The Tourist 2×06 marks the end of this leg of Elliot and Helen’s adventure into uncovering his past. And even though the BBC has not confirmed a third season and Jamie Dornan is busy AF, I’m kind of satisfied with where we are now. Kinda is key here. Because Elliot and Helen did end up together. But I still feel like this season 2 finale was a little bit rushed. We went from Helen about to leave Ireland on her lonesome to them ending up together because she had to fix things? That uncertainty on my part as a viewer who loves these characters is a weakness for The Tourist as a whole. Because at this point, I feel like I should be more certain about where these characters are in their journey. But I’m not. I’m still having trouble defining who these people are. But that’s what reviews are for, breaking it all down.
On Elliot’s part, I don’t understand why he stayed when they released him in The Tourist 2×06. I know they said that he couldn’t leave the country, but he didn’t go after Helen. And I don’t know anything about having children, but I wouldn’t stay for a grown son in the middle of a family against family war. And I’m having trouble understanding why Elliot stayed besides holding on to a last string of hope that he isn’t all alone in the world after Helen left. It also could be because he felt a familial connection with his son. But at the same time, I don’t really think that Elliot felt that connection with his own mother. So I’m a little lost on how Elliot feels about blood relatives versus found family. But to Elliot’s credit, he stood in front of a shotgun for Helen and left everything to go with her. That means something.
By the end of The Tourist 2×06, I do think Elliot was tired. He was tired of the uncertainty and the pain of running around while trying to figure out his past. Plus it must have been shocking to see the love of your life be shot because of the atrocities your past self committed. But I do feel like I was robbed of a conversation that led Elliot leaving Ireland and going to what I assume is the Netherlands. We deserved to see Elliot break down his own journey instead of a small moment with Helen at their apartment where he let her choose if they were going to burn that file. After all the running around and all the introspection for two seasons, I think we deserved a little bit more than this clean and put together Elliot who didn’t care about his past anymore.
Then there’s the Helen of it all. I’m proud of her for feeling comfortable enough to take that stand. When she left Australia, from what we can tell she did it with Elliot. Her leaving Elliot in Ireland was her choosing herself for the first time in a very long time. And even though I like them together, I’m always going to choose a woman’s right to determine her own future, especially when she has some fears that she still has to unpack within herself and her relationship with Elliot. Keeping all of that in mind, what really grinds my gears is that Ethan and that detective who kidnapped her are the reason why she went back to find Elliot. I just don’t understand why we need to keep seeing these two buffoons when she could have been sent back with a call or a text. We didn’t need these two and I especially didn’t need Ethan making these crude jokes after a war was avoided and family secrets were revealed. These two just don’t add anything to Helen’s storyline or my viewing pleasure, so I don’t understand why they’re there. Especially if they don’t get what they deserve.
The continued addition of random buffoons to Helen’s storyline also made me realize that this show has not given Helen any companions besides Elliot. Where are her friends? Where is her family? Or where is any sort of female friendship? Because I think that The Tourist absolutely blew it by not giving Helen someone to lean on in general but also in having more women in season 2. You had Elliot’s mom and his ex. Oh and there was Lena as well. But none of these women were Helen’s friends. Helen didn’t even meet the ex. And I understand that technically Elliot is the lead. But Hollywood needs to stop mucking about and realize that you can have more than one woman on screen talking about things, sharing problems, and discussing situations besides the man that connects them. Giving Helen a friend would have replaced the two buffoons who we got way too much of in season 2.
On the romantic side of things, now that I’ve stopped ranting, I like that Elliot and Helen found their happy ending in The Tourist 2×06. Or a happy beginning. Elliot looks more grounded and like he’s open to knowing himself a little bit better without digging into the atrocities or mess that his past self made of things. And Helen looks like she’s embracing her knack for detective work. Together, they’ve built a home and seem to have open communication that enables them to just toss out a file that could send them careening again into Elliott’s past. They’ve made a choice, to live life on their own terms and I’m proud of them. Again, I wish I got to see a couple of those conversations that led to them leaving Ireland after the near breakup, but I’m going to stay with this ending and not cry all over it because I never expected an ending like this for someone who looks like Helen and who reminds me of myself.
Elliot and Helen are the absolute strength of The Tourist as a whole but also in 2×06. They are proof that you can conquer this world with someone by your side and while also setting your own boundaries. And they are the absolute reason why I have continuously reviewed every single episode of season 1 and 2. Because the show falters in a lot of ways. But the connection between Jamie Dornan and Danielle Macdonald saved it all and kept it going for episode after episode. Here’s hoping that we get another opportunity to see what happens next for one of my new favorite ships.
The Tourist season 1 and 2 is now available on Netflix.
Before you go, please check out our previous review for 2×01, 2×02, 2×03, 2×04, and 2×05.
The Tourist was a fun series to watch but, did you notice the file in the fire contained a paper with his picture and the words “Secret Agent”? I think that would be a great way to develop more episodes. Maybe Helen’s new Private Detective cases could somehow intertwine with his Special Agent past. And a family would be great to see for them!