In the Netflix original spy-action thriller Fubar, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Luke Brunner, a 65-year-old CIA operative facing a dangerous world filled with terrorists and moles within the intelligence agency. Luke’s character is defined by his challenging and intricate life as a spy, as well as by his attempts to strike a balance between his work and personal obligations.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Luke Balance The Job Secrecy And Internal Struggles In His Life?
Luke’s devotion to his work led him to keep his true profession a secret from his loved ones, including his wife, Tally, and their two children. He maintained a cover as a gym equipment salesman to protect their safety. However, this secrecy strained his relationship with Tally, as his constant missions and traveling prevented him from fully committing to his personal life. Luke’s inability to meet Tally’s emotional needs created distance between them and added tension to his character.
Despite the difficulties in his personal life, Luke is a very skilled CIA operative owing to his experience and problem-solving skills. He shows loyalty to his loved ones and is committed to his team. Luke has a strong protective tendency toward his daughter Emma. While initially surprised and concerned about Emma’s involvement in the world of CIA operatives, Luke eventually becomes proud of her skills and bravery. Luke is a complex guy with a range of emotions underneath his stern appearance. He has been deeply affected by his fieldwork experiences, which have resulted in internal tensions and uncertainty. Luke’s frailties and self-doubt make him more relatable and enable the viewer to connect with his dilemmas.
One of Luke’s significant internal conflicts arises when he is faced with the decision of whether to kill Boro, the son of a terrorist he previously killed. Luke had financed Boro’s education but later discovered that Boro had carried on his father’s legacy and grew up to be an illegal weapons smuggler. Despite his empathy for the young man he once cared for, Luke ultimately realizes that killing Boro is necessary to protect the world. This internal struggle showcases the complex choices and sacrifices Luke must make. In the end, Luke’s commitment to doing what is morally right leads him to make difficult decisions. He breaks up with Tally, acknowledging that their relationship was built on lies and deception, and wants her to find someone who can give her undivided attention. However, at his daughter’s request, Luke approaches Tally once more, revealing his true job and hoping for a chance at an honest and guilt-free life together. Unfortunately, before Tally can react, she witnesses the truth firsthand as Luke and Emma take down terrorists and Boro. The compromised identities of their operatives create further complications, leaving the future of the Brunner family uncertain.
How Did Emma Reconcile With Her Father?
Emma Brunner, played by Monica Barbaro, is the daughter of CIA veteran Luke Brunner. Growing up in a dysfunctional family, Emma witnessed her mother’s loneliness and the detachment between her parents. Despite the grief caused by her father’s absence and dubious personality, she never complained and optimistically hoped for a change. Emma’s determination to bring her parents together fueled her academic and extracurricular achievements, as she believed that being a perfect kid would prevent her parents from splitting up. However, as she grew older, Emma realized that she couldn’t control the decisions of others, including her parents. Consequently, she took control of her own life and joined the CIA, leveraging her exceptional skills and dedication to become a competent operative.
Emma’s surname carried weight, unbeknownst to her, due to her father’s reputation in the CIA. Just like Luke, she kept her true job identity hidden from her family. The revelation of their shared secret in Guyana caused both father and daughter to experience a mix of astonishment and disbelief. Emma’s image of her ordinary father, selling gym equipment, shattered, while Luke discovered that his daughter wasn’t the perfect child he had imagined. Emma’s subsequent transformation, including cursing, smoking, and drinking, troubled Luke, but he eventually understood that her actions were part of her job.
Despite her initial adaptability and versatility in her work, Emma became more vulnerable at her workplace after learning about her father’s true identity. She witnessed firsthand the havoc that her father’s secret life had caused in their supposedly perfect family. This realization instilled a sense of fear in Emma that she might end up like her father. Additionally, Emma faced multiple obstacles in her relationship with Carter, sensing its impending failure. However, her empathetic nature, similar to her father’s, prevented her from breaking Carter’s heart, leading her to try to adjust her own life to salvage the relationship.
Emma’s effectiveness as a CIA agent is greatly influenced by her capacity for adaptation and variety. She effectively switches between many identities and roles, fitting into varied settings. She is an essential asset in covert operations because of her capacity to adapt to various circumstances and take on numerous personalities. Nevertheless, her versatility often creates internal conflicts, especially when she is tasked with using seduction as a tactic, as she feels guilty about betraying Carter. However, Emma recognizes that, as part of her job, she cannot deny or avoid such situations. As time passed and Emma matured, she gradually reconciled with her father and recognized the significance of his guidance, despite her previous denial about it. She came to the realization that, like Boro, she had been unfairly shifting blame onto her father for mistakes she had made on her own. With this newfound understanding, Emma embraced her father once again and acknowledged his importance in her life.
Luke and Emma’s characters may continue to develop in greater ways in season 2, possibly taking on a more honest and tenacious operative role. So let’s see if the second season of Fubar sheds light on the difficulties they encountered regarding their compromised identities and the related complications in their family.
