Is Manny Dead? Did Wagner Moura Leave Dope Thief?

Apple TV+’s ‘Dope Thief’ follows the story of two friends who become partners in literal crime. Ray and Manny met each other at a formative age when both of them had been thrown in prison. Their bond grew from there, and once they were out, it evolved into a severe codependency which ended up being bad for both of them. While neither of them was ready to accept that their friendship was killing both of them, it was pretty clear to everyone else around them. In its penultimate episode, this toxic nature of their otherwise brotherly bond takes its toll and leads to a tragic end to Manny’s life. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Why does Manny Kill Himself?

A lot of characters in ‘Dope Thief’ are motivated by self-preservation, and while one could say the same about Ray and Manny, it is clear that when it comes to each other, their actions are more self-destructive rather than that of preservation. In the dynamics between them, Ray takes the lead. He decides what they should or shouldn’t be doing. He decides whether they should or should not be running. In a lot of ways, he has control over Manny’s life which does not feel fair to Sherry, and rightly so. Meanwhile, Manny is blindly devoted to his friend, courtesy of the depth that time has imparted to their bond. Time and again, we see Manny choose Ray, often over himself. Even when he has deadly drug lords after him, he refuses to skip town and leave Rah alone. No matter how many fights and arguments they have, he always shows up for his best friend. In the end, it is this desire to not let Ray down that forces Manny to make the worst decision of his life.

Even though Manny loves Sherry, he never really prioritizes her over Ray. Whenever he tries to do that, something new comes up, and he is back to focusing on his friend. But when he discovers that he is going to be a father, things change drastically. Before this, he and Sherry weren’t yet bound to each other. Despite seeing her as the only good thing in his life, Manny sometimes believed that she may be better off without him. They get engaged, but they are not married yet, and perhaps that’s what keeps him stuck to Ray. But when Sherry reveals she is pregnant, everything changes. Now, Ray has to start giving more thought to his actions because the repercussions will be more meaningful. Sherry advises him to take the deal, testify against Ray, put the whole blame on him, and get out of prison in a few years so that he can be a part of his child’s life. Manny desperately wants that but he can’t also betray his best friend.

While he is pondering this conflict of interest, he and Ray are transported to prison in the same vehicle. This was planned by Mina, who believed that this would lead to a fight between them, convincing Manny to betray Ray. And as expected, the argument does happen. Ray tells Manny to do whatever is best for him, and Manny is hurt to discover that Ray thinks he is so weak that he will cave so easily. He is dismayed by the fact that his friends see him as a liability rather than his ardent supporter through the worst of times. It breaks his heart, which is why perhaps, he decides to prove to him that he is not the weak link of their relationship. Rather than Ray protecting him, it is the other way around. So, to protect his best friend and to save his fiancee and their child from being targeted any further by the bad guys, Manny pulls himself out of the equation. He arranges for heroin and is found dead of an overdose the same night.

Wagner Moura Hinted at Manny’s Tragic Fate Early On

Wagner Moura, known for his roles in ‘Narcos’ and ‘Civil War,’ called Manny one of the most challenging roles he has ever played. The ups and downs of the character, and his struggle with everything from religion and drugs to drug lords and his best friend took the actor through an emotionally taxing journey. In an interview, he called Manny “a Greek tragedy character” whose fate is already sealed to be tragic and he has no option but to walk towards it with his eyes closed. This seems to be a clear reference to what happens to Manny in the penultimate episode.

If one were to look closely, the signs of Manny’s undoing and his desperation to get out of his impossible situation had become telling a couple of episodes back. He tried to find a balance amid the storm brewing inside him while everything seemed to get worse outside, but there was nothing he could do to make things better. If anything, it all seemed to get worse by the minute. With all this in mind, it is shocking and heartbreaking, but not surprising, in some sense, to see that Manny chose this path. This mental struggle of the character made Moura empathize with him even more.