The Last Tycoon S01E09 "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar" Recap (Season Finale)

Monroe is still reeling from learning of Kathleen's betrayal and for the confrontation that resulted in the death of Rupert. Kathleen is being put through dance lessons to expand her versatility as a movie-star.

Max is visited by Tomas Szep, the man who cleaned up after Rupert's death and also tasked Max with more shady work after letting a truck be stolen. Max is shaken at the prospect of having to be involved with the shadier side of Hollywood's cover-ups but he has no choice if he expects to keep paying for his family.

Monroe and Kathleen must attend their engagement party and act like everything is still normal even though there is a significant rift in their relationship that's severe enough that it's unclear if they will ever recover. Kathleen professes that she still loves Monroe but he says that now he assumes that everything she says is a lie. He reminds her to not forget her fake Irish accent before the two head into the party.

At the party, Rose says goodbye to Monroe by gifting him with the red tie she would use to signal that they would have a secret rendezvous (she would dress Brady with it and he would be none the wiser due to his being color-blind). She tells him to be happy and walks off.

In private, Brady offers Monroe a trip for he and Kathleen as a consolation prize. He will be pulling the plug on Monroe's film for Minna and Monroe is devastated. He says he will be taking Mayer's job-offer. Brady then reveals that he knows about Monroe's role in the death of Rupert and makes it clear he will be blackmailing Monroe into stay at his studio. Celia is outraged at her father when she finds out the film she poured so much of herself into will be scrapped. She makes an impassioned speech about how the film matters and Rose is moved by it. She scolds Brady for his brash actions against Monroe and Celia. She proceeds to kick Brady out of the house for being so cold and not understanding her or any of the other loved ones in his life.

Monroe kicks Kathleen out of his place despite her pleas to understand that she loves him. He is resigned to carry out their sham of a marriage for a respectable amount of time before they will divorce, claiming that they simply grew apart. Celia stays with Max, who encourages her to try to work things out with her father in the morning. Instead, she asks if she can stay for an undisclosed period of time.

Monroe must break the news of his film being scrapped to Lang and Hackett. Lang storms out while Hackett encourages him to leave the studio and offers to leave with him, saying anyone at the studio would follow him anywhere. Hackett proceeds to find Hannah, who is working in the recording studio, and propose marriage to her. She declines, feeling it is too soon to do so and he implores her to be brave and take a leap with him.

Kathleen asks Brady to let her out of her contract but Brady is determined to make the most of his investment. He doesn't care about her deception just as long as he can profit from her. Much of his scheming stems from his insecurities about Monroe being the beloved Golden Boy of the studio and getting the praise that he feels he is owed himself. Kathleen must begin work on the next musical starring a child-star named Sally.

Hackett asks Hannah again to marry him but it's then that she reveals that she is already married and has been for five years. Two years ago her husband was arrested and sent to a work-camp. She hasn't heard from him in eighteen months and has no idea if he is alive or dead. This spurred her decision to run away and feels guilty for saving herself. She appreciates Hackett's kindness and doesn't want to lose him as a friend and he seems content to support her, having grown to care for her.

Max and Celia meet in private at the studio and admit that the studio and the industry as a whole isn't how they imagined it to be growing up but agree that they'll figure out a way to manage. The illusion may be shattered but they profess their young love to one another and serve as a symbol of hope in the midst of everything bleak going on around them.

Max's younger sister goes to get her headshots taken and the photographer leers a bit at her, telling her to make subtle adjustments that make her more provocative.

It's the night of the Oscars and everyone arrives to see if Brady Studios will win any awards. Margot Taft picks up an award for her acting and gives an emotional speech that gives a cryptic nod to Brady, for his support in allowing her to flourish instead of outing herself as being mixed-race, and thanks her mother but in a way that only mentions her name without revealing that she is in fact thanking her black mother.

Monroe and Celia make a power-play at the Oscar's by selling the film Brady canned to Mayer. Brady wants to carry on being petty but there is no legal way he can keep Monroe from selling the film since doing so doesn't violate any rules and would allow the studio to make some money. Celia is also prepared to go and produce it and Lang would go along as director. All of this transpires just before Brady wins an Oscar for Best Picture, which he never would have gotten without Monroe's help in campaigning for it.

Brady enjoys a happy moment with Margot before confronting Monroe and telling him that he will never win and that he will outlive Monroe. Monroe insists that he would've remained loyal to Brady till the end but Brady doesn't believe him. Monroe says that this is precisely why what he's done is so tragic. Monroe then leaves with Kathleen and she says that she wishes this were one of his pictures because in the end, he'd certainly forgive her. The two share a kiss for the cameras before getting in the car.

Celia heads back to Monroe's office to return his handkerchief and to pack up some of her belongings. He offers to let her keep it and gives her advice on what's to come when working with Mayer. After Celia leaves, Monroe begins to experience chest-pains and collapses on the floor trying to call her back for help.

The Last Tycoon is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.