Abhiroop Das
The second season of ‘The Lazarus Project’ takes a deeper dive in time, this time to retrieve Janet, who is stuck in the past. This appears to be the key to undoing the three-week time loop imposed by the appearance of a new black hole singularity in the universe. The loop does more than decay the mind of the Lazarus agents, as it also threatens an imminent end to the world. However, there is more at play here than the organization’s boss, Elisabeth “Wes” Wesley, lets on. The protagonist soon finds himself embroiled in an old-school utilitarian dilemma, one that tests his moral integrity. The fate of the universe, across timelines, is decided by the actions of the few in this exhilarating finale to the show, which cautions against the dark side of ambition. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Lazarus Project Season 2 Finale Recap
The finale begins with Wes reminding Sarah of the true mission at hand: to save lives. However, the scene, with Wes’s son, Bryson, being battered to death, seems to paint a different picture, prompting Sarah to take a stand. When George returns to the scene, he is pleased to see Wes calling for a reset, which lands him back at the plane. Immediately, the group restrains Dane, but not before he shoots the time machine, disrupting its function. This becomes their only chance at making things right. However, Sarah learns where the machine is located before the duo descends. Meanwhile, 2012’s Wes urges Ross to quickly take out the scientists, with Lerner going down first. While Janet panics to leave, Bryson convinces her with a different plan: finish the time machine and make her way to the present.
As George’s group makes their way down, they are greeted by Rebrov, Janet, and Ross, this time to have a conversation. With the truth sorted out, the two groups decide to team up in the search and rescue mission. The group soon reunites with Janet and young Becky, but they anticipate the arrival of enemy forces. Luckily, George has the source code for the time machine, which Gray and Janet use to accelerate the process. However, just when the machine is created, Sarah reveals her true plan, planting a bomb on top of it. Amidst enemy fire, 2014’s Janet notices the bomb and rushes it out of the vicinity, sacrificing herself in the process. As a backup plan, Sarah decides to kill every scientist personally, including Janet, who is forced to bid her daughter a tearful farewell.
When George realizes what has happened, he confronts his former partner, but ultimately fails to kill her. The Samson from 2024 survives the process and finds out the components of the time machine required to fix the one inside the plane. He brings George back to focus with a new mission at hand, that of saving the two Beckys. The news of his wife’s passing leaves Rebrov in shambles, but it is quickly overturned by a call to action. The rest of the team gets to work in bringing everyone to safety, and numerous sacrifices are made on the way back to the plane, including the life of Samson. However, George gets his hands on the key to fixing the time machine just in time, and makes his way to the plane, before setting Dan free and taking flight yet again, with no knowledge of what lies on the other end.
The Lazarus Project Season 2 Ending: Does Sarah Become the Leader of The Lazarus Project?
At the end of the season, George finally gets the time machine to work and propel him back to July 22, 2024. The date confirms that the world has made it past the three-week loop previously caused by the collision of two singularities, causing George to breathe a sigh of relief. However, the world in front of them appears to have changed drastically in the last ten years, rendering many things unrecognizable to the protagonist. The foremost of these is The Lazarus Project itself, as when he makes his way there, he finds it to be empty, save for Wes’s room. The real surprise comes when he finds that sitting on his former leader’s chair is none other than Sarah, who has visibly aged ten years. Upon meeting, she states that she has been waiting for him, which ends things on an ominous note.
Sarah’s apparent reign as the new boss of the Lazarus Project suggests that her original mission was a success, with the knowledge of the time machine being wiped out completely. However, the cost to achieve this seems equally massive, as we do not see any of her allies. It is possible that she has raised a team of her own and has been continuing Wes’s legacy since. However, George’s reentry into the fray marks a new set of problems, as he still has a working time machine by his side. This goes against Sarah’s entire plan, making them potential enemies. Furthermore, as she has been waiting for him, it is almost certain that she has planned her share of countermeasures in advance, which gives her the upper hand in the ensuing showdown.
Additionally, there is also the question of Sarah, from the present timeline, who has coexisted with her future counterpart all these years. As we have had minor glimpses into the life of the other Sarah, it is likely that her life trajectory hasn’t strayed away much, with her leading a normal life away from the geopolitical and temporal strifes her other self winds up in. However, the burden of two versions of the same person is very high, and runs against the organization’s modus operandi of working from behind the shadows. As such, there is a twisted possibility that Sarah has already killed her counterpart in order to maintain balance in the timeline. Nonetheless, her decision to take on the mantle means that she is now a potential antagonist for George.
Why Does Sarah Betray George?
The events that lead up to the ending are a result of Sarah’s complex decision-making, which finds its roots in the central premise of the narrative, a battle between emotion and reason. She agrees with Wes that the power to wield time omnidirectionally is a bridge too far for humanity, with the resultant black hole only being the first symptom of the potential horrors that can be inflicted. Thus, she understands that George’s decision to try a different workaround is based on his wish to save the lives of the few and is bound to cause long-term harm. This is best demonstrated in the aftermath of his actions in the first season itself, forcing her to make the seemingly pragmatic hard call. Where Wes urges others to do the work for her, Sarah takes matters into her own hands, showing her prowess.
