The series begins with Julie, a retired assassin played by Keeley Hawes, living a secluded life on a Greek island with her estranged son, Edward, played by Freddie Highmore. Julie's past as a hitwoman starts to catch up with her, forcing them to flee the island together. This marks the beginning of their perilous journey as they navigate through Julie's dangerous past.

As they escape, it becomes clear that Julie's past is filled with secrets and unresolved conflicts. One of the key events from her past involves a hit she was contracted for by Aaron Cross and his wife, Leila. The target was Jean-Luc, an arms dealer who had been extorting money from them. Julie completed the hit but was interrupted by Marie, who was left for dead after being shot by Julie. Unbeknownst to Julie, Marie survived and spent years in a coma.

During the hit, Julie discovered a baby, Edward, in the adjacent room. Feeling a maternal instinct, she took him with her and raised him as her own. This decision was driven by guilt and a desire to protect him from the consequences of her actions. As the series progresses, it becomes evident that Marie has been seeking revenge against Julie for the past events.

Julie and Edward's flight from danger leads them to various locations, including northern Greece, where they meet Luka, a character who becomes entangled in their quest for survival. Luka is driven by his own vendetta, seeking revenge for the death of his village. Together, they work to uncover the truth behind the threats against them and to dismantle the conspiracy that has been unfolding.

A significant plot point involves the codename "Chantaines," which is revealed to be connected to Leila's suicide note. The note implicates her and Aaron in the murder of Jean-Luc, an event orchestrated by Julie. This revelation adds complexity to the narrative, highlighting the interconnectedness of the characters' pasts.

As the story unfolds, Marie's true intentions are exposed. She had been orchestrating the threats against Julie and Edward, seeking revenge for the past. In a dramatic confrontation, Marie drugs Edward and demands that he shoot Julie in exchange for an antidote. However, Edward turns the tables and kills Marie instead.

In the aftermath, Edward is rushed to the hospital by his fiancée, Kayla, who arrives in a helicopter. Meanwhile, Aaron Cross dies under suspicious circumstances, with evidence suggesting his son, Ezra, might have been involved. Ezra burns his mother's suicide note to protect the family's reputation, but Kayla has copies, potentially putting her in danger.

The series concludes with Edward recovering and planning to meet his biological mother. Julie, who has begun a romantic relationship with Luka, joins them on a Greek boat. The final scene shows Julie jokingly discussing her past as a hitwoman with Edward, indicating a newfound sense of closure and acceptance in their relationship.

Short, Simple Narrative of the Ending

In the finale of The Assassin, Julie breaks into Marie's compound to rescue Edward, who has been drugged and held captive. Marie reveals she has poisoned Edward and will only give him the antidote if he shoots Julie. Instead, Edward shoots Marie dead. Kayla arrives by helicopter and rushes Edward to the hospital, where he survives. Three months later, Edward and Kayla are on a boat to meet his birth mother, but Julie surprises them by joining the trip, now in a relationship with Luka. The series ends with the trio sailing away, Edward joking with Julie about her past, and Julie bluntly admitting how much she was paid for her hits.

Expanded, Chronological, Scene-by-Scene Narrative of the Ending

The final episode of The Assassin opens with Edward waking groggily in a dimly lit room, his vision blurred, his body weak from the drugs Marie has given him. Marie watches him with a mix of concern and calculation, worried she may have overdosed him. The air is thick with tension; Edward's confusion and fear are palpable as he struggles to understand where he is and what is happening to him.

Elsewhere in the compound, Julie moves with lethal precision. She plants an explosive device in a bag, leaves it in a hallway, and shoots a guard dead as he enters. She approaches another guard monitoring CCTV, dispatches him, and then methodically takes out the surveillance cameras, her face a mask of focus and determination. On the monitors, she catches glimpses of Marie and Edward in the basement. Marie, holding a necklace with an "F" pendant, tells Edward his real name is Florent and explains the trust fund was set up for him, suggesting Julie ensured he would receive it. Edward, overwhelmed and distrustful, smashes Marie over the head with the necklace case and flees.

As Edward runs through the compound's corridors, his breath ragged, he turns a corner and comes face to face with Julie. Their reunion is charged--Edward accuses Julie of shooting his father and stealing him away. Julie, her voice steady but her eyes betraying years of guilt, insists she didn't steal him. She explains that she was hired to kill Jean-Luc, knew nothing about him except that he was dangerously wealthy, and after the hit, heard a noise, shot at Marie (thinking she had killed her), and then discovered baby Edward crying. She took him, not out of malice, but out of a sudden, protective impulse.

The scene shifts to Marie, who has regained consciousness. She orders her guards to capture both Julie and Edward alive. Meanwhile, Luka tries to radio Julie, but she does not respond, her attention fully on Edward and their immediate survival.

Julie leads Edward through the compound, both of them alert for danger. They are cornered by Marie, who reveals she has poisoned Edward and will only give him the antidote if he shoots Julie. Marie's demeanor is chillingly playful; she lights a cigarette, relishing the power she holds over them. Edward, his face a mix of fear, anger, and resolve, raises the gun--but instead of shooting Julie, he turns it on Marie and fires, killing her instantly.

In the chaos that follows, Kayla arrives unexpectedly in a company helicopter, her face etched with worry. She helps Edward into the aircraft, and they rush him to the hospital. The camera lingers on Julie, left behind, her expression unreadable--relief, sorrow, and exhaustion mingling as she watches them go.

