'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUI/8QAHRAAAQQCAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFESRBgf/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/8QAFhEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAER/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDNdPI0Ycc6vNiIJ5nb5DpXhwPWgDpSfERVuiH/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The To Kill a Monkey Season 1 finale starts and finishes on one unyielding note: betrayal. From the first scene to the last few seconds before blackness, the focus on disintegrated allegiance, broken trust, and existence within conditions of tension is constant. And it's Efe, who is initially introduced as a keeper of allegiance, who becomes the pivot of its destruction.
As the season draws to an end, To Kill a Monkey does not provide audiences with a tidy resolution. Instead, it forces them to wrestle with the price of self-preservation, the ethics of manipulation, and the ruin it leaves in its wake. Even the destiny of Efe is left uncertain, lending more complexity to the series' exploration of power and the point where fear intersects—and who they devour.
Efe's transformation: From ally to betrayer
In To Kill a Monkey, Efe's journey is not characterized by a single act of betrayal but by a series of more and more selfish choices. His union with Oboz appears genuine in the beginning, but at the end, it's clear that Efe has been heading in the direction of isolationism. He doesn't just abandon Oboz; he causes the death of Oboz.
This is not framed as an evil deed. Instead, the show frames it as the result of extreme pressure and moral decay. Efe's decision is consistent with the intricate mix of devotion, fear, and ambition—mainstays of To Kill a Monkey. Efe does not come out unscratched in the end. After his failed flight, he is double-crossed by Amanda and shot at court on Idia, Oboz's wife's, orders. His destiny remains ambiguous.
The demise of "Teacher": Power without authority
The crime lord "Teacher" has a dominant presence for everyone. But in the season finale of To Kill a Monkey, the facade is destroyed. His schemes, devilish and calculated, are starting to crumble as the individuals he attempts to manipulate resist or turn against him. Unlike a melodramatic collapse, his failure is a gradual one, characterized by a worsening inability to anticipate or control others' responses.
The real barometer of "Teacher's" failure is his misestimation of Efe and Oboz. By the time Efe betrays the group and Amanda turns, "Teacher" has lost the respect he began with. It's a small but total loss of control, typical of the show's preference for psychological coup d'état rather than flashy epiphanies.
A finale based on moral ambiguity
What distinguishes To Kill a Monkey from other thrillers is its shunning of moral dichotomies. The series shows that no one is absolutely good or bad. Efe's treachery is tempered with survivalist rationale. Amanda's double-cross is the result of self-interest. Even Idia's revenge, with someone murdered, is instigated by personal tragedy instead of cruelty.
No heroes in To Kill a Monkey, just those acting under coercion to varying levels of self-survival. The conclusion solidifies this by taking away all pretense of protection. Everybody is spoiled, and anything can happen.
Open ending: Does Efe survive?
Perhaps the most fiercely argued component of the To Kill a Monkey conclusion is how vague it is. After being shot on the stand, Efe's status is never confirmed. The screen blacks out, deliberately avoiding closure. This creative choice leaves it uncertain what happens to Efe, opening it up for further exploration should season two be given the green light.
This ambivalence isn't merely a literary tool; it's also the larger message of the show: that life, particularly in a morally ambiguous one, rarely provides us with conclusions. Whether or not Efe makes it, the harm is done. All the relationships are broken, and all the surviving characters have to pick up the shards.
What the ending sets up
Loose threads of To Kill a Monkey give obvious directions for further storylines. Amanda's motivation, Teacher's reduced appearance, and Idia's definition of right and wrong are all good foundations to build on for future episodes. Above all, the effects of Efe's betrayal invite the continuation of the consequences, forgiveness, and revenge plotlines.
If the show does come back, the focus will presumably still be on these broken characters trying to regain power, rebuild alliances, or just get by in a world where trust has broken down.
To Kill a Monkey season finale is a slow-motion breakdown of order, trust, and morals. Efe's betrayal, Teacher's manipulations unraveling, and the emotional destruction all combine to give us a wildly left-open but thematically fulfilling conclusion. It does not dictate comeuppance; it leaves them hanging.
Trending
This ending offers no heroes, redemption, or hope. Instead, it gives us a cold, unvarnished presentation of what happens when personal survival takes precedence over group loyalty. And in that sense, To Kill a Monkey stays resolutely on message: everybody has a breaking point.
Also read: To Kill a Monkey cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the Netflix crime thriller?
Reply
