The first season of Netflix’s House of Guinness concludes with a tense cliffhanger that leaves the fate of the Guinness family hanging in the balance. The finale brings the season’s political and personal conflicts to a head at a pivotal political rally for Arthur Guinness, where a promised twist involving Patrick Cochrane delivers a moment of high drama.
In the final moments, Patrick Cochrane, the Fenian Brotherhood leader, successfully infiltrates Arthur’s political rally with the intention of assassinating him. As Arthur speaks, Patrick raises a rifle and fires a shot. The screen cuts to black before viewers see who, if anyone, is hit, leaving the outcome a mystery for a potential second season.
What happens at Arthur’s rally?
The final episode sees the four Guinness siblings—Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Benjamin—presenting a united front by sitting together on stage at Arthur’s political rally. Despite their past betrayals and arguments, they choose to stand together, knowing that an assassin is likely targeting them. This is a powerful show of family solidarity after a season of conflict.
Security at the event is handled by the brewery’s foreman, Sean Rafferty, who is aware of the threat from Patrick. Ellen Cochrane, Patrick’s sister who has grown close to Edward, is also there to help. She specifically asks Rafferty to capture her brother, not kill him, if he appears. As Arthur begins his speech, the tension in the hall is palpable.
How does Patrick get to Arthur?
Patrick’s plan to attack Arthur is sophisticated. His men create a small disturbance in the crowd, which successfully draws the attention of Rafferty and his security team. In the brief moment of distraction, Patrick slips into the venue unnoticed. His men had previously hidden a gun inside the hall, which he retrieves. He then moves through the crowd, getting closer to the stage where Arthur is speaking.
However, Patrick’s presence does not go completely unseen. His sister, Ellen, spots him in the crowd. Despite their shared commitment to the Irish Republican cause, Ellen does not want her brother to become a murderer. She immediately blows a whistle to alert Rafferty and his men to Patrick’s location. Her action creates a moment of choice: is she betraying her brother to save him, or is she choosing the Guinness family over her own?
What is the final shot?
The series ends with a literal bang. As the whistle blows, Patrick takes aim at Arthur Guinness and pulls the trigger. The gunshot rings out, but the camera cuts away at the crucial moment. The screen goes black, and the credits begin to roll without revealing where the bullet landed.
This means viewers are left with several pressing questions: Was Arthur shot and killed? Did Patrick miss his target? Did someone else, perhaps Rafferty or even Edward, jump in front of the bullet to save Arthur? The fate of the main character is completely unknown.
Anthony Boyle, who plays Arthur, commented on the family’s decision to stand together on stage despite the danger. “They all do love each other,” the actor said. “They come up on stage with him, and it’s such a powerful thing for Arthur — that they’re risking being killed to stand beside him even after all the arguments and all the mess” .
Why does Patrick want to kill Arthur?
The assassination attempt is the result of the deep political and religious conflicts that have run throughout the season. The Guinness family, as wealthy Protestants supporting the union with Great Britain, are seen as enemies by Irish nationalist groups like the Fenian Brotherhood, which Patrick leads.
Earlier in the season, Patrick was arrested for his revolutionary activities. Edward Guinness helped negotiate a deal for Patrick’s release on the condition that he be sent to New York. While this saved Patrick from prison, he viewed it as an exile engineered by the Guinness family to get him out of the way. His return to Dublin with a gun is his way of seeking revenge and striking a blow for his cause.
What does the ending mean for the family?
The cliffhanger ending emphasizes the central theme of the show: the fragile nature of family legacy. The Guinness heirs have spent the season battling external threats and internal betrayals. Their final act of unity on the rally stage shows they understand that their power and survival depend on sticking together.
Creator Steven Knight explained that by the finale, “they’ve all rallied around the flag of Guinness for different reasons” . Edward wants the business to succeed, Arthur has accepted his leadership fate, Anne believes the family’s success will allow her to do more good, and Benjamin is along for the ride. For a brief moment before the gunshot, they are a united family. The sound of the bullet is a stark reminder that their world remains incredibly dangerous.
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