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For those craving an adrenaline-fueled TV experience, Netflix’s latest offering, Man on Fire, is a must-watch. This gripping series brings a fresh take on A.J. Quinnell’s novels, previously adapted into two films, and is now available to stream.
Note: Spoilers for Man on Fire, now streaming on Netflix, are included below.
The seven-part series revisits the story of John Creasy, portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, a character fans will recognize from the earlier adaptations. Creasy, a former Special Forces mercenary, grapples with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from a botched mission in Mexico City. His superior officer, Paul Rayburn, played by Bobby Cannavale, rescues him, offering refuge with his family in Brazil.
In Brazil, Rayburn enlists Creasy’s expertise to assist with a delicate situation involving the nation’s president, Carmo, portrayed by Billy Blanco Jr. The government is on high alert, fearing a terrorist attack targeting new developments credited to President Carmo as the election looms.
Tragedy strikes swiftly when an explosion devastates Rayburn’s apartment building, claiming the lives of Rayburn and his entire family, sparing only his daughter, Poe, played by Billie Boullet. Determined to uncover the truth behind the attack, Creasy becomes Poe’s protector, embarking on a relentless quest to ensure her safety and secure her passage back to the U.S.
On the outside, the bombing appears to be tied to the FRP, an extremist group. But as Creasy and his confidantes come to discover, it’s a whole lot more complex than that. Wondering how Man on Fire ends? Check out our ending explained for the TLDR on the new Netflix action series.
Man on Fire Ending Explained: Did Creasy Die?
In Episode 6, after sneaking into prison and getting ahold of Ferraz (Ravel Cabral), Ferraz tells Creasy that he created fake emails tying Creasy’s name to the bombing, making him look like the FRP’s “inside man.” Ferraz says that both he and Creasy were set up, claiming that the FRP “has no history of this sort of violence against civilians” and that “the bombing has destroyed [their] reputation.”
“But it’s done wonders for someone else,” he teases, eventually indicating that “the latest polls” will provide the answer.
Not only was the bombing a ploy by the government, particularly Carmo and his Minister of Defense, Prado Soares (Thomas Aquino), but also with the help of CIA Deputy Director Henry Tappen (Scoot McNairy), a past colleague of both Creasy and Rayburn. Ferraz tells Creasy that Rayburn’s building was not the original target of the explosion. It was supposed to take place at a different tower, but when Rayburn recruited Creasy and Tappen felt like Rayburn could be onto him, he felt it was too risky. Creasy has his doubts, but has a way to confirm if Ferraz’s tip is true: by having Poe look Tappen up online, and see if she can identify him as the man she spotted on the motorcycle on the night of the bombing.
While Melo (Alice Braga), Vico (Iago Xavier), Ivan (Alex Ozerov-Meyer), and Livro (Jefferson Baptista) are assisting Creasy with the heist, involving clearing the building out and setting bombs in the prison, Tappen raids the home where Poe and Melo’s daughter Marina (Pâmela Germano) are staying, though the two girls are able to escape. Ferraz, whose family is being held hostage, refuses to leave with Creasy, explaining that he will prolong his questioning from Soares and Tappen for as long as possible. He also drops the (figurative) bomb on Creasy that the recordings he claimed to have made of the president for admitting to the plan for the bombing do not actually exist.
This all comes to a head in Episode 7, with Creasy opting to turn himself in, noting that Tappen’s involvement may be in their “favor,” as he knows how his former colleague operates. Specifically, Creasy cites Tappen’s use of the “dead man’s switch.” Creasy eventually pulls a “they don’t know that we know” maneuver (a la Friends), highlighting how Carmo doesn’t know that there is no recording. So, he opts to make his own recording to “lure them out,” with the physical tape being lined with a harmful chemical that will eventually send Tappen and Soares to the hospital once they play it.
While Tappen is interrogating Ferraz, Soares swoops in, shooting Ferraz and revealing that Ferraz has been telling them lies all along. Soares also says the president is not looking out for Tappen, despite the “dead man’s switch” deal he made.
