Untamed Ending Explained: Created by Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith, and directed by Thomas Bezucha, Neasa Hardiman, and Nick Murphy, this six-episode mystery thriller series is streaming now on Netflix. Set in the vast and beautiful Yosemite National Park, the series stars Eric Bana as Special Agent Kyle Turner, with Sam Neill, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lily Santiago, and Wilson Bethel playing important supporting roles.
Netflix series Untamed begins with a curious demise—a woman’s body falls off El Capitan’s cliffs. Kyle Turner is called in to investigate, but before long, things take a complicated turn. What is initially a murder case becomes long-buried secrets about the park, a powerful drug empire, and Kyle’s painful past. Below is a comprehensive summary of the previous episode, as well as answers to the biggest questions from Untamed on Netflix.
Untamed Series Recap
Located in Yosemite Valley, the series tracks Kyle Turner, who is a National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB) ranger. When a body is found wrapped in a rope used by climbers, Kyle begins to investigate the woman’s death. With the help of new ranger Naya Vasquez, Kyle discovers evidence connecting the victim to a summer camp 12 years earlier. The female’s name is Lucy Cook, a girl who went missing as a child in a mysterious manner.
Kyle and Naya learn, as the mystery continues, that there is a criminal drug smuggling operation within the national park. They further discover that Lucy came back to the park when she was a teenager, had been living among squatters, and was being utilised as a drug mule. Tunnels hidden from view, illicit pills called Drug X, and a web of criminals bring harm right to Yosemite. But the deeper Kyle gets, the more it becomes personal for Lucy, for Naya, and especially for him.
Untamed Ending Explained
Who Killed Lucy Cook in Untamed and Why?
By the last episode of Untamed, Lucy’s death is revealed as an accident, but one brought on by years of unspoken pain. Lucy’s biological father is Chief Ranger Paul Souter, with whom her mother, Maggie, had an affair. Lucy was taken to live with her abusive stepfather, Rory, upon Maggie’s death, but Paul removed her from his clutches and fostered her out.
Years down the line, Lucy turned up at Yosemite and began blackmailing Paul, threatening to expose their relationship unless he paid her. It only worsened when Lucy kidnapped Paul’s granddaughter, Sadie, in an attempt to scare him into hearing her out. After Sadie had been safely rescued, Paul went after Lucy—not to kill her, but to end her.
But in the process of their struggle, Paul accidentally shot Lucy in the leg. Lucy was scared and ran into the forest, got attacked by wolves, and then jumped off El Capitan—maybe to end it all for good.
Did Kyle Report Paul Souter?
Yes, Kyle did report Paul Souter to the police after he learned about the real reason behind the death of Lucy. Even though Paul was Lucy’s biological father, passion did not blind Kyle to his sense of justice. Paul had kept too many secrets for too long, he kept his tryst with Lucy, used his ranger authority to manipulate her, and was indirectly responsible for her unfortunate fate. But before Paul could be called to book in the lawful sense, he took his own life. This climactic scene gives a poignant ending to Kyle’s investigation. Though finally the truth comes out, there is no justice at all—only the pain of the lost.
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What Happened to Shane Maguire?
Shane Maguire, one of the local outlaws and hunters, had been a valuable informant to Kyle. A couple of years ago, he had notified Kyle and his wife Jill that their son Caleb was killed by businessman Sean Sanderson. Shane even offered himself to kill Sanderson, but Kyle had rejected him. What Kyle did not know was that it was Jill who secretly ordered Shane to kill Sanderson, and Sanderson was gone.
Later on in the season, Kyle learns that Shane was Lucy’s clandestine boyfriend and had taken her to the drug gang. Thinking that Shane had killed Lucy, Kyle confronts him to resolve the issue. But figuring that Kyle had come to kill him, Shane starts shooting. There is a gunfight. At the last minute, Shane tries to kill Kyle, but Naya arrives at the nick of time and dispatches Shane dead in the end, saving Kyle’s life.
What Happened to Caleb, Kyle’s Son?
Arguably, the most poignant part of Netflix’s Untamed is what actually occurred to Caleb. At first, it seems like Kyle simply never did recover from losing his son. But as we go on to learn, we learn that Caleb was kidnapped, tortured (likely sexually), and murdered, and then his body was dumped in the park.
The killer was Sean Sanderson, a wealthy businessman who later went missing. Shane found out the truth through forest camera footage and told Jill and Kyle. Jill, unable to trust the legal system, ordered Shane to kill Sanderson, which led to her and Kyle’s marriage ending. Kyle never recovered emotionally, which explains his cold nature, his distance from others, and his refusal to leave Yosemite.
Is the Drug Racket Finally Over?
Yes, the Yosemite drug operation is completely shut down by the Untamed series’ last episode. The moment Kyle and Naya uncover the ring of illicit pills being smuggled into the park, they move quickly to shut it down. The gang leader, Simon, gets arrested and Abuelo, the man running the tunnels and monitoring Lucy’s activities, is murdered. Their distribution networks, which ran along the park’s tourist areas and abandoned mines, are fully exposed. What makes this conclusion worthwhile is that it ties the murder mystery to a larger, more nefarious problem within the park system. Taking down the drug ring is a small but valuable victory for Kyle and for the integrity of Yosemite itself.
Did Kyle leave Yosemite at the End of Untamed?
Following cracking Lucy’s case, breaking up the drug gang, and the realisation about his son’s death, Kyle is finally at peace. Kyle bonds with Naya and her son, Gael, which heals him. In the final scenes, Kyle is given a vision by Caleb that it is okay to move on.
Kyle then leaves Yosemite, leaving Gael and Caleb toys and a note for Naya behind. His ride does not end in revenge or justice but healing. He acquiesces to the past and moves on.
Untamed 2025 is now streaming on Netflix.
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