Code 8 Part II Ending Explained: Will the Amells Return in a Trilogy?

Code 8 Part II is available on Netflix from February 28, 2024. The film begins five years after the events of the first film, which ended with Connor Reed wanting to start over. He now wants to live a peaceful life, but soon finds himself embroiled in chaos again. He has no choice but to help a teenager and her decisions generate a series of unfortunate events to bring her back to safety. How often does a second chapter turn out to be even better than the first? All things considered and considering the previous experience of some “sagas”, the possibilities of achieving this objective are few. For this reason, therefore, the narrative structure and, above all, the capacity for character evolution proposed by Code 8 Part II (of which you can find our review) amazes me in a positive sense.

What particularly catches the eye is the modernity of the story and, above all, the dramatic relevance of the themes covered. The director Jeff Chan, in fact, thanks to the ambiguous character of Connor Reed and his powers, tells a story with very specific political and social undertones that reflect some current events. Among all, the complex relationship with corrupt police dedicated to blind violence against minorities and, above all, the ghettoization of the “different” stands out. As well as the same meaning of an ending that has no reason to exist. To all this, however, is added an ending that is not consolatory but, above all, focused on personal redemption, which can only be achieved if supported by a general awareness and a social movement aimed at acquiring one’s rights. But let’s see in more detail how Chan orchestrated all these aspects in our explanation of the ending of Code 8 Part II, a film that could open up a third chapter.

Code 8 Part II: Summary Recap

In this sequel to Code 8, Connor is now out of prison and working as a janitor at a community center after cutting ties with his former partner in crime Garrett. Connor’s attempt to stay out of trouble is destroyed when he is forced to help 14-year-old Pavani escape from a group of corrupt agents led by Sergeant Kingston. However, he has a big advantage, using the new robotic K9s to track down Pav. This will force Connor to once again have to ask Garrett and his team for help, without knowing if this time he can trust the man who put him in prison. Playing Connor is again the actor Robbie Amell, known for playing Ronnie Raymond/Firestorm in the series The Flash, while his cousin Stephen Amell – famous for playing Oliver Queen/Green Arrow in the television series Arrow – returns to play Garrett. The actress Sirena Gulamgaus, known for starring in the Transparent series, plays Pavani. Alex Mallari Jr., on the other hand, is Sergeant Kingston, the main antagonist of the film. The cast is completed by actresses Kari Matchett in the role of Connor’s mother and Jean Yoon in that of Mina.

Throughout Code 8 Part II, Connor realizes that they cannot keep on the run from King forever and therefore finds it necessary to expose him to the media to put an end to his crimes. Meanwhile, Pavani finally reveals that King used to record everything on K9 units. These records would help them train the units better. The K9 unit, which attacked Pavani, is at Kink’s house to protect the evidence. So Connor and Kelton decide to go there to steal the footage and broadcast it through the media. Kelton, however, changes his mind, as he would like to use him to blackmail King and control LCPD. So, he tries to make a new deal with the movie’s villain. Eventually, Kelton is stabbed. Meanwhile, Connor thinks of a plan to broadcast the footage with Pavani’s help. But then a K9 unit attacks him and injects a dose of Psyke into his body. Pavani takes care of saving him, taking control of the K9 unit. Unfortunately, at that moment, King’s most trusted officer arrives and shoots Pavani by mistake. Connor comes to his senses and carries Pavani out of the building, where there are several officers holding guns. Fortunately, Agent Davis arrives to take control of the situation.

Code 8 Part II Ending Explained: Will the Amells Return in a Trilogy?

Kingston wants to catch Pavani at all costs as she is the only one who knows that it was the policeman who killed her brother Tarak, in cahoots with Garrett. Eliminating Pavani is therefore the only way to ensure he preserves his reputation and continues his rise to power. At a certain point, it is also proposed to simply erase her brother’s memory but when this hypothesis is put into action the girl realizes that they are actually about to erase every memory in her possession and therefore she uses her powers to oppose it. to the thing. In the finale of Code 8 Part II, Connor and Pavani manage to steal a video containing the crimes committed by King and broadcast it live, so that everyone becomes aware of what he has committed over time. With King’s vicious actions against super-powered humans now made known to the world, new laws are finally beginning to be adopted to improve the living conditions of these superhumans.

