The first season of Netflix’s Resident Evil live-action adaptation is out now and there is certainly a lot going on throughout–two stories told over a decade apart, plenty of twists and turns, a shocking amount of blood spattered everywhere, and more zombies than you’ll ever want to deal with. And while Season 1 of Resident Evil introduced a new story for the franchise, it also left plenty of room to speculate on what’s going to happen next.
After all, we didn’t get a single cliffhanger. Instead, we got cliffhangers for both the 2022 story and the 2036 story. So it’s time to examine how Season 1 ended and think about what happens next. Thankfully, GameSpot was able to discuss just that with the show’s cast, as well as showrunner Andrew Dabb.
2022
The end of the 2022 storyline is a pretty wild one. After we learn that the Albert Wesker we meet in the show is actually a clone of the original–and that there are more clones–we get a good idea of just how bad the Umbrella Corporation is. Although let’s be honest, we all knew they were terrible.
Albert’s focus, though, was on getting his daughters Billie and Jade away from New Raccoon City and out of the company’s clutches. This was especially important for Billie, who was bitten by a zombie dog but didn’t suffer the horrible effects that typically come with such an injury.
In order to get them away, Albert decides to blow up Umbrella’s labs, sacrificing himself in the process. but not before making sure his daughters will be safe with Bert–another of Wesker’s clones. Now, we’re left with Bert and the girls on the run from Umbrella.
That sets up some interesting stakes for Season 2, as we know ultimately the sisters part ways–and not on the best terms. Moving forward, the actresses playing the girls can’t wait to explore that side of their characters’ relationship.
“I think it will be really first of all really fun to kind of play [the sisters’ relationship deteriorating] because we always are kind of getting along,” Tamara Smart, who plays the younger Jade, told GameSpot. “But I think we found it really fun to kind of not get along. It was unsettling because when you get along, but it was fun to play with.”
As for what will eventually cause the demise of their relationship, Smart has an interesting theory. “I think that Jade does something bad,” she said. “I think she messes up and Billie pays the price for it.”
Given that we find out Billie is not only alive and well in 2036, but is a high-ranking Umbrella operative, seeing how she ends up there should be interesting. And if Jade is at fault, what could she have possibly done to see her sister take such a drastic turn?
Thankfully, should the show continue, we’ll likely find out. As Dabb explains, the plan moving forward is for the show to continue juggling the separate storylines.
“I mean, the core of the story is how do these characters–Jade and Billie, specifically–start [one] way now and end [another],” he said. “How do they evolve in the present day storyline and how did they change in the future storyline–because we’re following both of them concurrently. So it’s definitely something we would keep going if we’re lucky enough to go forward.”
2036
The stakes at the end of Season 1’s storyline in 2036 are even more dire. Now reunited, the sisters stand on opposite sides of the fight. Billie isn’t just a big deal in Umbrella, she’s controlling Evelyn Marcus, who leads the corporation. And when we say controlling, we mean like a robot. Jade, on the other hand, has spent her years studying the infected and running from Umbrella.
Now, though, that’s all changed. Billie has gotten her hands on the one thing Jade was attempting to keep away from the corporation–her daughter, Bea. It’s heavily implied that Bea has been genetically modified, though we aren’t sure to what extent. However, as Season 1 ended, Billie shot her sister and took Bea. Clearly, Jade isn’t dead from the wound. However, being without her daughter is certainly a game changer going forward.
“I think what we’ve learned about Jade is that she is relentless and she’s already suffered so much loss not just through the season, but also the entire time from 2022 to 2036,” Ella Balinska, who plays the adult version of Jade, explained. “She feels responsible for the loss of her sister, and now that she’s discovered [Billie is alive], maybe that’s not quite the case. [But] that still triggers so much trauma of losing a family member, especially one that she is responsible for. So that’s when it becomes an undying drive to get [Bea] back.”
Focusing all of her energy on rescuing Bea from Billie and Umbrella will certainly make Jade a dangerous foe to have. After all, say what you will about her but we saw Jade taking on more of the infected than anyone else in Season 1, even to the point of wielding a chainsaw to cut her way through them. With her daughter at risk, is anyone safe from the elder Wesker sibling?
Resident Evil Season 1 is on Netflix now.
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