The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5 ending explained: Does Romero’s blackout plan succeed?

While the show's central mystery, Havlock, is still ongoing, The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5 also brings a side plot involving Luke and Isaac Romero. The overarching narrative follows Frank tracking down Luke and finally getting him to safety, but the story is beyond a simple abduction. Romero is clinically insane with a revenge plot he plans to accomplish.

And while he meets his tragic end, thanks to Sarah, Romero's plan is carried out at the end of The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5 as the power grid collapses and one light after another flickers out. Meanwhile, everything on Havlock's side is still a huge mystery, although he gets a one-on-one with Sidney, where he admits that he loved her and probably still does.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5. Reader's discretion is advised.

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What is Romero's plan in The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5?

Romero's plan in The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5 is some revenge from when he worked at DARPA. He wants to cut the line supplying power at HAARP (High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program), which he claims is more about invading people's privacy than research.

Romero destroys the power line (Image via Apple TV)

It turns out that he was a top Naval Academy graduate, and DARPA handpicked him for his skills to work for them as an engineer who makes surveillance machines. He calls himself a "watcher," but then his conscience becomes a problem. He becomes increasingly suspicious that he killed his neighbor and disemboweled his dog, thinking that they've been surveilling him.

Because he played a part in making the machines that he now loathes, he plans to destroy them. During a shootout with Frank at the HAARP station, Sarah hits Romero with the car, killing him instantly. The only one who knows about the intricacies of Romero's plan is Luke, who has been an unwanted participant in his plot, but he doesn't understand much about what's going to happen.

Frank, however, has an idea after investigating Romero's background, but it's too late. Before they can call General Thacher, who swears that HAARP's battery backup is secure, to warn them not to bring the system online, there's a blackout. It turns out that Romero only has to disconnect the switch from the power source for his plan to succeed. The episode ends with the town wrapped in darkness.

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The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5: Does Frank find Luke?

Luke is finally safe and back home at the end of The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5. Sarah and Frank partner up to find their son throughout the episode, with the latter putting the Havlock case on the back burner until he's sure Luke is home safe and away from a clinically insane man.

Romero and Luke (Image via Apple TV+)

Throughout the episode, Luke has been somewhat of Romero's getaway driver. And whether it's intentional or entirely a coincidence, the salting truck Luke is driving leaves a trail, leading to Sarah and Frank finding them at the HAARP station. A brief shootout ensues until Romero holds Luke at gunpoint, but Frank convinces the escaped convict to exchange Luke for him.

But before Romero can take Frank as his new hostage, Sarah, driving a car, speeds up and hits him. Romero is dead, but as mentioned before, he might be dead, but his plan succeeds in the end.

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Havlock is still one step ahead of Frank in The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5

While Frank is busy tracking down Luke, Hutch and Sidney try to handle Havlock. They find the apartment where he had been hiding, the same apartment where the Archive 6 courier went to in The Last Frontier season 1 episode 4. However, there is no Havlock there.

They do find the Archive 6 drive, which Hutch is calling a win, but Sidney doesn't believe it. She thinks they were only able to find the drive because Havlock wanted them to find it. Also, while on the way to find Luke, Sarah finally gives Frank the memory card from Havlock, which turns out to be the recording from the crash.

With everything that has been going on, Havlock is still running free, and Frank is left with nothing but a theory. He thinks the courier is connected to the CIA and that the crash in The Last Frontier season 1 premiere was their plan to kill Havlock.

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Catch The Last Frontier season 1 episode 5, along with the show's previous episodes, streaming on Apple TV+.

Edited by Kinette Sumadia