The Electric State Ending Explained

Although the film's final shot gives viewers some hope regarding one character's destiny, The Electric State initially seems to end Michelle's story on a bittersweet note. The Electric State by the Russos begins with an exposition dump that describes how humans defeated a growing threat from disobedient robots by eliminating many of them and persuading others to live in a separate enclosed zone. Although robots are prohibited outside of their designated exclusion zone in the current timeline of the movie, one manages to get to Michelle's house and claims to be under her brother's control.

Michelle is hopeful that her brother might still be alive after years of mourning. In order to learn the truth about her brother's fate, she embarks on a quest with her new robot. She meets Keats and his own robot companions along the way, and they agree to assist Michelle in finding her brother. A conflict between humans and the robots results from Keats and Michelle persuading every robot in the exclusion zone to fight alongside them in the final arc of The Electric State.

Chris, are you still alive? The Significance of The Electric State's Last Shot

According to the Electric State's last arc, Michelle cuts Chris off in order to protect the world from Skate. But in the final scene, the robot Cosmo—which Chris had been using to talk to Michelle—rises once more. This implies that Cosmo has either become a typical Cosmo bot or has somehow preserved some of Chris' mental faculties. Michelle may finally be able to get back together with her brother if the latter is true. Even though they are not physically together, she might be able to get over her loss if she is with Cosmo.

The Electric State made it clear in a prior storyline that Chris was not your typical kid. One of the reasons Ethan Skate targeted him was because he was far smarter than the average person. This suggests that even after Michelle chose to release him, he may have managed to maintain his consciousness. Chris's reappearance at the conclusion of The Electric State might serve as the ideal basis for a sequel's plot if Netflix chooses to add more details to the film's lore.

Why Michelle Cuts Off Chris at the End of the Electric State

Chris informs Michelle that the Sentre may force him to continue living in this manner for the next century or more when they first meet in the virtual world via the neurocaster. He discloses that his brain and the Sentre have a symbiotic relationship, meaning that all of the neurocasters and drones that are attached to the Sentre will likewise vanish if something were to happen to him. In a similar vein, his death will result from the Sentre's destruction. When Michelle learns that the robots can only defeat humans when the drones stop functioning, she finally decides to cut him off, despite her initial refusal to let him go.

She also recognizes how damaging neurocasters have been to humanity and that humanity will be freed from the addictive technology if she lets her brother go. Thus, even though she would love to spend more time with Chris, unplugging him is in his best interests. Luckily for her, the conclusion of The Electric State implies that Cosmo somehow manages to keep Chris conscious.

How The Electric State on Netflix Modifies the Resolution of the Original Novel

The ending of the source material is left open-ended, just like the film. Michelle's brother has his neurocaster removed in the last moments of the original graphic novel in the hopes that he will be able to live without it. Additionally, there is a picture in the book showing the neurocaster and the drone her brother used abandoned in the ocean. The Netflix film implies that Chris may still be alive, but the book doesn't tell the reader what happened to Michelle's brother. The final scene implies that Michelle either had to face the terrible truth of her brother's fate or had permanently fled with him.

An explanation of the aftermath of the Sentre's closure

When Chris dies, Sentre shuts down, and all the drones fall to the ground. Finally, the destructive technology is removed, allowing even the humans who were dependent on their neurocasters to return to the real world. The result is a peaceful alliance between humans and robots, and Skate tries to escape after his experiments on Chris are made public. Skate is ultimately apprehended and detained for his crimes, which stops him from creating any more harmful technologies.

Ethan Skate's Electric State Motives: The Reason Behind His Kidnapping of Chris

According to Skate, the neurocasters free people from the burden of life's tragedies and enable them to develop and live in a state of perpetual pleasure. But deep down, he seems to be more interested in using the neurocasters to gain total control over the world than he is in the advancement of humanity as a whole. When Skate first started working on the neurocaster network, they had trouble figuring out how to power it effectively.

Later on, though, he located Christopher, who had been taken to the Sentre following a car accident. Skate learned that Chris possessed unique brain energy that could power the entire neurocaster system with the assistance of Dr. Amherst. Thus, in order to maintain the extensive neurocaster network online, Chris was unethically kept alive in a comatose state.

Why Bradbury's Opinion on Robots Has Changed

Bradbury's guiding principle in the first arc of The Electric State is "You can't be heartless to things with no heart." He is adamant that humans should not feel sympathy for robots because they lack a heart. Because of this, Bradbury does not extend mercy to them, no matter how human and conscious they appear to be. But as the Netflix science fiction film comes to a close, Bradbury finds out what Skate has been doing to Christopher.

He comes to the realization that some people are much colder than the "emotionless" robots. He begins to understand that one's true humanity cannot be defined by one's physical characteristics alone. Because he realizes that not all robots should be eliminated, he decides to change sides and withdraw from the fight against them by removing his neurocaster.

Who Perishes at the End of the Electric State?

To make sure Michelle saves her brother, the robots risk their lives. Numerous robots are killed in the final conflict between human-controlled drones and robots. One could question whether "dying" is the appropriate term to characterize the robots' fates given that they are not human. However, the robots' sacrifice and capacity for cooperative combat demonstrate that they are more sentient than the majority of humans, even in the absence of traditional mortality.

Herman, Keats' robot companion, suffers serious injuries in the conflict as well. The robot closes his eyes and dies immediately after Keats declares his love for him. To Keats' astonishment, though, a miniature Herman appears from the robot's head, demonstrating that he has always been a part of the bigger robot. After almost losing his robot friend, Keats is reunited with him, and everything ends well. In addition to a number of robots, Skate murders Dr. Amherst, played by Ke Huy Quan, after assuming the form of a drone.

What the End of the Electric State Actually Means

The Electric State demonstrates how technology might not be the end of humanity, rather than just criticizing the development of AI and humanity's growing dependence on it. Skate's story demonstrates how technology could be used by dishonest people to exert control over the populace and sway events to suit their interests. The neurocasters can be viewed as visual representations of social media that entice users with the promise of a continuous dopamine rush.

They demonstrate how people have a propensity to become so engrossed in the virtual world via social media that they may start to lose sight of reality and prioritize the digital world over deep, meaningful relationships in the real world. Technologies created to take advantage of the human brain and consciousness are harmful to people and society at large, as Michelle says in her farewell speech in The Electric State. Humans must therefore exercise caution and refrain from becoming overly ambitious like Ethan Skate in their quest for advancement and evolution.