SAN ANDREAS 4x06 "End of the Line, Part Two" SERIES FINALE

Melvin “Big Smoke” Harris, who was killed at the conclusion of the preceding episode, is shown in an immediate flashback in his penthouse, playing a video game. The distant noise and chaos of the riots can be heard from outside. Suddenly, four shots ring out loudly from right outside the building, and Big Smoke is startled by it.

Big Smoke gets up to investigate, and in repetition of a shot from the previous episode, looks outside to see Carl Johnson and Sweet rushing inside the building from below. He moves toward his phone as before and dials. However, this time it is revealed that he did not, in fact, call his guards downstairs, but instead called Frank Tenpenny, who is about to leave town with Officer Walker providing him backup Smoke tells Tenpenny that both Johnson brothers are attacking him before hanging up; Tenpenny chooses, between escape and revenge, the latter, and gets back into his car with Walker, driving towards Smoke’s building; Tenpenny tells Walker to stop at a gas station on the way.

Back in the present, immediately following Carl’s coup de grace on Big Smoke, Carl and Sweet lament Big Smoke’s betrayal and his death, before being snuck up on by Tenpenny, who has arrived at Smoke’s apartment, getting the drop on the brothers. Tenpenny orders Sweet to pack away the money from Smoke’s safe into a briefcase until it is full; upon this being completed, Tenpenny taunts the brothers before shooting Carl in the side. Sweet grabs Smoke’s AK-47 and wildly fires at Tenpenny as Carl collapses, but both brothers are pinned down when Walker bursts in the room, allowing Tenpenny to escape.

Tenpenny throws molotov cocktails at the entrance to Smoke’s apartment while fleeing, trapping the brothers behind the door and fire. Sweet tends to Carl, discovering that, by luck, Tenpenny’s shot has gone clean through without causing serious damage. The brothers attempt to find a way out of the apartment, but fail; all the windows have also been barred. Smoke begins to fill the apartment, but Carl refuses to give in. Using brute force, the brothers manage to break away the bars from one window, escaping just as the air becomes unbearably thick with smoke. They climb down the fire escape, but find themselves stuck three floors above the ground; they break back into the building in the drug lab just as Tenpenny is leaving that floor, where the latter causes an explosion that allows him and Walker to escape.

Carl and Sweet work their way down the floors of the building, with the two fires causing massive structural failure in the building; they ultimately escape with seconds to spare, also in time to witness Tenpenny and Walker murder an arriving team of firefighters, stealing their truck. With Carl wounded, he cannot prevent Sweet from racing after it, jumping onto the back of the firetruck’s ladder. Carl moves to Sweet’s car, knocking back the landau as he pursues the truck. In the midst of the chase that ensues, Tenpenny sends Walker out onto the ladder to stomp on Sweet’s hands; Carl shoots Walker in the head, and his body plummets into the traffic below. Moments later, Sweet falls, but Carl is positioned in just the right way to catch him. Carl continues to chase the firetruck through the streets of Los Santos, which are still thick in the midst of rioting; Sweet shoots at the truck, managing to pop its’ rear tires but otherwise not causing any significant damage.

However, as the truck nears Ganton, Tenpenny can no longer maintain control of the truck due to the broken wheels. He careens off of the bridge that bisects Grove Street, landing in the center of the cul-de-sac. Tenpenny crawls from the wrecked truck, severely wounded, but stands atop the chassis and shouts to Grove Street that he will go down as a hero in Los Santos; nobody listens, and Tenpenny succumbs to his injuries and falls from the truck just as Carl and Sweet arrive.

Driving along the waterline of Los Santos, a patrol car receives a call about the truck crash in Ganton. The officers decline to respond, citing the danger of entering Ganton during the riots; this directly mirrors Pulaski and Tenpenny turning down a similar call in the pilot.

Tenpenny goads Carl, who has drawn his gun, to shoot him; as Carl stands over him and Tenpenny paints Carl as being no better than himself, a montage of scenes of violence involving Carl plays out rapidly, intercut with Carl shooting the gangster Clarence in the pilot episode, in the exact same position that he stands over Tenpenny. Carl does not pull the trigger this time, and Frank Tenpenny dies of his injuries; “killed hisself in a fire truck accident,” Sweet muses.

