Upamanyu Biswas
Prime Video’s ‘The Bondsman‘ ends with a bombastic twist that could change Hub Halloran’s future as a demonic bounty hunter forever. After spending a large chunk of the narrative trying to find a way to escape his raw deal with the Devil, the protagonist finds a solution only to complicate matters elsewhere. Throughout the story, we learn that Hub kept a ton of secrets from his family, which had a direct connection to his fate. However, his secrecy only came back to bite him in the end. This becomes all the more evident when he makes yet another selfish choice to unentangle himself from carrying out the Devil’s dirty work. Tragically, the consequences follow him back to his home, affecting the very people who are near and dear to him and setting the stakes for the next part of the story via an exciting cliffhanger. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Bondsman Plot Recap
The story opens with Hub driving into a motel to take care of a bounty job. However, it proves to be a setup by his ex-wife’s boyfriend, Lucky Callahan, as the protagonist is attacked and killed. While his corpse is stuffed into a small space between the motel’s walls, he miraculously survives and returns to life. He subsequently escapes the motel by taking one of Lucky’s men hostage. On the drive home, he notices that his slit throat has magically healed itself. Hub meets up with his mother, Kitty, who tells him that Callahan may have hired the motel guys to kill him. He embarks on a quest to take his ex-wife’s lover down after forging a fake warrant. At the latter’s club, The Boxcar, Hub confronts Callahan, who is stunned to see the bounty hunter alive. The protagonist is distracted from his original mission because Maryanne, his former partner, and Cade, his son, walk in.
Later, Hub decides to track down the Earle brothers, who were the ones hired by Callahan to kill him. On the way to their cabin in the woods, he notices the town pastor walking out of the church with dark, demonic eyes focused on him. The bounty hunter arrives at his destination and corners the Earle brothers by taking them hostage at gunpoint. He then orders them to contact Callahan and bring him to the spot so that Hub might finish the job. However, the town pastor finds the cabin, which complicates the situation. Hub takes one of the brothers and hides in a room while the pastor (Ron) enters the cabin and attacks the remaining Earles. Hub watches the display of demonic power in horror before fleeing from the cabin. When he returns home, a woman named Midge is waiting for him with his mom.
After a brief conversation with Midge, Hub learns that demons are real, and so is the concept of Hell. The protagonist is an embodiment of those unearthly powers because he was resuscitated to perform a job for the Devil. Midge tells the protagonist that he must take on demonic bounty hunter jobs to restore balance to Hell’s escaped demons and ensure that a war does not break out between Heaven and the underworld. Although he refuses to believe it at first, he soon realizes that everything he witnessed at the cabin is a testament to what Midge is telling him. Subsequently, he begins tackling cases of demonic possession in the town of Landry, which are faxed to him as part of his new deal with the Devil. If Hub refuses to follow his orders, he will be terminated and sent back to Hell.
The Bondsman Ending: What is Lilith’s Proposal? Will Hub Switch Allegiances?
Once the parameters of his new job are explained, Hub begins hunting down any demonic stragglers looking to make a mess. However, with each kill, he begins to suspect that something is not right with the situation. For one, there is always a case of ritual sacrifice with all of the demons, which leads him to believe there is a pattern to their movements. Eventually, the bounty hunter figures out that the sacrifices are taking place in specific locations to draw out a pentagram. As a result of this pentagram, a far more threatening demon escapes into the mortal realm – Lilith, the primordial she-demon. To make matters complicated, Lilith possesses the body of Cheryl Dawson, a woman inextricably linked to Hub and also the reason why he is destined for Hell.
With help from Midge, Hub figures out that one way to trap Lilith would be to draw a pentagram of their own and entice the demon to its center. In the aftermath of the battle, Hub sits down with Lilith to negotiate a new deal that is beneficial for both of them. He also forces Lilith to give up possession of Cheryl’s body. In the meantime, the demon takes up residence in the physical form of a crow. Once the ordeal is over, Hub returns to The Boxcar to reunite with his family and tell them he has solved everything. The police take him into custody while Maryanne retreats to the dressing room, upset by the sequence of events. While she bawls her eyes out, we notice Lilith’s crow inside the room, keeping an eye on Maryanne. When Lucky Callahan decides to check up on Maryanne later, he finds out to his detriment that Lilith has taken over Maryanne’s body.