The use of robotics to maintain law and order is also completely banned in the region after it is revealed how King used K9 robots to brutally kill people with superpowers. While Pavani survives and gradually heals from her injuries, Connor reopens Mrs. Mina’s community center. As the final moments of Code 8 Part II confirm, Connor also keeps the promise he made to Pavani’s mother, taking care of her and running the community center with her. Before the credits, however, it is revealed that the influx of the drug Psyke (obtained by extracting spinal fluid from superhumans) has increased. Garrett, who heard the news, seems to already be aware of this information, allowing us to hypothesize that he is behind that new traffic. By doing so, it opens the way for a third chapter that could show the final clash between Connor and Garrett.

The Evolution of the Antihero?

Connor Reed is back in Lincoln City but something has changed in him. And not just because he served his sentence for crimes committed with Garrett’s gang. What is changed is the state of mind or, rather, the absence of a mission, of a motivation capable of waking him up from the long sleep into which he seems to have fallen. At the beginning of the film, in fact, his attitude is essentially aimed at invisibility. The same one in which some elements who manage city power would like to relegate those, like him, who are endowed with exceptional powers. So, rather than fight the system for a vision of justice that has no external support, he prefers to keep a low profile.

In his world, special rhymes with different and dangerous. His words relegate him to the dark corner of those who shouldn’t exist and are seen as a social aberration. But does all this make sense? Connor doesn’t wonder. At least until the young Pav arrives in her life. The girl represents external input, the will to find a solution to a system that doesn’t work. At least for them. She intends to unmask the K9 unit and, above all, the King source. This is the starting point for Connor’s awakening and, as in the first chapter, he moves to protect another person who, in this case, is destined to evolve. Pavani, in fact, despite having started investigating to find out who covered up his brother’s death, becomes the spokesperson for a broader need that affects the daily lives of many with important social implications.

Current Affairs Beyond Dystopia?

To fully understand the ending that Chan constructed for his characters, therefore, it is essential to understand how the science fiction genre and, above all, the architecture of a dystopian world, in this case, are truly secondary. These are used as a form of scenography within which the characters move towards the final goal: deconstructing a social system based on class privilege. Evident is the concept of caste into which the population of Lincoln City is divided, with a preference for people without power. The others, however, are reduced to ghettoization. Compared to the first chapter in which this element already existed but was overshadowed by the narrative structure of the escape, in this case, it takes over. 

Indeed, it becomes the essential purpose that moves Connor and Pav’s steps. Together, they represent the concreteness of a movement that is increasingly taking shape. The same one who begins to point out the violent behavior of the police as wrong. In this sense, therefore, Connor and Pav’s mission is destined to be successful because it is supported, even if unconsciously, by a broader movement that connects them to a universal and increasingly less personal purpose.

The Triumph of Justice…Maybe?

But what actually happens in the final stages of the film? Both Connor and Pavati are absolutely aware that they cannot escape the corrupt King forever. This is why they do everything they can to get hold of some videos that show how K9 units are trained to be lethal. Their purpose. is to broadcast everything through television. A result that the two achieve using Connor’s electrokinetic powers while Pavani transfers all the data to a multimedia camera. In this way, King and his system of terror are exposed in front of everyone’s eyes. A single event, however, leads the Attorney General to launch an in-depth investigation into the K9 program, given that there may be other people involved in the corruption system.

Everything seems to have ended well but, often, things are not as they seem. At the end of everything, we witness Kelton’s arrest which leaves a power vacuum within the city, especially with regards to the drug trade. The man, however, appears too pleased, showing a smile that is inappropriate for the situation. Unless all this was a subtle plan on his part. In essence, therefore, we could witness a third chapter in which Connor is a renewed antihero. and more aware of himself, is destined to return to the scene.