In his office at the Los Santos Police Headquarters, Josh Michaels sits thinking when a loud knock comes on his door. He looks up to see Detective Whitmore beckoning him outside into the office pit. Whitmore tells Michaels that he’s “got to see what happened”; on the TV is a news report of Tenpenny’s death in an accident. Michaels grows pale as the reporters interview a witness to the “accident”; Sean Johnson. Michaels’ expression shows that he knows exactly what really happened.

His interview concluded, Sweet goes back inside his mother’s house, where Carl is tending to his gunshot wound. The two brothers share a tender moment, setting aside completely the five years of resentment they had shared. We move to the outside of the house, sparking a sequence nearly 20 minutes long that checks in on most of the series’ significant locations and virtually every living character:

At night, Andre Cross throws a party atop the crashed fire truck, celebrating Tenpenny’s death; it is broken up by police, to boos from the crowd as Andre is taken away by the police for disturbing the scene of an investigation and for noise complaints; the music, supposedly, could be heard in Jefferson. Sweet comments to Kendl that Andre, who has never led a life of crime, has been arrested for something meaningful; it goes unsaid, but the implication is that this contrasts with OG Loc, who tried so desperately to be a gangster that he got arrested for trivial nonsense such as public urination and parking violations.

Joey Leone works in his garage late, when a red-haired woman walks in; she’s got a flat tire. Joey offers to help for a discount, and the woman reveals her name to be Misty. Carl’s flat in Liberty City is untouched, the way he left it. Planes arrive and depart Los Santos International, and Ocean Docks is bustling with work in two time-lapse montages.

Major Bobby Mello sits in his office at LSPD HQ, angrily stewing on a decision. After a few moments, he gets up, picks up a file dossier from his desk, and leaves. The day’s newspaper reveals that Chief Harold Slate has been widely praised for his efforts during the riots; this contrasts with the real-life Daryl Gates, who was roundly criticized for his handling of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Mello goes to Slate’s office and drops the dossier on his desk in front of him; it is revealed to be a copy of the FBI dossier that Carl Johnson previously stole, along with files compiled by Mello that implicate Slate in a mountain of corruption. Mello lays down the gauntlet: Slate announces his retirement effective in the new year of 1993, or Mello brings him down. Slate, already approaching retirement, accepts with a mix of bemusement and admiration; he’s impressed at Mello’s stones. “I didn’t know you wanted to be Chief so badly, Robert.” Slate says. Mello shakes his head; “No… I don’t want your job. I stopped wanting your job the moment I watched it turn a good man into a monster.”

Children are shown playing on the basketball court where Carl killed Clarence in the pilot. The same worker from Pizza Stack is shown cleaning off the latest graffiti from his walls. Old Reece works on a customer’s hair, his usual merry self. What used to be Kane’s crack den has become the residence of a regular middle-class family. Glen Park is tranquil, populated by everyday people and members of the Glen Park Families.

OG Loc, shunned by all including his brother, is vagrant on a downtown street. He aggressively begs for change, being laughed off by the couple he follows, until he pulls a gun. He threatens the couple until a police cruiser pulls up. Both officers leap out, aiming their guns at Loc. They order him to put the gun down, but Loc turns towards them, nothing left to lose, and is cut down in an instant. Hazer Chavez participates in the Unity Station lowrider meet, his arm still in a sling, but otherwise fully recovered from his shooting in “Los Desperados”. Emmet takes inventory on a new delivery of guns; Big Bear is helping him bring the crates in.

On top of Verdant Bluffs at sunset, Kendl and Cesar sit together; Kendl appears nervous. Cesar speaks of their time together, professing his love for her. He pulls out his grandmother’s engagement band, proposing to her. Kendl, at a loss for words, stumbles through a tentative “yes”, but with the stipend that there’s something she needs to tell Cesar; she’s pregnant, which is revealed to be what Doctor Schwartz told her during “Riot”. Cesar is stunned, but bursts into joy when the situation registers itself in his mind. He is thrilled to be a father, but asks to get back to the other matter at hand. Once more, formally this time, he proposes, and Kendl says yes. The two kiss lovingly with the skyline of Los Santos lighting up in the distance.

