The second season of the Australian thriller The Tourist is now on Netflix. If you’ve finished the action-packed BBC series, learn more about The Tourist’s Season 2 ending, including Elliot’s true identity and what was in the mysterious file.
The first season of The Tourist follows an unnamed man (Jamie Dornan) being chased through the Australian outback. When his vehicle twists off the road, The Man wakes up in a hospital with no recollection of who he is or how he ended up there. When he leaves, it’s clear that people are trying to kill him, so Dornan’s character — with the help of Probationary Constable Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald) — set out to discover his true identity before it’s too late.
In the second season, Dornan’s characters, Elliot and Helen, embark on a journey to Ireland, hoping to unravel the mysteries surrounding Elliot’s identity. However, their plans take an unexpected turn when confronted with the dangerous aftermath of Elliot’s past.
“Helen is still curious about who Elliot is. She got this really shocking news about him at the end of Season 1, and it didn’t seem like something she could get over. And then they go off and they’re living in this fantasy world [traveling the globe], but there’s a nagging thought of, ‘What is his past, though?’” Macdonald told The Wrap in February 2024. “There is also an element of wanting to explore who he is that’s encouraged by Helen.”
The Dumplin’ actress continued, “So yeah, they unknowingly opened Pandora’s box in Season 2. And the moment they do, they’re trying to close it. But once it’s opened, you’ve got to go through the whole ride. And yeah, it’s bonkers. Season 2 is definitely even more wild than Season 1.”
There are six episodes in Season 2 of The Tourist, just like the first season. Read on to dive into the conclusion second season, including that twist at the very end. (Warning: Spoilers ahead of The Tourist Season 2.)
The Tourist Season 2 Ending Explained
During the second season of The Tourist, Elliot and Helen are traveling through Southeast Asia after leaving Australia. Things take an unexpected turn when they pursue a lead who offers information on Elliot’s mysterious past. When they reach Ireland, Elliot is abducted, and the clue is revealed to be a trap.
The orchestrators of Elliot’s kidnapping are none other than the McDonnells, who discover that Elliot is, in fact, Eugene Cassidy — a member of the rival Cassidy family. Eugene’s mother, Niamh Cassidy (Olwen Fouéré), is their leader and is entangled in a longtime feud with the McDonnells, headed by patriarch Frank (Francis Magee).
In Season 2, it comes to light that Eugene skipped town years earlier after fathering a child named Fergal with Donal McDonnell’s wife, Claire. Out of revenge, Donal shot Eugene’s brother, having mistaken him for Eugene. Claire wants Elliot to kill Donal, who was emotionally and physically abusive to her.
Does Helen Die In The Tourist Season 2?
No, Helen does not die in The Tourist Season 2. In Episode 5, viewers see Helen get shot in the stomach by Lena (the woman who tricked them into going to Ireland in the first place) and is sent to the hospital. But after a speedy recovery, Elliot and Helen head back to Australia. Shortly after, it becomes clear that it was all a dream. The dream was meant to stimulate Helen’s subconscious feelings about Eugene and whether she could really trust him.
How Does The Tourist Season 2 End?
The rival families are on the brink of an all-out war. Niamh kills Donal, but everyone assumes that it is Eugene, and he is arrested for Donal’s murder. Helen doesn’t believe Eugene when he tells her he didn’t do it, so she breaks up with him.
Helen eventually comes around when she learns the truth, which is that Frank McDonnell hired the real Elliot Stanley to investigate the aftermath of the plane crash that claimed his father’s life. But Niamh killed him to hide what Frank and Elliot discovered: love letters exchanged between Frank’s father and Niamh’s mother.
There’s proof that Niamh and Frank are siblings, which “complicated things massively, and muddied the water in a huge way,” Dornan told Tudum of the big plot twist. “Elliot’s come in and just been thrown into the middle of all this with zero understanding of why it’s like this, and how he’s so caught up in it.”
After realizing the truth and Eugene’s innocence, Helen gets back together with him, and they relocate to a flat in Amsterdam. But that’s not all. When Eugene was arrested for Donal’s murder, an article had been published in the local newspaper. In response, someone tracked down Eugene and sent him a file with more details about his past.
What Was In The File In The Tourist Season 2?
Eugene and Helen decide not to read the file about his past as they no longer care what it says. Eugene places the envelope in the fire and lets it burn as the couple goes to test whether Eugene retained any of his dancing skills post-memory loss. (In Season 2, Niamh told Helen that Eugene used to be a fantastic dancer).
Thankfully, viewers catch a glimpse of the cover of the envelope before it burns away. There, it reveals Eugene’s true identity: He was a special agent as far back as 2005 and is on a “general assignment” for the “Sentinel” bureau, potentially setting up a third season of The Tourist.
“I think it’s purposely open-ended,” Dornan explained to Tudum. “I think this time they are leaving that to all kinds of factors – of if and when and how that would happen to do more – and to see if people want more. But that’s also a timing thing. Everyone’s busy! I’m busy, Danielle’s busy. So we will see, but they’ve definitely left the option open, I think.”
As for the dance sequence at the end, the actor said that “there’s very few shows that could get away with an ending like that.” He went on, “I think they’re allowed [it] because of the unhinged, off-kilterness of the whole entire arc of the show — you grant them that strangeness of that dance at the end.”
The Tourist Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
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