The finale of Netflix’s latest action series, The Brothers Sun, delivers a satisfactory conclusion that wraps up the story arc introduced this season while setting up a possible second season.
The series follows the Sun family, who rule a formidable Taiwanese Triad named the Jade Dragons. The story kicks off when the patriarch of the family, Big Sun (Johnny Kou), is shot by a mysterious faction, The Boxers, after they attack his son, Charles, in his home. Before Big Sun slips into a coma, he orders Charles to go find his mother, Eileen (Michelle Yeoh), and younger brother, Bruce (Sam Song Li).
Charles’s life-altering visit disrupts the seemingly average existence Bruce had been living with Eileen in suburban LA. The unsuspecting Bruce discovers his family’s ties to the Chinese underworld and also has to choose between family duty and personal ambitions.
The eight-part series is darkly comedic and has odes to old-school Chinese action films aplenty. There is even a Jurassic Park homage thrown in there. But the characters all undergo their own arcs as the show progresses. We find out why Eileen had to leave Charles behind in Taiwan with his father. It also explained her role in the syndicate and how it protected her from all the Triads, including Big Sun.
So, how does The Brothers Sun end?
The Brothers Sun takes a drastic turn as Charles, initially sent to protect his family, receives a shocking order from Big Sun to kill his younger brother, Bruce, for an alleged betrayal. This startling twist convinces Charles to pick his mother and Bruce’s side.
The aftermath of a massive shootout resulting in the Triad busts sees Bruce’s crush and member of The Boxers, Grace (Madison Hu), dead. And one of the Triad bosses, Frank Ma, is now behind bars. He strikes a deal with the cops, offering crucial information, given Big Sun is arrested first, in exchange for his freedom.
The climax of the episode sees Bruce confronted by Big Sun, who offers him a chance to join the family hierarchy by taking Charles’s place. However, Bruce takes matters into his own hands, shooting Big Sun in the stomach. But Bruce is not a killer. He makes sure to avoid any major organs and leaves Big Sun with a choice—either bleed to death or call for an ambulance, which would lead to his arrest.
Eileen, who worked as a nurse in America, visits Big Sun in the hospital. She marks Big Sun as a diabetic on his medical chart, which he is not. This move ensures he cannot come after Eileen and her sons anymore. He will continue getting regular doses of insulin, which would lead to a slow, torturous demise for the once-powerful Triad leader. This leaves the way open for Eileen Sun to make her move to become the Dragon Head, the one who gets to be the boss of all the Triad bosses. She announces her intention to return to Taiwan and run the family business.
Bruce, driven by a desire for normalcy, attempts to convince Charles to let their mother go alone. Even though Eileen gave him the option to stay back, open a chain of bakeries that could also double as money laundering fronts. However, Charles, once bound by a sense of duty and honour to protect his family, chooses to accompany Eileen this time. June (Alice Hewkin) joins them, setting the stage for the story to continue if there is another season.
You can watch The Brothers Sun on Netflix.
