Chapter 8
Episode 3 of Lupin Part 2 begins with Assane hurrying out the building as Pellegrini’s goons follow in hot pursuit. While they’re gone, Claire makes Raoul promise not to see hiss Father anymore given he’s dangerous. Only, unbeknownst to her he’s actually up in the rafters listening to all of this take place. With a plan set, and Guedira given instructions to arrive on his own on Monday, Assane finds Juliette in a restaurant. Heading inside, he warns that things are going too far. However, for now he agrees to have dinner with her. According to Juliette she’s settled down, but Assane encourages her to leave without paying the bill. After all, old habits die hard. It’s a short-lived return to what they had before though, especially when Juliette tells him they’re not 20 anymore and need to move on. With her successful job (and not so successful outcomes with men) the flashbacks to 1995 this time around serve to show the bond Juliette and Assane have, going back to moments out in the street together. To show how serious he is, back in the present Assane steals a lucrative painting from the Orsay Museum and leaves it on her desk. There’s a note of course, telling her “sometimes you can’t turn back time.” However, all of this is Assane’s round about way of redemption, trying to win her over and claiming he made the wrong choice in the past. In order to prove his worth and show where his loyalties really lie, Juliette gives Assane a new task. She’s been spying on Claire for a while and wants the bracelet Marc has bought her. In essence, she wants him to steal the bracelet from his ex to give to her in order to prove his loyalty. He does it too, handing it over and telling Juliette he wants a fresh start. She agrees to his terms, but Assane tells her to talk to her Mother first. After all, she knows everything about the framing and how his Father was set up. With these moving parts set into motion, Assane brings back the painting and returns Claire’s bracelet. It turns out Assane is playing the long game here, and that much is especially true when we cut back a week earlier to learn more. Benjamin is the one who set up the table under the name of Velmont and convinced Juliette to get there. Assane set all of this into motion, acting as a crook and staging the news too. All of this lead Juliette into being the one to entrap her own father without even realizing. With Ganimard sipping his coffee in a quaint shop outside, Anne Pellegrini arrives ready to talk. She’s going to reveal everything about Hubert and blow the lid off all the secrets this family have been keeping. And just like that, Hubert is arrested and shown a warrant to search his place. As he’s taken away in handcuffs, Juliette waits by the Sienne River for Assane. As the camera pans out, Assane ignores Benjamin’s advice and heads down to meet her.
The Episode Review
This chapter of Lupin essentially sees our characters playing the long game, as Assane wins over Juliette and manages to convince her to go after her Father and bring him into custody. The customary “aha!” moments are still here, disguised in the end through a really well-worked reveal that Assane staged all of this to make it seem like he really is still the same reckless and suave guy from all those years ago. However, the ending certainly shows that he does have some feelings for Juliette and deciding to meet her down by the river is testament to that. At the same time though, Hubert Pellegrini being arrested is a surprise result and hopefully now he’ll be given justice for what he’s done. Either way, the ending sets up a particularly dramatic and intriguing set of episodes to close out this season.
