The Ending Of Netflix’s Bodies Explained: What Actually Happens To Iris Maplewood?

Avoid mistaking it for the A24 film titled “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” the series “Bodies” is a less-known gem worth watching on Netflix. Initially appearing as a traditional police drama, it transforms into an innovative blend of genres, incorporating sci-fi elements such as cults, dystopian societies, and time travel. The intricate time travel narrative may bring to mind another Netflix series called “Dark,” which in turn could remind you of “Back to the Future.” Similar to “Dark,” “Bodies” features multiple storylines that intertwine to create a complex time travel mystery that extends beyond a century.

If you found the time travel aspects in “Bodies” confusing, don’t worry. We’re here to simplify and explain the thought-provoking conclusion of “Bodies”, including the surprising revelation about DC Iris Maplewood (Shira Haas) at the end of the series.

What you need to remember about the plot of Bodies

The series titled “Bodies” presents four separate narratives unfolding across distinct time periods. However, they share a unique connection: Each tale starts with a character stumbling upon the lifeless body of the same man in the exact same spot, despite these incidents occurring many years apart. In 1890, Detective Alfred Hillinghead (Kyle Soller) delves into the death of a man found naked on the street. In 1941, Detective Charles Whiteman (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) conceals his superior’s instructions to dispose of another identical, naked body. Fast forward to 2023, Detective Shahara Hasan (Amaka Okafor) attempts to halt a young boy from unleashing a destructive act of terrorism. Lastly, in 2053, Detective Iris Maplewood learns that the institution she serves may not be as perfect as it appears.

The story revolves around Elias Mannix, a troubled teenager on the brink of triggering an explosion that will level London (portrayed by Gabriel Howell), later maturing into Stephen Graham’s character who masterminds a vast temporal conspiracy. After Mannix’s bomb wreaks havoc in London in 2023, he and his followers establish a dystopian society in its ruins. In the year 2053, Mannix takes control of a time machine and journeys back to 1889. During this time, he spends the rest of his life in the past, leveraging future knowledge to gather followers and meticulously arrange events to secure his destiny. Interestingly, Mannix’s existence hinges on things going according to plan, as he is aware that he will become his own great-grandfather. To ensure this happens, Mannis manipulates his younger self (Elias) into having a tumultuous childhood, which sets the events in motion for him to detonate the bomb, otherwise, Mannix would not come into being.

What happened at the end of Bodies?

When the detectives uncover the truth, they understand that Mannix has essentially established a continuous sequence of events. Regardless of their actions, Elias will always set off the bomb that devastates London, leading to him growing up as Commander Mannix, traveling back in time to instigate the sad series of incidents that turn his younger self into a terrorist. This is an endless cycle – until our heroes find a means to break free from it.

In “Bodies,” it’s revealed that the major issue with Mannix’s scheme is Mannix himself. Towards the end, Iris journeys back to 1890 and, in partnership with Hillinghead, casts a shadow of suspicion over Mannix’s thoughts. Mannix embarks on this mission due to his solitary upbringing. Despite this, he persists because he anticipates the satisfying life that lies ahead (although it is chronologically his past). However, thanks to Iris and Hillinghead, Mannix can no longer savor his promising future, as he now realizes that it’s built on him controlling everyone around him to make sure events unfold exactly as they should. His joy seems contrived.

Haunted by remorse, he communicates with his younger self, warning Elias to abandon the plan for detonation. He emphasizes that such action won’t bring fulfillment, and Elias heeds his advice, preventing the 2023 bombing. This action alters the timeline, eliminating the series of unfortunate events that transpired in this reality. Yet, a surprising revelation at the end hints that the altered timeline may not be entirely stable.

Why are there four identical bodies?

Initially, you might find yourself puzzled about the main characters’ fates. It seems odd that one individual could meet their demise four distinct times. Moreover, the body was discovered without any clothes on and had a gunshot wound in its eye socket, yet no bullet was found. In essence, here’s the simple explanation: time travel.

Each character discovered a corpse that was identified as Gabriel Defoe (Tom Mothersdale), a 2053 scientist who built a time machine called The Throat. This device only transports people, not objects, so the bullet lodged in Defoe’s skull before he used The Throat vanished upon his arrival at his destination. This also explains why Defoe was found without any clothes.

The Throat allows simultaneous travel through both past and future, resulting in a single person being split into multiple versions of themselves. The longer one stands on the threshold of The Throat, the more times it splits them, which is why there were four instances of Defoe’s body found.

2053 sees Mannix employing Defoe’s time machine for a journey to 1889, but prior to this, he instructs Iris to take Defoe’s life. When Iris pulls the trigger, Defoe tumbles backwards through The Throat, inadvertently causing four copies of himself to be sent back into the past and potentially four more into the future.

Who was involved in Mannix’s conspiracy?

