The Rain Season 3 Ending Explained

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Rain season 3. 

The conclusion of The Rain season 3 officially marks the end of the Netflix series, and mostly provides streamers with clarity. Set in post-apocalyptic Scandinavia, the narrative begins with two siblings being trapped underground for six years, and ends with them coming to terms with their place in the world. By resolving the immediate character conflict, The Rain season 3 foreshadows what may happen in the future; yet, there are some plot points that may leave viewers confused about the subtext.

The Rain season 3 begins with conflict between Simone Andersen (Alba August) and her brother, Rasmus (Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen). Years prior, they hid underground when falling rain began spreading a deadly virus. Simone and Rasmus look for their father in The Rain season 1, and later encounter a mad scientist named Sten (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) in the second installment. The Rain season 3 is fundamentally about Simone’s attempts to stop Rasmus from embracing his virus-related powers.

By The Rain season 3 finale, Rasmus has killed numerous people and built a new life with his undead girlfriend, Sarah (Clara Rosager). Meanwhile, Simone grieves the death of her love interest, Martin (Mikkel Følsgaard), who previously agreed to be infected by Rasmus, but only because he thought Simone had died after jumping from a bridge. The big twist is that Martin’s death allows Simone and her friends to fully understand the truth about a mysterious flower that produces a virus-killing juice. A battle of good vs. evil emerges, as Simone’s team executes a meticulous plan to end Rasmus’ reign of terror.

Why Simone’s Plan To Kill Rasmus Failed

Simone’s bridge jump links to her plan to kill Rasmus. After nearly losing her life, the elder Andersen sibling is rescued by a brother and sister named Daniel (Rex Leonard) and Luna (Cecilia Loffredo), respectively. Their family lives in a utopian “paradise” that includes the aforementioned virus-killing flower. Crucially, the flower has a defense system to protects itself from humans (or anything that seems like a threat). The flower juice can also kill humans who consume too much (see Martin’s slow death). To defeat Rasmus, Simone needs an effective weapon, one that will ensure her brother’s demise. She then receives a flower juice necklace from Daniel and Luna’s father. The goal: to put Rasmus in a vulnerable position, and then kill him.

In theory, the plan to kill Rasmus makes sense. Ultimately, however, all the preparation doesn’t really matter. The team hopes to lure Rasmus into a pool, where he’ll be shot with the flower juice. Kira also suggests that they separate Rasmus from his soldiers by using fire, which causes a violent and painful reaction for the infected, and she then customizes her bullets with cotton and flower juice. But none of this really matters because Rasmus sends a look-a-like who disrupts the entire plan.

The set-up montage hypes the big finale, yer the filmmaking execution may leave streamers scratching their heads about the logistics of it all. The plan to kill Rasmus makes sense on paper, but the series itself makes the characters look a bit dumb with the overall execution.

The Real Reason Why Rasmus Submitted To The Flower

After the failed murder-by-juice plot, Simone and Rasmus are conveniently reunited in front of the virus-killing flower. Here, The Rain season 3 on Netflix becomes about identity and relationship dynamics, as everybody makes a firm decision about who they are and what they want moving forward. For example, The Rain begins with Simone claiming that she doesn’t want to be a leader — she just needs to protect her little brother. In the end, however, she is indeed revealed to be a reluctant leader; the perfect person to remind her younger brother about the picture picture and their original mission: to survive by relying on each other. Visually, The Rain season 3 finale shows that Simone’s team watches from afar, which implies that they are followers. As for Rasmus, he’s left alone by his comrades, which reinforces the thematic concept that he’s left alone in the world as some type of stranger “other.”

The truth, however, is that Rasmus is not alone. His sister loves him, and Sarah loves him as well, evidenced by the latter’s return in a moment of a truth. Earlier in The Rain season 3, Rasmus states that he wants to save others so that that nothing will be “wrong” about him. He constantly grapples with his place in the world, certainly after discovering that he was created by Sten as an attempt to right a wrong (the rain). Because Rasmus is still relatively young and impressionable, his self-perception continuously changes. In the end, Rasmus finally gives in to his to emotions upon reuniting with his sister Simone, who repeatedly calls her brother “sweetheart” throughout the Netflix series. After Sarah rushes in for extra support, Rasmus knows what he needs to do and submits himself to the flower – the biggest sacrifice of all that literally changes the world.

What Happened To Society After The Explosion?

The Rain season 3 on Netflix doesn’t address what may happen in the future outside of Scandinavia, but rather wraps up small character arcs while positioning Rasmus as a martyr. In the final moments, Patrick (Lukas Løkken) and Fie (Natalie Madueño) introduce their new-born child to Simone, which essentially functions as a way to underline the male character’s evolution from a social outcast into a proud parent. As for Simone’s love life, it’s safe to assume that she’ll be drawn to Daniel, who not only respects her as a woman, but also respects the strong feelings that she once had for Martin.

Through narration, Simone admits that she wishes to show Rasmus “the world of tomorrow.” The Rain season 3 doesn’t include a final fast-forward montage because the point, it seems, is that both of the main protagonists accomplished what they wanted to do all along. Simone protected her brother, and Rasmus found his place in the world, albeit through death. To Simone, her brother is “everywhere,” and his legacy lives on through the people he saved. The Rain officially ends with Simone telling her brother that “you are forever my sweetheart” — a callback to various moments they shared in the past, both good and bad.

How Sarah Is Key To The Rain Season 3’s Message

Sarah is symbolic of The Rain season 3’s central message of hope, especially when considering the current state of the real COVID-19 world. The character experiences literal death and Sten’s bizarre experiments, but always keeps a positive attitude, even if that means supporting Rasmus’ quest for absolute power. At a crucial moment in The Rain season 3 finale, Sarah acknowledges that she and Rasmus don’t have to be the “bad guys.” Personal labels aren’t necessary in this particular world, and Sarah isn’t attracted to the image that Rasmus projects. Instead, she’s intrigued by his attempts to better understand himself as a person, and knows that he’s been manipulated into believing information that may not be true. Sarah represent a support system, someone who reminds Rasmus when to put on a mask, and when to take it off.

The Rain season 3 on Netflix ends with a poignant sequence dedicated to Simone and her brother’s experiences, but it’s Sarah who inspires Rasmus when he needs her the most. She’s a character who assesses the available information, and then makes informed decisions based on logic and her own heart. Sarah’s story isn’t about right versus wrong, it’s about showing up for a loved one in a time of need. Rasmus often behaves like a monster, but he’s humanized through his interactions with Sarah.

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
(1892 Articles Published)

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Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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