Summary
- War of the Worlds season 3 ended on a strong note, paying off its themes and offering hope in a bleak future.
- The season introduced new sci-fi concepts and added more science to the science fiction, resulting in a culmination of heady themes.
- The finale explored the inevitability of fate and the acceptance of death, as characters made selfless sacrifices and faced the consequences.
War of the Worlds season 3 ended on a strong note by paying off its heady themes and giving viewers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak future. Premiering in 2019, the Epix original series follows survivors on Earth after an alien attack wipes out most of the human life on the planet. Loosely based on H.G. Wells' seminal science fiction novel, the series was unafraid to deviate from classic conventions and opt for new interpretations of the well-trod tale. Wells' books served as the framework, but it was clear from the start that the War of the Worlds TV show was its own thing entirely.
Met with generally positive reviews from the start (via Rotten Tomatoes), the creators of the series addressed criticisms of the show's first season and corrected them accordingly. Upping the ante considerably, War of the Worlds season 2 introduced new sci-fi concepts like time travel and alternate universes to add some spice to the alien invasion storyline that had dominated the premiere outing. War of the Worlds season 3 continued that trend and added even more science to the science fiction to the point that the season finale was a culmination of heady themes and well-written techno-jargon.
What Happened In War Of The Worlds Season 3
After killing Emily (Daisy Edgar-Jones) in the final episode of War of the Worlds season 2 to prevent the future, Bill (Gabriel Byrne) was left in an alternate timeline and in police custody for murder. He wasn't the only person to travel back to the past as Adina (Ania Sowinski) and a few of her lackeys also went with Bill in order to wreak havoc. MI5 Agent Zoe (Pearl Chanda) needs Bill's help and manages to break him out of jail, and scientist Catherine (Léa Drucker) investigates the unusual black hole activity near Earth.
Astronauts Juliet (Lizzie Brocheré) and Richard (Lukas Haas) witness strange anomalies in space and begin investigating Adina and her evil plan. Adina's plan involves a particle accelerator that will draw the black hole that separates the two alternate realities closer to the Earth where the invasion never occurred. The black hole in the other timeline was what caused so much destruction back in season 1, and Adina hoped to replicate that effect. Catherine, Bill, and the astronauts devise a dangerous plan to close the black hole for good which will ostensibly end the invasion timeline once and for all. The problem is, they don't know the consequences of their actions.
The Black Hole Caused The Visions
Shows like War of the Worlds are effective because they pose questions that demand answers which cause viewers to tune in to find out. Season 2 of the show posed a lot of questions, not the least of which was why so many characters in the non-invasion timeline were having visions of the invasion. War of the Worlds season 3 offered an answer by explaining that the presence of the black hole at the edge of Earth's atmosphere was causing temporal disturbances that manifested as visions in people's minds. Since the black hole was a gateway to the invasion timeline, it also showed brief glimpses of the other side.
Did Bill Survive?
The star of the show from episode one, Gabriel Byrnre's Bill had a complicated path to the War of the Worlds season 3 finale and was tasked with some morally complicated chores. Besides killing Emily, he also introduced a deadly virus into the bloodstream of the invaders which came with its own moral quandaries. However, his selfless sacrifice to help collapse the black hole was one act that was entirely pure intentioned, but it left him in a bad way. Bill in the invasion timeline was shown being killed by the invaders' robot dogs, but the alternate timeline Bill was still alive, albeit in a coma.
Though War of the Worlds was often a bleak and hopeless series, the choice to allow Bill to survive in a coma seems to suggest that he will pull through in one way or another. His son was even willing to forgive him which was an additional ray of light for the troubled neurosurgeon. Considering how unflinching the deaths in the show often were, if Bill was supposed to die in both timelines, it surely would have been shown on screen.
Why Juliet Stayed With Richard
With the introduction of new characters like Juliet and Richard in season 3, the cast of War of the Worlds swelled, which allowed for more interesting depictions of the show's themes. Astronauts Juliet and Richard were a bright spot in the final season, but their tragic deaths were somewhat strange, and Juliet's choice to die was even stranger. The collapse of the black hole caused a massive explosion which destroyed the space station and left the pair adrift in space. However, the station was equipped with an escape pod which could have allowed Juliet to flee before she was caught up in the blast.
She chose to stay with Richard because that was what he saw in the visions that he received from the black hole earlier in the season. Though the entire plan was about averting a potential timeline, Juliet chose to stay with him as an act of love, but it also played into the show's themes of the inevitability of fate. That theme had been explored more fatalistically in previous seasons, but Juliet embodied the theme with a smile instead of a scowl.
What Juliet’s Final Vision Meant
While other characters were being served up horrifying visions of the invasion timeline by the proximity of the black hole, Juliet's final moments were actually a sweet culmination of the idea of alternate realities. As an astronaut, Juliet was forced to make many sacrifices, including putting parenthood on hold. However, as she floated out to space after the explosion, Juliet was treated to a vision of a world in which she made the other choice and raised a family instead. While haunting, it was a touching reminder to the character that things worked out for her in another life.
The Alien’s Needed Tom’s Blood
Though complicated sci-fi movies are nothing new, War of the Worlds was mostly easy to understand throughout its first two seasons on the air. However, War of the Worlds season 3 got convoluted quickly, and a bulk of the confusion centered around Adina's plan and why she needed Tom (Ty Tennant). Tom is Emily's half-brother, and because they share DNA, he shares DNA with Adina and the rest of the invaders. Unlike Emily though, Tom was never infected with the deadly virus, and his useful blood was a clean slate.
In the invasion timeline, Tom had been affected by the black hole, and he was offered up by Sophia (Emilie de Preissac) as a booby trap to catch the invaders. Tom's blood was laced with warfarin which then caused all the invaders who used his blood to fall ill and eventually die. Though it didn't wipe out every invader, it cut down their numbers enough to no longer make them a threat.
Martha’s Pregnancy Explained
As previously mentioned, War of the Worlds was never a particularly hopeful series, and characters died with impunity in the bleakest of ways. However, the ending of War of the Worlds season 3 did offer a few cracks in the show's tough facade which allowed glimmers of light to come in. Tom and Martha's (Molly Windsor) Relationship was an interesting development in the final season, and it also came to be a symbol of a hopeful future as they were revealed to be expecting a child. Since time is biologically attached to the invaders, his child with Martha is the symbolic unification of both types of human beings.
The Real Meaning Of War of the Worlds Season 3’s Ending
Though nothing was formally announced, it's safe to say that War of the Worlds season 3 was the final outing for the series, which makes the season finale all the more meaningful. Across the show's trilogy of seasons, the theme has always been the dark inevitability of fate, and how death was a certainty. The last episode both confirmed that theme, and went back on it as the fates of characters like Bill were left cautiously optimistic at best. While he'll probably never be the same, he might at least come away with his life.
Meanwhile, Juliet's death was surprisingly hopeful despite the fact that it was certain, and it symbolizes the acceptance of death which was always pushed off in the first two seasons of War of the Worlds. Bill could never accept his role as the bringer of destruction, even if it was necessary, but the finale showed that sacrificing himself was the choice he was willing to make. Only once characters accepted their own inevitable demise, could they actually solve the problems that they faced.