Poe remembers the mnemonics her father taught her in order to help him remember things, inspiring her to devise one to help her navigate the hospital: LESSR1, or “left, straight forward, stairway on the right, first floor.”
After setting up a fake robbery with Melo, Livro, Ivan, and Vico—the last of whom gets caught by the police after jumping out of the van on the way out because he thought they didn’t leave behind the necessary clues—Creasy takes responsibility, claiming that should have been the easy part of the operation. Creasy warns Carmo that he will be paying him a visit, threatening him that he is giving him the opportunity to say goodbye to his loved ones.
“Because I am coming to see you, Mr, President,” he says. “And by then it will be too late.”
Tappen and Soares interrogate Vico, who teases the (non-existent, but not to their knowledge) tape of President Carmo in a safe deposit box. Soares sends his team to the safe deposit box at the BCI Bank, where he and Tappen unearth the tape to hear Creasy’s voice, not the president’s.
“Hello, gentlemen. I know this isn’t the voice that you were expecting to hear,” Creasy says on the recording. “And that’s just the beginning of all your problems. I’m afraid that if you’re still listening to this part of the recording that you’ve already released the toxins that will kill you.”
As Soares and Tappen begin to cough, viewers hear Creasy warn that they “might be feeling a slight burning sensation in [their] nostrils,” though he assures them that “it will not last long.”
“In 20 to 30 minutes you will be dead,” he says.
Creasy, Poe, Melo, Livro, and Ivan are already stationed at the hospital, disguised as employees. Poe’s task is to draw attention to herself, making security go after her while Creasy can find Tappen. Though Poe is spotted early by a nurse, she still goes through with the plan, taking her mask off and revealing herself to Tappen.
“Fuck you,” she so deservedly tells him, as Tappen alerts security.
Poe and Ivan’s escape plan is seemingly foiled by the police. As Poe, Ivan, Melo, Livro, and Vico end up in a shootout in the hospital, Meanwhile, Creasy is left to fend off Soares and Tappen. He successfully kills Tappen, telling him as he stabs him, “This is for Rayburn.”
Creasy sets part of the hospital and several police officers aflame, giving his team a way out. However, he is shot in the arm as he is fleeing. Poe hesitates to leave him behind. While he is able to fend off a police officer, Creasy hears Poe shout his name, and finds her with Soares, who has a gun to her head. Creasy drops his gun to save Poe, but jumps at Soares as Soares shoots at him. While he is able to successfully kill Soares, he did suffer another gunshot, as he lies on the ground spewing blood.
“You did good,” he tells Poe.
Things aren’t looking good, until the episode cuts to Melo watching a news segment about President Carmo’s arrest. Creasy’s name is cleared, as we see things wrap up nicely (given the circumstances) for Melo and Marina, who decide to stay in Brazil, and Livro and Vico.
We then see Poe speaking at the funeral for her parents and brothers, holding the coin her father gave her in Episode 1.
“What my family has given me is the strength to go on,” she tearfully reads. “And what I’ve learned from my friends is that I never have to do so alone.”
And… that’s when we discover Creasy is alive, nodding along in support as Poe speaks. Creasy receives a call from Director Moncrief (Paul Ben-Victor) with a proposition: to return to fight off the people who killed his team in Mexico City.
“I guess the only question is if that’s something you’re ready to revisit,” Moncrief says.
Creasy replies, “Send me what you got.”
Will There Be A Man on Fire Season 2?
Creasy seemingly expressing interest in the job feels like just the ending to tee fans up for a sophomore season. While Netflix has yet to renew the action thriller for Season 2, Abdul-Mateen II teased his thoughts on a the potential for more Man on Fire while speaking with DECIDER via Zoom.
“Without giving away everything about the about the show, I think it’s always nice to be able to potentially peer forward into the future,” he shared. “Truly and honestly, I’m really excited to just to to present what we have and what we’ve made right now. I’m excited for people to sit down at home and cut off the lights and get really comfortable and go through these seven episodes that we want to present. And anything after that, you know, I think we’ll creatively cross that bridge when it comes to it. But I know that I can say it was a pleasure to make. You know, and I’d be happy to have more conversations when [it’s] the right time.”