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‘The Tourist’ Netflix Recap & Ending Explained: What Happens To Kosta And Luci?

What would you do if you could get a second chance at life? Would you opt for a fresh start or be weighed down by your past? A rather thought-provoking question confronts Jamie Dornan’s character in this thriller as he suffers from amnesia after a freak accident in the Australian outback, losing everything about his identity. The more this Irish man learns about his past, the more convoluted this thriller becomes. Despite an above-average screenplay, we see some fascinating characters as they become a part of this amnesiac man’s journey. Full of unexpected twists, this Stan original does not disappoint its thriller-seeking audience.

Spoilers Ahead

What’s The Story About?

As the series begins, we see Dornan’s character, also known as Elliot Stanley, driving through the Australian outback as he gets chased down by a truck. He initially outruns this murderous stalker but ends up being rammed into anyway, knocking him out. This Irish man wakes up in a hospital suffering from severe amnesia, unable to remember even his name. He is visited by an overly kind probationary constable, Helen Chambers, sent to put his case on the record, developing a soft spot for the poor man in the process. The only clue he is left with is a note with an address along with a date and time. He arrives at the location, ‘Gloria’s Diner,’ in a small town in the Outback. After a mysterious explosion at the diner, Luci, the waitress at the diner, finds him accommodation with an old couple. Riddled by questions about his past self, Elliot begins retracing his steps by following pictures from a camera recovered from the wreckage of his accident.

Meanwhile, the news about him reaches a high-ranking detective, Lachlan Rogers, as well as Billy Nixon, the man responsible for Elliot’s accident. Discovering his cell phone hidden inside a stuffed Koala that his previous self hid at a fuel station; he receives a call from a buried man providing information about his location. Elliot, accompanied by Luci, looks for the location provided by the man but finds him dead by the time they dig him up. Spotting similarities between the handwriting on the note that led him to ‘Gloria’s Diner’ and her signature on an insurance form, Elliot confronts Luci, who reveals his name, his past, and his connection to her. As Elliot finds out more about himself, a grand rigmarole of unfortunate happenstances and disturbing revelations about his old self unfolds.

What Are Elliot And Luci’s Real Identities?

Elliot Stanley, AKA The Tourist, is an Irish man on a run from Kosta Panigiris, a Greek drug-dealing kingpin with International notoriety. Elliot used to work as Kosta’s accountant. During their initial rendezvous, Kosta showed Elliot his most prized possession, a bag filled with a million dollars in cash, the first million that he made out of nothing before he rose to power in the Greek underworld. While working for this nefarious employer, he meets Victoria, one of Luci’s many aliases. In reality, Luci was a con artist with multiple identities who engaged the psychopathic criminal for his money. Luci is a pathological liar, as her idea of the world was forged by her father walking out on her. After meeting In Bali, Luci and Elliot fall for each other and decide to leave the criminal world and run away to Australia, stealing the million dollars from Kosta’s prized possessions. Having lost a memento from his past and his fiancé, Kosta blames Elliot, seeking gratification in hunting down the Irish man. He sends Billy Nixon and Marko to track down the couple; however, Marko, being a close friend of Elliot, gets caught aiding him and meets his unfortunate end after being buried alive by Billy, who. In turn, is killed during a fight with Luci/Victoria.

What Is Helen Chamber’s Story?

Helen Chambers is a kind-hearted probationary constable suffering from body dysmorphia because of her weight. More often than not, her kindness becomes a vulnerability, allowing people to take advantage of her. Engaged to Ethan Krum, a manipulative and self-centered man, she is coerced into a restrictive diet, doubting her own choices to pursue her wishes. We often see Helen struggling to stand up for herself. After meeting Elliot, Helen tries her best to help the man. Even against direct orders, she goes out of her way to help Elliot. This marks a significant shift for Helen, as she feels, perhaps for the first time, that she is standing up for herself. During the course of the series, Elliot and Helen grow close as friends and develop romantic feelings for each other as well.

Who Is Lachlan Rogers?

Lachlan Rogers is a high-ranking detective with a celebrity-like reputation amongst law enforcers. He is suffering from cancer, and it is likely that he only has a few months to live. After the explosion at Gloria’s Diner, he is notified about Elliot and tasked with locating him. Amidst his investigation, Kosta contacts Rogers, revealing that he has abducted the detective’s wife and demanding Elliot’s surrender in exchange for her safety. Faced with a rather grim choice, he ultimately tracks down Elliot and decides to apprehend him solo, leading to a tragic incident when he impulsively kills a younger officer, Lammon, who defies his order. Rogers hands Elliot over to Kosta, who, despite the exchange continues to withhold the detective’s wife, forcing the detective to help locate his money.

What Happens To Kosta And Luci?

Elliot, while in a psychoactive state, after having sipped Kosta’s acid-laced water, leads him and Rogers to Nala Stonemen, possibly because Elliot figures that he must’ve stashed Kosta’s money somewhere around this place since he took pictures of this place. Going through the highs and lows of his psychedelic journey, Elliot explores his memories for clues about his past self, finding the whereabouts of the bag as well. In the meantime, Luci shows up, revealing to Kosta that his beloved brother, Dimitri, who died when he was a kid, is actually alive and lives a reformed life in an ashram in India. Luci had crossed paths with Dimitri at the ashram, years before meeting Kosta, who in passing, mentioned his brother, planting the seed for her plan to con him.

 As a way to cope with his loss, Kosta, who also battles schizophrenia, found solace in visualizing his deceased brother as a form of coping mechanism. Seeking guidance from this imaginary figure had become a source of comfort for Kosta. As a last resort to plead for Kosta to spare Elliot’s life, she arranges a video call between the brothers but fails to make any changes to Kosta’s ways, resulting in an aimless shooting between Rogers and Kosta after the commotion knocks out the light, as a result of which Kosta and Luci get caught in the crossfire.

What Finally Happens To Elliot And Helen?

Following the unexpected death of Kosta Panigiris, using Kosta’s phone, Rogers, using Kosta’s phone, successfully tracks his wife’s location and rescues her from the clutches of Kosta’s henchmen. Following a complaint lodged by Helen, Rogers finds himself under interrogation regarding Officer Lammon’s death. However, taking an unexpected twist, he shifts all the blame onto Helen, accusing Elliot as her collaborator. Displaying quick-wittedness on her part, Helen outmaneuvers Rogers. With assistance from Freddie, a fellow police officer, she leverages her experience as a traffic cop to secure a photo captured by a speed camera. This compelling image places Rogers with Elliot at the time when he was en route to Meet Kosta. Armed with this concrete evidence against the Detective’s claim, Helen establishes their innocence. 

While in prison awaiting bail, Elliot is finally visited by Lena Pascal, the subject of recurring dreams, whom he believes holds vital information about his past self. Lena, however, sheds light on the brutalities of the man he once was. Elliot was culpable for exploiting Lena and two other women in smuggling heroin to Australia. They were coerced into carrying bags of heroin inside their guts, resulting in the deaths of the other women when the bags ruptured inside them. Upon her arrival, the man Elliot paid to receive Lena, callously cut her open with a dirty knife, leaving lasting impacts on her health. This traumatic incident continues to haunt Lena. 

Disgusted with himself, he confesses everything to the police, yet Lena refrains from supporting his claims, wanting him to suffer from the guilt of his actions. Helen also abandons him upon hearing the truth, finding it utterly inexcusable even for a reformed man. However, a conversation with her friend, Freddie brings more clarity to her feelings for him. Drowning in remorse in a hotel room, he swallows a handful of sleeping pills in a desperate attempt to end his life when he receives a burrito emoji from Helen, evoking a personal moment from earlier when a clueless Elliot found the only thing his new self loved—burritos. 

What To Expect In Season 2? 

By now it’s evident that Elliot Stanley has a pretty complex and troubled past— formerly an account to an international drug lord, he has stolen a million dollars and has been entangled in drug trafficking. He might’ve forgotten his past, but the world clearly hasn’t as the repercussions of his past still linger, and the shadows of the underworld cast long-lasting ones. The introduction of new adversaries seems inevitable. If imprisoned, Lachlan Rogers may become a potential threat as he encounters individuals familiar with Elliot’s reputation. 

As for Elliot and Helen, season 2 might delve deeper into their dynamics. Their relationship, forged amidst secrets still concealed, might see new challenges. As Helen comes face to face with the aftermath of her association with the Tourist, legal troubles might surround her, which she must navigate through as well. On the flip side, she might receive a promotion, which would add another layer to her character but also make things more complex for her. However, this show has proven its reputation for unexpected twists and turns. Just when the characters seem poised with some stability, unforeseen circumstances might shake their narrative again.

• The Tourist

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The Tourist

• Revolves around Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path.
• Elise (Angelina Jolie) sits next to an American tourist, Frank (Johnny Depp), on a train going to Venice. She has chosen him as a decoy, making believe that he is her lover who is wanted by police. Not only will they need to evade the police, but also the mobster whose money her lover stole. — Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)
• A woman sitting in a Parisian café reads a letter telling her to take the train to Venice, pick a man of the sender's height and build, and chat him up. She's being watched: Scotland Yard and a mobster with a crew of Russian thugs are looking for a man she knows. On the train, she talks to an American, Frank, suggests they have dinner, and, once in Venice, invites him to her hotel. The bait is set: the Russians think Frank is the man they want: Alexander Pearce, who stole billions from the mobster. Scotland Yard realizes Frank is a just a tourist, but by now he's in danger, smitten by the mystery woman, and in their way. Can the Yard keep Frank from death and still catch Pearce? — <[email protected]>
• A woman named Elise (Angelina Jolie) is being trailed in Paris by French police working with Scotland Yard. At a cafe, she receives a letter from Alexander Pearce, a former lover, with explicit directions to board a train to Venice, Italy, pick out a man who resembles him, and make the police believe that this man is Alexander Pearce. A mysterious stranger, not involved with the police, also seems to be watching Elise. Elise burns the letter and boards a train. She takes a seat across from Frank (Johnny Depp), an American tourist reading a spy novel. Frank is instantly attracted to her. The train arrives in Venice, and she invites him to go with her on a boat to the Hotel Danieli. At dinner, much to Frank's dismay, Elise admits to having feelings for another man, presumably Alexander Pearce. Later, on her room's balcony they share a kiss, witnessed by the men following her. The next day, Frank awakens to find Elise gone. Men suddenly try to break into the hotel room. Frank barely escapes by running over several roofs in his pajamas, but is caught by the Italian police. A sympathetic detective listens to Frank's story that he does not know why these men are after him. He takes Frank from the jail and tells him that his story checks out and that the men after him were Belarusians, who have placed a price on his head and believe Frank to be someone else. The detective, however, then delivers Frank into the clutches of these same men, in order to collect the money they promised. Elise suddenly appears with a boat to rescue Frank, and they flee together. Elise finally tells Frank that all this is happening because she kissed him and made the police believe that he was Alexander Pearce. Frank learns that Pearce stole two billion dollars from a gangster named Shaw (Steven Berkoff) and is also wanted by the British Government for tax evasion. Stunned by the news, Frank says he still does not regret kissing Elise. Elise apologizes for getting him involved at all and tricks Frank off the boat. Frank says he loves her. Elise goes to a government building. She turns out to be a British secret agent. She sees her fellow British agent Acheson (Paul Bettany), who was among those following her in Paris. Elise was supposed to work undercover against Pearce but fell in love with him and had disappeared from her job until now. She tells Acheson that she is ready to help him find Pearce now because she wants to prevent anybody else from getting hurt. Elise goes to a ball Pearce has invited her to attend, wearing a wire. She is handed a letter by the same mysterious stranger from Paris. The letter is from Pearce, saying where to meet him. As Elise turns to leave, Frank appears and prevents her exit. They dance. Elise leaves to find Pearce, and agent Acheson's men apprehend Frank. They both watch on surveillance equipment as Elise walks into a trap set by the gangster Shaw. The gangster threatens to kill her unless she reveals the location of the safe holding the money Pearce stole from him. Agent Acheson doesn't intervene for his colleague Elise, confident that Pearce will show up to rescue her. Elise reveals the safe's location but does not know its code. Frank watches in horror as Elise is threatened yet again. Seeing that Acheson won't help Elise, Frank picks the lock to his handcuffs and escapes to help her. Frank pretends to be Pearce. Elise begs him to stop or he will be killed. Frank, acting as Pearce, tells Shaw that he will get his money, but only if Elise is first released and safe. As Frank pretends that he is about to open the safe, Elise mouths "I love you." All of a sudden, Chief Inspector Jones (Timothy Dalton) gives the order for the police snipers to shoot Shaw and his men. Frank and Elise are unharmed. As the police survey the scene, agent Acheson can't believe that Pearce did not save Elise, and Jones is furious with him for exposing her to danger. Jones then informs Elise that she has been terminated from the force. A police report informs them that Pearce has just been caught. As the room clears, Elise and Frank embrace. He asks her if she loves both him and Alexander Pearce. Elise answers yes. To spare her from this dilemma, Frank demonstrates that he is the real Alexander Pearce by entering the correct code for the safe. Pearce had gotten plastic surgery, so he could have a new life. Meanwhile, the arrested man believed to be Pearce explains to police that he was paid to pose as him but that he is really just a tourist. Elise and Frank/Pearce leave on a boat with the money, finally being able to be together. In the open safe, police find a bankers check for the 744 million pounds in back taxes Pearce owed the British government.