In the final parts of the season, Hub watches Lilith’s crow fly out of the club as a sweet voice fills the air. Everyone freezes inside the room as Maryanne, now possessed by Lilith, takes control of the room, forcing the men to put their hands inside their mouths, preparing to tear their jaws out. Only Hub is unaffected by the singing as he watches Lilith focus her gaze on him while the bounty hunter’s son, Cade, also prepares to tear his face to pieces. Lilith offers Hub the chance to work for her because the Devil will never stop coming for him. As such, he would be better off serving her and ensuring that his son is not a victim. The story ends before we get a resolution to the decision, leaving Hub in a complicated spot with no way out. For better or worse, he is trapped once again.
Although it’s hard to confirm what the bounty hunter’s next move might be, given what is at stake, it is likely that he accepts Lilith’s proposal. As Hub is responsible for allowing Lilith to escape in the first place, he is sure to feel guilty if something happens to his wife and son as a result of his choice. While he has not always shown the best decision-making skills at all times, his love for his family is genuine and the only thing that keeps him noble to an extent. Thus, for the time being, he might see Lilith’s proposal as a win-win situation, especially if the Devil is after him now that he found a loophole in the system. Whether it proves to be a better deal or not in the long term is likely to be the main subject explored in the subsequent season of the series.
What is Lucky Callahan’s Fate?
Hub Halloran and Lucky Callahan’s rivalry is one of the main points of conflict throughout the season. They both have a beef against one another because they date or used to date the same woman, Maryanne, while also having huge reservations about each other’s characters. Hub hates Callahan because of his roots as a gangster and because he stole his wife from him. Meanwhile, Callahan is angry at Hub for disrespecting him and not leaving him alone with Maryanne and Cade. Their rivalry only intensifies as the story progresses, even devolving into some disturbing torture scenes carried out by Callahan. Meanwhile, Hub is not innocent either, as his blinding rage and jealousy toward Callahan leads to the death of an innocent. However, the loser of the battle turns out to be Callahan, who is killed when he goes to visit Maryanne in the dressing room of The Boxcar.
After Hub convinces his wife about Callahan’s direct involvement in having him killed, the relationship between Maryanne and Callahan completely falls apart. The latter is devastated by this as he genuinely tries to leave his past behind and transform himself for the sake of Maryanne and Cade. However, Hub’s interference ruined it. He subsequently makes it a life mission to break up Maryanne’s relationship with Hub and any love they feel for him. When that doesn’t work either, he looks to God for guidance, especially after learning that demons and unearthly beings might be involved in Hub’s life. While sitting in church, he receives a “sign” from God that he should simply let the police do their job and report Hub to the authorities. It may not be his style, but it proves effective.
With the cops effectively on Hub’s tail, Callahan thinks he finally has the winning move. However, it proves to be not enough because he still does not fully grasp the situation unfolding around him. Instead, his desire to get Hub locked up only puts Maryanne and Cade in trouble. At the end of the season, Callahan feels even more defeated when he sees the bounty hunter enter The Boxcar with Cheryl in tow, who he believes Hub killed. When Hub is hauled away by the police, Callahan decides to go visit Maryanne, hoping he still has a chance to make amends and take control of the situation the way he wants. Unbeknownst to him, Maryanne is now possessed by Lilith, who has a particular dislike for men. The former gangster finds this out in a disturbing manner as he is taken over by Lilith’s singing and forced to rip his entire jaw open, effectively killing him.
How Does Cheryl Dawson Come Back to Life?
Hub’s involvement in Cheryl Dawson’s murder is one of the biggest secrets of the season. The bounty hunter accidentally killed her during a night of drunken stupor when he was incredibly angry with Lucky Callahan and wished to exact revenge. In his inebriated state, Hub pulled the trigger on a person wearing a hat similar to Callahan’s, only to realize it was Cheryl. Subsequently, he watched in horror as the life seeped out of the woman’s eyes while he tried to apply pressure to her bullet wound. Later, he drove her body to the edge of the forest beside his house and buried it, ensuring that no one ever finds out what he did. Once the truth is laid bare, we finally learn why Hub was destined for a spot in Hell. Fortunately, the protagonist manages to reverse some of the damage because Lilith leaves Cheryl’s body in the end, allowing the woman to return once more.
As part of his deal with Lilith, Hub wanted the she-demon to help him escape the Devil’s bargain while also ensuring that Cheryl survives, as it could mean escaping the law. His decision ensures that Cheryl survives and can return to a normal life. Meanwhile, it could also clear his name and set him free. However, based on Cheryl’s reactions to everything around her, she seemingly does not remember the incident that led to her death. While it is never explained, it is plausible that she may have simply glossed over the memory because of the trauma. However, it leaves a huge elephant in the room, especially when it comes to the next part of the story. It is highly likely that at some point, Hub will have to come clean to Cheryl about what he did, or else she might find the answers herself.
Read More: Where Was Prime Video’s The Bondsman Filmed?
