Black Rabbit ending explained – series creators react to shocking final scenes

Given this, the show's creators Kate Susman and Zach Baylin have delved into those devastating final moments, explained why they had to happen and revealed whether a second season could be on the cards.

The series follows Jude Law's Jake, the owner of New York restaurant Black Rabbit, whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of his brother Vince, played by Jason Bateman. Vince is in debt to some New York crime bosses, who threaten his life if he isn't able to stump up the cash.

Jake makes a deal for his brother's safety, a payment plan he intends to keep with mob boss Joe Mancuso and his son Junior, with the Black Rabbit as collateral.

However, when Vince tells Junior that a bartender from the Black Rabbit has accused one of its patrons, Jules, of sexual assault, he sees it as a threat to the deal, and goes to threaten her. In doing so, he accidentally kills her.

With things spiralling, Junior plans to kill Jake and Vince to cover up his own involvement in Anna's death. Jake offers him the opportunity to rob the great and good of the New York nightlife scene at a memorial for Anna at the Black Rabbit.

Vince joins Junior in the robbery, where prominent musician and artist Wes ends up getting shot. Vince then ends up having to save his brother Jake and kill Junior himself. He then has to go on the run from Mancuso, but the latter kidnaps his daughter Gen.

Jake manages to save her by trading Vince’s location, before meeting with him one last time. Vince reveals to Jake that he killed their abusive father, in order to save their mother. Jake explains that he already knew this and loved Vince anyway.

Vince calls the police to confess his involvement in the robbery and Wes's murder. Then, the tragic moment which had always been coming – Vince jumps from the roof of the Black Rabbit to his death, believing this will save brother’s life.

In the final moments of the series, Mancuso hugs Jake and leaves him be once he learns of Vince’s death. Jules is then arrested for assaulting Anna, the Rabbit's chef Roxie starts up a new business, and Wes's girlfriend Estelle, who Jake was having an affair with, goes off on her own.

Jake tries to make the most of his new freedom, and gets ready to man the bar at someone else’s restaurant.

Now, speaking with Variety, co-creator Susman revealed that they always planned for Vince to die, as they knew the show would always be a limited run - one season and done.

Susman said: "We always knew this was meant to be a limited series. We always knew that that was kind of where it was going to end for the brothers.

"Vince made the only and final sacrifice he felt like he could make to help Jake. We went through rounds of how that might happen and how Jake might be able to survive after that.

"That was always the finish line for that character Vince was moving toward. He begins as a very selfish character and can’t act beyond what’s in front of his face. He makes a decision that he feels will free his brother from what he has brought him."

Meanwhile, when asked whether they ever envisioned more to this story beyond the one season, the show's other co-creator Baylin said: "We always knew this was meant to be a limited series.

"We talked a lot about the idea of familial bonds also being anchors sometimes. It was this co-dependent relationship, and, not to valorise what Vince does, but I think that there was a sense of him trying to rid Jake. That felt organic to who Vince was and his story. But it felt like the natural place where it was always going to end."

"It’s a tragedy," Susman added. "That was how we set out to tell the story. There’s hope in it. But we always knew that it was a tragic tale of brothers."

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