With so many personalities entangled in Mannix’s intricate scheme, it’s understandable if keeping them straight was a challenge for you. Here, let me clarify the part each one plays in his machinations:

1. Character A: The mastermind behind the conspiracy
2. Character B: The right-hand man to Character A
3. Character C: The informant providing intel to Mannix’s group
4. Character D: The potential victim or target of the conspiracy
5. Character E: The ally or accomplice working with Mannix
6. Character F: The antagonist opposing Mannix and his plans
7. Character G: The wildcard, whose loyalties are uncertain

In the year 1890, after being taken in by Lady Harker (Anna Calder-Marshall), a woman mourning her deceased son, Mannix embarks on a journey to create an impressive and prosperous future. As he gathers followers, Mannix manipulates Hillinghead’s daughter Polly (Synnove Karlsen) for his benefit. Deceiving Hillinghead behind his back, Mannix convinces Polly that her father took his own life when in reality, Mannix had killed him to keep secrets under wraps. Trusting and emotionally attached to Mannix, Polly accepts this false narrative.

With their bond strengthened, the pair marry, and Polly gives birth to a son, Hayden (Michael Shaeffer). Over the years, Mannix indoctrinates both Polly and Hayden, eventually controlling them completely by 1941, using them to carry out his wishes.

In the passage of time, Danny Barber, Hayden’s son (played by Michael Jibson), becomes a father to a child named Elias. However, due to his foreknowledge that Sarah (Natalie Gavin), his pregnant girlfriend, would struggle to raise Elias, he chooses to leave her. This abandonment sets Elias on a path through the foster care system until the hardships he faces sculpt him into Mannix. Coincidentally, Barber holds a position in law enforcement alongside DS Shahara Hasan, enabling him to manipulate and hinder her at every opportunity. The adoptive parents of Elias, Andrew (Mark Lewis Jones) and Elaine (Kate Ashfield), are also part of the conspiracy.

What does ‘Know you are loved’ mean?

In the series “Bodies,” the phrase “You are loved” is frequently expressed by different characters, serving as a crucial motif throughout. Members of Mannix’s cult often say it, either as a rallying cry for Mannix’s imagined future or a comforting mantra they whisper on their last breath to believe that their sacrifices are meaningful. However, when the audience learns about Mannix’s past, this phrase gains an additional layer of significance.

Mannix’s determination to embark on a time-travel journey stems from the absence of affection during his childhood. His father abandoned him, his mother couldn’t provide the care he needed, and the foster system didn’t help either. To make matters worse, his foster parents were part of a plan to mold him into a terrorist. However, it’s Mannix himself who orchestrated many of these events to ensure that he grew up without love. Despite the pain, he believes it’s all worthwhile because one day in his future, he will experience true love.

Mannix draws strength from the belief that his long-lasting marriage with Polly will bring him immense happiness. However, he finds out that this marital union doesn’t meet his expectations, making it less than ideal. Consequently, “Know you are loved” is not just Mannix’s mantra; it also symbolizes the human tendency to cling to comforting thoughts, even fabricating the illusion of a brighter future to endure hardships.

Is Hasan responsible for creating Mannix?

In the story “Bodies,” Hasan is consistently attempting to guide Elias away from his destructive destiny. However, Andrew, Elaine, and even Elias himself assert that they have glimpsed the future and believe that Hasan will be the catalyst for Elias setting off the bomb. They warn Hasan that her efforts to alter Elias’ fate will ultimately lead to him detonating the explosive. Despite this, Hasan firmly believes she can prevent such an outcome. Regrettably, her attempts to save Elias seem to solidify his doomed path instead.

At any point in the sequence of events, Hasan might have stopped the explosion by killing Elias before he could set it off. However, she chooses not to hold Elias accountable for something he hasn’t done (yet). Hasan values free will and second chances, so when she is ordered to transport Elias to prison to protect others, she opts to take him to see his mother first, feeling it was the right thing to do given their history. Unfortunately, her intentions lead to unintended consequences when she finds out that Sarah is reluctant to meet Elias, believing he wants nothing to do with her. Elias perceives this and his mother’s perceived rejection wounds him deeply, prompting him to decide on the spot to trigger the bomb.

Indeed, Hasan unintentionally brought Mannix into being. Yet, this doesn’t imply that Elias lacks the potential for atonement or isn’t deserving of compassion. Instead, it stems from Hasan misjudging how emotionally charged the situation would become for him.

How do the characters break the loop?

In an attempt to thwart Mannix’s plan, Iris journeys back to the year 1890 and seeks the aid of Detective Hillinghead. Hillinghead advises Mannix that his marriage to Polly would bring him no more happiness than he experienced in his youth, and that both of them would end up miserable. Enraged by this revelation, Mannix murders Hillinghead, but the act leaves him uncertain for the first time about his long-held belief that he is capable of being loved.

Whenever he’s with Polly, his uncertainty causes him to become distant and reserved, a state she picks up on instinctively. It doesn’t take long for her to figure out Mannix’s transgression. The act of taking Polly’s father’s life is something Mannix can never be pardoned for, even though he remains married to her out of necessity rather than affection. However, the bitterness she harbors towards him is palpable. It’s only when Mannix confronts the consequences of his actions – the damage he’s inflicted on not just Polly but many others, including his own younger self – that he recognizes the emptiness time-travel manipulations can’t mend in his soul.