The narrative jumps forward three months. Edward has recovered. He and Kayla are on a yacht, the Mediterranean sun glinting off the water, heading to meet his birth mother. The mood is lighter, but there is still tension between Edward and Kayla, a sense of things unresolved. Suddenly, Julie emerges from below deck, surprising them. She reveals she is now in a relationship with Luka and thanks Edward for letting her join the trip. Edward, his tone wry, jokes that Julie might still be useful if they encounter trouble. As the yacht sails into the horizon, Edward asks Julie how much she was paid for her hits. Julie, with her characteristic bluntness, replies, "Fucking shitloads."

Fates of the Main Characters

• Julie: Survives the final confrontation, reconciles with Edward, and begins a romantic relationship with Luka. She joins Edward and Kayla on their journey to meet his birth mother, suggesting a tentative, ongoing connection with her adopted son.
• Edward (Florent): Survives Marie's poisoning, is rescued by Kayla, and recovers fully. He reconciles with Julie, maintains his relationship with Kayla, and sets out to meet his biological mother, seeking closure about his origins.
• Kayla: Remains engaged to Edward, plays a key role in his rescue and recovery, and accompanies him on the journey to meet his birth mother, indicating their relationship has endured the trauma.
• Marie: Is shot and killed by Edward when she attempts to force him to shoot Julie, ending her quest for revenge.
• Luka: Survives the events of the season, begins a romantic relationship with Julie, and is mentioned as being part of her life moving forward.
• Aaron Cross: Dies off-screen in France from an overdose, with implications that his son Ezra may have been involved. Ezra burns his mother's suicide note to protect the company, but Kayla possesses copies, leaving her potential future safety uncertain.

Key Points the Story Highlights

The ending of The Assassin is a crescendo of violence, revelation, and emotional reckoning. The series meticulously unpacks the consequences of Julie's past actions, the lies that shaped Edward's identity, and the cyclical nature of violence and revenge. The final scenes emphasize the complexity of maternal bonds--biological, adoptive, and manipulative--and the possibility of forgiveness, however tentative. The characters' fates are left deliberately open: Edward's journey to his birth mother suggests a search for identity beyond the trauma he has endured, while Julie's presence on the yacht signals her unwillingness to fully let go of the son she raised, despite the pain they have caused each other. The series does not offer easy resolutions but instead leaves its characters navigating the aftermath of their choices, bound together by shared history and the hope of something resembling family.

There is no information available in the provided search results about a post-credit scene for the TV show "The Assassin" produced in 2025. The search results focus on explaining the ending of the series, character motivations, and potential for a second season, but they do not mention any post-credit scenes. If such a scene exists, it would likely be detailed in reviews or discussions specifically about the show's finale, but this information is not present in the current search results.

The codename 'Chantaines' is revealed to be the name of the pet dog belonging to Kayla and Ezra's mother, who left a suicide note implicating her and Aaron in the murder of one of Cross Global Mining's first investors, an arms dealer. This codename connects to the dark conspiracy central to the plot and ties back to Julie's past assassination mission in 1994.

Marie initially appears as Edward's 'aunt' but is later revealed to be his biological mother. She was once involved with the arms dealer Jean-Luc Bertrand, whom Julie was hired to kill. Marie survived a shooting by Julie and later orchestrates a hit on Julie and Edward as revenge for past events. She drugs Edward and tries to manipulate him, making her a key antagonist in the series.

Julie is a retired assassin and Edward's estranged mother. Their relationship is strained and dysfunctional, marked by secrecy and mistrust. Edward arrives on a Greek island seeking answers about his father, but Julie's dangerous past forces them to flee together. Throughout the series, they struggle to reconcile while uncovering a dark conspiracy, with Julie fighting to save Edward and salvage their relationship.

Julie was hired by Aaron and Leila Cross to assassinate Jean-Luc Bertrand, an arms dealer and investor in their company, Cross Global Mining. Jean-Luc had attempted to extort more money, prompting the hit. During the mission, Julie shot Marie, Jean-Luc's lover, who fell into a coma but survived. Julie also took baby Edward (then named Florent) from the scene and raised him, burdened by guilt over the incident.

Luka is an associate who returns to an injured character named Damien and tortures him for information about the men who killed his village. He later meets with Julie and Jasper in northern Greece to crack the encryption on Damien's laptop, which contains hit information. Luka is involved in the unfolding conspiracy and has a developing romantic relationship with Julie by the series end.

The TV show The Assassin (2025) is not family friendly and is intended for mature audiences, typically 17 years and older, with a likely TV-MA rating due to its content. It contains strong violence, including graphic and bloody fight scenes where characters are shown covered in blood, use of weapons like guns and knives, and brutal killings. The show also features dark crime themes involving assassins and moral conflicts, which may be disturbing for children or sensitive viewers.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects include:

• Graphic violence and gore: Bloody fight scenes, brutal killings (e.g., a woman smashing a man's head with a rock), and close-up injuries.
• Strong language: Frequent severe profanity throughout the series.
• Mature themes: Crime, assassination, and moral ambiguity affecting family relationships.
• Frightening and intense scenes: Assassination attempts, chases, and attacks that can be scary or intense for younger audiences.
• Alcohol use: Some scenes depict characters drinking alcohol.
• Mild sexual content or nudity: Rated mild but present.

Because of these elements, The Assassin is not suitable for children or young teens and is recommended only for adults or older teens with parental guidance. Sensitive viewers should be cautious due to the graphic violence and dark tone.