A Thousand Blows ending explained: How does Hez’s victory in the ring change everything?
A Thousand Blows, the British historical drama series, premiered on February 21, 2025, on Hulu. It was created by Steven Knight, who co-wrote the series with Harlan Davies, Insook Chappell, Ameir Brown, and Yasmin Joseph. Furthermore, Stephen Haren and Jo Johnson are the show's producers, while Damian Keogh, Kate Lewis, David Olusoga, Hannah Walters, etc. serve as its executive producers.
The six-part series takes place in the 1880s, when the Jamaican immigrant, Hezekiah Moscow, rises to the top of the boxing championship in London. His romance with Mary Carr, leader of the crime syndicate Forty Elephants, and rivalry with Sugar Goodson, the self-declared emperor of London's East End, forms the crux of the series.
At the end of A Thousand Blows, Hez accidentally kills the American champion, Buster WIlliams, during the prize title competition. As a result, the boxing association declares the match void. Nevertheless, Hez's unprecedented success as the first African boxer brings the sport to international prominence and helps promote boxing globally.
Hez achieves fame and success in A Thousand Blows
The series opens with two best friends, Hezekiah Moscow, and Alec Munroe, arriving in London from the Jamaican town of Morant Bay in search of a better life. Hez first notices Mary Carr when she creates a commotion on the streets by pretending to be pregnant and on the verge of giving birth. Meanwhile, her friends pick the pockets of unsuspecting men and women gathered around.
After struggling to find accommodation due to their race, Hez and Alec are taken in by the Chinese immigrant Mr. Lao at his Good Beds Inn. Hez traveled to London to work as a lion tamer at Mr. Harkness' East London Zoo. To his horror, he discovers that the zoo owner wanted to parade him as an exotic display in his cage labeled the 'Wild Man of Africa' - a fate he narrowly escapes.
The out-of-work men come across the illegal world of bare-knuckle boxing in London's East End while visiting the Blue Coat Boy pub, owned by the brothers Sugar and Treacle Goodson. The brothers are bare-knuckle boxers themselves and regularly compete in boxing matches held at the pub as a way to draw in customers.
Hez volunteers to fight Sugar and nearly beats him during their first match. He has his sights set on becoming a boxing world champion and trains with Alec to rise through the ranks in East End's boxing championship. Peggy Bettinson, a known figure in London's West End boxing scene, helps him build his profile in the press, and, with time, Hez becomes one of East End's formidable boxers.
In episode 5, he confides in Peggy about his intention to fight the American champion, Buster Williams. As he prepares to face his biggest opponent, tragedy strikes. Alec gets stabbed by an unknown man and dies from his injuries, completely shattering Hez.
In the season finale episode, Hez faces off against the undefeated American champion, renowned worldwide as the Brooklyn Gent. During the match, Hez accidentally delivers a deadly blow that kills Buster Williams. A clear victory or deliberate loss would have ensured he walked away with loads of money. However, the latest turn of events throws his future into disarray as the match is declared void.
A Thousand Blows ends on a cliffhanger without offering a conclusive end to Hez's fate. His story will continue in the second season, which was renewed in February 2025.
Does Mary end up with Hez in A Thousand Blows?
Mary is the leader of Forty Elephants, the country's first all-female criminal gang that goes about London pickpocketing and shoplifting from high-end stores. The group resides at Lao's Inn alongside Hez and Alec. Their latest member, Alice Diamond, joined Forty Elephants when they looted the shopping complex she worked at for jewelry and clothes.
Mary dreams of earning more than petty cash and plans a big heist that will fetch the gang a hefty sum of money. Her plan involves stealing the expensive silverware the British government will be offering the visiting Chinese delegation as a welcoming gift. Mary asks Lao and Hez to help her out with the heist, and both of them reluctantly agree.
On the day of the heist, Mary and Hez arrive at the banquet organized by the Earl of Lonsdale in honor of His Excellency Li Hongzhang and his Chinese delegation. Mary uses the alias Lady Augusta Farnley to gain entry to the high-profile event. Inside, Hez is greeted by boxing enthusiasts, among whom is Earl Lonsdale himself.
