Amazon Prime’s teen drama series The Runarounds is about a young rock band hoping to make it big. Charlie Cooper, the lead vocalist, was confident that if they tried hard enough, they could sign a record deal in the summer break. He was well aware that once the vacation was over, his high school graduate friends would opt for safer career options and abandon the band. So, the only solution was to make it big in summer. Did “The Runarounds” become famous? Did the friends stick together in the end? And will the show return with a season 2? In this article, I’ve discussed The Runarounds’ ending in detail.
Spoiler Alert
Who was Charlie’s birth father?
Charlie was positive that his band would soon be offered a record deal, but as long as something concrete didn’t happen, his parents refused to take him seriously. Since they failed to pay the mortgage on their house, they had no choice but to pack their belongings and leave. Charlie couldn’t make peace with the fact that the place he’d always called his home would be sold off. In a grumpy mood, Charlie walked into the basement and started to clear out the space. All of a sudden, he came across his mother’s high school graduation magazine. When he turned the pages, he saw a picture of his mother and Catesby Shaw, the owner of the local record store. The caption stated that Hannah and Catesby were lovebirds. Charlie figured out that his mother had lied to him about them just being former classmates. He went through the folder that had his birth certificate. Charlie noticed that his father’s name and birthplace were marked ‘unknown’ on the certificate. All his life he’d thought Finn was his father, but here he was finding out the truth after eighteen years. When Charlie confronted Hannah, she admitted that Catesby was his birth father, but she chose to keep her pregnancy a secret from him because he was too self-absorbed, and she didn’t think he was in any position to provide for her and her child.
Charlie decided to have a word with Catesby. He’d learned that he was Charlie’s birthfather a week ago, but he’d promised Finn not to tell his son the truth. Charlie was heartbroken and accused Catesby of lying to him as well. Catesby held his son close to his heart and told him that the only reason his mother had lied to him was because she loved him. She knew that her relationship with Catesby would’ve never worked out, because he always prioritized his dream of becoming a rock star over his personal life. So, she decided not to burden him with the information and instead decided to handle the situation on her own. She perhaps would’ve never discussed the truth with Charlie had Catesby not returned to his hometown and taken over his father’s business. Charlie had inherited his love for music from his father, and even though they’d only recently met, Catesby was taken by surprise when he noticed that Charlie played his guitar the way that he did. Charlie ultimately forgave his parents; he realized that they lied because they thought it was the only way they could keep him safe. Charlie knew that his relationship with his parents would never be the same, but then again, he loved them and cared deeply about them. Catesby decided to sell his shop and move out of town. He was glad to have met Charlie, but he knew that it was too late for him to become a father figure in Charlie’s life, and as long as he would be in town, there would always be a tension between Hannah and Finn.
Did Charlie and Sophia end up together?
Sophia always knew she had a soft spot for Charlie, and when he kissed her during a brainstorming session, she couldn’t stop herself from falling in love with him. But after Charlie failed to show up the day she was supposed to move to Chapel Hill for college, she started to second-guess their relationship. She had lost her mother at a young age, and her alcoholic father had failed to be her support system. Sophia didn’t wish to be with someone who would eventually abandon her. She left Charlie a bunch of texts, yet he didn’t respond. When her best friend, Bender, learned that the band would be performing at Chapel Hill the next day, Sophia wondered if she wanted to attend the event. After giving it a lot of thought, she decided to go. Charlie dedicated a song to Sophia when he saw her in the audience. She felt overwhelmed; as much as she appreciated Charlie’s grand gesture, she was afraid that he would once again just disappear and leave her high and dry. Sophia couldn’t hold back her tears, fearing that they didn’t really have a future together. She walked out of the event, and to her surprise, Charlie followed her. He left in the middle of his performance, because he’d come to realize that there was nothing more important than love, and he needed to know she was okay before continuing with his performance. Sophia expressed her disappointment in him, but when he explained that the reason behind his terrible mental state was the sudden discovery he had made about his birth father, Sophia realized that he didn’t intentionally act cold with her. In The Runarounds’ final episode, Charlie professed his feelings to Sophia, saying how deeply he’d fallen in love with her. Sophia was taken by surprise, and she admitted that she felt the same way about him. The lovers finally made up and sealed it with a kiss.
