A memorable six-episode event, The Veil took viewers through the icy mountains and lively city streets, avoiding gunfire and hijacking big-rig trucks.
What started as a simple reconnaissance mission to obtain necessary information turned into a life-and-death mission to find the truth by examining the past.
Imogen and Adilah were two women with very different backgrounds who found kindred spirits and an unlikely bond in one another.
Even though their adventure together had its ups and downs, the roughest parts came during the series finale.
With only six episodes, it’s a wonder the miniseries packed so much in, but we will do our best to unpack the ending of this dramatic thriller series.
A Forced Finale of Terrorists’ Terrible Timing and Intelligence Nowhere in Sight
The main issue during The Veil’s first and currently only season was the threat of an explosive on board a boat headed to an American port.
The series’ first five episodes focused almost entirely on this plan, with Adilah’s associates working in the background to secure all the necessary parts.
In the end, Emir was left with the bomb on board, but before he could finish arming the device, the authorities showed up and shot him in the head.
It all seemed like an easy finale, considering the two men who sacrificed their lives in The Veil Season 1 Episode 3.
The conclusion felt very forced and rushed as the terrorist plot had been the number one thing on everyone’s list, but it was handled rather anti-climactically.
By the last episode, it was revealed that the Russians had been involved and were using ISIS to cover their tracks in their retaliation plan against The U.S.
Related: The Veil Series Premiere Review: Elisabeth Moss Anchors a Taut Thriller
The idea of the Russians’ involvement was less of a twist and more of a whiplash, considering they hadn’t been mentioned once during the entire season.
Though the American and French intelligence agencies were both working on recovering Adilah and the terrorist threat, neither the CIA nor the DGSE were anywhere in sight at Michael’s compound.
However, Malik informed Imogen in the end that all parties were happy that the bomb had been secured and that America was no longer in danger.
As a Lover, Mother, Daughter, and Fighter, Imogen Carries the Weight of Her Past With Every Step She Takes
Imogen’s journey in the series was quite the wild ride, as it forced her to explore her past and all the trauma she hadn’t been dealing with up until that point.
All season, Imogen dropped hints that she was or had been a mother, and at the end of The Veil Season 1 Episode 5, it was confirmed that she once had a daughter.
Though what became of this child was not made clear, audiences did find out that the father was Michael, the mysterious stranger from Imogen’s past who had only been referenced a handful of times.
If that wasn’t enough of a tailspin, by the end of the finale, Imogen discovers that not only was her father a traitor, but he was also alive, making him an abandoner.
It’s implied that the car Imogen sees driving away from the cottage she stumbles upon is her father, but it isn’t explicitly revealed.
Though Adilah didn’t make it in the end, Imogen came very close to getting the woman to freedom, but at least she could see that Yasmina found safe travels home with her aunt.
Through a barrage of mistrust and misinformation, Imogen learns that the most influential men in her life are the ones who have lied to her the most.
Related: 27 Phenomenal Female Spies and Secret Agents
As Imogen is a very calculated individual who never does anything she hasn’t thought about from beginning to end, it’s no surprise that she is ready to jump right into the next mission — hinting at a possible second season.
Was Adilah the “Djinn al Raqqa” or a Mother Trying to Make a Future for Her Daughter?
Adilah had a rough start, not just in the series but in life in general.
From the beginning, she clarified that she was not in contact with most of her family.
The leading case with Adilah throughout the show was that it was never entirely clear where she stood as far as working with ISIS and just being a mother who wants an everyday life with her daughter.
In each episode, Adilah revealed bits and pieces of her past, such as the hotel bomb mission she couldn’t go through and inevitably ran.
That singular act led to one of the most traumatizing experiences of her life, but it also gave her a daughter and a reason to fight and live for.
Unfortunately, Adilah’s journey came to an abrupt end when Patrick, under Michael’s employ, fatally shot the woman before being executed himself by Imogen in The Veil Season 1 Episode 6.
Her last act would be her most defining as she wrote the name of the U.S.-bound vessel carrying the explosive on the window condensation for Imogen to find.
After everything was said and done, Malik informed Imogen that Adilah’s body had been buried in Paris next to her grandfather’s grave.
It was never verified that Adilah was, in fact, the “Djinn as Raqqa,” but she was a desperate mother who would do whatever it took to protect her daughter.
Max and Malik Were a Match Made in Toxic Male Masculinity Heaven
In many ways, Max and Malik were very similar, to the point that they were almost two sides of the same coin — while being vastly different at the same time.
On paper, they’re both company men who believe in their causes and do what they can to secure the safety of their people and country.
However, where Michael has no problem bending or breaking the rules to meet his goals, Malik is the opposite, taking issue with some of the DGSE’s sanctioned surveillance protocols.
Related: Hero or Smooth Criminal? These TV Characters Make It Hard to Tell
In his attempt to pursue and capture Adilah, Max managed to get himself shot in the shoulder, but according to Malik talking to Imogen, Max was rushed to the hospital and was fine.
Malik managed to avoid any and all gunfire throughout the series, and most of the physical fighting he did was with Max in the most inappropriate places, like the airport in The Veil Season 1 Episode 1.
You could say that he experienced the most emotional wounds as he cared for Imogen and even called her by her real name in the end, but those feelings weren’t required as Imogen left him and Paris behind in the mission.
The Veil was a series that mixed espionage danger with moving, character-driven storylines, and it asks the question, how far would we go for the ones we love?
What did you think of The Veils’ ending?
Do you hope there will be another season, as the show left room for more stories to be told?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join us again when we explain the endings of your favorite shows!
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Joshua Pleming is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X.