Mannix communicates a message to Elias through Whiteman and Hasan just before he sets off an explosion. Upon hearing the message from his own future, Elias understands that his fate is not unchangeable, which gives him a sense of liberation. Under Mannix’s guidance, Elias decides against detonating the bomb. Sadly, this decision causes Elias to disappear from the timeline since without the explosion there would be no Mannix, and therefore, no Elias.

How do each of the characters redeem themselves?

In the TV series “Bodies,” where the plot revolves around time travel and the option to restart one’s timeline, it makes sense that the show explores the theme of fresh starts or second chances. Each significant character in “Bodies” is granted an opportunity for atonement.

Initially, Detective Hillinghead ignores a murder and falsely implicates his partner Henry (George Parker). However, he later confesses to save Henry. Similarly, Hasan is unable to prevent Syed (Chaneil Kular) from taking his own life in Mannix’s name, but she works tirelessly to help Elias. To make amends for past wrongdoings and seek justice for Esther (Chloe Raphael), an 11-year-old girl tragically caught in the crossfire, Whiteman gives up his life to convey a vital message to Hasan eight decades later. On the other hand, Iris comes to regret betraying Defoe and the Chapel Perilous to Mannix, so she bravely journeys back to 1890 to rectify her mistake.

These characters eventually atone for their past misdeeds by taking selfless actions. Mannix undermines his own schemes, while Elias chooses to sacrifice himself to save countless lives. Such acts demonstrate that no matter the passage of time, there’s always an opportunity for redemption and doing something kind.

What does the twist ending mean for the characters?

In the conclusion of “Bodies”, there seems to be some confusion regarding the ending, particularly about Hasan’s actions that supposedly altered the timeline. In the last scene, it appears as though Hasan has prevented a bombing in 2023 by fixing the timeline. However, the final shot reveals a building with large letters spelling KYAL, which was previously associated only with Mannix’s dystopian city in 2053. Seeing KYAL in 2023 is unsettling because it implies that Hasan may not have completely stopped the rise of KYAL as initially thought. Instead, this revelation hints that the loop might still be ongoing.

In one manner or another, this alternate 2023 seems to be influenced by further manipulations from time travelers. Even if Mannix had a change of heart, it’s possible that one of his associates in the past, present, or future made adjustments to keep things as they were originally. Or perhaps, when Hasan altered the timeline to prevent Elias from detonating the bomb, these changes caused unanticipated consequences. We can only imagine what a world without Elias Mannix might be like. Regardless, the series finale leaves us with more puzzles than solutions, hinting that time-travel antics may not have concluded yet.

What actually happened to Iris Maplewood?

In the concluding part of “Bodies”, a surprising turn of events unfolds. In the year 2023, Hasan flags down a taxi only to find out that its driver is Iris Maplewood, a character who, according to logic, should still be stuck in 1890. However, it appears that Iris had traveled back to 1890 and faced the possibility of not returning to 2053 because time travel was unreliable. The scene where we last saw Iris in a 1890 jail cell did not mark the end of her intriguing tale; instead, it seems her story continued beyond that point.

In 1890, if Mannix were to revisit the police station, he’d likely identify Iris at once. If this happened, it’s probable that he would seek information from her. With Iris, Mannix could have discovered their plot against him – a plot which might have prompted him to interfere with time again (before regret and guilt over the years would make him reconsider). This could be the reason why Hasan is present in this altered timeline today.

In 1890, Iris appears to have found a way home, but there’s an unexplained detail: The Throat, the time-travel portal, didn’t exist in 1890. Therefore, Iris wouldn’t have been able to return. So, it’s possible that the Iris we see in Hasan’s taxi isn’t the same Iris who traveled back to 1890. Instead, this could be a different version of Iris who was sent forward in time after she jumped into The Throat. If this is true, future-Iris might have discovered that past-Iris couldn’t stop Mannix, and she’s now returning to 2023 to seek Hasan’s help.

What the end of Bodies could mean for the franchise

It’s disappointing to note that due to the creator’s original plan, there might not be a second season for the exceptional Netflix series “Bodies” from 2023. However, Paul Tomalin, the show’s creator, has left a glimmer of hope by suggesting that if the demand for another season is overwhelming, they may reconsider with an exciting continuation in mind. He hinted at this possibility during his interview with Cosmopolitan.

As a devoted fan, I must admit that since “Bodies” has been labeled as a “limited series” on Netflix and the streaming service hasn’t hinted at renewing it yet, it seems unlikely we’ll get a second season. And in an interview with Hello! magazine, actor Tomalin expressed his contentment, stating, “If it doesn’t receive a second season, then this is the complete story – there’s the main course, dessert, and coffee. It’s the whole package.” Sadly, this means that those of us eagerly waiting to unravel the mystery of Iris Maplewood might be left in suspense.

2025-01-23 15:30