Warning: spoilers and Umbrella Corporation trade secrets are included in this Resident Evil feature. To avoid surprises, both story and Umbrella related, feel free to take a look at our non-spoiler coverage on CinemaBlend. Or test the waters. See what happens.
The legacy of Capcom’s landmark survival horror franchise Resident Evil has been further enriched with a new chapter. As showrunner Andrew Dabb’s Netflix show has seen its first season draw to a close, there’s a lot to talk about after seeing where it all ended up. Shadows of the past, present, and future are cast by the entire Wesker family, as seen in Resident Evil Season 1’s ending.
Which means it’s now time to pull that web apart, and see where it could lead. One more warning before we continue: we’re going deep with Resident Evil Season 1 spoilers. If you haven’t watched the series, and want to get a feel for why you might like it, tread with caution. Now that we’ve issued a fair warning, let’s jump into how Season 1 of Resident Evil ended for all the major players involved.
What Happened At The End Of Resident Evil Season 1?
New Raccoon City is still standing at the end of Episode 8, “Revelations,” however there were some casualties both human and structural. The massive lab/office complex that Evelyn Marcus (Paola Núñez) ran her family’s regained legacy from is trashed in a gigantic explosion, thanks to one Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick). The two corporate partners failed to see eye to eye on their latest miracle drug/potential T-Virus threat Joy, and that argument came with some fiery results.
Meanwhile, the Wesker twins Billie (Siena Agudong) and Jade (Tamara Smart) are sent on the run. Looking for safety, and searching out an old friend their father sent them on the path to find, the two are safe for now. However, knowing the paths that Resident Evil has put them on in the gap between 2022 and 2036, the concept of safety is going to be redefined rather radically.
Where Billie & Jade Wesker’s 2022 Story Leaves Off
Young Billie and Jade Wesker’s origin story ends with them losing a father, but gaining an uncle as their caretaker. Bert Wesker (Lance Reddick) is another survivor of the Umbrella corporation, as he and his brother Albert were both lured into Evelyn Marcus’s web. After nearly offering himself as the sacrifice to take Umbrella’s lab down, Bert was told by Albert, “you deserve to have a life.”
After Albert’s sacrifice, Billie & Jade escape New Raccoon City with Bert. With a bag their father packed for them, containing a gun, passports, and tons of world currency, their next mission is to find a very important contact in Japan. The surviving Wesker family members need to rely on each other, as they’re seeking out a woman that Albert specifically told them to locate: Ada Wong.
Why That Resident Evil Finale Name Drop Is So Important
Ada Wong is a pretty big deal in the Resident Evil games, and has pretty deep ties to the overall mythology. Introduced in 1998’s Resident Evil 2, Ada has been known to be a bit of an unreliable party, loyal only to herself. Working with and against Leon S. Kennedy, as well as Albert Wesker, her history throughout the franchise is as storied as it is complicated. You don’t get to lead your own “secret” campaign in Resident Evil 6 without being this sneaky.
According to Screenrant, showrunner Andrew Dabb confirmed that Ada will be in Season 2 for sure, provided of course the series gets renewed. One more quick note: how Ada Wong ties into the Albert Wesker we see in Netflix’s Resident Evil is going to be rather interesting. Especially because there’s one question about Albert we haven’t quite answered yet.
Where Billie & Jade Wesker’s 2036 Story Leaves Off
Somehow in the 14 years between New Raccoon City and the worldwide apocalypse that Resident Evil forecasts in 2036, Billie & Jade are on opposite sides. Older Jade (Ella Balinska) is a roving scientist/mom, trying to understand the T-Virus’s latest incarnation and save humanity from its effects. Meanwhile 2036’s Billie (Adeline Rudolph) is firmly on the side of Umbrella, and acts as its puppet master at that!
Billie’s been using the company’s resources to look for her sister, and for a very important reason. Much like Albert Wesker needed the pure blood of his twin daughters to survive, Billie seems to need the blood of Jade’s daughter, Bea. Which is probably because of the nasty bite that she suffered as a teenager, wherein a dog testing Umbrella’s drug Joy was found to be unstable.
Time is apparently running out for Billie, as her T-Virus immunity seems to be wearing thin. Kidnapping her niece, and killing a gigantic T-Virus mutated crocodile to do so, she's made it clear she'll do anything to survive. Meanwhile, Jade will now have to chase after her estranged sister in order to get her daughter back; and that will probably introduce us to even more strange and interesting creatures along the way.
How The Hell Is Albert Wesker Still Alive?
There’s obviously a lot of questions some may still have when it comes to Netflix’s Resident Evil, and that’s to be expected. 26 years of game canon are still on the table in this universe, and that’s a lot of story to consider. Which leads us to what’s probably the largest question people have had since watching the trailers to Netflix’s Resident Evil series: how the hell is Albert Wesker alive?
Well, as it turns out, Albert Wesker as we knew him isn’t alive. That cutthroat asshole died all spicy like in a volcano, per the events of 2009’s Resident Evil 5! However, as we see in a flashback to the Arklay Mountains in 2005, Albert did something in the name of vanity and working smarter not harder, as he’s usually wont to do. Good old Al cloned himself into three visually identical brothers, conveniently names Alby, Bert, and Albert. But for our purposes, we’ll call the last one Albert Jr.
Albert Jr. is Billie and Jade Wesker’s father, with Bert and Alby being their uncles. Alby, unfortunately, was murdered by Albert Sr., in order to “destroy the evidence” of his unsanctioned activities. Since Umbrella caught wise, Evelyn Marcus raided the lab, and recovered Bert and Albert Jr. In exchange for their scientific brilliance, they got to live; Albert Jr. more so, as he wasn’t locked up in the 17 years since that day.
Resident Evil has asked and answered quite a few questions in its first season. Vocal critics seem to have a love/hate relationship with how Netflix has treated the Capcom mythos. Meanwhile, the internet seems to have quite a few people upset with the show as well; which is only weirder when you realize that Resident Evil was recently Netflix’s top trending show.
Where this story goes depends on the audience’s reactions overall, but if Resident Evil Season 2 happens, there’s definitely a plan for what’s next. If you want to get in on the zombie fun, Season 1 of Netflix’s Resident Evil is currently available to stream for Netflix subscribers.