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'The Tourist' doesn't know who he is — just that someone wants him dead

John Powers

In The Tourist, "The Man" (Jamie Dornan) wakes up in a small town hospital in the Australian outback with no idea who he is or how he got there. HBO hide caption

In The Tourist, "The Man" (Jamie Dornan) wakes up in a small town hospital in the Australian outback with no idea who he is or how he got there.

Ever since the birth of mass communications, our culture has been haunted by the idea of amnesia. In high-class books by the likes of George Orwell or Milan Kundera , forgetting becomes a political metaphor for the erasure of truth. Things are less ambitious in pop entertainments like Memento or the Jason Bourne series . There, memory-loss is less a metaphor than a motor — a gimmick to drive the story forward.

This motor purrs like a Ferrari in The Tourist , a hit BBC series playing on HBO Max. Written by the Williams brothers, Harry and Jack — best known here for The Missing and Baptiste — this funny, suspenseful six-part thriller doesn't merely keep us guessing. It keeps its amnesiac hero guessing, too. He knows even less about his own story than we do.

A bearded, muscled-up Jamie Dornan stars as a T-shirt clad Irishman who gets in a car accident and winds up in a small town hospital in the Australian outback. Known simply as "The Man," he doesn't know who he is or how he got there. But soon after he leaves the hospital, he knows one thing for sure: Somebody wants to kill him.

As he seeks to find out who's after him and why, he's helped by two very different women. Luci (Shalom Brune-Franklin) is a waitress who we aren't quite sure what to make of. In contrast, it's easy to trust probationary constable Helen Chambers, played by Danielle Macdonald. Helen's a newbie cop who struggles with her weight and with a fiancé who speaks of her appearance with such passive-aggressive meanness that I kept hoping he'd become one of the show's murder victims.

While The Man's search for his identity is grippingly plotted, the show lets the action breathe. It takes time to enjoy his encounters with a wide range of oddball types, be it a goofy chess-playing pilot, a Greek mobster, the affably nutty woman who offers him lodging, or the enormous, cowboy-hatted hitman who has the self-satisfied theatricality of an escapee from a Tarantino movie. That said, The Man knows he must keep moving to stay alive.

For all The Tourist 's inventiveness — Episode 5 is a trip — it reminds us that even good pop culture is often derivative. The show's opening car crash sequence mimics the Steven Spielberg movie Duel . More importantly, the Williams brothers are pretty clearly doing a Down Under riff on Fargo . Their series offers the same blend of violence and barbed humor, the same mythologizing of bleak, underpopulated places, and the same cavalcade of viciousness and folly that brings out the heroism in an ordinary person.

The show's moral center is Helen, who, in Macdonald's sensational performance, has our sympathy from the get-go. Her work is so scene-stealingly good that I would call this a career-making performance if I hadn't already said this about Macdonald's electric work as an aspiring New Jersey rapper in the indie film Patti Cake$ .

Helen's transparent goodness makes her the perfect counterpoint to The Man, a handsome hunk who's a mystery, even to himself. It's a great role for Dornan, who, earlier in his career, had a slightly synthetic prettiness that made him ideal for creepy characters like the S&M billionaire in Fifty Shades of Grey . Here, he's a bit older, thicker, and rougher. And just as Brad Pitt often seems liberated when his good looks are masked a bit, Dornan gives his best performance as a man who isn't sure whether or not he's the hero of his own life.

Over the course of the six episodes, The Man struggles to learn whether, back before his accident, he was a good guy or a bad guy. And if he had been a villain, does he have to stay one, even after he starts remembering his past? I won't reveal what he discovers, though I feel obligated to say that you won't get a definitive answer this season. You'll have to watch Season 2 of The Tourist , not yet made, which I bet you will be more than happy to do.

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The tourist, common sense media reviewers.

Romantic thriller has some mature twists.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie's strongest message is that everyone is

Shaw puts his love of money and possessions above

A kingpin and his gangster henchmen try to kill Fr

Elise is pretty much sex appeal personified. She's

Occasional strong language includes a couple of us

The Eurostar train system is featured pretty heavi

Several people smoke cigarettes, and Frank smokes

Parents need to know that this romantic thriller starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie is the kind of twisty suspense drama that will appeal to savvy teens who like the two stars. The premise is simple but mature, and as the movie progresses, certain plot twists make The Tourist more appropriate for older…

Positive Messages

The movie's strongest message is that everyone is both good and bad, light and dark, and those who love you accept you completely as both.

Positive Role Models

Shaw puts his love of money and possessions above all else. Alexander might have stolen from an awful man, but he's still a thief, and Elise is a rogue character who makes questionable professional and personal decisions.

Violence & Scariness

A kingpin and his gangster henchmen try to kill Frank and Elise several times, chasing them on speed boats and through the streets/rooftops of Venice. A man is throttled to death, and four or five men are killed by police snipers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Elise is pretty much sex appeal personified. She's presented as being so stunning that men and women stop in their tracks to stare at her as she walks by. One of the uses of "f--k" in the film is inspired by the sight of her in an evening gown. There are a couple of passionate kisses, as well as one scene of Elise changing into a lacy nightgown (viewers see her in her bra, stockings, and underwear).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional strong language includes a couple of uses of "f--k" plus "a--hole," "s--t," "hell," "bastard," and "oh my God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

The Eurostar train system is featured pretty heavily, and the logo is shown a few times. Venice's ultra-luxurious Hotel Danieli is one of the movie's main locations.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Several people smoke cigarettes, and Frank smokes nicotine-releasing electric cigarettes. People are shown drinking socially at dinners and a party.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this romantic thriller starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie is the kind of twisty suspense drama that will appeal to savvy teens who like the two stars. The premise is simple but mature, and as the movie progresses, certain plot twists make The Tourist more appropriate for older teens and adults. There's some persistent violence in the form of a frightening older gangster who has no problem killing his own henchman and is responsible for the film's (relatively small) body count. Language includes a couple of uses of "f--k," as well as "s--t" and "a--hole." Although sexual content isn't too graphic -- Jolie and Depp's characters kiss passionately a couple of times, and, in one scene, Jolie strips down to her undergarments to change into a nightgown -- there's still a strong feeling of sexuality throughout the movie, as Jolie's mere presence creates an aura of sex appeal. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (29)

Based on 9 parent reviews

not for children

This is a fantabulous movie, what's the story.

Elise Clifton Ward ( Angelina Jolie ) is an Englishwoman who lives in Paris and is being surveilled by both French and English authorities for her past relationship with a mysterious billionaire thief named Alexander Pierce. One morning, she receives instructions to board a train bound for Venice, find a man with Alexander's height and build, and make "them" believe it's him. She targets Frank Tupelo ( Johnny Depp ), a Wisconsin math teacher on a solo vacation. Smitten with Elise, Frank agrees to go to Elise's hotel, where she kisses him and then explains that she's meeting a secretive man she once loved. Meanwhile, Elise and Frank are being watched not only by a Scotland Yard agent ( Paul Bettany ) and his Italian collaborators but also by notorious gangster Reginald Shaw (Steven Berkoff), who wants the billions Alexander stole from him. Since Alexander has reportedly spent millions to change his appearance, everyone on the case believes Frank really is Alexander, so the race is on to save him before he's arrested or killed.

Is It Any Good?

THE TOURIST's look and feel are refreshing tributes to Alfred Hitchcock 's classic thrillers, in which mysterious, beautiful women on a train usually spelled trouble. Jolie is perfectly cast; she's the kind of actress you can believe would have every single man (and woman) in a train car staring at her. But Depp is a bit miscast as the wide-eyed Frank, who looks cool (because he's Johnny Depp) but is actually awkward and unaccustomed to the sensual sophistication that Elise exudes with every swish of her hips. Their flirtatious conversations are sweet and funny, but there's not the kind of electrifying chemistry you'd expect (for perfection, see Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest ).

Still, for travel and fashion junkies, this film is a decadent treat (every single thing Elise dons is gorgeous). Even with all of the movie's eye candy -- from Jolie to Depp to Bettany to Rufus Sewell (as a silent character who may or may not be the real Alexander) -- chances are you'll probably be busier ogling Jolie's ensembles and her hotel suite at the luxurious Hotel Danieli. The romance? It's all right. But the costumes and scenery -- absolutely swoon worthy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the movie fits into the suspense genre . Early on, Elise and Frank joke about the stereotypes of suspense novels. How does the movie play by the very same rules they discuss?

Elise explains that she was raised to believe that to truly love someone you have to accept their "two sides" -- good and bad. How do the various characters in the movie show their "two-faced" nature?

What's the movie's message about relationships? Do you think Elise made the right choice? What did Reginald mean when he told Elise that life isn't kind to an ugly woman?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 10, 2010
• On DVD or streaming : March 22, 2011
• Cast : Angelina Jolie , Johnny Depp , Paul Bettany
• Director : Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Columbia Pictures
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 104 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : violence and brief strong language
• Last updated : January 2, 2023

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The Tourist

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Rent The Tourist on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

The scenery and the stars are undeniably beautiful, but they can't make up for The Tourist 's slow, muddled plot, or the lack of chemistry between Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.

