The Final Season of ‘Bloodline’ Takes an Unpredictable Turn, Leaving Us Wanting More

Monet Clayton

The Rayburn family is a complicated bunch. John Rayburn (Kyle Chandler) once believed they were good people who just did a bad thing, but in season three, the waters get even murkier. In the emotional, sometimes frustrating third and final season, the family takes some long, contemplative looks in the mirror.

A significant portion of season three relies on the wrongdoings of Kevin Rayburn (Norbert Leo Butz), the sibling who tests our empathy more than any other. When he continues to point the finger at everybody but himself, makes mistakes over and over again, and tries to pretend he has it all together, he’s challenging. The show has been afraid to test both its characters and its audience, but Kevin is more frustrating than ever this season.

There’s also the fact he is, like his brother John, a murderer. Unlike John, however, he spends most of the season running from his guilt over killing Marco Diaz (Enrique Murciano). He lives in his fantasy and naively believes Roy Gilbert (Beau Bridges), a monster with a bright smile, is there for him. At every turn, the character lives up to his reputation, which is his curse throughout the show. “Bloodline” is a deadly serious series, but one of the biggest laughs of season three has to be when one of the feds says in the finale, “I know this guy. He’s no fucking genius.”

If there’s one problem with the finale, it’s that it’s hard to feel much of anything for Kevin by the end. Butz is painful to watch in the role, as he should be, but after doing so much wrong, his arrest doesn’t have much of an emotional impact or provide the moral dilemma we expect from the drama. He’s desperate, riddled with insecurities, fear, and guilt he tries to bury. In the end, though, we’re no longer conflicted as we used to be about him; we almost actively want to see him caught.

The past remains pivotal to “Bloodline.” As the opening illustrates, it’s not something John can escape, although Meg (Linda Cardellini) certainly tries. She sails out of the story a few episodes in – a surprising, if frustrating, choice. She’s unquestionably the most empathetic Rayburn, and her trying to change her identity and live a new life is a storyline that isn’t as pivotal as one would hope. Of course, the show can’t stay in Los Angeles too long and must return to Florida, but it ends up almost leaving the character in the shadow of John, Kevin, and in a more pivotal role this time, Sally Rayburn (Sissy Spacek). Meg’s pain – which she’ll probably never bury, despite the new name and city – isn’t much of a focus as one would hope, especially after the death of Marco.

The show’s writers wrap up the series with John on an ambiguous note that is sure to divide Bloodline fans for years to come. Before Ray even opens his mouth to tell Danny’s son (Owen Teague) the truth about his father’s death – or another lie, depending on how you read it – the series cuts to black. Lies have eaten away at John his whole life, but I don’t think he’s going to tell one more. He’s done. We don’t need to hear him say anything; we know what he’s going to say. Bloodline was never going to provide a neat ending, and it doesn’t even begin to try, but there’s closure in John’s long walk on the dock. It’s not immediately satisfying, but it’s not meant to be and nor should it be. Bloodline concludes three (mostly) strong seasons with uncertainty, discomfort, and questions, all of which John will probably live with the rest of his life.

“Bloodline” season 3 is available on Netflix May 26.