Did The Band sign a record deal?
After their electrifying performance, the band assumed that Galaxy Labels would offer them a deal, and they were disappointed when they were told by the CEO that they’d failed to act like professionals and he simply couldn’t invest in a bunch of teenagers. Though he admitted that they were talented and clearly knew how to win the hearts of their crowd. Bez, Neil, Wyatt, and Topher blamed Charlie. It was his decision to run off the stage during their performance that resulted in such a terrible outcome. Bez had declined the opportunity to join an established band just because he believed in “The Runarounds,” but after everything he’d been through, he wondered if his father was indeed right to say that he’d made a bad choice. Neil didn’t wish to become like his father, a former musician with a painting business. Topher had deferred his Princeton acceptance to be in the band. Wyatt didn’t really have a backup option—his mother had abandoned him, and he was living at Catesby’s record store; the band was his only hope. Charlie too had sacrificed college for the band, but he was often driven by his emotions, and he barely thought about the consequences of his actions.
As summer came to an end, the band members figured that “The Runarounds” would just be a chapter in their life’s story that was fun but also heartbreaking. Blender made a documentary film on the band, and it reminded the boys of the good times that they’d spent together. At the film screening, Danny Mace, one of the most established label owner, showed up with a contract in her hands. As it turned out, Izzy, who worked at Galaxy Records, spoke to Danny and convinced her to offer the band a contract. Izzy was highly impressed by “The Runarounds,” and when her company failed to recognize their talent, she turned to Danny Mace. As it turned out, Danny knew deep down that the band was brilliant, and she ultimately decided to gulp down her ego (Bez had previously turned down her offer to join an established band, and that left her furious) and offered the band the opportunity they’d been waiting for. While negotiating the deal, the members asked Danny to include Sophia as their official songwriter and said that she was non-negotiable. Danny agreed to it. The Runarounds ends on a happy note; the boys finally had a record deal, and they were ready to be the next big band in the music industry.
Will the show return with a season 2?
The Runarounds does leave much room for speculation, so a season 2 might be a stretch. Since Sophia joined the band as their official songwriter, presumably she’ll no longer pursue medical school and dedicate all her time to doing the one thing that she loved. Charlie finally had enough money to pay the mortgage of their house, and his family would not have to relocate. Maybe with time, Charlie and Catesby will reconnect and develop a mentor-student relationship. Neil will have a tough time when his father eventually discloses his worsening health condition. Maybe Neil will manage to fund his treatment, but whether he’ll make it remains debatable. But at least his son had fulfilled his dream, and he surely couldn’t be more proud of him. Wyatt’s mother might try to connect with him again after figuring out that he was making good money. Perhaps he too would want to support her financially, though she would also need therapy and support.
If there is a season 2, then it will revolve around how the success of the band impacts the members. Hopefully, Charlie and Sophia will continue to be in a relationship. They were madly in love, and now they’d have all the more reason to spend their time together. After trying his luck with Kitty Hawk’s lead singer, Phoebe, Neil eventually came to realize that Blender was the one for him. They were good friends, and she cared deeply about him, and Neil made it pretty clear that he liked her as well. Amanda and Topher broke up by the end of the series. They’d been together for over six years, but they’d come to realize that they loved each other as friends and lacked physical chemistry. In the course of the eight episodes, Amanda figured out that she was into women, and she hoped to explore her sexuality. And who knows? Bez might decide to reconnect with the bartender he’d crossed paths with! The Runarounds have a long way to go, and if there is an upcoming season, it will be about the next phase of their journey and maybe the effect that fame has on one’s personal life.