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Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Johnny Depp

Frank Tupelo

Angelina Jolie

Elise Clifton-Ward

Paul Bettany

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Timothy Dalton

Chief Inspector Jones

Steven Berkoff

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The Tourist: What Does Helen’s Text to Elliot Mean?

In Netflix’s ‘ The Tourist ,’ the story takes many twists and turns before the truth of the matter is revealed to the audience. Jamie Dornan plays the role of a man whose memories are wiped after a terrible car crash. He wakes up with no knowledge of himself and has no idea what to do next. It feels even more terrible when he feels he is alone and has no idea whether there is someone looking for him. This is when Probationary Constable Helen Chambers enters the picture. She becomes his only friend in the whole wide world, and her text at the end of Season 1 proves that she is here to stay.

Helen’s Burrito Text Becomes the Lifeline Elliot Needed

It is hard losing all your memories and not remembering anything about who you used to be, but it’s even more difficult to find out that you used to be a terrible person. In a matter of days, Elliot finds himself completely transformed, first by getting a clean slate in the memory department following the crash and then discovering the things he did before that.

In the beginning, Elliot works on the assumption that he is a good guy. As far as he knows, he was simply in a car crash, and that was the worst of it. But then, slowly, he starts to peel away the layers of the story and realizes that he was connected to some very bad people, and it is this that landed him the crash in the first place. Still, he hopes that he must have been a good guy because why else would the bad guys be after her?

By the end, Elliot discovers that he is just as bad as Kosta, the drug kingpin he worked for in his past life. Not only did he act as Kosta’s accountant, but he also made people like Lena Pascal ingest packets full of drugs and turn them into drug mules. His actions cost two people their lives when the packets broke down inside their bodies and caused them to meet a painful end. While Lena Pascal survived, she had to go through surgery to have the packets removed from her body, not because Elliot didn’t want her to die but because he didn’t want the drugs to go to waste if the packet was torn away inside her stomach.

Finding out about his actions throws Elliot into a pit of guilt. He wants to be punished for his sins, but when he tries to surrender, the cops refuse to arrest him. He tells them everything about his past life, but because Lena refuses to corroborate, Elliot has to live with the fact that he was a bad guy and he inflicted unimaginable pain on people. When the cops turn him away, Elliot tries to erase his memories again by recreating the car crash, but the trick doesn’t work. Moreover, he also loses Helen when he discovers that she believes the things he tried to tell the cops and now hates him for it.

With nothing left to live for, Elliot tries to kill himself, but just after he has downed a bunch of pills with alcohol, he gets Helen’s text. She sent him a burrito, which is a call back to a conversation they had when they were staying in a motel and playing a game where Helen said one word, and Elliot had to do something that he related to the word. When she said “happiness,” he said, “burrito.” Even he was surprised by his choice of words, but then, the night before, he’d had a grand time with Helen, eating Mexican food and rediscovering his love for burritos.

Helen jokingly says that if the burrito is connected to his happiness, then all she’ll need to do is send him a burrito whenever he feels down. They both laughed it off at that point, but in the final scene, when Elliot is in the worst state of mind, a burrito from Helen is the only thing that gives him a reason to be happy. It is also a sign of her forgiveness, giving him another chance, another fresh start, something to live for.

Read More:  The Tourist: Is Burnt Ridge a Real Town in Australia?

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Tourist’ On Netflix, Where Jamie Dornan Plays A Man Without His Memory Trying To Outrun His Past

Where to stream:.

• The Tourist

What would you do if you lost your memory? Not just what you had for breakfast, but all sense of who you are and who is in your life? Then you find out that someone really, really wants to see you dead? That’s the idea behind the new Netflix series, which originally ran on HBO Max back in 2022.

THE TOURIST : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Scenes of the arid environment in the Australian Outback. A tiny car drives down an empty road.

The Gist: A man (Jamie Dornan) stops for gas; he’s wearing a generic “AUSTRALIA” tourist t-shirt. He has no idea why the attendant at the station makes him sign out for the bathroom key. We see him come out the back door of the bathroom, next to the Dumpsters.

As he’s driving on the seemingly empty road in his tiny Mazda, a massive tractor trailer bears down on him. When the tractor trailer rams the man’s car, he realizes it’s not just an aggressive driver. After a long chase over some rough terrain, the man thinks he’s gotten away from the truck, when the truck slams into him, causing the tiny car to roll over a few times.

The man wakes up in the local hospital, surprisingly not severely injured. However, he has no idea who he is or what he was doing. He doesn’t even remember his own name. He can recall a song title when he’s in an MRI machine, but that’s about it.

A friendly local cop, Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald), goes to his room to take a statement. She is a bit uncomfortable with the man’s lack of memory, but ends up being reassuring to an extent. The only thing he finds in his possessions is a note to meet someone the next day at a diner in a nearby town. Helen says she’ll look into that.

We follow Helen home and see that, like most of us, she has issues with her weight, not the least of which is exacerbated by her fiancé Ethan (Greg Larsen) and their upcoming wedding.

Another thing we see is someone buried underground. Desperate to get out of whatever box he’s been put in, he tries to call someone on his phone, but no one is answering.

The man goes outside to get air, but gets lost inside the hospital, scaring him senseless. He decides to check himself out of the hospital the next day, against medical advice, because he needs to go to that diner and find out just who wanted to meet him there. Helen understands why he wants to do it, and gives him a bus ticket to get there.

At the diner, he meets a waitress named Luci (Shalom Brune-Franklin), who seems to be fascinated by his amnesia. When she spills lemonade on him, she takes him out to where there are bathrooms. Just then, there’s an explosion, right in the booth where he was sitting. He wonders aloud why in the world someone is trying to kill him.

Pictures from a disposable camera found at the crash site help him retrace his steps, as well as video from the gift shop he visited. It brings him back to the gas station and its bathroom. He doesn’t find out his name though, as he signed the key sign-out sheet as “Crocodile Dundee.” But he finds something else; a stuffed koala that he hid next to the Dumpster. Much to his surprise, it starts ringing.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Take the movie  Memento and cross it with the quirkiness of the first season of the  Fargo series, and you’ve got the vibe of  The Tourist.

Our Take: The Tourist , written by Harry Williams and Jack Williams ( The Missing, Fleabag ) looks like it’s a complex show with a twisty plot, but when you really take a close look, it’s pretty straightforward. Dornan’s character has no idea who he is; all he knows is that someone wants to kill him. With the help of Helen and others, he’ll try to piece things together before those that are after him, including Billy (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), the whistling man who almost squashed him in the tractor trailer, catch up to him.

In the first episode,  The Tourist  evolves from what seems like a thriller to a more personal narrative. It’s why we get involved in Helen’s life when she’s off-duty. In a Weight Watchers-style meeting, she claims she doesn’t like her body, even though everyone is yelling about body acceptance. But it also feels like she’s more there because of her fiancé than anything else. So even though Helen knows her name, who’s in her life and what she does, she also hasn’t found herself. Plus, she seems to be made to feel guilty about just about everything.

Perhaps as she gets more involved in the life of Dornan’s character, the more she will figure out who she is. At least that’s what we hope, because Macdonald is utterly charming as Helen, who is very much in the vein of Allison Tolman’s portrayal of Molly Solverson in the aforementioned  Fargo. She’s good at her job, even if she’s a bit green, but also is a friendly and helpful sort who needs to help herself most of all.

There is definitely a bit of a sense of humor running the first episode, but the Williamses aren’t trying to make the show quippy. The humor is there when people seem to be fascinated with Dornan’s character’s amnesia, though he assures them it’s no picnic. The humor creeps in along the edges of the show, but it does just enough to ease what is a pretty serious and grim performance by Dornan.

There is one twist near the end of the episode that we won’t spoil here, but it does make us wonder if, as things get more complicated for Dornan’s character (notice we haven’t named him yet, because the character has none as yet), the plot will become more convoluted. We hope not, as it seems the straightforward manner in which this story is being told suits  The Tourist just fine.

Sex and Skin: Nothing in the first episode.

Parting Shot: When the stuffed koala starts ringing, the man digs out a burner phone and answers it. When the man who’s buried starts yelling in relief that he answered, the man says, “Uh, who’s this?”

Sleeper Star: Shalom Brune-Franklin does some compelling work as Luci, and we know that she’s much more involved in this story than most of the first episode lets on.

Most Pilot-y Line: Nothing we could find.

Our Call:  STREAM IT.  The Tourist  hooked us in with its story, plus the performances by Dornan, Macdonald and Brune-Franklin. Let’s hope the story continues to be interesting as the season goes on.

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

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The tourist season 1 ending explained.

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Reba McEntire’s Upcoming TV Show Confirms Her Perfect Replacement For Reba, 17 Years After The Sitcom's Ending

Doctor who's wild musical ending in season 14's 1960s episode actually has a canon explanation, fbi season 6's update on maggie's future is a huge relief for season 7 (& the next 3 years).

• Elliot's true identity as a crime boss's accountant is revealed in The Tourist season 1 finale.
• Elena Pascal is exposed as Elliot's trafficking victim, highlighting his brutal past crimes.
• The complex moral question of guilt for crimes committed without memory is left open in The Tourist.

Content warning: This article includes discussions of suicidal ideation and drug trafficking

Although The Tourist season 1’s ending didn’t answer all the show's lingering mysteries, the thriller’s conclusion did offer pretty clear conclusions to most of its main storylines. The Tourist opens with Jamie Dornan’s Elliot Stanley waking up after a car crash and suffering severe amnesia. Elliot spends The Tourist season 1 trying to uncover the mystery of his past with the help of Danielle McDonald’s Constable Helen. Eventually, in the series finale, it becomes clear that Elliot is not the ordinary civilian he thought he was. Instead, he's really Eugene Cassidy, an international crime boss’s accountant.

This crime boss, Kosta, tries to hunt down Elliot and retrieve the money that Dornan’s character stole from his former employer. Elliot realizes that he went on the run with Luci, Kosta’s fiancée, after stealing the money. Gradually, The Tourist ’s entire cast of characters comes together in the complex season 1 finale. Elliot is pursued by both Kosta and the corrupt cop Lachlan Rogers as he is reunited with his pre-amnesia love interest Luci. Meanwhile, he still can’t recall the identity of the mysterious Elena Pascal, a woman who is smiling at him in all of his foggy, unclear partial memories.

The Tourist season 1 is available on Netflix.

Who Elena Pascal Is In The Tourist Season 1 Ending

Elena pascal turned out to be elliot’s trafficking victim.

In The Tourist season 1’s ending, Elliot is finally reunited with Elena Pascal after a showdown with Luci, Lachlan, and Kosta. Elena is a former victim of Elliot’s drug trafficking ring , and it turns out that he used her body to smuggle heroin into Australia. Elliot’s gruesome plan involved stitching bags of the drug into her stomach to be removed by his colleagues upon her arrival. Unlike two other drug mules Elliot also coached, Elena survived her ordeal because Elliot told her to smile on her way through customs, thus avoiding suspicion. Elliot is horrified to learn of his awful crimes.

However, Elena doesn’t tell the police Elliot’s real identity as she decides that leaving him to live with his mistakes is a fitting punishment. The Tourist 's amnesia plot provides a brutal twist here, as viewers learn that the show’s charismatic leading man was an unrepentant monster before his car accident. Although the audience already knows that Elliot worked as Kosta’s accountant and went on the run after stealing the criminal’s money and his fiancée, these antics pale in comparison to what he put Elena Pascal through. Thus, while Elliot survived confronting Kosta, he didn't necessarily want to continue living.

