Netflix’s miniseries A Man In Full, starring Jeff Daniels, is out, but what becomes of Daniels’ conflicted lead character by the end of the show?
Daniels plays Charlie Croker, an Atlanta real estate mogul who is faced with sudden bankruptcy and tries to defend his empire from those attempting to capitalise on his fall from grace.
The show is based on the satirical novel of the same name by Tom Wolfe, first published in 1998. The adaptation has been overseen by David E. Kelley, who is known as the creator of Big Little Lies and Ally McBeal, among other shows.
The show runs for six episodes, three of which were directed by the Oscar-winning actor Regina King, who also directed the 2020 film One Night In Miami. All six episodes debuted on Netflix on May 2.
It also features a soundtrack chock full of classic hits, including by ABBA, Shania Twain, Killer Mike and Raphael Saadiq. See the full list here.
Does Charlie make it through the ending of A Man In Full?
At the very start of the first episode, we see the lifeless body of Charlie lying on the floor, while in voiceover, he says: “When you die, will people notice?”
Recommended
The show then spools back to tell the story of the final ten days of Charlie’s life, which sees him both trying to fend off the collapse of his real estate empire and attempt to help his acquaintance Conrad.
Conrad is married to Charlie’s assistant Jill, and is embroiled in a court case after fighting back against an assault by a police officer when the officer tries to tow his car away. Jill pleads Charlie to help with the stiff $1million bail set by the judge. Charlie, up until now a ruthless and stern man, appears to show remorse for Conrad’s predicament. He is eventually able to find a lawyer that gets Conrad off his charges.
Meanwhile, with bankruptcy looming, Charlie is being honoured at his old Atlanta college. His creditors are preparing to call in a $800million debt, but the Atlanta mayor offers to help him out, if Charlie will publicly reveal a sexual assault allegation against the mayor’s political opponent.
Charlie is conflicted, as the woman involved in the allegation is Joyce, a friend of his ex-wife. Joyce pleads with Charlie not to go along with the plan, and he eventually agrees, further showing inner emotional nuance that had previously been hidden.
Charlie races to the home of his creditor, Raymond, but finds him romantically engaged with his ex-wife Martha. Martha flees to call the police, leaving Charlie and Raymond to face off, the latter apparently holding the key to their respective fates.
In their final confrontation, Charlie begins to strangle Raymond, the two men inseparable. As Raymond begins to fade, Charlie clutches at his heart, and they collapse together onto the floor. The final glimpse of life in Raymond’s face appears to show a trace of peace that he has successfully brought Charlie down.