Robert Gambles & Wins in 'COBRA's Explosive Series Finale

It’s the series finale of COBRA and the final installment of Season 3’s Rebellion. In short, anything that could happen now... will. Hang on to your hats; this overstuffed episode includes big explosions inside and outside Downing Street. We pick up where we left off at the end of the series’ penultimate installment: Archie at home, under attack by Dan Goddard. Surprisingly, the conversation that follows the spate of initial violence is almost rational. Both Dan and Archie have lost children; Archie’s son died years ago during a military exercise, and Dan’s daughter Polly was killed during the explosion set off by Planet Resistance. Dan veers between contempt and anger, raging against government action that makes a mockery of honor, sacrifice, and the price of freedom. At least Dan is no longer threatening to blow up Downing Street, but there will be another explosion unless Robert Sutherland resigns.

When Archie contacts Robert and Anna, he admits that he trusts Dan (more or less), although Downing Street’s pathological scenery-chewer believes Dan’s “pathological about honor.” Ironically, Dan didn’t know Corvid Aerospace made the ransom payment; however, the money was never of interest to him. He isn’t the only one scheming to remove Robert from the prime ministership. Defense Secretary Victoria Dalton has called a secret meeting of her best friends in government, including the recently resigned Home Secretary Joseph Obasi. She wants Robert deposed and plans to become PM herself. Robert has been responsible for one disaster after another. He’s irrational and compromised; he’s having an affair, and his daughter Ellie is a liability. A vote of no confidence is proposed and unanimously accepted.

Staring down the barrel of losing his position, Robert goes on the attack and fires Eleanor, the Head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, despite her being a loyal, intelligent team member. He appoints Ben Fanshawe (Wil Johnson), formerly head of Counter Terrorism, in her place. 

Robert and Anna meet with Ellie. Her father demands she explain why she never mentioned Nate and shows her a video interview about Nathan’s work for Rhombus. They provide the incendiary device, which he believes will only damage the drilling machine, but they meant it to take out Planet Resistance. Meanwhile, Eleanor calls her friend Zelda, head of Rhombus, to tell her she’s in the market for a job. However, when they meet, Eleanor tells her her job was and is in defense of the realm. Her loyalty is to the country and Robert Sutherland, not Zelda or Rhombus, and she’s appalled Zelda ordered Nate’s assassination to cover up their involvement.

We also learn Robert is cutting off relations with Shirasia for increasing military activity on the Peninsula. He acknowledges Anna has been right all along, but he can’t set things straight unless he is still in power and with Anna at his side. As they arrive for the day’s COBRA, Audrey Hemmings, Director of the Civil Contingent Secretariat, reports that the Metro Ultraline was behind schedule, running out of funds, and planned to excavate at Godley Common, knowing the ground was unsafe. Robert immediately decides to kill the Ultraline project and pass its remaining funding to the carbon reduction scheme he recently opened, declaring Archie will approach France for additional support in the future. 

Meanwhile, Special Ops arrive at Dan’s flat after receiving a message that he wants to turn himself in. But Dan’s not there; he’s chained himself to the war memorial in Whitehall, with the Damocles XR aimed right at it. He holds Polly’s necklace as he throws out a handful of leaflets before the mortar fire destroys him and the memorial. A loud rumbling outside indicates the arrival of military vehicles and troops, putting the area under military control at Victoria’s orders. Robert, accompanied by Archie and Anna, confronts her in her office. She declares she has restored law and order (or her version thereof), which Robert couldn’t do. She tells Robert to resign and hand over leadership to her.

Robert considers the possibility that Victoria has enough support to take over the party’s leadership. However, Eleanor interrupts, bringing what she learned from her visit to Rhombus. A few years ago, a group from Planet Resistance broke into a Condor Aerotech facility, damaged a fighter jet, and was arrested. However, they argued that using the fighter jet would be a crime against humanity, and the court acquitted them. Condor Aerotech’s CEO Gerald Kendrick was furious, calling the court decision “a dangerous precedent” before hiring Rhombus to destroy Planet Resistance. Godley Common offered the means to do so. 

Addressing his stockholders, Gerald Kendrick is announcing that Condor Aerotech is on the verge of massive profits and will gain influence with the royal family of Shirasia on board when Robert walks into the meeting and tells everyone except Gerald to leave. Robert smacks a folder of evidence of Condor’s illegal activities on the table, suggesting he could hand it to the press. However, if he stays as Prime Minister, he could not give it to the media (keeping it as a future weapon). Either way, Condor’s deal with Shirasia is finished.

The following day, Robert hands Victoria a resignation letter after offering her the PM’s chair in his office. But when she looks at it, she realizes the name on it is hers: Gerald handed over recordings of their incriminating conversations. Although that might not have been strictly legal, it provided another damning file stuffed with evidence of Victoria’s corruption. She is out (along with sleazy press officer Peter Mott). Robert then heads outside to address the press, and to our surprise, he announces he has resigned and plans to concentrate on being the best father possible to Ellie, of whom he’s immensely proud. Archie will stand in as interim PM until a new leader is elected. (Archie finally gets what he wanted!) Meanwhile, Anna meets Francine and Ellie in a coffee shop, handing over the file of incriminating documents on Gerald and Victoria. 

Two weeks later, Francine holds a press conference, announcing charges against Condor Aerotech and Rhombus for conspiring to destroy a peaceful organization. She also pledges to overturn the unpopular Civil Disturbance Bill. Gerald is arrested, as Planet Resistance leader Henry Wicks announces to his overjoyed supporters all charges have been dropped. Francine is asked whether she’s going for Labour Party leadership, and she responds by saying her goal is, as always, to make the country a better and fairer place. (We’ll take that as a yes.) Watching on his laptop, Archie smiles at early polling numbers, which give surprisingly high ratings for the new Tory leader. It’s time for Archie to become fairy godmother again with a personal call to the Sunderland home.

When Archie arrives, Robert has just cooked his famed cauliflower cheese for Anna and Ellie. Archie accepts a glass of wine and reminds them Francine Bridge, fresh, young, and dangerous, will almost certainly be the next Labour leader. As acting PM, Archie is too old to take her on. There’s only one candidate who could beat her: Robert. Robert starts to protest he’s retired, but the gleam in his eye as Archie assures him the polls are looking good with their colleagues regretting the attempted coup says otherwise. Archie tells him that working openly with Anna will increase support even more. Having said his piece, Archie leaves, and Robert looks slightly smug. Anna asks if he knew this would happen, and Ellie admits she’d vote for him. 

Robert smiles but still doesn’t say a word. “Let’s dance!” Anna says, and on that note, the series ends.

Briefing Room Bits

• What happened to Nate? Did we (or is it just me) miss something?
• Are Planet Resistance the good guys now?
• Is Henry (leader of Planet Resistance) still a power-mad sleaze?
• Who is Ben Fanshawe, who was given Eleanor’s job? I believe he is/was Director of Counter-Terrorism, but otherwise, he only distinguished himself by looking serious in a COBRA meeting in Episode 5.
• What happened to the missing Princess? (You’d forgotten, hadn’t you? I knew it.)