Kostas and Luci Die In The Tourist Season 1’s Ending

Elliot’s former boss and love interest were both shot.

Before Elliot meets Elena again, Kosta's and Luci’s stories are also wrapped up in The Tourist season 1 finale. Both were shot during the climactic showdown between Elliot, who recently discovered he was the criminal's duplicitous accountant, and Kostas. Kostas died immediately, whereas Luci died while Elliot was driving her to a hospital for treatment . This tragic moment was another major blow for Elliot, as it meant his entire pre-amnesia plan was pointless. To make matters worse, the corrupt Lachlan fled the scene of Costa’s death, freed his wife from Kosta’s men, and framed Helen for Rodney Lammon’s murder.

Why Helen Leaves Ethan In The Tourist Season 1’s Ending

Helen decided her fiancé was too controlling.

Helen spent most of The Tourist season 1 in an unhappy relationship with the controlling Ethan, but Helen finally dumped her fiancé in the finale when he took his behavior too far. Ethan’s incessant attempts to control Helen, beginning with comments about her weight and culminating in him threatening to leave her if she helped Elliot, led Helen to dump her fiancé. Helen went looking for Elliot after dumping Ethan and her hunt for him couldn’t have started at a better time, since she soon learned that she and Elliot were both wanted for Rodney Lammon’s murder.

How Helen Proved Lachlan Was Guilty

Helen showed the police evidence that lachlan kidnapped elliot.

Helen and Elliot were forced to hold a restaurant hostage so that they could exonerate themselves, a risky ploy that eventually paid off. After a chase through The Tourist ’s Australian setting , Helen and Elliot held up a restaurant and Helen received a photo from a colleague of Lachlan with Elliot handcuffed in his passenger seat . This proved that Elliot and Helen couldn’t have killed Rodney Lammon, contradicting Lachlan’s version of events and leading the police to arrest Lachlan for the crime instead. During the negotiations, Elliot also demanded to see Elena Pascale, which set up his devastating reunion with his former victim.

Why Helen Sent Elliot A Burrito Emoji In The Tourist Season 1 Ending

Helen wanted elliot to know she forgave him.

When Elliot discovered the depraved reality of his crimes, he was disgusted by his conduct. However, Helen was even more appalled as she realized that the enigmatic man she spent weeks protecting and helping was guilty of this grotesque abuse. Elliot’s discovery of his crimes sent him into a self-destructive spiral that culminated in him driving off the road in an attempt to dull his pain and lose his memory again. Although he ended up in hospital, Elliot retained his memory and was confronted by Helen, who said that she wanted nothing to do with him after learning about his past.

After this, Elliot attempted to take his own life by mixing a bottle of pills and liquor, although he seemingly survived this attempt. As he lay on the floor, Elliot read a message from Helen that was simply a burrito emoji . This was a private joke between the duo that essentially meant “ We’re good ,” with Helen using this message to prove that she forgave Elliot for his crimes. After all, his memory loss meant he was effectively no longer the same person who committed them. Although Dornan’s character looked unwell, he seemed pleased by this in the finale’s closing moments.

What The Tourist Season 1’s Ending Really Means

The tourist calls its antihero’s past and identity into question.

The Tourist ’s season 1 finale forced viewers to contend with the tricky moral question of whether a person can be guilty of a crime they don’t know they committed . As Lachlan pointed out, the corrupt cop was arguably less guilty than Elliot back when Elliot was still a drug smuggler and a crime boss’s deceitful employee. However, the amnesia-stricken Elliot who built a relationship with Helen was a different person who didn’t even know the extent of his earlier crimes.

As such, The Tourist season 1 finale questioned whether Elliot was guilty since his memory loss reshaped his personality. As far as Helen was concerned, Elliot had atoned for his sins. However, Elena Pascal felt that he should live with a guilty conscience for the rest of his days. The Tourist season 1 finale didn't offer viewers an easy answer here, instead implying that both characters had a point in their divergent views of Dornan’s flawed character.

The Tourist

• The Tourist (2024)

Jamie Dornan's The Tourist season 1 ending explained – What does that final twist mean?

"Expect the unexpected."

The Tourist season 1 episode 6 spoilers follow.

What starts out as an intriguing thriller about a man suffering from amnesia soon becomes a far more unique treatise on morality and the cost of losing one's self entirely. That's not all, though. The Tourist jumps between genres too, scattered like The Man's erratic thoughts, and in doing so, the show proves itself to be so much more than just another BBC primetime thriller.

Co-star Danielle MacDonald wasn't kidding when she told us " to expect the unexpected ". But even then, few could have expected that ending in the final moments of episode six.

The Tourist ending explained

When we first meet Jamie Dornan's character, all we know is that he's a bad singer. Thankfully his rendition of 'Bette Davis Eyes' is soon cut short when a truck drives him off the road and in the crash that follows, The Man loses his memory, leaving him to try and fend for himself in the Australian Outback without even a name to call his own.

A woman named Luci quickly befriends The Man, but by the end of episode one, it becomes clear that she's not who she seems. Then there's also Helen, a local traffic cop who soon gets involved with the case.

Together, these three become embroiled in twist after twist until it's eventually revealed that The Man's real name is Elliot Stanley. But why are so many people after him? What could he have possibly done to warrant this mad chase?

Towards the end, we discover that Elliot worked as an accountant for a drug lord named Kostas, the mysterious figure played by Alex Dimitriades. Elliot went on the run after he fell in love with Kostas' fiancée, who turns out to be none other than Luci. And that's not all. The Man formerly known as "The Man" also stole a bag with over £1 million stashed inside. The pair were supposed to share this cash, but they kept breaking up.

Up to this point, you might have assumed that Elliot isn't such a bad guy, at least not compared to Kostas. But after he trips on LSD, the so-called accountant finally discovers the identity of the woman who keeps popping up in his flashbacks, Lena Pascal.

And when the two finally meet, Elliot realises that his past self used to force people to smuggle heroin for Kostas. This led to the tragic deaths of two women who were killed when the bags filled with drugs exploded inside of them.

If learning his true identity was hard for Elliot, it certainly wasn't easy for Dornan to film.

"It was crazy," the actor told Entertainment Weekly . "I felt very raw in that moment, I felt very exposed, and vulnerable and kind of awful and terrible about myself. She was doing such beautiful work in front of me and it was having the impact that I felt that it should have."

He added: "Sometimes you get yourself in a place where you feel so broken that you can't actually stop crying. [ Laughs ] I felt a bit like that that day in a good way, I guess. I felt very exposed, very vulnerable. You know, it's hard stuff to hear, the hardest stuff to hear, so a lot of that luckily was on the page for me in terms of the writing. But, yeah, not an easy day, that."

Wracked with overwhelming remorse, Elliot struggles to reconcile these past actions with the man he is now. And knowing that Helen no longer supports him either, everything suddenly becomes too much to bear.

In The Tourist 's final moments, Elliot tries to kill himself by crashing his car. When that doesn't work, he takes an overdose in the hospital, desperate to escape his all-consuming guilt. Without Helen, he sees no way out from the pain, except a text arrives from her all too late, one that suggests the pair could potentially reconcile, assuming of course that Elliot survives...

"After I finished the series, I called Shalom [Brune-Franklin] instantly," Danielle MacDonald told us before the finale aired. "And I was like, 'I can't talk to anyone about this, because no-one's read it, and I'm not allowed to say anything, so I need you to talk to me about it. We just need to talk about this whole situation.'"

Viewers felt the same, taking to Twitter to discuss what's turned out to be a rather divisive ending. While some loved the ambiguity that surrounds Elliot's fate, others lamented Helen's end, hoping to see her thrive more in her career.

Those who were left disappointed by the end probably wish that Dornan had been serious when he joked with us that "the whole series ends with Armageddon, so life doesn't exist anymore". Although, to be fair, he wasn't wrong exactly, at least when it comes to Elliot's fate...

Will The Tourist return for season 2 ?

Although at the end of The Tourist 's first season, we didn't know for certain if Elliot actually dies or not – and the show felt like a one-and-done deal in many ways – it was soon confirmed by the BBC that The Tourist will return for season 2 .

Before the official announcement, talk of a potential second season was raised with The Tourist creators Harry and Jack Williams (who were previously known for helming shows like Baptiste , Liar and The Missing ).

"I would love to make this show again with these people," Harry told Radio Times . "I'm not entirely sure it's possible. I love the tone, I love the world. It's been our lives for three years and we've been very, very involved with it, more so than any other show.

"We've loved every minute. Normally you're sick of it by this point having watched 900 cuts of one episode but I still love it and I'd love to do it again."

Jack chimed in too, saying that: "We are talking about how we could return to this world, aren’t we?" To which Harry added: "Yeah, this world and this tone. I feel like we're not done with that. In terms of the story, we'll see how it goes if people like it."

A second season of The Tourist could also star Jamie Dornan in the lead – which means that Elliot might have survived, after all. Before official word of the renewal, Dornan said that "conversations are being had" about a second run , and that he'd "love to" be involved.

"I read episode six later than Danielle Macdonald because she texted me going, 'Oh my God, have you read episode six?' Dornan said (via Collider ). "And I was like, 'No.' She was like, 'Please read it and get back to me.' And I was like, 'Okay.'

"But then, it probably took me another week before I even got to reading it, to be honest. Just like every other episode, it was unexpected, but I loved it. We were only ever making one of these. It was like, 'Let’s just do one series.'

"That remains the setup. But I know, certainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and anywhere that’s seen it, the reception has been so insane, that there’s definitely a demand and a want for more, so we’ll talk about that and we’ll see about that."

But then again, there are more than enough colourful characters who could propel this story forward without The Man, if necessary. And who wouldn't want to see more of Danielle MacDonald in the role of Helen? Even if we don't see Elliot again, a second season of The Tourist could still bring us another unforgettable storyline.

The Tourist is available on BBC iPlayer.

After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival. 

In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy , where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.

David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.

Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends. 

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Jamie dornan in hbo max’s ‘the tourist’: tv review.

The actor plays an amnesiac in a deadly race to figure out his identity in this six-hour slice of Australian pulp fiction.

By Daniel Fienberg

Daniel Fienberg

Chief Television Critic

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Content bloat on cable and streaming is such an apparently incurable epidemic that even shows that play as lean and mean genre exercises are stuck oozing outside of their deserved boundaries — as if once there’s no marketplace for an idea to be conveyed at 90 minutes, might as well just go forever.

Something like Netflix’s True Story , which would have been an arthouse hit as a brisk John Dahl-directed theatrical thriller, instead became an instantly forgotten Netflix series, because that’s how it could get produced. Significantly better on every level, but still in need of a robust trim, is HBO Max ‘s The Tourist . Ideally, this would have been an Outback-set B-movie probably helmed by somebody like Phillip Noyce. Instead, it arrives on streaming as a six-hour drama replete with illogical misdirects, a second half that’s far less engaging than the first and a disappointing assortment of false conclusions.

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Airdate: Thursday, March 3 (HBO Max)

Cast: Jamie Dornan, Danielle Macdonald, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson

Creators: Harry and Jack Williams

A story like this should be told without an ounce of fat. Yet even with its occasional excesses, The Tourist is a mostly taut, pretension-lite mystery with a vivid setting, a few surprises and a great trio of lead performances from Jamie Dornan , Danielle Macdonald and Shalom Brune-Franklin.

