Aahana Swrup
‘Steal,’ the Prime Video finance heist series, puts its protagonist, Zara Dunne, through the paces as she finds herself caught up in a multi-billion-pound robbery that unravels at her workplace. Shortly after the pension investment firm Lochmill Capital becomes a victim of an armed robbery, the authorities flood the scene, opening an investigation into the case. Off the bat, the lead detective, DCI Rhys Covac, has his suspicions set on Zara, the trade processor who was directly threatened at gunpoint to make the 4 billion pound transfer. However, as it turns out, he isn’t the only one with the latter on their radar. As the robbers keep tabs on her, presumably to tie up any loose ends, and, suspiciously enough, even the MI5 grows interested in her, the detective realizes an unseen plot is brewing. Eventually, this results in the two uniting in a quid pro quo partnership that might just go beyond the confines of the dangerous case. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Zara and Rhys Bond Over Their Doomed Situations
Initially, Zara and Rhys maintain an air of distance during their first few interactions. Their relationship is defined by the circumstances of the criminal case surrounding Lochmill Capital, wherein the latter is the lead detective and the former is a victim and potential suspect. Although Rhys never suspects the trade processor to be the mastermind behind the entire operation, he certainly believes she might be a cog in the machine and an insider who traded information for cash. In the first few hours of the case that follows, Zara continues to give him reason to further believe his theory. From dodgy follow-up interviews to being found climbing the fence of Luke’s apartment, moments after he was abducted, her every action remains laced with suspicion. Yet, his MI5 colleague, Sam Fitch, insists on overlooking her suspicious activities.
This sparks Rhys’ curiosity, which in turn leads him to discover that the department has been praying for his downfall from the beginning. Someone very high up on the chain wanted this local investigation into the case to go belly-up, and Rhys has been chosen as the ideal scapegoat. Once he makes this discovery, he realizes he has to go rogue if he wants to see the case through to the end. For the same reason, he decides to extend a helping hand to Zara and strike up a quid pro quo deal with her. He employs her insider help to figure out the mastermind behind the robbery, which will, in turn, eliminate the people who seem to be after her life. Eventually, this partnership ends up paving the way for the duo to grow closer and learn more about one another.
In one way or another, the pair’s woes seem to line up. Zara grew up with an abusive, narcissistic mother and has now pigeonhole herself into an uninteresting and unfulfilling life. On the other hand, Rhys is a detective struggling with a gambling addiction, which brings a crushing debt along with it. The only reason he is trying to solve this case as desperately as he is is so he can keep his job and not drown himself in a self-destructive addiction. This philosophy of desiring a better life isn’t much farther off from what drove Zara to agree to trade information to the robbers in the first place. Inevitably, as the two continue to get closer to one another, they end up falling into bed together one night. Although the morning after their one-night stand is interrupted by a development in the case, it opens up room for something more to grow in their future.
Zara and Rhys Part Ways on an Ambiguous Note
Zara and Rhys’ relationship gets a bit more complicated after their whirlwind hook-up. Shortly afterward, the former gets an offer from the MI5 that she can’t possibly refuse. They want all the same information the detective is counting on her for, and they agree to get her a new identity in exchange for her trouble. This means not only will her past transgression be forgiven, but she can also have a new beginning and a new life. Not to mention, refusing to comply runs the risk of potential death. Consequently, she ends up cutting the deal with the MI5, which has an expected fallout in her relationship with Rhys. The latter suffers major consequences once his superiors find out that he has been in secret collaboration with their prime suspect. This gives them the perfect excuse to suspend him from the line of duty.
As a result, Rhys feels used and discarded by Zara, and even begins questioning the legitimacy of their night together. Soon after, these misunderstandings clear up, or at least become of lesser concern, when the two find themselves in a shoot-out at Lochmill Capital against the robbers. In the end, they both emerge from the near-death experience alive and with a MI5 vetted cover story to stick to. As such, eventually, they have to move on with their lives and deal with the consequences of the past few days. For Rhys, this means confronting the reality of his suspension from the police force and trying to figure out how to pay off his gambling debts. Meanwhile, Zara has to leave London and start a new life with the new identity the Intelligence Agency supplies her with.
Still, the duo manages to have one last adventure. Thanks to well-supported clues, Rhys figures out the mastermind’s true identity. When the two confront the latter, they’re given two choices: reveal the truth or ally themselves with the mastermind in exchange for more than a hundred million pounds. Although the ex-detective is tempted to take the deal, Zara manages to convince him otherwise. This is because she has a secret ace up her sleeve: a code wallet containing 20 million pounds. Even though it isn’t the same amount offered to them, it’s more than enough to get rid of their individual problems with change to spare. Furthermore, it ensures they wouldn’t have to be under someone else’s thumb in the future. While the show ends without exploring an epilogue for the duo, it’s likely that they both went their separate ways afterward. Rhys has to get his existing life in order, while Zara has to start a new one. Yet, there’s no reason why the two can’t cross paths again sometime in the future, and once on steadier ground, explore their romance once again.
Read More: Steal Ending Explained: Who is Behind the Robbery?
