The truth behind the Flight D-300 crash and the attack on the US Embassy in London is finally exposed in the finale of Red Eye: Crimson Icarus. The season revealed a conspiracy rooted in corruption and cover-up, with British Defence Secretary Alex Peterson at its center. The season, which began streaming on ITVX and Hulu in January 2026, concluded with a high-stakes trap at Heathrow Airport and long-awaited justice .
What Caused the Flight D-300 Crash?
The official story that a Russian submarine shot down the prototype military aircraft was a complete fabrication . The crash was the result of a fight in the cockpit, triggered by the actions of Defence Secretary Alex Peterson.
Peterson had embezzled millions of dollars from the D-300 aircraft project. He discovered that pilot Patrick Johnson had smuggled a whistleblower, project manager Nicholas Martin, onto the test flight. Martin was carrying evidence of Peterson’s corruption . Peterson contacted the plane and ordered it to turn back. When Patrick Johnson refused, Peterson commanded the co-pilot, Paul Edney, to enforce the order .
A struggle broke out. Edney drew his gun, a shot was fired, and Patrick Johnson was killed. The gunfire or the ensuing chaos damaged the flight controls, causing the plane to crash into the Atlantic Ocean, killing everyone on board . To hide his role, Peterson helped craft the false narrative of a Russian attack .
The Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Blackmail Scheme
A critical piece of evidence survived the crash: the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). Contrary to public reports, it was salvaged . It came into the possession of Ronald Tillman, the former CEO of the company that built the D-300 and the newly appointed US Ambassador to the UK .
Tillman used the recording to blackmail Peterson, forcing the Defence Secretary to support his ambassadorial appointment . However, Tillman later decided to betray Peterson and expose the truth to the British Prime Minister. In response, Peterson hired an ex-SAS assassin, codenamed Fox, to retrieve the recorder and silence everyone who had heard it .
This directive led Fox to infiltrate the US Embassy during Tillman’s welcome party. His mission was to steal the recorder from the ambassador’s safe and execute a kill list of individuals connected to the D-300 inquiry . This created the hostage situation that trapped DS Hana Li and MI5 Director-General Madeline Delaney for much of the season .
Clay Brody’s Secret Identity and Personal Stake
A major twist involved the new character, embassy security chief Clay Brody, played by Martin Compston. Brody was hiding his true identity: his real name was Charles Johnson, and he was the brother of the dead pilot, Patrick Johnson .
He had concealed this to stay on the investigation and clear his family’s name, as Peterson was framing Brody and his father, Air Marshal John Johnson, for the embassy attacks .
“Brody knew if he confessed to Hana his true identity he’d be taken off the case,” noted one recap .
His hidden past created deep tension with Hana Li, but their shared history from police training eventually became a key asset in taking down Peterson .
How Alex Peterson Was Trapped and Arrested
With Fox on the loose and the voice recorder finally recovered, MI5 lacked the direct evidence needed to arrest Peterson for murder and treason. Delaney devised an elaborate sting operation .
MI5 took control of Peterson’s communications and intercepted a message setting up a payment meeting with Fox at Heathwick Airport’s car park 3. Police set up surveillance, but Fox spotted them. Unable to warn Peterson because his phone was blocked, Fox retreated and prepared to snipe his employer instead .
With the real assassin absent, Clay Brody posed as Fox and entered Peterson’s car . Wearing a wire, Brody pretended to be a rogue agent demanding a bribe for his silence. Peterson took the bait, detailing his crimes on the recorded conversation.
“Peterson agreed and handed over a bag of cash… Peterson had incriminated himself,” explained a summary of the scene .
The plan nearly failed when Peterson made a cruel remark about Brody’s brother. An enraged Brody held him at gunpoint, but Hana Li intervened and talked him down, allowing the police to move in and arrest the Defence Secretary .
The Fate of the Assassin Fox
The skilled mercenary Fox evaded capture throughout the season, even escaping the embassy after a brutal fight with Hana . In the finale, after setting up the sniper position at Heathrow, he was finally confronted by Hana Li .
In a callback to an earlier encounter where Fox had terrorized her, Hana gained the upper hand and fired a shot just past his head. Armed officers rushed in and arrested him, bringing the season’s physical threat to an end .
Also Read:
Character Conclusions and Season 2 Aftermath
With the conspiracy solved, the characters faced new beginnings. Hana Li was offered a promotion to work directly for Madeline Delaney at MI5, but she chose to remain a detective for the time being . Clay Brody, having cleared his name, reconciled with his father and was presumably able to give his brother a proper burial .
The season also featured a surprise cameo from Richard Armitage, reprising his role as Dr. Matthew Nolan from Season 1. He appeared to assist Hana’s sister, Jess, saving the life of an injured MI5 officer, but did not share any scenes with Hana Li herself .
Also Read: The Rookie Season 8: How Will Lucy Chen Answer Tim Bradford’s Proposal?