Created by Harry and Jack Williams and directed half by Chris Sweeney and half by Daniel Nettheim, The Tourist begins with what will prove to be its best set-piece, which isn’t always a great idea but in this case serves to get viewers well and truly hooked.

In a remote corner of rural Australia, a man (Dornan) with an Irish accent and no name stops for gas and a bathroom before resuming his drive. Before you can say “Hey, that’s the plot of Duel !” a truck emerges on the horizon, approaches the man’s car and tries to run it off the road. An intense pursuit ensues, all within the first 10 minutes, climaxing in the man waking up in a hospital with complete amnesia. Shot with acrid, epic scope by Ben Wheeler and edited without relief by Emma Oxley, it’s a sequence that is unique despite its familiar elements — one that’s so good that you probably won’t be offended by how little sense it makes once the show puts all of its cards on the table.

The Man doesn’t remember his name, his profession or why he was driving alone in a beat-up car on a stretch of road connecting nowhere to nowhere else, but his presence draws immediate attention. Offering benign curiosity is Probationary Constable Helen Chambers (Macdonald), trying to make a transition to legitimate policing after tiring of menial duties as a traffic cop. Offering more menacing curiosity is Billy Nixon (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), a hulking figure with a bushy beard, a rumbling voice, a questionable American accent and a blood-red cowboy hat. And it’s hard to read the intentions of diner waitress Luci (Brune-Franklin), who may be attracted to The Man because of his resemblance to Jamie Dornan, or else she has ulterior motives.

For the first few episodes, The Tourist is wonderfully spare. A couple of secondary characters pass in and out, but the story is mostly The Man, Helen, Luci and Billy, any one of whom could be a threat to the others. As the Williams brothers open the story up, it invariably becomes less interesting and more reliant on heaping doses of exposition. We meet characters including an odd detective played by Damon Herriman and some unsavory Greek gangsters. All of the characters are in the middle of their own identity crises, and while The Man is the only one who literally doesn’t know who he is, each person here is pondering existential questions about whether people can change; whether that change is a matter of personal choice; and whether it’s as simple as forging a passport or moving to a new country or making up different origin stories involving your mother or father.

From the too-clever-by-half backwards storytelling of Rellik to the structural mendacity of Liar , the Williams brothers are good at high-concept thrillers driven by tricky plot mechanics, and this fits that category more than other Two Brothers Pictures creations like the tormented The Missing . The more gaps in The Man’s story they expose, the more interesting The Tourist is; the more those gaps get filled in, the less interesting the resulting shape of the puzzle feels.

None of the answers is exactly infuriating and some of them play very well in the moment — the fifth episode is a straight-up backstory dump, but the creators find a way to make it amusing — but the more distance you get from the full story, the more you may find that very little holds together. It’s possible to concentrate on the occasional shootouts, a flimsy-but-taut storyline lifted from the Ryan Reynolds movie Buried and one stunning outback vista after another, and still be limitedly bothered by lapses in common sense.

It helps that this is probably the funniest of the Williams brothers thrillers, a reminder that as producers their credits also include the very fine Back to Life and the spectacular Fleabag . If you think the plot strains credulity, so do many of the characters, and there are crackling exchanges of dialogue, silly pieces of flirtation and enough quirky and outsized figures to make it clear that if Duel was the series’ table-setting inspiration, most of what follows is basically Fargo with a greater risk of kangaroos.

Dornan is probably too hunky to be inherently ideal as the Hitchcockian Everyman, but The Man is a savvy encapsulation of Dornan’s varied skills, especially those he’s been showcasing in his projects from the past year-ish. He has compelling chemistry with both Macdonald and Brune-Franklin, he’s generally convincing as a sturdy action lead and he has an underlying menace that lets you wonder if the man that The Man used to be might not be so virtuous. Best of all — and this will not shock the Barb and Star hive — Dornan is an adroit comic performer, whether it’s expressing Irish-accented confusion about a fluffy stuffed koala or any of the bickering that characterizes The Man’s relationships with Helen and Luci. He weathers all of the reveals about his character, up to the finale’s conclusive twists. It’s just a darned good performance in a show that hinges on its lead.

Macdonald is, at some points, nearly a co-lead and the Patti Cake$ star brings nervous humor and the real emotional hook to the story, maintaining the character’s integrity in the face of a sometimes sweet, mostly unappealing engagement to Greg Larsen’s brutally passive-aggressive Ethan. I wish somebody had written more actual traits for Brune-Franklin’s Luci, but the simmering interactions with Dornan keep the show going through its slower parts. Herriman’s guessing-game strangeness and Ólafsson’s garrulous intimidation are responsible for the show’s most Coen Brothers-y elements.

At six hours, The Tourist ‘s focus wavers, but its momentum remains solid; in a spring of self-important ripped-from-headlines TV storytelling, I appreciated its pulpy drive. And that “Shouldn’t this be a couple of hours shorter?” sensation? Well, I guess that’s just a permanent condition.

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The Tourist season 1 ending explained: Who was Jamie Dornan's character?

Jamie Dornan drama The Tourist debuted on BBC One on New Year's Day – but how did the series end and will it return?

• Lauren Morris
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*Warning: This article contains a discussion of suicide and suicidal ideation that some readers may find distressing.*

The Tourist season 2 is just around the corner, as New Year's Day marks new episodes of the BBC thriller.

An action-packed trailer was unveiled earlier this month, showing Jamie Dornan’s Elliot now dating Danielle Macdonald’s Helen – and on the run in Ireland.

Despite the change in setting, season 2 will still explore Elliot’s mysterious backstory, of which he has no memory - and was actually the main reason that more episodes will arrive on BBC One and iPlayer.

Lead star Dornan explained to RadioTimes.com about signing on for more of the story: "My thinking was, ‘Where are we going? Like, if we’re doing this, where are we going?’ Because it was a bit of an upheaval to go to Australia.

More like this

"But luckily, Jack and Harry [Williams, creators] had plans to make it something closer to home, and I probably approved those plans pretty quickly."

So, with season 1 having premiered back in January 2022, and with a fresh location and fresh characters set to arrive in season 2, fans may be in need of a recap of the original run before diving in.

The creators of the show , Jack and Harry Williams, teased "emotion, jeopardy, tension and narrative surprise" from the six-parter ahead of its release.

And they weren’t kidding! The offbeat, tense mystery thriller, which revolves around an enigmatic figure in the Australian outback who suffers amnesia, kept fans guessing right up until the show’s epic ending.

So, just who is The Man? Well, an emotional and breathtaking climax in the dramatic final episode answered this question – but it also raised a few more. And if you have been struggling to follow the twists and turns, never fear. We have you covered.

RadioTimes.com has examined all you need to know about The Tourist season 1's shocking ending, including unravelling the mystery of The Man and the final fate of Jamie Dornan's character.

**Warning: major spoilers for The Tourist ahead.**

The Tourist season 1 ending explained

Luci (Shalom Brune-Franklin) gets Kostas's (Alex Dimitriades) brother – who he thought had died decades ago – on the phone, who tells him to lead a different life. Kostas decides to listen to the hallucination of his brother instead and tries to kill Luci. Elliott (Jamie Dornan) grabs Lachlan's (Damon Herriman) gun but there's a struggle.

Kostas is fatally shot and Lachlan drives off in search of his wife, while Luci takes a shot to the stomach. Elliott puts her in his car with the bag of money and drives her to a hospital, but she dies before he can get there.

Elliott calls Helen (Danielle Macdonald) for help, however Ethan answers and tells him to leave her alone. Helen tells her fiancée that she wants to go to Elliott's aid before Ethan (Greg Larsen) threatens to break up with her if she calls him back. She tells Ethan that if he really loved her, then he wouldn't keep making ultimatums and ends their engagement before calling Elliott.

Meanwhile, Lachlan tracks down his wife, kills Kostas' men and sets her free. He then goes to the police and blames Helen for Rodney Lammon's (Kamil Ellis) death, showing officers footage of her enjoying Elliott's company in a Mexican restaurant and telling them she was in cahoots with Elliott.

Just before Helen sets off to find Elliott, she sees new reports revealing they're both wanted for murder, with Lachlan leading the investigation, and the pair decide to go on the run together. When they're chased down by police, they take customers of a restaurant hostage as Helen asks a friend of hers to find evidence of Lachlan's corruption.

To buy time, Elliott asks the hostage negotiator to bring him Lena Pascal – a woman he keeps seeing in the fragmented memories that return to him, claiming she can fill in the missing gaps in his memory. Just as the police begin to swarm, Helen receives a photo, taken by a speed camera, of Lachlan driving away after killing Lammon with Elliott hand-cuffed in the passenger seat – contradicting his version of events.

The police arrest Lachlan, Helen is set free and Elliott is at the police station awaiting bail when Elena Pascal visits him, having been brought there from Adelaide. She reveals that she was a trafficking victim of Elliott's, having been coerced into smuggling bags of heroin into Australia in her stomach which were then cut out of her by one of Elliott's colleagues.

She tells him that he would make her smile at him to rehearse acting relaxed at the airport, which explains why his memories show her looking happy, and that he had caused the deaths of two other women smuggling heroin after the bags exploded in their stomachs.

Disgusted with who he really is, Elliott leaves the bag of Kostas' money to Sue (whose husband was killed by Billy) and tries to kill himself by crashing his car. He wakes up in the hospital, this time remembering who he is, and Helen visits him to say that she wants nothing to do with him after reading his police report.

After his release from the hospital, Elliott drinks a bottle of vodka and swallows a handful of pills, while Helen speaks to her coworker, who tells her that while she can't forgive Elliott for what he did in his previous life, everyone deserves a second chance. Just as Elliott has resigned himself to death, he receives a text from Helen, an emoji of a burrito that represents a private joke between them, and he smiles.

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Who is The Man in The Tourist, played by Jamie Dornan?

Over the course of the series, we learn that The Man (Jamie Dornan) is actually Elliot Stanley – the former accountant for international criminal and drug lord Kostas (Alex Dimitriades).

He met Luci Miller (Shalom Brune-Franklin), a con-woman who went by multiple aliases and was Kostas' fiancée, in Bali earlier in the year and began an affair with her. They decided to escape with $1 million of Kostas' money and fled to Australia together, but broke up multiple times due to their tumultuous relationship.

Kostas sent his employee Marco and henchman Billy to find Elliot and Luci and retrieve the money, however, friendly Marco tipped Elliott off. Elliott hid the money at a place in the Outback, hid his phone in a koala at a petrol station with the location of the money on for Marco to find and then drove away. This was when Billy ran him off the road and he lost his memory.

We later learn that Billy found out about Marco tipping Elliot off and subsequently buried him in a barrel underground – and so it was Marco who had been calling Elliot, asking him to rescue him.

As for who blew up the diner, Luci had planted the explosives as Marco had asked to meet up with her there and she didn't know if she could trust him.

Does Elliot survive in The Tourist season 1?

The ending of The Tourist does not confirm that Elliot died after swallowing the pills and vodka.

Helen was ready to offer Elliot a second chance and messaged him with a burrito emoji – representing what Elliott had previously had described as happiness.

