A Thousand Blows season 2 ending explained: What happens between Mary and Hezekiah?

*Warning: This article contains full spoilers for A Thousand Blows season 2.*

Returning for its second season, A Thousand Blows continues to up the ante and this time round, the stakes were not only higher but more grounded in emotion for our three leads.

The end of season 1 saw Sugar (Stephen Graham), Hezekiah (Malachi Kirby) and Mary (Erin Doherty) all ending up on quite a sour note, as Hezekiah lost his best friend Alec (Francis Lovehall). Mary knew who it was that killed him and that in itself drove an insurmountable wedge between the pair, whose blossoming romance came to an abrupt end.

As for Sugar, he launched a severe physical attack against his brother Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce) with this second season showing how those events have led Sugar to seek solace from isolation and alcohol. But season 2 also presented some common ground for the trio in the form of villains – did they manage to succeed in taking them down?

Read on for a full breakdown of the finale of A Thousand Blows season 2.

A Thousand Blows season 2 ending explained: What happens between Hezekiah and Mary?

Although Hezekiah was initially not happy to see Mary earlier in the season, their bond became somewhat repaired over the course of the episodes. In the penultimate episode, Sugar brings everyone together to discuss their common enemy of Murtagh (Tim Steed), who has been a thorn in the side of many.

Mary is paid a visit by Sophie Lyons (Catherine McCormack) as the Forty Elephants prepare to pull off their biggest mission yet with the help of the enigmatic American. Mary uses the opportunity to remind Sophie that she wouldn't be able to do this job in particular without the Forty Elephants.

That same day, Mary pays a visit to the bar to wish Hezekiah luck but to also say goodbye as she believes fate is taking them on different paths. Mary says that once this job's done, she's leaving London. Hezekiah is surprised by Mary's exit plans and it's clear the pair still have feelings for one another as they gear up for the evening ahead.

That night, Hezekiah's fight with Nathaniel Washington (CJ Beckford) gets under way and just as he's about to bow out, he hears the voice of Alec which only spurs him on. We then see various Forty Elephants dotted around the venue, either in formal attire like Mary and Alice (Darci Shaw) or dressed as maids. Later on, Sophie gives a speech which only draws everyone's attention to her whilst the Forty Elephants start taking down some of the lavish paintings around the opulent building.

However, they get into a spot of trouble when Mary attacks one of the leery gentleman who is sexually harassing one of the younger maids. When Mary punches him to the floor, she lets out a scream which alerts everyone to something going on. The other Forty Elephants get spotted on the landing carrying out a Caravaggio painting but Mary enters the hall, holding a gun against the gentleman and telling everyone not to move.

Sophie joins Mary in pulling a gun out also, shocking everyone but allowing the paintings to be carried out seamlessly. At the same time, it seems as though Hezekiah's fight has gone well, with everyone cheering and his American opponent congratulating him. Although it's hard to exist as a Black man in America, it's not nearly as hard as being in the UK and constantly feeling ostracised, Nathaniel tells Hezekiah. In America, you're surrounded by more people who make you feel at home and so, Nathaniel proposes for Hezekiah to join his group fighting in America.

Back at their hideout, things grow tense with the Forty Elephants and Sophie, as Sophie isn't best pleased about Mary's actions at the party. Sophie didn't care about the girl getting hurt and says that Mary should've left her instead of jeopardising her undercover work.

Mary doesn't care to argue and just asks for their money but Sophie floats the possibility of refusing to pay them. Mary says she won't give her the painting then but things take a turn when Alice pulls a gun on Mary, appearing to be on Sophie's side. She orders Esme to steal the painting and hand it over, holding her at gunpoint as she does so.

Alice rides off in a carriage with Sophie, with Alice telling Sophie she can head to the station from where they are while she has some unfinished business to attend to. It turns out that Alice has pulled off a double bluff, doing so in order to get the Forty Elephants their share of the money. She takes what's theirs and Sophie commends her on her nerves of steel. She tells her that when she gets to New York, to look her up and they part ways.

What happens to Sugar?

The following morning, Treacle's son Thomas (Will Bagnall) visits Hezekiah to tell him that Sugar needs him. But Sugar intercepts Mary and takes her down an alley close by to where Murtagh and his men are waiting. Hezekiah sneaks into the building to free Mary, who has been tied up and Sugar walks up behind Murtagh with a gun held to his head. Sugar tells Murtagh he's going to kill him and they get into a brawl simultaneously while Hezekiah and Mr Lao (Jason Tobin) are fighting his men outside, who have Treacle captured.

Sugar not only strangles Murtagh but then sets off a fuse leading to some serious explosives, which completely tear the building apart. Treacle is distraught, thinking that Sugar is inside but he's alive and soon appears from the smoke, clutching his injured arm.

After the explosion, it seems as though things are back to relative normality at The Blue Coat Boy as Sugar and Treacle enjoy some lunch together while watching over Thomas manning the bar. While the threat of the Elephant Boys remains, their future looks somewhat brighter with Thomas showing he's able to handle the pressure.

Does Hezekiah go to New York?

Some time has passed when we next see Hezekiah paying Mary a visit at her lodgings, where Mary tells him that she's weighing up her options now that Murtagh is gone. Mary says that she's thinking of what's best for her and the girls and while Hezekiah doesn't want to come between them, he floats the idea of going to New York together.

He's been given an opportunity to fight out there. He's given the land in Jamaica to Alec's family and is going to New York but wants Mary to go with him.

We then see a well-dressed Hezekiah preparing to leave for New York by himself, saying goodbye to Mr Lao and promising to write to him.

Meanwhile, Sophie is back in the US and is about to unveil the stolen painting but not all is as it seems. It turns out that Alice actually took the real painting and swapped it with the portrait of Mary, sold the Caravaggio and unveils the newfound riches to the Forty Elephants, reading out a letter from Mary in the process.

It was all part of the plan, it seems, with Mary proclaiming Alice as the leader while she's away, confirming that Mary is off to the US with Hezekiah to cement the Forty Elephants' relationships with some New Yorkers.

We hear Mary narrating that soon they'll be involved in a "transatlantic alliance" and then see that she joins Hezekiah on a bench overlooking Manhattan Bridge, confirming that they've made it safely to America with Hezekiah already holding a poster for an upcoming fight with the Eastern Parkway Boxing Club.

A Thousand Blows seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Disney+. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £5.99 a month now.

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