Sarah’s actions also have an emotional dimension, as they come after her realization of what this cycle of violence has done to George. Previously, he described his affinity towards a gentle but accomplished life, which appears to have transformed completely. This is exemplified by how he tortures Bryson, mirroring the very actions of Shiv he criticized in the first season. This time, Sarah takes on the observer’s chair, noticing how her former love interest has morphed into a cruel human. As such, her character serves as a point of contrast, showing how often people have to make monstrous decisions for the greater good. This also takes a toll on her, as she can be seen in tears when killing the scientists, many of whom she has spent time with.
Throughout ‘The Lazarus Project,’ relationships within the organization have taken center stage in the major plot developments, be it the happenings of Summer 2018, George’s original quest for reviving Sarah, or Lerner’s original separation from Wes. The latter is the most significant, as their dynamic serves as a precursor to George and Sarah’s, complete with more physical and thematic parallels. As such, the couple can be interpreted as a supplantation, adding new dimensions to the existing conflict. In light of this, George is likely to start his own campaign against Sarah’s, hoping to reset time and bring people back to life. This adds a generational spin to the conflict, bringing to attention the intricacies of their dynamic and how the protagonist emphasizes how their paths are seemingly destined to cross across timelines. More than destiny, there might be bigger temporal forces at play, stringing along to the two characters’ rhythms.
Does Shiv Kill Wes?
Sarah’s new role as the organization’s head also means that Wes has been succeeded. However, her fate remains unknown, as her last appearance is marked by Shiv taking out his fellow agents, before promising to take care of things in 2012. While this paves the way for George to act, it means that Wes is no longer in charge of the operation, leaving her life in Shiv’s hands. However, given how deep their dynamic runs, it is unlikely for him to kill her, making it more probable that she eventually retires or dies a natural death, making Sarah’s takeover possible. There is also a case to be made in which the latter forcibly takes control of the organization, playing a part in Wes’s absence in 2024. Shiv, on the other hand, might continue to be an agent of The Lazarus Project, trying to reform things from the inside.
Shiv’s betrayal of The Lazarus Project also has a personal angle. The decisive moment seems to be when he notices the pendant that 2024’s Becky is wearing. Recognizing it to be Janet’s, he gets a quick reality check, realizing that his actions go against the survival of innocent lives, which has been his goal all along. Furthermore, as previous episodes indicate that he has feelings for Janet, the idea of saving her daughter becomes an act of love. While he does not know that his actions in the future are a part of why Becky exists in the first place, his affinity towards her reiterates the idea that all the characters are threaded together by a string of causality, regardless of their consciousness towards it.
Shiv’s narrative significance has always been different from the rest of the characters, owing to the fact that he has a natural mutation. This is also the reason for his close dynamic with Wes, which is built on mutual respect and a desire to save the world. However, while Wes continues to call the shots and essentially play God, Shiv is reduced to being a cog in the larger machinery. As such, his final scene can be interpreted as him reclaiming his agency and independently considering what is best for the future. While his 2024 self dies a brutal death, his younger self is presented with a chance to start afresh and change his trajectory. As such, he is likely to have survived the next decade as well, having transformed into a wild card factor in how the story pans out.
What Happens to Rebrov and Archie?
Shiv is not the only major contributor in the lead-up to George’s escape, as both Rebrov and Archie play their parts as his teammates, choosing to stay back and make the time leap possible. Rebrov joins hands with his own past self to take down the enemy forces, making it the last we hear of this rogue agent turned ally. However, given his skill and resilience, he is likely to survive and continue playing a major role in the narrative, potentially leading an opposing faction against Sarah. This would mirror how his dynamic with Wes originally took a turn for the worse. Given that his wife, Janet, was killed by Sarah, he is certain to take his shot at revenge if he survives the fight at hand. Rebrov’s past self is mentioned to be rescued by Ross as well, leading to another case of two variants of the same person existing at once.
Archie displays a similarly heroic spirit, choosing to take the risk head-on and neutralize an enemy vehicle. However, in doing so, it crashes, leaving her severely injured. Her partner, Zhang Rui, chooses to stay back, making it two more characters whose fates hang in the balance. If they are to survive, they are certain to rise as part of the faction against Sarah’s nefarious plans. Furthermore, Archie’s involvement is crucial in how the infamous summer of 2018 pans out, given that she has already told Ross the key to dealing with it. As such, it is possible that her participation accelerates the process, drastically altering the timeline. Furthermore, their knowledge of the time machine puts them directly at odds with the new boss of The Lazarus Project, further complicating the maze of time and agency.
Read More: The Lazarus Project Season 1 Finale Recap and Ending Explained
