Two Kinds of Families: The Core of Assane Diop’s Dilemma
“There are two kinds of families in this world: the one you’re born into, and the one that you end up surrounding yourself with when you get older.”
Outline
These words encapsulate the heart-pounding drama and emotional complexity of Netflix’s French hit show, Lupin. Part 3 dives deep into the two worlds of Assane Diop, played with undeniable charisma by Omar Sy. Assane’s complex relationship with his past and present families is woven through a narrative rich with unpredictable twists, all set against the romantic backdrop of Paris.
The Gentleman Thief with a Conscience
Assane is no ordinary criminal. He’s a gentleman cat burglar, a master of disguise, and above all, a man with a moral compass. His targets? The insurance companies protecting priceless artwork and valuables. In this season, Assane finds himself entranced by a rare black pearl from the French-Tahitian War of 1815. But as always, the mission comes with its complications, and we as viewers get to relish every twist and turn.
A Tale of Two Lives: Assane’s Early Years
“To say that Keller is taking advantage of these kids’ vulnerability and lack of options would be quite an understatement.”
In the hazy days of 1998, during the Soccer World Cup Finals, a teenaged Assane finds himself living on the streets. Sheltered by his only friend Bruno and introduced to a life of crime by a dubious guardian, Jean-Luc Keller, Assane’s youth is a patchwork of Oliver Twist and Robin Hood. And then one fateful night changes it all—Keller pushes them too far, leading to a high-speed chase, a police officer’s death, and a car crash.
When Blood Meets Bond: The Emotional Reunion
Episode 6 gifts viewers an emotional punch. Assane finally reunites with his long-lost mother Mariama, bringing her into his present-day family, complete with a loving wife and a teenage son. The scene is a heartfelt pause in Assane’s chaotic life, reminding us how effortlessly Omar Sy makes us forget that his character is, essentially, a career criminal.
“Omar Sy is simply that charming and forget Idris Elba as the next James Bond, maybe we should be giving the dashing Sy a closer look!”
The Final Confrontation: Assane vs. Keller
At the iconic Arc de Triomphe, decades of tension boil over into a face-off between Assane and the older Keller. Past and present clash, and the two spar both physically and morally.
“The pearl or your freedom?”
With the arrival of the police, Assane presents Keller a choice that sums up their shared history. The decisions made in this charged moment set the course for the future, culminating in a chess game where everyone, including the police, are pawns.
The End and the Beginning: A New Chapter for Assane
In a sequence of flashbacks and forward leaps, we see a young Assane escaping his troubled past, asking a young Claire to run away with him. Fast forward to the present, and Assane’s decision to turn himself in marks a poignant full circle, albeit with a surprise twist involving his arch-nemesis Hubert Pellegrini.
“A delicious twist that sets up all kinds of possibilities for a Part 4 of Lupin.”
Lupin’s Unfinished Symphony
Lupin Part 3 closes with an elegy and an opening—an end that pays homage to its beginnings, and a start that promises a new dawn. Assane might be incarcerated, but the series makes it abundantly clear that the story of this mastermind is far from over. If anything, it’s just getting started.
And that, dear readers, is the essence of Lupin. A show that delves into the heart of what makes us human, wrapped up in the guise of a thrilling heist drama. The stakes are higher than ever, and Part 4 can’t come soon enough.
