'Below' Ending, Explained
Netflix’s Below is a six-part thriller that makes me never want to go in the water again. At the center of this mystery is Josh Hartnett’s Calvin Penney and his family. They live on a small island named Snook’s Arm. In the middle of a relocation dispute, this fisherman has to fight to protect his family, community, and way of life when a mysterious sea creature starts terrorizing their community. But how does Below end?
In case you don’t have time to watch all six episodes, I’m going to explain the ending of Below. But I’m also going to focus on the sea creature in question. Because this isn’t a mindless creature just causing destruction. There’s a purpose here that is a direct result of our world changing due to climate change. Lastly, I want to explain what that final shot in Below could mean for the future of this show and a possible Season 2.
How Netflix's 'Below' Ends
Below ends with Calvin and his family joining forces to move the iceberg that contains the sea creature’s eggs. They want to move it because they discover that the relocation efforts being pushed on their people were actually a cover for the Crocker family corporation to mine the resources on their small island of Snook’s Arm.
The military becomes involved when the sea creature latches itself onto the iceberg in the island’s harbor, becoming a direct danger to the residents. With plans to destroy the sea creature, the military evacuates the island, something that benefits the Crockers’ master plan. Because if the military destroys the harbor, that means the residents can’t come back, and the Crockers will face no resistance plundering the island for resources.
When Calvin and his family evade the evacuation, they manage to dislodge the iceberg from the harbor and pull it out into deeper waters. From there, the military stands down, and the sea creature is allowed to wait with her eggs, nourish them, and eventually die when they are born.
As for what happens to the humans, Calvin and his family stay on Snook’s Arm. They use whatever money they got from the ice to open up a new tavern called Big Squid Distillery and Brewery. Some of the residents who left during the evacuation are still trying to come home, with the Crockers making it difficult. And it seems like Dr. Howander is still doing her research on the island, just with less funding.
But the real cliffhanger of Below happens when Calvin and his son Wade head out into open waters. There, they don’t just come across one giant iceberg reminiscent of the one that just caused so much death and destruction for their community; they come across multiple, and then the screen goes black.
What Happened to the Sea Creature in 'Below'?
The sea creature in Below is a cephalopod, or more commonly, a giant squid. But I’m not talking about any giant squid we’ve seen in recorded history. I’m talking about a Cthulhu-sized squid over here. When the iceberg holding her eggs floats into warmer waters, she protects the iceberg from any threat that might come its way while also feeding herself to become stronger for the eggs.
After Calvin and his family help pull the iceberg into deeper waters and away from the harbor, the sea creature waits until the iceberg breaks down and frees the egg sac. The giant squid then takes the egg sac to the bottom of the ocean, protecting it as the eggs inside develop. Then, with the last bit of her strength, she ejects the eggs from the sac and dies. From what Dr. Howander says in Below’s final episode, none of the baby giant squids survived due to the warmer waters not being a hospitable environment. The thing is, there’s still one sea creature not accounted for by the time that Below ends.
Earlier on in the season, Dr. Howander realizes that there is something inside the ice. She chips away at the chunk she has and somehow finds an egg inside. When she cuts it open, the squid is still alive. In the ensuing panic, it falls into what looks like a freezer and crawls away. The doctor then closes the lid, and that’s the last we see of that baby giant squid.
Is Netflix’s 'Below' Getting a Season 2?
At the time of writing, there is no confirmation that Netflix’s Below is getting a Season 2. It was originally billed as a miniseries, with places like IMDb listing it as a “TV Mini Series.” There has also been no confirmation from creator Jesse McKeown or from the cast itself of more to come.
Personally, I’ve been wanting more miniseries in a TV landscape that consistently cancels shows after one season without giving them a chance to thrive. But the way that Below ends, it’s a perfect jumping-off point for more sea creatures and mysteries within these icebergs. Plus, there’s that baby giant squid that the doctor has hidden away.
Depending on how Below performs, a Season 2 is possible. Just look at Netflix’s other series Untamed starring Eric Bana. That was originally billed as a limited series, but Netflix greenlit Season 2 after great viewership and critical praise. Season 2 is currently in production in Hawai’i. So maybe we could be revisiting Snook’s Arm once more.
What's Inside the Icebergs in 'Below'?
What’s inside the icebergs featured in the last seconds of Netflix’s Below? We have no idea. But I’ve got some theories thanks to the environmental disaster mystery Season 1 set up.
The easy answer to what’s inside those icebergs is that there are more giant squids. Maybe the icebergs are holding other egg sacs, and the giant squids of epic proportions aren’t actually done and over with like the doctor theorized. However, giant squids are a threat that Calvin and his family could surely handle.
So, if Below were to come back for Season 2, those icebergs should have other legendary sea creatures. Because the giant squid that we experienced in Season 1 was basically the equivalent of the kraken. What if those icebergs harbor other monstrous sea serpents like the Leviathan or Jörmungandr? Or maybe other smaller legendary sea creatures like mermaids or something akin to the Loch Ness Monster? Or a mega shark? Really, the possibilities are endless if Below decides to up the stakes.