The last we see of Elliot is him smiling at Helen's message – a final shot of hope and the possibility of redemption.

However, the series ends here meaning we don't know if Elliot somehow strives to survive the possible overdose or if he remains resigned to death.

However, with The Tourist season 2 on its way, and Dornan set to return, it seems Elliot has survived, after all.

• Read More: Best Jamie Dornan films and TV series

The Tourist viewers react to the ending of season 1

In terms of how The Tourist season 1 ended, fans of the show have taken to social media to share their reactions.

While some were pleased with how it wound up its storylines, others were keen for more closure, showing a divisive reaction to the ambiguous final scenes.

One Twitter viewer penned: "Good grief, that ending of #bbc 's #TheTourist . It's going to haunt me in a good way for a long time; a mark of a great show in my books. #JamieDornan mesmerises. And #DanielleMacdonald is a revelation."

Elsewhere, another person wanted further closer for The Tourist, tweeting: " #TheTourist watched all 6 episodes, brilliant, but that ending, they had to end it like that. Helen as to get her happy ending."

A different fan of The Tourist commented on Twitter: " #TheTourist might just be the most perfect television I’ve seen in a very long time. That ending, so understated and beautiful".

Meanwhile, another viewer tweeted: "Another drama where the ending left me completely WTF?! Not sure whether I enjoyed it or not. Definitely the first few episodes were better than the last #TheTourist ".

Finally, one viewer of The Tourist concluded on Twitter: "Wow that ending for #thetourist was such a downer".

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The Tourist season 2 starts on Monday 1st January on BBC One and iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the accidental tourist.

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"Yes, that is my son," the man says, identifying the body in the intensive care unit. Grief threatens to break his face into pieces, and then something closes shut inside of him. He has always had a very controlled nature, fearful of emotion and revelation, but now a true ice age begins, and after a year his wife tells him she wants a divorce. It is because he cannot seem to feel anything.

"The Accidental Tourist" begins on that note of emotional sterility, and the whole movie is a journey toward a smile at the end.

The man's name is Macon Leary ( William Hurt ), and he writes travel books for people who detest traveling. He advises his readers on how to avoid human contact, where to find "American food" abroad and how to convince themselves they haven't left home. His own life is the same sort of journey, and maybe it began in childhood. His sister and two brothers still live together in the house where they were born, and any life outside of their routine would be unthinkable.

Macon's wife ( Kathleen Turner ) moves out, leaving him with the dog, Edward, who does like to travel and is deeply disturbed by the curious life his masters have provided for him. He barks at ghosts and snaps at strangers. It is time for Macon to make another one of his overseas research trips, so he takes the dog to be boarded at a kennel, and that's where he meets Muriel Pritchett ( Geena Davis ). Muriel has Macon's number from the moment he walks through the door. She can see he's a basket case, but she thinks she can help. She also thinks her young son needs a father.

Macon isn't so sure. He doesn't use the number she gives him. But later, when the dog trips him and he breaks his leg, he takes Edward back to the kennel, and this time he submits to a little obedience training of his own. He agrees to acknowledge that Muriel exists, and before long they are sort of living together (lust still exists in his body, but it lurks so far from the center of his feelings that sex hardly seems to cheer him up).

The peculiarity about these central passages in the film is that they are quite cheerful and sometimes even very funny, even though Macon himself is mired in a deep depression. Davis, as Muriel, brings an unforced wackiness to her role in scenes like the one where she belts out a song while she's doing the dishes. But she is not as simple as she sometimes seems, and when Macon gets carried away with a little sentimental generalizing about the future, she warns him, "Don't make promises to my son that you are not prepared to keep." There is also great good humor in the characters in Macon's family: brothers Porter ( David Ogden Stiers ) and Charles ( Ed Begley Jr.) and sister Rose ( Amy Wright ), a matriarch who feeds the family, presides over their incomprehensible card games and supervises such traditional activities as alphabetizing the groceries on the kitchen shelves. One evening Macon takes his publisher, Julien ( Bill Pullman ), home to dinner and Julien is struck with a thunderbolt of love for Rose. He eventually marries her, but a few weeks later Julien tells Macon that Rose has moved back home with the boys; she was concerned that they had abandoned regular meals and were eating only gorp.

This emergency triggers the movie's emotional turning point, which is subtle but unmistakable. Nobody knows Rose as well as Macon does, and so he gives Julien some very particular advice: "Call her up and tell her your business is going to pieces. Ask if she could just come in and get things organized. Get things under control. Put it that way.

Use those words. Get things under control, tell her." In context, this speech is hilarious. It is also the first time in the film that Macon has been able to extend himself to help anybody, and it starts him on the road to emotional growth. Clinging to the sterility and loneliness that has been his protection, he doesn't realize at first that he has turned the corner. He still doubts that he needs Muriel, and when she buys herself a ticket and follows him to Paris, he refuses to have anything to do with her. When his wife also turns up in Paris, there is a moment when he thinks they may be able to patch things together again, and then finally Macon arrives at the sort of moment he has been avoiding all of his life: He has to make a choice. But by then the choice is obvious; he has already made it, by peeking so briefly out of his shell.

The screenplay for "The Accidental Tourist," by Kasdan and Frank Galati , is able to reproduce a lot of the tone and dialogue of the Anne Tyler novel without ever simply being a movie version of a book. The textures are too specific and the humor is too quirky and well-timed to be borrowed. The filmmakers have reinvented the same story in their own terms. The movie is a reunion for Kasdan, Hurt and Turner, who all three launched their careers with " Body Heat " (1981). Kasdan used Hurt again in " The Big Chill " (1983) and understands how to employ Hurt's gift for somehow being likable at the same time he seems to be withdrawn.

What Hurt achieves here seems almost impossible: He is depressed, low-key and intensely private through most of the movie, and yet somehow he wins our sympathy. What Kasdan achieves is just as tricky; I've never seen a movie so sad in which there was so much genuine laughter. "The Accidental Tourist" is one of the best films of the year.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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The Accidental Tourist (1989)

121 minutes

Kathleen Turner as Sarah

William Hurt as MacOn

Ed Begley Jr. as Charles

David Ogden Stiers as Porter

Geena Davis as Muriel

Amy Wright as Rose

Bill Pullman as Julian

Robert Gorman as Alexander

Bradley Mott as Mr. Loomis

Screenplay by

• Frank Galati
• John Williams

Produced by

• Charles Okun
• Michael Grillo

Photographed by

• John Bailey
• Carol Littleton

Based On The Novel by

Directed by.

• Lawrence Kasdan

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Field of Dreams Ending Explained: The Costner Movie's Real Meaning

• Field of Dreams focuses on lost dreams, regrets, and sentimentality with family and passions, earning it Oscar nominations and preservation in the National Film Registry.
• The movie's ending revolves around reconciling past regrets, generational issues, and moving forward with optimism and hope for the future.
• Kevin Costner's portrayal in Field of Dreams separates it from his other sports movies, showcasing a sentimental look at societal issues and the importance of making dreams come true.

As one of the most inspirational movies of all time, the Field of Dreams meaning has many different interpretations, but Kevin Costner’s film boils down to a few key themes. The 1989 movie follows Ray Kinsella (Costner and his family as he builds a baseball diamond on his Iowa cornfield after hearing voices. The field then draws the ghosts of legendary baseball players who missed out on their dreams, allowing Ray to look further into his regrets. A lauded baseball movie, Field of Dreams is about lost dreams, regrets, and sentimentality about the past regarding family and one's passions.

Field of Dreams holds a place with movies like It’s a Wonderful Life that boasts extremely inspirational messages. At the movie's end, one feels better about humanity, moving forward with doubts due to its powerful reconciliations. Field of Dreams earned three Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. The Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. There's even a Field of Dreams ballpark at the original filming location that is both a tourist attraction and the site of one MLB game every season. Field of Dreams is so much more than just a sports movie.

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What Happens In Field Of Dreams Ending

If he builds it, he will come.

The Field of Dreams ending explained how everyone who came to Ray’s baseball diamond afterlife in Iowa fulfilled their lost dreams. Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) disappears into the cornfield with Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) and the other Field of Dreams players , suggesting Mann has also resolved his past regrets . The last player to leave the field is the catcher, whom Ray recognizes as his father as a young, happy man. Ray then realizes the field whispering “ ease his pain ” referred to his guilt over his torn relationship with his father.

Field of Dreams ends by panning from the father and son playing catch to a highway full of traffic.

John Kinsella (Dwier Brown) is introduced to Ray’s wife and daughter before Ray finally asks him to play catch. Field of Dreams ends by panning from the father and son playing catch to a highway full of traffic where cars have lined up to realize their dreams at the Iowa cornfield baseball diamond.

Field Of Dreams Ending Resolves Generational Issues

The theme is recognizing the past & moving into the future.

One of the best Field of Dreams quotes comes from Terence Mann, who says, “ This is the future. You don’t belong here .” At the crux, Field of Dreams tries to resolve how one generation is passed over by the next and understand why they become so angry — they don’t matter, can’t progress, and become relics of the past. Field of Dreams amends generational gaps and unresolved tensions, so life can progress while respecting the past. The sports drama's magic is comforting sentimentality for past eras with nostalgia while resolving the inability to progress in the present.

Classic movie actor Burt Lancaster makes his final film appearance.

As Field of Dreams moves forward with ‘60s counterculture parents stopping neo-fascists from banning books in the present, it also focuses on classic cinema, revolutionary authors of past eras, and America’s favorite pastime. Field of Dreams subtly addresses how people, art, or eras in history that made such a profound impact on culture get left in the past. Classic movie actor Burt Lancaster makes his final film appearance, Annie references Citizen Kane , and early 20th-century baseball players get to be young and play the sport they’re passionate about again.

Karin watches Jimmy Stewart in Harvey while Field of Dreams is a pre-modern Frank Capra film, and a revered, controversial author reconnects with his optimistic fight. Many of these figures never found life in modern-day society because they became outdated, couldn’t adjust to the times, or stuck themselves in the past due to unrealized goals. Field of Dreams attempts to resolve the issues between older generations that couldn’t properly move past their dreams of the past and gives them a proper send-off.

Field Of Dreams Makes Parents Real People

Ray finally understands his father.

Field of Dreams ’ central themes include fatherhood and parent-child issues. Ray Kinsella’s main regret in life is his relationship with his father , whom he antagonized after his dad constantly pushed him to be great at baseball. When young and naive, it’s difficult to look at one’s parents as real people with flaws and dreams instead of authority figures and caretakers. Similar to a question in Back to the Future , Field of Dreams asks what it would be like if one could meet their parents when they were young.

Ray now gets to experience his father as he truly was while being able to amend their torn relationship.

When Ray Kinsella finally sees his father as an optimistic young man passionate about baseball who hasn’t been scarred by the trials and tribulations of life yet, he can’t help but interact with him in the way he always dreamed. Ray now gets to experience his father as he truly was while being able to amend their torn relationship by playing catch again. Field of Dreams asks people to look at their parents as real people with dreams when forming overall opinions of their character.

The Field Of Dreams Ending Relieves Past Regrets To Move Forward

The only way to move on in life (and death).

