Absentia Season 3 finale recap and ending explained

Breaking down the Absentia Season 3 finale

We were taken on a wild ride throughout Absentia Season 3. The finale certainly didn’t disappoint, and it’s time to break it all down.

The episode picked up in Europe with Interpol taking control of the camp. Back on home soil (where Emily tells Flynn just how proud she is of him), it was soon clear the cast wasn’t over. It didn’t take long for Emily, Nick, and Cal to realize that Border Outreach had a part to play in Meridian. We all knew that was the case, right?

Of course, Bridget wasn’t interested in talking to Nick. However, she did eventually come in to talk voluntarily.

Meanwhile, Crowne didn’t believe Webb was the mole. Everything was too easy to find. So, who was it?

I will also say we get some excellent family moments between Emily, Nick, and Flynn. We don’t get a lot of these throughout the seasons, but Absentia Season 3 manages to balance them well.

Cal and Emily clear a few things up

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After sleeping together and then Emily literally leaving Cal on the side of the road, the two had a lot to clear up. Cal decided to head to Emily’s place to do that, but the sexual tension is clear. All Cal ever wanted to do was keep Emily safe, but it was always clear Emily didn’t need his protection. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t need him.

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The nice way doesn’t work on Absentia Season 3

Nick didn’t get in to talk to Bridge. With the nice way not working, Nick and Cal agreed they needed to bring Bridget into the FBI. However, Gunnarson isn’t happy with the idea of Emily coming into it.

With the whole thing of the mole still there, it all certainly seems suspicious. Why wouldn’t Gunnarson want someone who had a direct connection to Bridget?

Cal and Nick hold nothing back when talking to Bridget. They make it clear that they know there is a connection between Border Outreach and the refugees being used as lab rats.

When Cal and Nick pull out the financial links between Border Outreach and Elliot’s shell companies, Gunnarson panics. Why would she be so worried about this?

Emily decides to meet Bridget in the elevator on the way out. There’s a threat about an army of lawyers and an Army at Bridget’s disposal. Emily is not going to let this go.

There’s an immediate threat to Emily, though. Someone took a photo of Emily and Flynn on the front steps from earlier in the episode. With a target on their backs, Emily and Nick need to figure out what to do.

It doesn’t take long for Emily’s house to explode, killing Nick and Flynn. After getting Nick back, is this how it really ends for them?

Oh, of course not! Their deaths were faked to protect them. It does mean Warren, Emily, Jac, and the others won’t be able to see them again. At least, not until the situation with Bridget is dealt with.

Dawkin’s phone comes in handy

After everything with Flynn at Warren’s farm, Emily ends up with Dawkins’s phone. She takes it to her tech guys, which comes back with a few details. One of those bits of info is a phone number in Boston.

Crowne and Emily get some proof that Gunnarson is the mole. Now they need to figure out who to go after first: Gunnarson or Bridget.

They decide Bridget first, leaking the information connecting Border Outreach and Meridian’s refugee camp.

Next, it’s Gunnarson, who tries to copy the files from the drive and delete the copy on the server for Meridian. Crowne catches her, giving Emily the chance to follow.

While Emily kills one of Meridian’s goons, she doesn’t kill Gunnarson. It’s time to bring the head of the team in for questioning.

It all comes back to Alice Durand during Absentia Season 2. Gunnarson admits that she killed Alice to protect Bridget and her company knowing Alice would have talked.

Explaining Gunnarson becoming the mole

Why did Gunnarson betray the FBI? Emily works out that Gunnarson wanted to be like “them,” living in a world of privilege. However, Gunnarson soon realized that she was disposable, just like Alice and so many others.

As Emily leaves the prison Gunnarson is being held, Gunnarson’s lawyer ex is waiting. Is she there to help Gunnarson or is she a part in Meridian’s plan too? Could this be something for Absentia Season 4?

The very end sees Emily working in a cafe. Cal finds her after she sens him a postcard with just “Cafe Sofia” written on it. She also leaves him her hotel keycard and room number. There’s a chance for the two of them together, but it’s clear that there’s something else going on.

Emily is working on taking down a black market arms dealer. She’d never be able to leave the game when there are lives to be protected.

That’s how we leave things. Emily may not be officially part of the FBI, but she’s part of something. But things are clearly not over yet.

What did you think of the Absentia Season 3 finale? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Absentia Season 3 is available to stream in full on Amazon Prime Video.