The ending of Bodkin finally sees Gilbert, Dove, and Emmy get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearances in a small Irish coastal town. Throughout Bodkin’s seven episodes, which are all available to stream exclusively on Netflix, an untapped scandal is revealed involving yoga-teaching nuns, illegally smuggled eels, and cold-blooded murder. Will Forte’s happy-go-lucky Gilbert first arrived in Ireland to do a lighthearted podcast about a traditional festival, but with the sharp investigative eye of Dove (Siobhán Cullen) and the help of his ambitious assistant Emmy (Robyn Cara), he finds the true crime story of a lifetime.

Bodkin’s cast is led by Forte but features a wide range of great supporting and background actors, many of whom have discernible Irish roots. Bodkin was filmed entirely in Ireland, mostly in the counties of Cork, Wicklow, and Dublin. The small fishing village of Union Hall in West Cork was used as the fictional setting of Bodkin, an equally remote coastal town with a population of only a few hundred people. Although Bodkin is not based on a true story, the series offers a complex mystery full of unexpected twists and wild plot developments that lead to a thrilling conclusion.

What Happened In Bodkin’s Ending

Bodkin’s ending unfolds in the series finale titled “Empty Your Pockets”, which starts with both Gilbert and Dove locked in a jail cell. Gilbert is able to leave and meets up with Emmy at Mrs. O’Shea’s house, who reveals that she was the one who lit Sean’s car on fire in an attempt to scare them away. Meanwhile, Dove cuts a deal with the secret Interpol agents to get them Seamus Gallagher, who was planning to sell illegal eels for a huge profit. The McArdles, a dangerous crime family who has a dark past with Seamus, come looking for him and viciously kill his dog after breaking into his home.

Sean breaks off with the eels, planning to sell them to Japanese yakuza against Seamus’ wishes. Gilbert reveals to Seamus what happened to the love of his life Fiona twenty-five years ago, telling him that she had sought refuge after being attacked by the McArdles at the convent on Inish Mac Thiere with Mother Bernadette and a group of beekeeping nuns. Gilbert also reveals that Sean is actually Seamus and Fiona’s son, which turns his rage into bewilderment. Seamus tells this to Sean, and in a wild turn of events, accidentally shoots his son’s thumb off. Seamus then goes full villain mode and sets underground explosives to go off during the Samhain festival.

Why Seamus Set Off The Explosives At The End Of Bodkin

After the discovery that Sean was his son, Seamus appears to have a change of heart towards him, but Sean is unwilling to accept the truth. Sean effectively breaks his father’s spirit by telling him he wants nothing to do with him, which sends Seamus on a spree of violence for the remainder of the finale. Seamus is about to shoot Mrs. O’Shea, who had known the truth about him, Sean, and Fiona for years, but Sean steps in and loses his thumb. Full of rage and guilt, Seamus discovers that Gilbert had been recording the entire time, which was the final straw of betrayal that broke the camel’s back.

What Happened With Teddy, Fiona, & Malachy In The 1990s?

One of the biggest mysteries in Bodkin is what exactly happened to Fiona. She was originally thought to have been found dead in the back of Sergeant Power’s car, but that woman turned out to be Greta. Greta was a member of the New Age group that Sergeant Power accidentally struck with his car and killed while he was covering up Teddy’s murder of Malachy, Seamus’s brother. The McArdles were on their way to Bodkin on the night of the Samhain festival, and Seamus wanted to make sure they got out of town. Teddy and Malachy got into a fight over Fiona, which led to Teddy killing him with a brick. Fiona fled to the convent, where she died while giving birth to Sean.

Does Dove Have Feelings For Gilbert?

After Seamus sets off the explosives during the Samhain festival, Dove believes that Gilbert was still tied up and trapped in the underground caves where the bombs had been planted. She starts to dig in the ground looking for Gilbert’s body, uncharacteristically crying. It’s soon revealed that Gilbert is alive and well, surprised that Dove had gotten so emotional about the idea of his death. Dove denies that she was upset about Gilbert, claiming that she was upset about losing her favorite sunglasses. She ends up resting her head on Gilbert’s solider, a clear sign that Dove may have romantic feelings for him after all.

Why Dove Continues To See The Wolf At The End Of Bodkin

Dove sees the image of a wolf looking at her throughout the entire series. It’s revealed in the final moments of Bodkin that she used to have a stuffed animal of a wolf as a child, which was kept in a box by the nuns at the convent she once lived at during childhood. The stuffed wolf was named Faoladh, which Dove explains was a gift from her mom to make sure she always felt safe and protected. Dove had explained earlier in the Bodkin finale that her mother was a heroin addict and she had an unusual childhood as a result. The wolf in the final moments of Bodkin acts as a spiritual symbol that someone, perhaps her mother, had been watching over her and protecting her all along.

The Real Meaning of Bodkin’s Ending

Bodkin ties up many loose ends in its finale and finds Gilbert, Dove, and Emmy leaving the coastal Irish town for good. It’s unclear whether Seamus got away after blowing up the truck full of eels, but it’s implied that the McArdles finally got a hold of him. Gilbert finishes recording the podcast while reflecting on what was lost along the way, including his marriage. This leaves him feeling uncertain about his future despite having captured a great story, which he throws into a river in the final moments of the series.

Gilbert throwing his audio recorder into the river is his way of finding redemption for the unethical and deceitful ways he captured the story all along. Rather than profiting off the story, he leaves it where he believes it should be: the past. As for Dove, she also walks away from her life of investigative journalism, returning to her childhood convent to reconnect with herself and take some time away from living in a world of crime and murder. Emmy finds the confidence to essentially promote herself at The Guardian, while Sean proves his loyalty to Mrs. O’Shea, who isn’t his real mom, but has always acted like it in Bodkin.