Parish Ending Explained

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Parish!

Summary

• Gray’s family disappears after his revenge mission, leaving him to face the consequences alone in the Parish season finale.
• Gray’s return to crime in the finale shows that change is difficult, raising questions about personal growth in the series.
• The corrupt connections in New Orleans politics exposed in the ending set up a dangerous future for Gray in the world of crime.

AMC’s Parish has finally come to a close, and here is the ending of the all-new Giancarlo Esposito show explained. Throughout its six episodes, Parish has chronicled the tense story of retired criminal driver Gray Parish’s time getting involved with the gangs of New Orleans, with him wanting nothing more than to desperately get out. However, Gray has a change of heart in the Parish season finale due to new information regarding the tragic death of his son. So, here is what happens in the Parish ending, what it all means, and how it sets up the show’s future.

AMC’s new crime drama show Parish is finally here, with the entirety of season 1 of Giancarlo Esposito’s all-new highly anticipated series now released. Parish is hoping to follow in the footsteps of other acclaimed AMC series like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Better Call Saul, with Giancarlo Esposito returning to the network in order to headline the cast of Parish. The Parish season finale sees Gray head back to New Orleans to confront his son’s killer, leading him down a rabbit hole that leads directly back to Anton and the world of New Orleans gangs.

Where Did Gray’s Family Go At The End Of Parish?

They Weren’t At The Motel

For the longest time, Gray kept his life of crime a secret from his wife Rose and their daughter Mak, with him hoping to keep his real family and his crime family separate. However, Parish episode 5 saw Gray’s family discover the truth about his involvement in New Orleans’ criminal gangs. This came after Anton had two of his men hold Gray’s family hostage, with Gray soon realizing that it was too dangerous not to tell them what was going on. In an attempt to keep them safe, the trio fled to a distant motel to hide away from Anton.

Although the family was safe for a while, Gray’s discovery about the death of his son caused him to leave Rose and Mak and head back to New Orleans to make his son’s killers pay. Parish episode 6 saw Gray get his revenge on characters like Anton and the Horse, with him then going back to retrieve his family. Upon returning to the motel, however, Rose and Mak weren’t there. This could have a variety of explanations, with possibilities including them leaving after waiting on him for too long or another gang kidnapping them to get to Gray.

Gray’s Involvement In The New Orleans Gang War Is Just Getting Started

He Is In Even More Danger

Throughout Parish, Gray’s only desire was to get out of the world of New Orleans organized crime. However, by the end of Parish season 1, it seems that Gray has only put himself in more danger. By killing Anton, Gray has made himself known to the various gangs in New Orleans, making him a popular ally to some and a fearsome foe to others. Gray also left the Horse, Zenzo, and Shamiso – Parish‘s three main antagonist characters – with a gun, setting the stage for them to kill each other rather than him killing each of them.

These choices already have some major repercussions at the end of Parish, with the father of the Horse, Zenzo, and Shamiso finally making his way to America. Upon his arrival, he tells Shamiso that he is mainly concerned with finding the man that tore his family apart. This means that the head of the gang has come all the way to New Orleans just to hunt down Gray Parish, meaning that the protagonist’s time in the world of New Orleans organized crime is far from over.

Anton’s Death Revealed Corruption Exists In New Orleans Politics

It Goes All The Way To The Top

Upon investigating the death of his son, Gray finally finds the man who killed him, tracking him down to a recovery group. Gray holds the man hostage and forces him to explain why he did it, with him telling the full story. As the man explains it, he called his ex-girlfriend after killing Gray’s son, with her putting him in contact with a man who could help sweep everything under the rug. This man was Anton, the prominent gang leader who is the main antagonist of Parish.

As it turns out, the ex-girlfriend of Maddox’s killer is actually the current candidate for Attorney General of Louisiana. Rather than going to the police about Maddox’s murder, she helped her ex hide it from the authorities, something that is undoubtedly illegal. Gray Parish later uses Anton’s phone to call her, allowing him to confirm that the potential attorney general candidate is corrupt and has a hand in the gangs of New Orleans.

Gray Parish Goes Back To His Old Ways In The Parish Finale

He Hasn’t Fully Changed

Although Gray Parish was a man who didn’t want to be involved in crime anymore, the character actually goes back to his old ways in the Parish finale. Through his actions surrounding Anton and the Horse, Gray is portrayed as a character who once again puts his anger and involvement in the world of crime above his family. Although Gray has the chance to leave, he instead chooses to murder his opposition and seek revenge on those who have wronged him, proving that Gray has relapsed into the man he once was.

The Real Meaning Of Parish’s Ending

Parish Is A Show About Change

Ever since Parish episode 1, the drama has truly been about change. The TV series explores the question of whether people are able to change, whether that be changing the direction of their lives based on their circumstances or changing the kind of people that they already are. The former is explored through Gray and the Horse’s son. Gray wants to be different from his father, but the scene in which he hits Maddox shows that he hasn’t been successful in doing so. On the other hand, the Horse’s son looks up to Gray, wanting to escape his father’s crimes.

Parish also explores if people can change the type of person that they are, with Gray being the main subject of exploration in the series. At the beginning of Parish, Gray has seemingly turned his life around from being in a life of crime to being a reliable family man. However, whenever the goings get tough throughout the show, Gray returns to crime, with this being the character’s fatal flaw. It is possible that Gray could continue to change if future seasons of Parish release, but he isn’t on the right track at the end of season 1.