Rosenberg, Kent Paul, and the executive from Capitol Records are watching Madd Dogg put the finishing touches on an upcoming record. Dogg comes out of the booth, and all four are elated; they expect it to be a smash hit. Carl Johnson, still with a tender - but healing - wound, takes Denise out for a romantic dinner. Without a word, they gaze at each other, and interlock hands; nothing needs to be said.

Newton’s Diner sits vacant, boarded up, to be replaced with some other development. The Jefferson Motel is even more decrepit than before, with freebasers all about the parking lot. The broken billboard over the Idlewood Freeway has been replaced with an advertisement for the LSPD recruitment drive. The Mulholland Intersection remains relatively empty. Seamus continues to sell guns in Angel Pine; as he closes up for the night, he looks back on his wall fondly at a picture of him and Carl taken after their deer hunt during “Badlands”. In Nepal, The Truth meditates with Buddhist monks; “Nirvana awaits.” Mount Chiliad gives way to the Foster Valley, and then the skyline of San Fierro.

At the Doherty Garage, Dwayne and Jethro put the finishing touches on the hot rod they began building during “Lure”. Immensely satisfied, the two brothers relax in the garage. Jethro asks if Dwayne thinks their mother would be proud of them; Dwayne affirms. “Guess we get to rest now… until the next ride.” Dwayne muses, and almost instantly afterwards, the phone rings; a customer. Zero is working in his store when suddenly there’s a loud boom, the room shakes, and he loses all power. Moving up to the roof, he finds his power generator and transmitter both destroyed; a model RC plane flies overhead with a taunt from Berkeley.

By this point, we have moved well into winter. Michaels stands in front of a grave; the headstone for his adoptive parents, Terrence and Viola. Jeremy is with him, holding his hand. Josh deposits a set of roses here, too, before the two lovers leave. They arrive at Anthony’s house, being greeted warmly as family by him and Sandra. Anthony and Josh cook dinner together as Sandra and Jeremy eagerly gossip together; Anthony teases Josh about getting the food just right, mirroring a similar scene they had together as teenagers in “Snail Trail.” At dinner, the extended family have gathered together, Josh and Anthony seated at each end of the table. Josh taps his glass to get the attention of everyone, before stating how happy he is to be with his family on this day. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” he says warmly. “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” erupt the cheers at the Four Dragons Casino, with Woozie, Ran Fa Li, and Guppy standing on the balcony overlooking the casino floor. It is now 1993.

The Pleasure Domes lay abandoned under the Gant Bridge. Toreno sits at his cabin in Tierra Robada, dialing a number. Carl, driving home at sunrise from another New Years’ celebration, answers. Toreno affirms that Carl has “won”. He asks if Carl is happy. Carl says he’s relieved, but with the loss of his mother he doesn’t know if he can truly be happy. Toreno chides Carl to stay out of trouble… and that he’ll be keeping tabs on him. The two men, having earned a great respect for one another, wish eachother well. Las Brujas sits undisturbed, tranquil; the dirt covering Jimmy Hernandez’s grave is now settled in with the rest.

The airfield at Verdant Meadows sits undisturbed. Las Venturas burgeons at night. Millie Perkins arrives home, to find two of Salvatore Leone’s bodyguards there, along with Salvatore himself. At Caligula’s, Salvatore gathers his things, and Maria LaTorre, who is now wearing an engagement band, joins him. Salvatore and his implied fianceé leave Las Venturas and the casino business behind forever.

Once more in Liberty City, Misty arrives at Sex Club Seven, asking for Luigi. “A mutual friend told me I could find some work here,” she says. At a bank just outside the city limits, Catalina and Claude burst in, taking the bank for every cent; they flee in a blue-white Banshee, and Catalina orders a man named Miguel to drive.

