Warning: Spoilers ahead for the finale of A Gentleman in Moscow.

Summary

• Count Rostov finds family, love, and purpose in his confinement at the Metropol Hotel, despite his initial imprisonment.
• The ending of A Gentleman in Moscow remains ambiguous, leaving Alexander's fate open to interpretation.
• Love and sacrifice are the central themes of the show, as Alexander risks everything to ensure the safety and happiness of his found family.

The ending of A Gentleman in Moscow brings with it the conclusion of Alexander Rostov's story, with his 35-year stretch of imprisonment inside Moscow's Metropol Hotel coming to a halt. After returning home from Paris in 1918 to save his grandmother from the violence of Russia's Bolshevik revolution, Count Rostov is sentenced to life imprisonment for his status as a member of the nation's ruling class. However, instead of being locked in a prison cell, Ewan McGregor's character is confined to the walls of a luxury hotel in the nation's capital.

Alexander's is spared execution, unlike so many of his other social peers. The reason for the leniency is Alexander being incorrectly credited with a poem titled "Where is our Purpose Now?" The literary work, actually written in 1913 by Alexander's old friend, Mishka, was partially credited as inciting the Revolution. The count manages to carve out some level of existence for himself at the Metropol, with the novelty of his situation quickly wearing off. Along the way, Alexander Rostov finds the family he'd never had before, giving a man who'd lost everything something else to lose.

What Happens To Alexander Rostov After He Leaves The Metropol Hotel Explained

The post-escape fate of McGregor's character is unknown

At the end of A Gentleman in Moscow episode 8, "Adieu," Alexander dons his hat and strolls through the doors of the Metropol Hotel. After all the phones in the building ring at once as Richard Vanderwhile's signal that Sofia is safe, Alexander can depart while knowing his surrogate daughter is in trusted hands. While Alexander is shown successfully leaving the building, the other side of the door isn't shown, so it's impossible to confirm what happens to the Count after this scene. Even the show's narrator, an older Sofia, confirms that she never knew what her father did next.

"I discovered that Papa had escaped the hotel, but what happened after remains a mystery. I like to imagine [Alexander and Anna] finally free, living out the rest of their lives together. They gave me the greatest gift of life. I'll keep them in my heart. Always. "

The sequence that's shown of Alexander's reunion with Anna in "Adieu" is shot in the same 4:3 aspect ratio as A Gentleman in Moscow's flashbacks sequences, which were often from Count Rostov's point of view. However, as Sofia confirms that she never saw her parents again, this particular scene can't be a memory. Instead, what's being shown is Sofia's imaginings, dreaming of the two people who risked so much to save her enjoying a well-deserved, peaceful life.

Alexander does still have his stolen Finnish passport when he leaves the hotel, so it is possible he was able to flee the country and reunite with Anna.

The black apples shown during this scene are another sign that it's nothing more than Sofia's fantasy. Earlier in the same episode, Alexander tells the Metropol staff of an old legend from when he was growing up. The story tells of a tree hidden deep in the woods, bearing "Apples as black as coal." If a person found and ate the apples, they would have the chance to live their life anew. Alexander immediately adds that he wouldn't eat the apples if he were to find them today, as despite his tumultuous life, it's a journey he doesn't regret.

Alexander is never shown telling Sofia this same story, but the presence of the black apples in the story's closing sequence suggests that he did share the tale with her at some point.

How & Why Sofia Flees Russia At The End Of A Gentleman In Moscow

Sofia's one-way trip to America took careful planning

Despite being a staunch patriot, Alexander is still of the opinion that Sofia would have a better life in America than she would if she were to stay in Russia. Thankfully, Alexander's spying on the country's top brass in A Gentleman in Moscow episode 7, "An Assembly," also presents an opportunity for McGregor's character to send his daughter to safety. The scheme is carried out in collaboration with Alexander's American ally, Richard Vanderwhile, who plans the operation for them.

Only Sofia is granted asylum by the Americans, with Alexander telling his daughter that the request for himself and Anna to receive the same treatment was simply too much to ask.

With the recordings from the meeting in her possession, Sofia heads to Paris as part of a musical tour. After performing, she cuts her hair short and changes her clothes to blend in with the crowd and leaves without being spotted. The powers that be grow wise to her scheme, as they move her performance slot from before the interval to the penultimate position in the running order. Thankfully, Sofia still has just enough time and barely manages to avoid being detected. After arriving at the American embassy in Paris, Vanderwhile arranges for Sofia to be flown to the USA.

Where Alexander Rostov Stands With Osip Glebnikov At The End Of A Gentleman In Moscow

Alexander & Osip exchange declarations of friendship

Alexander's relationship with Osip Glebnikov is intentionally unclear throughout A Gentleman in Moscow. Although Osip is essentially responsible for making sure Alexander doesn't break the terms of his sentence by leaving the Metropol, Alexander's jailer chooses to spend more time with his prisoner than is necessary for him to perform his duties. They engage in etiquette lessons, debates about literature, and even start to watch movies together. However, it mostly seems as though Osip is forcing the interactions to take place. Despite the ambiguity of their arrangement, Osip admits in the finale that he values their relationship.

While warning McGregor's character of the danger Sofia is in - and by extension, Alexander himself - Osip says, "I like you, Alexander. I think of you as a friend." The count replies in his signature guarded style: "As do I you, in a manner of speaking." Osip may not have been the most valued figure to Alexander in his day-to-day life, but their friendship offered both men a different perspective. In addition, Osip also assisted Alexander return to the Metropol undetected following Sofia's trip to the hospital - an act that could have had both characters severely punished, if not killed.

Osip is also instrumental in making sure Anna departs for Finland without Alexander. By the time of "Adieu," Osip's wife and daughter are dead. So, Osip wants to make sure Alexander's family doesn't suffer the same fate.

Did Alexander Leave Manager Leplevsky To Die?

Alexander finally takes the revenge he's been trying to avoid

Leplevsky is the biggest villain throughout the story of A Gentleman in Moscow, with Alexander's life at the Metropol Hotel becoming more difficult as his nemesis rises through the ranks. With Alexander's planned departure from the hotel imminent, it initially seems as though he's willing to let bygones be bygones and spare Leplevsky any acts of revenge. Unfortunately for the hotel manager, his last-minute discovery of Alexander's plan to escape results in McGregor needing to take action.

After arming himself with the dueling pistols from the manager's office, Alexander chains up Leplevsky in the bowels of the Metropol Hotel.

After arming himself with the dueling pistols from the manager's office, Alexander chains up Leplevsky in the bowels of the Metropol Hotel. At the same time, he incinerates the files the manager had been collating about the hotel's staff - Alexander and Sofia included. Leplevsky begs to be set free as Alexander departs, with the exchange between the two adversaries suggesting it would be a while before anyone finds the trapped hotel boss. So, while Alexander doesn't directly murder Manager Leplevsky, he could still be responsible for his death.

How Alexander's Imprisonment In The Metropol Hotel Was The Beginning Of His Life (Not The End)

Alexander Rostov's personal life somehow flourished at the Metropol