Based on Tom Wolfe’s novel, “A Man in Full” is a new American drama limited series streaming on Netflix. It primarily revolves around the fall of business tycoon Charlie Cooker in the wake of his bankruptcy warning. Simultaneously, it follows the lives of people around him and explores themes like systemic racism, capitalism, sexism, and political opportunism. The show was created by David E Kelley, who was recently known for creating shows like Big Little Lies, Love & Death, and The Undoing. Its episodes are directed by actor-director Regina King (One Night in Miami…) and Thomas Schlamme (The West Wing).
Spoilers Ahead
A Man in Full (2024) ‘Netflix’ Recap:
What is ‘A Man in Full’ about?
“A Man in Full” follows Charlie Croker, an Atlanta real estate mogul who tries to evade bankruptcy and stop those who plan to benefit from it. Along the way, it follows the narratives of other people who are connected to him in some way. In addition to Jeff Daniels as Charlie, the show stars Jeff Daniels, Diane Lane, William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Tom Pelphrey, Sarah Jones, Jon Michael Hill, Chanté Adams, Lucy Liu, Bill Camp, and Evan Roe.
Episode 1: Saddlebags
Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels) enters a lavish party for his 60th birthday with his young wife Serena (Sarah Jones). He bumps into banker Raymond Peepgrass (Tom Pelhrey) and his ex-wife’s close friend, Joyce Newman (Lucy Liu). Charlie teases Raymond and gets insulted by Joyce. Still, he revels in the joy of celebration. Unlike him, Raymond lives a sad life in a small apartment with noisy neighbors. He hates that Charlie treats him like a butler.
The next day, the head of Real Estate Asset Management Development at Planners, Harry Zale (Bill Camp), invites Charlie to break the news about his huge amount of pending debts. He puts pressure on Charlie to pay back at the earliest. Charlie tries to exercise his usual power play, but no one on the board pays heed to him. So, he feels insulted also since Raymond is a part of this table. At the office, he questions his legal counsel, Roger White (Aml Ameen), about getting ambushed for the debt. He wants Roger to provide a positive solution.
Roger White’s Dilemma
Just before meeting Charlie, Roger was contemplating leaving the job to do something more meaningful that could actually do good for the needy. His wife, Henrietta (Jerrrika Hinton), reminds him of the life of comfort Charlie’s salary can afford them. Meanwhile, Raymond gets pressured to pay a huge sum to a European woman, Sirja (Eline Powell), whom he impregnated through their sexual affair. He is tired of bending over for the demands of other people. So, he refuses her demands. While Charlie’s ex-wife, Martha (Diane Lane), worries about her body image, their son, Wally (Evan Roe), gets suspended for his anti-authority thoughts.
Conrad Hensley (Jon Michael Hill) gets arrested for defending himself against an agitated, racist white cop who mistakenly tows his car. He is the husband of Jill (Chante Adams), who works as Charlie’s secretary. She learns about Conrad’s arrest and informs Charlie about it. Meanwhile, Roger’s old friend, Wes Jordan (William Jackson Harper), who’s running for the upcoming election, asks for Roger’s help to expose his far-right candidate, Norman Bagovitch (John Lacy), by disclosing the names of a victim he raped in the past.
Episode 2: The Big Squash
Harry and Raymond are determined to squash Charlie’s empire. With Roger’s help, Charlie tries to postpone his payback date. But Harry refuses their proposal. So, Charlie races to lure in an investor to protect his assets. He thinks of Herb Richman (Josh Pais) and requests Serena’s help to portray himself as a family man. Charlie refuses Stroock’s advice for damage control. At Herb’s house, Charlie plays with a snake like it’s a toy. So, Wally fears his father is unstable. Joyce learns about Charlie’s debt issues and warns Martha about an impending burden on her since she shares a part of his business.
Charlie tells Roger to fight his first criminal case for Conrad. During the trial, the white Judge Taylor (Anthony Heald) doesn’t entertain his proof of Conrad’s clean past as a law-abiding citizen. He decides to charge Conrad because he is a black man who attacked a white cop. On top of that, the bail is set at $250,000 with a million-dollar bond. He hopes to get out soon since Jill is about to have a child.
Jill thinks of a case to prove Conrad’s biologically ingrained fear. Charlie thinks their emotional plea won’t work in Georgia. Meanwhile, Sirja puts more pressure on Raymond with a bigger settlement amount. So, he takes her out on a date to prolong the period for settlement. She accepts the deal. They close it by having sex for the last time.
Episode 3: The Takedown
Roger and Wes discuss their past aspirations and the morality of the lives they have led. Afterwards, Roger joins Jill for Conrad’s trial in the hope of getting him out on bail. But Judge Taylor decides to put Conrad behind bars for 60 days, or they go to trial. Conrad finds the plea offer unfair and refuses it. So, Taylor unfairly reprimands a jail known for its violence. Roger starts feeling powerless. Wes’ appeal at the church gives him the mental strength to fight back. Later, Charlie tells Jill that he will get Conrad out of prison. Meanwhile, Conrad realizes the harsh realities of being in prison.