Josh Michaels reads about Slate’s retirement in the papers; “health problems”. He nods to himself, before walking over to Mello’s office. Promptly, upon being allowed in, he hands in his gun and badge. Michaels reaffirms his earlier promise: “I’m done when this is put to rest, and this is put to rest.” Mello understands, before asking Michaels what he will do now. Michaels shoots back “well, that’s for me to figure out. After all, I’m the detective.” This is practically verbatim to what Mello said to Michaels in the pilot. As Michaels leaves, he passes the case board… where Eric and Pendelbury’s names both read red. Michaels reaches for the marker to correct this, and as he puts the finishing touches on Eric’s name, he falters; he declines assistance from Whitmore, getting up on his own. He walks out to his car, and upon sitting inside, promptly breaks down. However, his expression turns afterwards from one of sorrow, to one of determination.

Carl Johnson walks down the street of his neighbourhood, as a car pulls slowly alongside him. Suddenly, with the sound of a window rolling down, Michaels’ voice booms out. “Get in.” This mirrors Carver’s confrontation with Carl, as well as the shot of Carl spraying over a Ballas tag offscreen, both from “Drive-Thru”. Carl gets in Michaels’ car, who promptly drives off. He requests, impulsively, that Carl murder Clay Trumbull, the defense attorney who went to bat for Tenpenny during “Riot”. Carl refuses, unable to return to such a life. However, he tells Michaels that “whatever happens… we never had this conversation. You have my word.” Michaels nods, in disappointment, but ultimately the two men shake hands, having developed a proper understanding of one another. Carl exits the car at a nearby intersection, and Michaels departs.

Clay Trumbull returns home at night, alone and tired. As he settles in, he is suddenly chloroformed by Michaels. Michaels drives Trumbull out to the gravel pits outside San Fierro, the two graves still unfilled even after all these years. Without any fanfare, Michaels drags a blindfolded and gagged Trumbull out in front of the grave that was originally dug for Emmanuel Mendoza, and shoots him twice in the back of the head. Michaels fills Trumbull’s grave, but lays down in the one he dug “for his soul”. The sun rises before he gets up and fills that one too.

Jeremy arrives home and calls out to Josh, who is standing on their balcony overlooking the city; this scene mirrors Josh coming home to Jeremy in “Cesar Vialpando”. Michaels is broken, and confesses his crime to Jeremy. Jeremy soothes his lover. “You won,” Jeremy insists, but Josh pushes back that he didn’t. Losing his best friend made him feel angry; nearly being killed made him lose his body; not being the one to bring Tenpenny down made him lose his mind; and now with what he’s done, his soul is destroyed. Jeremy refuses to accept this, insisting that they will get through the future together. Michaels appears to be willing to give the future a shot as he embraces Jeremy, but the final shot of his face shows an ambiguous expression.

Carl Johnson drops Denise off at her house, before proceeding to the graveyard. As he arrives to meet Sweet, Kendl, and Cesar, Sweet muses “one year already”; it is February 15th, 1993, a year to the day since Beverly Johnson was murdered. The four head back to Sweet’s home for lunch. At Sweet’s house, while everyone is reminiscing, Kendl excuses herself to use the washroom. Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door; Sweet goes to answer it, only to be angered at the presence of whoever it is. He reaches for his gun, presumably to scare off the mystery knocker, but Carl tells him to relent, saying that he invited them. Carl looks through the eyehole to see Madd Dogg, accompanied by Rosenberg, Paul, and Maccer. He lets the four in, and Madd Dogg announces to the gathered group that his record has gone gold, and that the copy he has with him is Carl’s; Carl Johnson is credited as a producer. Maccer is told to resist his “urges” by Kent Paul in a final moment of comic relief.

Carl moves to step outside, and Cesar asks where he’s going. “Fittin’ to hit the block, see what’s happenin’,” Carl says. Cesar says he’ll step out with him, and one by one, everyone else joins his side. Sweet knocks on the bathroom door to ask Kendl if she’s coming, which once more mirrors the opening scene of the entire series. The sound fades out as this happens, following CJ as he steps out into the cul-de-sac. He looks towards his mother’s house, then the skyline of Los Santos, and the camera pivots around to in front of him. As everyone else, Kendl included, step onto Sweet’s porch, the camera moves closer and closer to Carl until his face becomes the frame.

In voiceover, the first words of the series are repeated by Carl Johnson: “After five years on the East coast, it was time to come home.” At the same moment the words are finished, Carl blinks, and the screen cuts suddenly to black.