‘The Count of Monte Cristo’s Finale Brings Us “The Last Two”

In the end, vengeance is The Count of Monte Cristo’s, as the series wraps up by bringing Edmond Dantès’s complex campaign of personal payback to a close, and mostly, it works. At this point, it’s obvious that the show isn’t interested in delving deeply into the nuances of the story it’s telling and has offered only the most surface-level details about its characters. But, hey, at least a couple of dirtbags face some serious public humiliation (and jail time!). That’s nothing to be sniffed at.

The show’s final installment has plenty of ground to cover, with two of Edmond’s primary revenge targets still at large. Unfortunately, because the actual vengeance part of this story didn’t really kick into gear until last week, a lot of the payoff we’ve been waiting to see ends up feeling rushed and rote, as if the show’s ticking down a checklist of last revelations.

Danglars gets financially ruined and arrested; Villefort is publicly disgraced. Both men lose their livelihoods and families (some more permanently than others). Edmond finally reveals his real identity. It all happens super quickly, and we get to spend very little time on anyone’s reactions.

To his credit, the complicated webs that the Count of Monte Cristo has been weaving for weeks do finally pull together into a cohesive whole. This is satisfying to watch if only because you really can’t help but respect the vision. But is it narratively satisfying, at least in terms of what these victories say about Edmond and his journey? Not so much.