maintain the hierarchy of power. Crowley may or may not believe in them himself, but he may use them to get what he wants. The world still largely thinks of itself in terms of “us vs. them,” and these unfair power structures are a great way to “divide and rule.” Crowley may not be a bigot, but he is not in pursuit of an ideal world; he is in pursuit of one where he holds the strings. He will use these to get what he wants, no matter the damage, as long as he comes out on top.


What Is The Role Of Edward Homm?

It was with Edward Homm that the entire events of Season 1 of “Rabbit Hole” started. John and his team were ordered to kill him, but he couldn’t do that as he needed Edward to carry out the next stage of his plan to get to Crowley. But this mission was what led to John’s life falling apart. Crowley wanted John dead, but Valence couldn’t let that happen, and hence, he committed suicide to save John. That was also the day that John ended up losing his team because of Kyle, an intern planted by Crowley in John’s office. John was in a position where he had to completely obliterate Crowley if he could ever hope for a normal life for himself, which meant that now that the Data Act had been passed and Crowley was literally dictating how the public thought, John could make things right by bringing back Edward Homm into the public eye. John and Ben had been the ones to feed the conspiracy theorist Morgan Shaw’s podcast about how Edward Homm was always alive.

The father-son duo had always been prepared for this possibility. But Crowley is going to do everything he can to stop this from happening. He goes as far as to kidnap Ben and Liv, the woman he believes is John’s ex-wife. When Edward is at the broadcast station, Crowley contacts a few members of the news team and blackmails them to not let the broadcast happen. He even sends a fake “Department of Justice” team to stop Edward Homm from speaking. Finally, Kyle is there to shoot Edward Homm in case all else fails. But nothing can really make up for the fact that the fake Liv is a master fighter who frees herself and takes down Crowley’s entire team. That enables Ben to fulfill his lifelong dream of shooting him dead. Kyle, who is listening to the whole thing, sees no point in killing Edward anymore and leaves. The broadcast happens, and Edward Homm is revealed to the world.


‘Rabbit Hole’ Ending Explained: Did Crowley Really Die?

At the end of “Rabbit Hole,” Ben shoots Crowley, or the person he thinks is Crowley, but spots a listening device in his ear, which means that someone is telling him what to do or say. Let us remember that Ben and Crowley knew each other for years when they worked together; therefore, they must recognize each other’s faces. But the earpiece gives rise to two possibilities: one that this is not the real Crowley, and the other that Crowley was not the kingpin after all. If we consider the first scenario, let us assume that Ben did not recognize the man. His face changed a lot over the decades, just the way Phil Burke aged into Charles Dance (the two actors who played the young and old Ben Weir, respectively). Plastic surgery, a clone, or a secret twin are other theories.

Crowley may have wanted a decoy of himself, the same way John had planted a decoy of his ex-wife. When Ben takes the listening device and asks who is on the other end of it, the expression on his face makes us think he knows the person. It was the expression that said, “How could I have missed this.” Or it could have also meant exasperation at there still being more struggle left. This would also apply if the person on the other end was actually Crowley’s boss. We still believe that Ben knows the person, and “Rabbit Hole” Season 2 will tell us who he is. Additionally, we have a nagging suspicion that Kyle is in touch with the real boss and not the dead decoy. That would explain his smile when he left the newsroom.


What Can We Expect From Season 2?

The dominant storyline would be a resumed hunt for Crowley. Maybe one of the arcs could be that John knew that the person who was killed by Ben was not the real Crowley or that there was a bigger boss to find, but he hadn’t told his father because of their trust issues. Then there are Hailey and Jo Madi to consider. If Hailey is telling the truth and she indeed gave Madi incriminating evidence against her ex-boss, we can understand her interaction with Rasche in “Rabbit Hole” Episode 7. In exchange for the information that Rasche will follow, Jo will take back the investigation of John Weir’s case. Otherwise, we can assume that Jo Madi is in on the whole thing with Crowley since nobody is what they look like. We can say the same for Hailey. Something about her choosing to be with John and then falling in love with him doesn’t make sense. What did she fall in love with? His paranoia, insomnia or trust issues with his father? She either has very questionable taste in men or is a plant by Crowley. But if she is innocent, she is another weakness of John’s, one that the real boss will try to exploit in Season 2.

Season 1 of “Rabbit Hole” has been about how data can be manipulated to shape public narratives and, eventually, who holds the most power. Season 2 will continue with more characters who conveniently double-bluff their way through episodes to finally get their hands on the man who controls it all: Crowley. Let us hope next season has more substance than this one and actually delivers what it promises.


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Divya Malladi
Divya Malladi
Divya spends way more time on Netflix and regrets most of what she watches. Hence she has too many opinions that she tries to put to productive spin through her writings. Her New Year resolution is to know that her opinions are validated.

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