Fans of hardcore, over-the-top action films may already be familiar with movies such as 2013’s Olympus Has Fallen, 2016’s London Has Fallen and 2019’s Angel Has Fallen, which each dominated the box office upon their respective release. Though these cinematic classics have made waves in theaters, the franchise has never taken a foray into television streaming until now. Paris Has Fallen initially premiered on France’s Canal+ outlet, before making its way over to Hulu on Dec. 6. The series, which runs eight hour-long episodes in total, centers on a former French Foreign Legion soldier as he mounts an all-out assault on President Juliette Levesque, sending the entire nation of France into a state of emergency. As outlined in the show’s trailer, the soldier claims to be taking revenge for his fallen brothers in arms, who died serving the French head of state years earlier.
From the moment the show was announced, action fans were excited to dive right in and experience the franchise from a fresh new perspective. So, let’s discuss the plot of Paris Has Fallen, unpack the series’ thrilling conclusion and see if the show leaves behind any hint of what’s next for the cinematic universe at large. Since this is the first outing in the franchise to not focus on Gerard Butler’s Mike Banning, it seems clear that the show could pave the way for thrilling adaptations within nations all across the globe, leaving fans with plenty of new tales of international espionage to enjoy.
What Happens in ‘Paris Has Fallen’?
As stated, Paris Has Fallen centers on a French Foreign Legion soldier named Jacob Pearce. In the opening episode of the show, Pearce launches an assault on the British Embassy in France, killing the head of MI6 in the process. The French Foreign Minister is just barely able to escape from the carnage, thanks to the quick thinking of MI6 agent Zara Taylor and French intelligence officer Vincent Taleb. As Pearce continues his reign of terror, Zara and Vincent take it upon themselves to head a counter-terrorist task force. Unfortunately, the duo comes to learn that they have a mole choreographing their efforts to Pearce, as the murderous madman is consistently two steps ahead of them. To make matters worse, Zara learns that Vincent has a personal attachment to the case, as he’s been secretly engaged in a tryst with French President Juliette Levesque, who serves as Pearce’s prime target.
While digging into Pearce’s background, Zara and Vincent learn the source of his hatred for French government officials. When the Foreign Legion soldier was deployed in Afghanistan years earlier, his superiors turned him over to the Taliban to be tortured and left for dead. Once he managed to escape, he vowed never to return to France, though the French government had other plans. After learning that Pearce had survived his ordeal with the Taliban, President Levesque ordered a car bombing to prevent the soldier from going to the press. Unfortunately, the bombing wound up killing an innocent woman and her two children, further radicalizing Pearce against his home nation.
Who Is the Show’s Mole?
As Paris Has Fallen continues building to its thrilling conclusion, Zara and Vincent realize that their task force is doomed to fail unless they can root out their mole. At first, a character named Lucas seems to be the obvious candidate, though his suspicious behavior ultimately turns out to be a red herring for the audience. The actual mole is revealed as a woman named Simone – a close personal friend of Zara’s. Though she and Zara have been friends for years, the latter is shocked to learn that Simone once dated a member of Pearce’s Foreign Legion squad, who was killed trying to defend Pearce as he was handed over to the Taliban. Much like Pearce, Simone has become disillusioned by her country’s shady practices and reliance on corrupt politicians and vows to support Pearce’s plan to take down Levesque and anyone involved in her administration.
Eventually, Simone feels that Pearce has gone too far, as his campaign of terror upends the lives of many innocent civilians and kills countless low-level government workers who have nothing to do with the higher echelon of corruption within France. Simone ultimately trades sides and supports Zara and Vincent in their search for Pearce’s hideout. Thanks to Simone’s insider info, the duo manage to locate Pearce’s massive bomb, which he has threatened to use on France’s civilian population unless they hand the president over to him. As they attempt to deactivate the explosive, they learn that Pearce has carefully wired the device with several hair-triggered fail safes, rendering it virtually untouchable. With no further options to save the nation, Vincent and Zara agree to send Levesque into the lion’s den, armed with a concealed weapon.
The Final Showdown: Does Pearce Die?
At the end of Paris Has Fallen‘s first season, Zara and Vincent meet with Pearce and agree to hand over the president. In a shocking twist, Pearce reveals that he has taken extra precautions to ensure that the gang doesn’t pull any slick tricks by kidnapping Zara’s girlfriend Théa. Théa had no idea that Zara was an MI5 agent to begin with, so you can imagine the rage and horror that she’s experiencing as the hostage exchange plays out. Despite both sides doing everything they can to ensure a smooth transition, a full-on shoot-out begins, giving Pearce just enough cover to snap up the president and escape. Once Pearce gets Levesque inside his warehouse, he plans to force her into delivering an address to the nation, admitting to her international crimes that radicalized him in the first place.
In the commotion, the president manages to shoot Pearce in the gut with her hidden weapon, though he powers through and ultimately disarms her. With no hope left, Levesque delivers a tearful speech, admitting to her role in trading Pearce to the Taliban and killing civilians to silence him. Luckily, just as she’s wrapping up her comments, Zara and Vincent bust their way inside. Vincent dives in front of the president and takes a bullet for her, while Zara delivers the killing blow to Pearce, ending his reign of terror in one fell swoop.
How Does ‘Paris Has Fallen’ End?
In the aftermath of Pearce’s actions, President Levesque addresses the public with a follow-up speech, where she explains that her previous confession was delivered under duress, and authored by the terrorist to devalue her position. Despite the fact that she was truly responsible for the heinous actions she admitted to, the public ultimately sees her address as genuine and hail her as a national hero. Ultimately, Pearce not only failed to destroy France’s government – he actually strengthened Levesque’s public support by turning her into something of a living martyr. Despite her political success, the whole ordeal serves as a real relationship killer for Levesque, as Vincent no longer feels that he can trust her. The two meet one final time while Vincent is recovering in the hospital, and ultimately agree to split for good.
Though Pearce’s mission is thwarted, his ideology seems to ring true for many radical anti-government activists all over the globe. As Paris Has Fallen comes to a close, we learn that Pearce had contacts in Pakistan, Sweden and a variety of other nations, many of whom may be prepared to carry the torch against the French government moving forward. This network of terror could serve as the basis for future adventures within the Has Fallen universe, whether that means additional seasons of Paris Has Fallen or new television and film outings entirely. For now, the latter hasn’t been renewed for a second season, though it seems clear that fans would be overjoyed to see Zara, Vincent and company return to save France once more.