People can’t rest when stuck in the past or what could’ve been, so Field of Dreams shows how one’s regrets can be resolved to move on with life and progress. The White Sox players finally get to play on the diamond again, so they move on to the afterlife; Ray amends his issues with his dad while forgiving him for being a real, flawed human being ; Terence’s pain that he couldn't achieve his dreams is relieved through reconciliation of his past; “Moonlight” Graham (Burt Lancaster) finally gets to hit a ball in a pro game while winking at the pitcher.

Field of Dreams allows people to rectify their regrets if they choose to face them.

It’s difficult to progress when plagued by the guilt of what was, wasn’t, or could have been, and Field of Dreams allows people to rectify their regrets if they choose to face them. Kevin Costner brilliantly illustrates how Ray could only amend his issues with his father once he agreed to build the baseball field. Terence could only rediscover his purpose when he decided to go with Ray. As the Field of Dreams voice said to Ray , “ I f you build it, he will come. ” It can translate to “ if you confront your past, you can change your future .”

Archie "Moonlight" Graham’s story is especially poignant as he has a sweet return home after dedicating his life to helping the masses and finally fulfilling his dreams. His story wasn’t tragic like the other missed opportunities with Field of Dreams ’ characters — Graham enjoyed being a doctor and living a quiet life with his wife."Moonlight" Graham’s story gives Field of Dreams a plotline from the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, showing that Archie’s life was much more meaningful as a doctor even though he couldn't professionally play baseball.

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Graham can only realize his baseball dream and move on when he becomes a young man because he only has regrets for his younger self. His baseball career didn't haunt him into old age as he led a fulfilling life. Archie didn’t need to experience another timeline where he got to hit a ball in an inning, be a major league player, and have his baseball dream come true — he just needed to know that he could have had a great career to finally rest.

What Field Of Dreams' Ending Really Means

Field of dreams ending is about optimism.

“ It’ll be just like when they were kids… People will come. ” There’s a reason why Disneyland is such a phenomenon; it allows people to be kids again and smile (but instead of cheering on Shoeless Joe Jackson, they cheer on Mickey Mouse and Luke Skywalker). Regardless of who they are, people need to carry this bit of optimism and joy in themselves as they're surrounded by so many outlying forces that can cause regret.

The Field of Dreams ending symbolizes how people can come back and experience their dreams.

The Field of Dreams ending symbolizes how people can come back and experience their dreams without being pained with regret and losing sight of themselves. Not everyone's dreams can come true, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn't hold onto the hope and joy of when they believed they could. In places like the Field of Dreams, one must believe and let go of realism to enjoy a dream come true or the subtle joys of life.

Is Field Of Dreams A True Story And Does That Matter For The Ending?

Field of dreams is based on the novel shoeless joe by w.p. kinsella.

Field of Dreams ' uplifting message begs the hopeful question, as with other sports dramas such as the beloved Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso , of whether a real person inspired the story. Unsurprisingly, the supernatural phenomena in Field of Dreams are fictionalized , but some characters are based on actual people. The 1989 movie Field of Dreams is based on the novel Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella, which features the baseball player of the same name, as well as Archie "Moonlight" Graham.

The movie has a ring of authenticity to it, but the plot and most of the other characters aren't based on a true story.

Both Shoeless Joe and Moonlight Graham were MLB players in the early 1900s whose stories were loosely translated into Kinsella's novel (Graham was indeed a medical doctor, and Shoeless Joe was implicated in the infamous "Black Sox" scandal of the 1919 World Series). The movie has a ring of authenticity to it, but the plot and most of the other characters aren't based on a true story. Ultimately, however, this doesn't matter for Field of Dreams ' ending, as the movie's heartwarming message holds up even without a concrete relationship to real history.

Field Of Dreams' Ending Separates It From Kevin Costner's Other Sports Movies

Kevin costner is a veteran of sports movies.

There is not a bigger actor in baseball movies than Kevin Costner . While he has since become known for Westerns, Costner was mostly a baseball sports movie actor in the eyes of many fans for years. However, there is a big difference between Field of Dreams and his other baseball movies' endings . Costner has starred in Chasing Dreams (1982), Bull Durham (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), and For Love of the Game (1999). Add in the NFL movie Draft Day and golf movie Tin Cup , and it seems like Costner has been in more sports movies than Westerns.

However, the Field of Dreams ending separates it from the other movies because it is a sentimental look at society, generations, and how the world could be a better place. Bull Durham was about minor league baseball, and while it had a generational gap involved in the story, it was all about the game. For Love of the Game was a love letter to baseball itself.

Mean while, Draft Day and Tin Cup were a lot more pessimistic about the sports, and both approached sports from the business side of things. The Field of Dreams meaning didn't care about business; it was about making dreams come true in real life, away from the spotlight.

Field Of Dreams' Ending Is So Iconic It Spawned A Real Game

Mlb plays a regular season game there every year.

Starting in 2021, Major League Baseball (MLB) began playing a regular season game every year at a ballpark adjacent to Field of Dreams Stadium in Dyersville, Iowa. In that first game, the Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees, 9-8. This was a huge call since it was the Chicago White Sox that Shoeless Joe's baseball scandal was based around. The next season, it was a different Chicago team as the Cubs played the Cincinnati Reds, beating them 4-2, making both of the first two wins from Chicago-based teams.

The stadium's design copies that of the Chicago White Sox stadium from 1910 to 1990.

The Field of Dreams movie and its legacy, including the Field of Dreams meaning of optimism and hope, led to MLB building its stadium near the original (which couldn't have games without a major redesign, as that would destroy the authenticity of the tourist destination). Even more important, the stadium's design copies that of the Chicago White Sox stadium from 1910 to 1990, paying homage to the Black Sox scandal and Shoeless Joe.

Sadly, the days of the Field of Dreams MLB game might have ended. There was no game in 2023, as construction on the stadium forced its cancelation. There was a game in 2024 scheduled for Alabama that is similar, but it seems the MLB stadium is now being transformed into a youth baseball and softball complex, although the owners have not counted out future MLB games there in the future (via Deadline ).

Field of Dreams

Based on a novel by W. P. Kinsella, Field of Dreams stars Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, a farmer living in Iowa who one evening begins hearing a mysterious voice urging him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. An avid baseball fan, Ray takes on the project in hopes of honoring his late father. Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, and Burt Lancaster also star.

Director Phil Alden Robinson

Release Date May 5, 1989

Cast Ray Liotta, Kevin Costner, Timothy Busfield, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster, Amy Madigan

Runtime 107 minutes

Genres Family, Drama, sport, Fantasy

Three surfers on a dream trip to Mexico were brutally killed. Here’s what we know

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A trio of tourists on a surfing trip in Mexico were living an idyllic life. They were posting photos of themselves on the beach, on rooftops, drinking beer, listening to music as they explored the country’s scenic coastline.

Then, they disappeared.

Here’s what we know about what happened:

Who were they?

The men who were killed were Australian brothers Callum Robinson, 33, his brother Jake, 30 , and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30.

Callum was a high-level lacrosse player. He played Division III college lacrosse at Stevenson University in Maryland.

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Bodies found in Baja California during search for missing tourists, Mexican officials say

Mexican officials say three bodies are found in the Baja California area where two Australian brothers and their American friend went missing while on a surf trip.

May 4, 2024

“He lived an extraordinary life, but what is most impressive about Callum is what a loyal friend he was. Once you were his friend, you were friends for life,” said Stevenson University lacrosse team coach Paul Cantabene.

“My heart is shattered into a million pieces,” wrote Callum Robinson’s girlfriend, Emily Horwath, in an Instagram post.

His brother Jake was a doctor, and Jack Carter Rhoad founded an online apparel company in San Diego called Loma Apparel. He also worked for a consulting company called ITCO Solutions.

Rhoad had recently proposed to his girlfriend, and his final Facebook post, from July 2023, showed pictures of the proposal.

What were they doing in Mexico?

The three men were on a surfing trip in Baja California and were expected to check into an Airbnb in Rosarito on April 27 but never showed up, according to Debra Robinson, Callum and Jake’s mother.

The three arrived in Mexico on April 26 for their idyllic beachside trip. Callum Robinson posted photos of the trio drinking beer on a rooftop, as well as pictures of the men at the beach and in a rooftop Jacuzzi.

3 bodies in Mexican well identified as Australian and American surfers killed for tires

Mexican authorities say three suspects killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip in Baja California to steal tires from their truck.

May 5, 2024

Their disappearance triggered a manhunt and investigation by local Mexican police, the FBI and the Mexican marines.

What happened?

Mexican authorities have determined that the three men were killed by thieves who were looking to steal their white pickup truck in order to sell its tires.

The Chevrolet truck was posted in the first picture Callum Robinson shared when the men arrived in Baja California on April 26. It had a California license plate.

The bodies of the victims were found about 4 miles from where they were killed, just south of the city of Ensenada. A tent the men were staying in, as well as their burned-out truck, was found nearby.

María Elena Andrade Ramírez, chief state prosecutor of the state of Baja California, said investigators discovered their bodies 50 feet deep in a remote well.

Inside the well was a fourth cadaver as well, she said.

Three Mexicans are being held in connection with the case, the prosecutor said.

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What does it mean for tourists?

The killings have set off pitched discussions over safety as well as the prioritization of solving the homicides of other tourists killed in Mexico.

On the Talk Baja Facebook group, concerned surfers and potential visitors to the Northern Mexico state have discussed whether they should still visit the area.

The U.S. State Department said in its 2023 report that Americans should “reconsider” travel to Baja California due to kidnapping and crime. The “reconsider” category is the second-worst category, after the department’s “do not travel to” recommendation.

More to Read

Testimony details alleged motives in Mexico surfer slayings: ‘Money, devices and the pickup’

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Three friends drove from California to Mexico for a surfing trip. Then they disappeared

May 3, 2024

U.S. couple likely thrown overboard by boat hijackers are dead, Grenada police say

Feb. 27, 2024

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Noah Goldberg covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. He worked previously in New York City as the Brooklyn courts reporter for the New York Daily News, covering major criminal trials as well as working on enterprise stories. Before that, he was the criminal justice reporter for the Brooklyn Eagle.

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Times square stabbing: tourist attacked after walking out of nyc gift shop.

TIMES SQUARE - Whether you’re visiting NYC or have been here for years, video of a brazen Times Square stabbing requires a double take.

According to police, just before 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, Cyril Destin, 61, was seen calmly sitting on a walker before he stabbed a 35-year-old tourist coming out of a gift shop.

"He smoke a cigarette. He sees like two ladies coming from the gift shop, and he stabs the one lady," said Anwar, an employee at Port Deli Gormet.

Anwar is no stranger to Destin, who he says is a regular at the deli just off 43rd Street and 8th Avenue in Times Square, where NYPD officers have been making their rounds following the incident.

"It’s not normal," Anwar recalled to FOX 5 NY. "Like after you stab somebody you run away from the cop but this guy after he, only one time, and he sits back in his chair, smoked a cigarette and people walk in front of him. Too many people it’s rush hour."

"So just for nothing. Well, that’s a part of New York I have not seen." One tourist shared

"It’s like every other day," one viewer said after seeing the video. "There’s something disturbing happening in the city like that was just completely unprovoked."

The victim is expected to recover after she was taken to Bellevue Hospital, as New Yorkers try to imagine what triggered the seemingly unprovoked attack.

"I feel terrible for him because he’s obviously a troubled person," Robert Shapiro shared. "I feel terrible for her. Like I said, these are all somebody’s babies."