In Turpentine, Herb realizes that Charlie has asked for a family outing for a deal on The Concourse. Charlie fears it won’t work in his favor. So, he decides to traumatize Herb by showing two horses in a sexual encounter in the stable. But unlike his expectation, it pushes Herb away from a possible deal. Once Charlie returns to his plane, the Planners take control of this asset as per the court orders. Later, Roger tells Charlie about Wes’ knowledge of rape charges against Bagovitch. Despite Stroock’s warning, Charlie attends a charity gala. There, he meets Joyce and asks her for a meeting later.
Episode 4: Tick Tick
Conrad adjusts to his new reality inside a prison filled with gangs and violence. Unlike his cellmates, he loves his wife and speaks about her with love & respect. His cellmates tell him to keep his head down and not draw attention to himself. But when he sees a man being raped, he cannot keep calm. Unfortunately, his noble act puts him in more danger from other prisoners. Meanwhile, Raymond meets Herb to plot against Charlie in their mutual favor. Later, he goes on a date with Martha as another person against Charlie. By then, Charlie gets his knee surgery done despite his old age.
Later, in a meeting with Harry & Raymond, Charlie loses his calm and attacks Harry with his walking stick. Overjoyed, Raymond goes out on another outing with Martha. They end their night with a kiss. Meanwhile, Wes asks Roger to get him and Charlie in the same room for a chat. So, Roger tells Charlie to consider it as his only resort. Wes proposes to resolve Charlie’s ongoing financial woes in exchange for the name of Bagovitch’s victims. After this meeting, Charlie meets Joyce and considers her to come up with a confession against Bagovitch. Joyce refuses to let Charlie dictate her life’s decisions.
Episode 5: Push Comes to Shove
Raymond meets Herb to speak about the specifics of their deal with Charlie’s assets. In his personal life, he starts speaking with Sirja, like a friend, about his dates with Martha. Sirja congratulates him for being a wealthy banker, which he has always wanted. On a later date with Martha, Raymond tells her that Charlie is bankrupt. He works on a deal that will insulate her from any trouble. Charlie decides to speak with Martha to convince Joyce to help him. She doesn’t bow down to his pressure. Later, Wes tells him to reveal the truth about Bagovitch in his upcoming event.
Conrad tells Roger & Jill about the growing danger to his life inside the prison. They hope Conrad gets out soon with Charlie’s financial help. Later, a man presses Conrad’s buttons. In the heat of the moment, Conrad attacks this man. Because of this, he gets put in solitary confinement. That makes his chances of getting bail even thinner. In the courtroom, Roger makes a case of self-defense for Conrad. He makes a strong case to consider a habeas corpus petition. So, the initially unwilling judge eventually agrees. Then, he subpoenaed the white cop who attacked Conrad to speak the truth about Conrad.
Since Charlie accepts Will’s offer, his financial woes suddenly disappear. This doesn’t sit well with Raymond and Harry, who are hellbent on bringing Charlie down from his throne. Roger has a heart-to-heart chat with Will about their lives. Back home, Henrietta advises Roger to find a path that will stick to rules and not just sensible sentiments. She boosts his confidence to fight the last battle for Conrad.
Episode 6: Judgement Day
Raymond has a nightmare that features Charlie. Later, he tells Martha that her assets are safe since Charlie’s payback window has increased. Charlie makes another attempt to convince Joyce to speak against Bagovitch. She doesn’t agree to go along with his wishes. Later, Martha comes to confront Charlie about his debt and its impact on her life. Despite Martha’s words, Charlie does all in his power to keep Wally under his influence. However, Raymond has another plan in his mind that can destroy Conrad’s empire and lend its pieces to him and Martha.
A Man in Full (2024) ‘Netflix’ Ending Explained:
Does Conrad get out of prison?
During Conrad’s habeas corpus trial, Roger invites the white Officer, Smith, who attacked Conrad. The people in the courtroom see the camera footage from the day of the crime. Officer Smith justifies his actions, claiming he acted out of fear for someone like Conrad, based on his experience. So, Roger makes a case for Conrad, saying he was also scared and acted to defend himself. Since the judge refuses to acknowledge his argument, he fights even more passionately to make a decision based on his experience and understanding of which of the actions were necessary. Eventually, he manages to sway the judge’s mind. So, Conrad finally gets out of prison.
What happens to Charlie in the end?
Raymond speaks with Martha about a joint deal against Charlie. Meanwhile, Charlie gets on the stage with Wes. Once Charlie walks up to the podium, Wes assumes he will reveal the name of Bagovitch’s victim, as per their deal. Charlie begins his speech with that intent. However, instead of taking Joyce’s name, he only speaks against Bagovitch and in full support of Wes. As a result, Wes gets furious at him. Charlie returns home to hear words of admiration from Wally. Soon after, Strock comes up to share some shocking news regarding Charlie’s assets.
Charlie learns that an entity named Big Red Dog LLC, which includes Raymond and Herb, is in the process of getting a majority interest in The Concourse. This means that Charlie will lose control over this asset, and it will go directly to the people he despises. So, he immediately heads to Martha’s house, where he finds her having sex with Raymond. He locks himself in a room with Raymond and confronts him about it. Raymond explains that the transaction is lawful. But Charlie loses his temper and chokes Raymond to death. In that state, he dies himself. Martha finds their bodies lying next to each other. Roger arrives at her house to see Raymond’s body taken out by medical professionals.
Read More: A Man in Full: Complete Cast & Character Guide of the 2024 Netflix Limited Series
A Man in Full (2024) Trailer:
