The ending of BBC’s Dope Girls is as explosive as the beginning. Not only does the show neatly tie up all the loose ends, but it also manages to end in a way that the possibility of another season remains very much alive. In this article, we’re going to discuss the climax of the show as well as how a second season of it might look. I have also covered a detailed recap of Dope Girls, if you are looking for one.
Spoilers Ahead
Does Kate kill Luca?
Luca has been a huge problem for Kate (and everyone else, other than his mother) from the moment he set foot in Soho. He ransacked the club the first time he went there, harassed a lot of girls, and humiliated Eddie during a performance, among many other terrible things. He also made things increasingly difficult for elder brother Damaso, who was already dealing with his son going missing—actually dead, as we all know. Their mother continuously favoring her younger son also made Damaso jealous of his brother. He was suffering from an inferiority complex from the very beginning anyway—Luca might be a loose cannon, but he is also more handsome compared to Damaso, and a war hero as well. Luca’s constant taunting of how Damaso was sitting pretty in London while he went to fight for the country is also something that made Damaso mad at his brother. For Kate, this, along with Damaso being romantically into her, ends up coming in very handy.
With Luca knowing the truth about her—that she killed Damaso’s son, Silvio—she was already walking on thin ice. Then she was being forced by Luca to sell drugs in her club, which was something she never wanted to do. Manipulating Damaso into taking care of Luca literally became the only choice for our leading lady, and she does exactly that. Even though Damaso is the one who takes the shot at his own brother, it’s Kate who finishes him off. I’m sure Damaso feels terrible about it and holds himself responsible, but it is Kate who really is the killer of Luca.
Why Does Billie Decide To Stay?
Billie’s subplot of wanting to break free of the circus in Soho adds a lot of value to the main story. Here we have a woman who was abandoned by her own mother, then the same mother—Kate—came back to her when she needed help and made her life all chaotic. But if you think about it, it’s Kate who also helped Billie dream big. She was not doing particularly well before—waitressing at The Danton’s and selling drugs for someone as terrible as Silvio. Kate killing (and stealing from) Silvio did put Billie in a truckload of trouble, but it also got her out. I believe the only reason Billie wanted to move out of Soho was her grudge against Kate, who, despite everything Billie did, never appreciated her enough. For Billie, it felt like her own mother taking her for granted (after abandoning her) and also actively ruining her dream of doing her own expressionist dance show. That’s why when she receives the offer to play a part in a movie—an adaptation of Cleopatra—she decides to take it and move to America. However, with the turn of events, i.e., Kate taking care of the (Luca) Salucci problem and finally taking control of whatever was happening, Billie reconsiders the decision. But what really changes her mind is, I suppose, the one moment where Kate finally lets her know how sorry she is for deserting her when she was a kid and also how great Billie is as a performer. That’s all Billie wanted to hear from her mother. With that happening, I can see the mother-daughter duo running ‘The 33’ together and making waves in Soho.
What does the deal between Violet and Kate mean?
Violet and Kate have always been the two sides of the same coin. All Violet wanted was to serve and protect women of Soho. The desperation made her do Frankie’s bidding—going undercover, taking a job at The 33 to find out what happened to Silvio. But the thing is, Kate was not doing it for the law; she was unknowingly investigating the matter for the Saluccis (as her boss, Frankie, was a Salucci puppet). When she finally realizes that, it dawns upon her that she’s playing for the wrong side. What further breaks her is Lily’s death at the hands of Frankie. By her own admission, Violet’s main reason for joining the police was protecting women like Lily. Naturally, her death changes everything for Violet. Going to Kate and telling her the truth had to be the only way she could fix things. Not to mention, she also had to kill Frankie to avenge Lily’s death.
Obviously Kate got mad at Violet for what she did, but when the dust finally settles, the two of them come to the point of realization—that they genuinely need each other to control Soho and make sure the women are safe. That’s why the deal of helping each other behind the scenes while playing adversaries in public only makes sense. Violet finally being a police officer is a dream coming true for her, and Kate finally gets to be the boss of her own thing. It’s a win-win situation for both and the perfect ending for the show.
But can there be a second season?
I’ve already said that there’s a possibility of this story going further. The best possible way that can happen is Damaso finding out the truth—of Kate being the person who practically killed his brother and son—and deciding to avenge them. That will only mean trouble for Kate, and she’ll have to depend on Violet to handle it. That said, the show might go in an entirely different direction of bringing in new conflicts and new characters. All the existing ones can very well be developed further. Although I’m just speculating here, and we might not get more of Dope Girls—even then, it’ll be okay.