"So just for nothing," one tourist shared. "Well, that’s a part of New York I have not seen."

Police say Destin has a history of at least 14 arrests, including robbery, petty larceny and several drug-related charges. He was charged and arrested Saturday with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

"People perform crimes," Shapiro observed. "They’re in and out of jail the same day. People get angry because why are they?"

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Netflix’s ‘bodkin’ examines the hard truth versus clouded memory.

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Robyn Cara and Siobhán Cullen in 'Bodkin' on Netflix.

What happens in Bodkin stays in Bodkin until a trio of intrusive podcasters arrive in town.

The new Netflix series Bodkin tells the wacky tale of three truth-seekers who dare to uncover long-held secrets in a quaint Irish town where outsiders of the nosey kind are not welcome.

Hilarity ensues in the seven-episode series, which premieres on May 9, as this true crime crew sets out to investigate the disappearance of three strangers in the fictitious quaint, coastal Irish town of Bodkin. (As charming as Bodkin is, you will not find it on a map. This imaginary place is in West Cork and was filmed in Union Hall, Glandore, and parts of Wicklow and Dublin).

The mystery began 20 years ago when three people went missing during the Samhain Festival, the American equivalent of Halloween. Upon first arriving, these podcasters aren’t sure there’s a story to tell, but their determination to discern fact from fiction leads them to bigger and weirder truths than they could have imagined.

Will Forte, Siobhán Cullen, and Robyn Cara in 'Bodkin' on Netflix.

Will Forte, Siobhán Cullen, and Robyn Cara star as the inquisitive trio who charm some and irk many. The locals in this tight-knit community are hiding some pretty big secrets. The town’s charming topography covers up some nefarious goings-on and the last thing the people there want is for the world to know anything about any of it.

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An overarching theme in Bodkin is the search for the truth and how time can tarnish memories of how things unfolded in the past. In this case, they learn that the truth isn’t always black or white.

In a recent interview, Forte, Cullen, and Cara each said they were immediately drawn to this story. For Forte, who plays Gilbert, an enthusiastic American podcaster with Irish roots on the hunt for his next big story, it was all about the fantastic writing. He also loved the character, a man who is harboring dark secrets and is desperate for a hit podcast after a string of flops. He has to uncover a juicy story or his life could implode. “Everything was shouting in my head to do this. I was so excited they came to me and asked me to do it.”

Cullen said she was immediately intrigued by her character, a hard-nosed investigative journalist named Dove. “How can someone be so cold and cutting? I was keen to learn more about what makes a person like that. Her complexity drew me in. I hope when people watch Bodkin they come away satisfied after watching a well-told story and also are left questioning the stories they tell about themselves. And, I suppose, the lengths people go in their portrayals of themselves, and why that is.”

As for Cara, she immediately connected to her character, Emmy, who is a funny, hardworking, and eager-to-please researcher. “We share a similar energy and I just loved her. I hope people enjoy the show. It does get weird and I hope they enjoy that,” she laughed. “I hope they connect with the characters and want to see more from them.”

Gilbert, Dove, and Emmy soon meet Seamus Gallagher (David Wilmot), a mercurial and mysterious local who can turn on the charm when it serves his needs; on the flip side, he can just as quickly snap into outbursts of violence when he feels threatened. They also meet Seán O’Shea (Chris Walley), an unreliable country lad who they come to learn is wrapped up in some pretty shady business.

Will Forte in 'Bodkin' on Netflix.

When asked about the theme of seeking and revealing the truth after memories have faded over time, Forte reflected on stories his mother has told him over the years. “I know for sure things didn’t happen how she says,” he laughed. “I mean huge elements of the stories just didn’t happen. I can go back and prove it and she’s like, ‘Nope, that’s exactly how it happened,’ and I agree to disagree. Then I wonder if I’m wrong.”

Cullen added that she has a unique perspective as the youngest child in her family. “I have memories that I'm convinced I was there for but when we go back and fact-check, I wasn’t even born so they’re inherited memories from my siblings. I think it is an interesting aspect of the story and very troubling when three people are trying to investigate a mystery and fielding a lot of half-truths and misremembered facts.”

Bodkin is created and executive produced by Jez Scharf, who also serves as co-showrunner alongside fellow executive producer Alex Metcalf. The series hails from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company. The former White House residents serve as executive producers alongside Tonia Davis, their head of film and television, and Nne Ebong, David Flynn, and Paul Lee. Nash Edgerton is the lead director.

If you are a fan of The Tourist , this is a must-watch . Both darkly comedic thrillers conquer mysteries against the lush green backdrop of Ireland with a wacky cast of characters that must go through a hilarious set of circumstances. Both fish-out-of-water stories draw you in with gripping mysteries while also keeping you laughing at the lengths these colorful characters will go to get to the truth.

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wordplay, the crossword column

Always Ready to Order

Joe DiPietro takes us back to old Rome.

By Deb Amlen

Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues

THURSDAY PUZZLE — Last week I wrote about how constructors’ brains fascinate me because they can come up with unusual, creative ideas for what is essentially a two-dimensional pastime that simply involves crossing words. These puzzle makers have elevated the craft to include three dimensional puzzles and visuals that delight the eye, as well as unparalleled wordplay, mostly enabled — sorry, make that encouraged — by Will Shortz, Joel Fagliano and their merry band of editors.

Creativity is one thing, but how do some of these constructors manage to be so prolific? I asked Sam Ezersky, an editor of the Crossword, who has had 55 puzzles appear in The New York Times in eight years. It boils down to noticing things that are not readily visible to others, and setting them aside for future use.

“As Will Shortz says, they have flexible minds,” he said of these constructors.

“I jot things down in my Notes app all the time,” he continued, “just properties of phrases I notice. Some things I’m able to turn into fully fleshed out, fun puzzles.

“Your mind just becomes increasingly attuned to thinking ‘Hey, imagine if you could take that phrase and use it to explain this sort of wordplay.’”

Today’s Theme

Joe DiPietro offers four theme entries where Roman numerals substitute for parts of phrases. The theme clues sort of hint at this trick by ending in “ … in old Rome?”

For example, at 16A, the answer to the clue “Used extreme caution, in old Rome?” should be “walked on e ggshells,” but the crossings demand that we write it as WALKED I GGSHELLS. The I in that phrase is the Roman numeral one, and it stands in for the letters O, N and E.

Let’s do another one. At 57A, the answer to the clue “Do a judge’s job, in old Rome?” should be “w eigh t he evidence,” but we need to write it as W VIII HEEVIDENCE. The VIII stands in for the letters E, I, G, H and T, or eight.

It took me a while to catch on, but I really enjoyed figuring out Mr. DiPietro’s theme. There’s nothing like a good brain flossing to get one ready for the tough Friday and Saturday puzzles.

Tricky Clues

9A. You thought that the “Body part where a sock might go?” was a foot, didn’t you? This sock is not the other half of a pair that didn’t get lost in the wash. It’s a punch, and the target is the CHIN.

19A. “Cross state” would be one word if you are traveling across a state, but in this puzzle, the two-word clue is hinting at being in a state of crossness. The answer is IRE.

26A. “Where F comes before E?” refers to the gas gauge (from full to empty) in a CAR.

44A. An ERG is a unit that measures energy or work. I think “What a piece of work!” is a clever clue.

45A. At first, I read “Surname in the 1946 western ‘My Darling Clementine’” as a reference to the song, and couldn’t figure out for the life of me what EARP had to do with it. It turns out that this clue refers to the film starring Henry Fonda and Victor Mature. The moral of this story is “Always read the clues twice.”

64A. This is great wordplay. “Always ready to order?” has nothing to do with having committed a menu to memory. It’s about ordering people around, and the answer is BOSSY.

14D. In publishing, “proofs” are the preliminary versions of a book or article. The person “who might bear the burden of proof?” is an EDITOR.

22D. I’m guessing that the “Apt Greek letter for a University of Pennsylvania fraternity is PHI, because it is sort of short for Philadelphia. If I’m not even close, please feel free to ridicule me in the comments.

51D. I was not familiar with BEERY as an adjective for the “smell of a pub,” but it certainly seems apt.

52D. Is writing SWAK, a “Love note acronym” short for “sealed with a kiss,” a thing anymore? Maybe for those who write love letters by hand.

56D. The “Nixon nix” is a VETO. Why Nixon? My guesses: 1) Former President Nixon was known for vetoing important acts of legislation, and 2) alliteration.

Constructor Notes

This puzzle started out as a blackjack idea with a revealer of “double down,” where the Roman numerals doubled as they were read from top to bottom in the grid. Ultimately, the payoff wasn’t that great. Of course, the casino was Caesar’s. Finding a 15-letter entry with IV was the most difficult. I originally submitted the puzzle with circles around the numerals, but like it better without them!

Join Our Other Game Discussions

Want to be part of the conversation about New York Times Games, or maybe get some help with a particularly thorny puzzle? Here are the:

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Improve Your Crossword Solving

Work your way through our guide, “ How to Solve the New York Times Crossword .” It contains an explanation of most of the types of clues you will see in the puzzles and a practice Mini at the end of each section.

Want to Submit Crosswords to The New York Times?

The New York Times Crossword has an open submission system, and you can submit your puzzles online . For tips on how to get started, read our series “ How to Make a Crossword Puzzle .”

The Tipping Point

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Spoiler alert: Subscribers can take a peek at the answer key .

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Deb Amlen is a games columnist for The Times. She helps readers learn to solve the Times Crossword, and writes about games, puzzles and language. More about Deb Amlen

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Take your puzzling skills in new directions..

WordleBot , our daily Wordle companion that tells you how skillful or lucky you are, is getting an upgrade. Here’s what to know .

The editor of Connections , our new game about finding common threads between words, talks about how she makes this daily puzzle feel fun .

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Read today’s Wordle Review , and get insights on the game from our columnists.

We asked Times readers how they play Spelling Bee. The hive mind weighed in with their favorite tips and tricks .

Ready to play? Try Wordle , Spelling Bee  or The Crossword .

Lacey Chabert to Lead Netflix Holiday Rom-Com ‘Hot Frosty’

By Katcy Stephan

Katcy Stephan

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Lacey Chabert is starring in another Christmas film, this time for Netflix. The actor, best known for her roles in “Mean Girls,” “Party of Five” and over 30 Hallmark films, will lead “ Hot Frosty ” for the streamer.

The film will also star Dustin Milligan (“Schitt’s Creek,” “The People We Hate at the Wedding”), Joe Lo Truglio (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Craig Robinson (“The Office”), Katy Mixon (“American Housewife”), Lauren Holly (“Dumb and Dumber”) and Chrishell Stause (“Selling Sunset”).

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Producers include Joel S. Rice (“Single All the Way,” “A Tourist’s Guide to Love”) and Michael Barbuto (“Never Too Late to Celebrate,” “Catch Me if You Claus”) for Muse Entertainment, while Aren Prupas and Jonas Prupas will executive produce.

“Hot Frosty” joins Netflix’s 2024 holiday slate, which includes the Lindsay Lohan starrer “Our Little Secret” and “Meet Me Next Christmas” starring Christina Milian.

Chabert is next set to star in Hallmark’s “The Christmas Quest” alongside Kristoffer Polaha, and in the channel’s unscripted series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert,” in which Chabert and her team plan a surprise party to give back to folks who make an impact on their communities.

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