Moreover, Mary makes arrangements for Lao to become the Chinese interpreter, "Mr. Chen," for the Earl at the event. During the feast, he announces that the Chinese delegation will receive Queen Victoria's gifts, an extensive silverware collection, in private. He is handed the key to the room storing the gifts, which he secretly delivers to Mary.
Meanwhile, Hez creates a distraction by challenging the Earl for a fight. The guests are enthralled by the sight of these two men exchanging blows. The Forty Elephants take advantage of the situation and sneak inside, dressed as maids. They quickly swipe the silverware collection, load them into a carriage, and escape to safety.
The next morning, the gang is shocked to learn that the silverware is fake and feels disheartened that their heist ended up being a bust.
Mary's decision to pull off the heist on her own angers the more powerful criminal gang, the Elephant Boys, and its leader, Indigo Jeremy. She seeks protection from Sugar, who has been in love with her for the longest time. He promises to protect Mary and her group if she agrees to marry him, but she turns him down as she loves Hez.
Elsewhere, Indigo orders one of his men to kill Hez in order to teach Mary a lesson. But, he mistakenly takes out Alec, believing him to be Hez. In the season finale episode, Indigo threatens Mary to join his gang or face dire consequences.
Desperate for a solution, Mary convinces Hez to escape with her to New York where they can start a new life together with his prize money from the match. Hez abandons their plan after Sugar lies to him about Mary being responsible for Alec's death. A distraught Hez tells Mary she is dead to him and leaves her heartbroken.
Also read: A Thousand Blows: Full list of cast in Steven Knight's drama on Hulu
What happens to Sugar Goodson at the end of A Thousand Blows?
Henry 'Sugar' Goodson's rivalry with Hez is one of the central plots of A Thousand Blows. Hez's fighting skills threaten Sugar's standing as the best boxer in East End, so he feels the need to protect his dominance by beating Hez. After their first fight, Sugar proposes a rematch and promises to kill him the next time they set foot in the boxing ring.
Furthermore, his closeness with Mary is another reason Sugar is eager to defeat him and drive him away from his turf, but Peggy, Alec, and Treacle have other plans. They intend to keep Hez and Sugar away for the time being by having them represent the East End and West End, respectively. This way, they can face off in the final match for maximum payoff.
In episode 4, Sugar is hired by Peggy to fight for his boxing club in West End. The official rules dictate that all boxers must wear boxing gloves during the fight, which does not sit well with Sugar. During one of his matches, he removes his gloves to fight his opponent bare-knuckled. His ruthlessness stuns Peggy, who fires him on the spot.
His brother Treacle takes his place in the tournament, while Sugar returns to fight at the Blue Coat Boy. They get into a heated argument over Treacle's betrayal, which culminates in Sugar beating his brother within an inch of his life. Later, a remorseful Sugar decides to set things right by signing off the pub to his brother.
Exploring the fates of Eliza, Saul, and Mr. Lao in A Thousand Blows
Eliza Moody, a member of the Forty Elephants, begins an affair with the local tailor, Saul Woolfe. Mary cautions Eliza against getting involved with him as Saul's political connections with the radical left group can get them in trouble.
When Saul bombs a government building in Greenwich and unknowingly kills two policemen, the cops raid his tailor shop. He goes into hiding but returns to London to persuade Eliza to run away with him. Despite her feelings for Saul, Eliza refuses to leave with him as she feels indebted to Mary for saving her from an abusive marriage. She decides to stay back with the Forty Elephants instead.
Moreover, Lao had joined Mary's heist as he wanted to take a close look at the Chinese ambassador responsible for destroying his native village in the Guangdong province, which left him orphaned at a young age. But, when the Chinese delegate taunts him about his family, Lao stabs him to death with an ice pick.
After the murder, Hez arranges for Lao to be hidden away in one of the fisherman Jack Mac's boats. Mary is forced to give up his location in order to save the Forty Elephants from taking the blame. Lao is caught and imprisoned, but not for long, as Mary helps him escape confinement by faking his death in a prison fire. She sends him away to Liverpool with a false identity where he can start his new life in peace.
Viewers can watch all episodes of A Thousand Blows on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ internationally.
