Warning: Spoilers for The Veil season 1!
Summary
The Veilstar Elisabeth Moss details the sad death in the finale of the espionage series. Written and created by Steven Knight, who also createdPeaky Blinders, the six-episode FX on Hulu series focuses on a dangerous game of truth and lies between MI6 agent Imogen Salter (Moss) and Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan), who is suspected of being a terrorist. But as they travel across the globe, complications abound and a more personal relationship develops.The cast ofThe Veilalso includes Dali Benssalah, Josh Charles, and Thibault de Montalembert.
In an interview withVarietyfollowingThe Veilfinale,Moss discussed Adilah’s death. The two-time Emmy-winning Moss, who is also an executive producer on the FX/Hulu show,teased what’s next for Imogen after losing Adilah. Fellow producer Denise Di Novi also offered her perspective, shedding light on the complex dynamic between the lead characters. Read their quotes below:
Moss:Oh God. I think it is one of those things I don’t know you may ever recover from, honestly. Imogen is so good at what she does, and it is not the first time she has gotten close to somebody. And certainly not the first time she had to ingratiate herself with someone in order to get the truth about whatever case she is on. But I think Adilah is different for her. They do become friends; there is a deep connection there between these two souls.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to speculate on a future that hasn’t been written, but I don’t think she will recover from this. I don’t think she will be able to get over this mistake and this loss. She may be very good at coping with those kinds of things, but I don’t know how you move on from this. It shouldn’t have happened. I think she truly believed she was going to save Adilah and reunite her with her daughter, and it is all she wants in the world. So to lose her and fail in that regard, I don’t think you come back from that.
Di Novi:I agree, and in a weird way, the greatest love stories are always the unrequited love stories. I think the tragic ending does make a point that this is kind of the nature of the life Imogen has chosen. Her job was to get this information but, as Lizzie just said, saving Adilah and reuniting her with her daughter became just as important. But in the end, she did the job she was given and did it brilliantly, and that is what her life is. Now, she has to move forward
Imogen & Adilah’s Relationship Was The Heart Of The Veil
It Also Provides A Strong Commentary On The Genre
Reviews ofThe Veilfrequently cited the scenes focused on justMoss and Marwan as the best part of the thriller series. Even though the story moves away from that previously central relationship as it goes along, becoming closer to what is expected of the genre, with twists and counter-twists. But it comes back around in a shocking conclusion for Adilah. It’s all the more devastating, though, because viewers have invested in the relationship between Adilah and Imogen.
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It’s in the final episode, “The Cottage”, which is written by Knight, with Damon Thomas directing, thatAdilah is killed when she’s close to safety. She’s shot by a henchman, essentially a victim in a power struggle that Imogen is engulfed in. Adilah is unable to reunite with her daughter, though she does provide Imogen with the information she needs. Imogen breaks down, surprised by how much she actually cares about the woman she spent so much time with.
Even though Imogen tried to do right by Adilah, her mission always came first and her own personal relationships seemed to take precedence as the story progressed.
This offers a smart commentary about the series and the genre more broadly. Even though Imogen tried to do right by Adilah, her mission always came first and her own personal relationships seemed to take precedence as the story progressed. The result is that Yasmin, Adilah’s daughter, is without her father. It doesn’t feel like a complete victory for Imogen, even as she saves the day and even asThe Veilsets itself up for season 2.
The Veil
Cast
FX’sThe Veilexplores the surprising and fraught relationship between two women who play a deadly game of truth and lies on the road from Istanbul to Paris and London. One woman has a secret, the other a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost. In the shadows, mission controllers at the CIA and French DGSE must put differences aside and work together to avert potential disaster.
