Fans who just watched the intense finale of Apple TV‘s thriller The Last Frontier saw a complete story. U.S. Marshal Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke) confronted the conspiracy behind a plane crash, while Sidney Scofield (Haley Bennett) faced the violent fallout of her own secret plan. But this ending was almost very different. The show’s creators originally planned to hold back the season’s biggest secret until the very last moments, a decision they changed to avoid what they felt would be a cheap trick.
Why The Show’s Biggest Secret Was Revealed Early
The central mystery of the first season is the crash of a prison transport plane in the Alaskan wilderness. For most of the story, CIA operative Sidney Scofield appears to be helping Frank investigate the disaster and hunt the escaped convicts. However, in a flashback in Episode 8, titled “L’air Perdu,” it is revealed that Sidney herself was responsible for causing the crash.
This revelation was initially meant to be the final scene of Season 1. Showrunner Jon Bokenkamp explained that the original plan was to end the season with the shocking twist that Sidney was behind everything. The idea was to leave audiences with a major cliffhanger, wondering what would happen next.
“I love a good twist at the end. I love a good Keyser Soze or ‘I see dead people,’ you name it. I love those hooks. But because it’s a series, it felt like — we originally were thinking that might be the end of the season,” Bokenkamp said in an interview.
However, the creative team decided this approach would not serve the story or the characters. They worried it would feel more like a gimmick to force viewers to return for another season, rather than a satisfying conclusion to the narrative they had built. Bokenkamp and his team chose to move the reveal to earlier in the season.
“But then, as a TV show, that felt like it would be gimmicky [or] like a hook, ‘come back next season,’ as opposed to giving the audience full resolution, ending this story, living with the fallout of that reveal for two, three more episodes. And that’s why we decided to move [the episode] up,” Bokenkamp stated.
This crucial change meant the final two episodes could focus on the emotional and moral consequences of Sidney’s actions. Audiences saw how Frank, Sidney, her superior Jacqueline Bradford (Alfre Woodard), and her husband Levi “Havlock” Hartman (Dominic Cooper) dealt with the weight of the betrayal and its deadly results.
How The Early Twist Changed The Finale’s Focus
By revealing Sidney’s guilt in Episode 8, the story shifted from a simple “whodunit” to a deeper exploration of character and consequence. The final episodes, particularly the season finale which aired on December 5, 2025, were able to focus on resolution rather than just surprise.
The climax of the season sees multiple conflicts come to a head at the Nenana Dam. Sidney, aiming to expose the corrupt Atwater Protocol assassination program, confronts Bradford, who helped pervert her father’s creation. Their brutal fight ends with Bradford falling to her death. Meanwhile, Frank must choose between capturing Havlock or saving a critically injured Sidney. He chooses mercy, letting Havlock escape to get Sidney medical help.
These final moments are packed with character decisions that were only possible because the secret was out. Frank’s choice to break protocol, Sidney’s confrontation with her own morality, and the tense family scene where Frank confesses a painful secret to his wife Sarah (Simone Kessell) all stem from the fallout of the earlier reveal.
Actor Jason Clarke, who plays Frank, felt this journey was crucial. “He earns your respect. He earns your empathy,” Clarke said about his character’s arc. “He’s flesh and blood, and he’s done the work to deserve your care”.
Rewatching The Season With New Eyes
The decision to move the twist also makes the show more rewarding to watch a second time. Bokenkamp emphasized that the writers worked hard to ensure Sidney was “playing fair” with the audience throughout the entire season. Even as she withholds information, her dialogue and actions have a double meaning that becomes clear once you know her true mission.
“I think everything we were doing all season long is building toward that [reveal]. And if you watch it again, I do think you re-contextualize and do see things that they’re saying, things that [Sydney’s] talking about that all — she’s playing fair the whole time, she’s just withholding information like a good spy,” Bokenkamp explained.
This careful planning transforms the viewing experience. Early scenes where Sidney appears nervous or gives vague answers are re-contextualized as the actions of a person living in fear of her secret being discovered. Her determination to control the investigation is seen not as dedication, but as a necessity to cover her tracks.
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The Finale’s Last-Minute Twist And Future Stories
While the major twist was moved, the season finale on December 5 still delivered a final surprise. After letting Havlock go, Frank is led to believe Havlock died in a car fire. In the final moments of the episode, Frank is at home with his family when he receives a phone call. It is Havlock, very much alive, who had faked his death.
“I can live with the fact that you are alive out there somewhere in the world,” Frank tells him. “Just so long as you stay as far away as possible from my little corner of the world”.
Havlock’s reply suggests their story is far from over: “That’s going to be difficult, because you and your little corner of the world, Frank, are now the center of everything”. The final shot shows Havlock watching from a distance as Sidney is taken into custody, hinting at his plans for the future.
This ending provides a hook for a potential second season while still giving closure to the main conspiracy of Season 1. The corrupt Atwater Protocol has been exposed, Bradford is dead, and Frank’s family is beginning to heal. The changed story structure allowed the show to have both a complete narrative and a tease of what might come next.
All 10 episodes of The Last Frontier Season 1 are now available to stream on Apple TV+.
