Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers for Fortress Season 1.
Season 1 of Brother Russo‘ Fortress did an excellent job answering some of the series’ most pressing questions. As the end credits roll, we find out who the mole who betrayed Rook was, what Mason Kane really was (Richard Madden) and Nadia Singh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) relationships, and how far Manticore can go while trying to dominate the world. That’s meaningless Fortress leaving not a few loose threads to be tied up by either Season 2 or the many international spin-offs coming to Prime Video in the next few years. So, now all season Fortress available on Prime Video, it’s time to address the biggest unanswered questions the show has left.
What Happened to Nadia’s Father?
Meanwhile Mason and Nadia travel the world to save Carter Spence (Osy Ikhile), one of the few Citadel agents who survived the Manticore attack, Dahlia Archer (Lesley Manville) kidnapped the spy’s daughter to use the girl as a bargaining chip. The kidnapping underscores how powerful Dahlia is, as Nadia ensures that not even Citadel knows about her daughter. However, since the kidnapping took place off-screen, we never found out what happened to Nadia’s father, Rahi (Paul Bazley), who looks after the girl. We know Nadia’s father was a dangerous international terrorist, so you can imagine he wouldn’t give the girl up without a fight. But does that mean Dahlia executed Nadia’s father? Season 2 of Fortress better explain what happened to Nadia’s father.
Did Fortress Kill Mason’s Father?
In the last episode of Fortress Season 1, we learn that Dahlia is Mason’s mother. The season 1 ending also explains why Dahlia left the Citadel, focusing her espionage skills on building the Manticore. According to Dahlia, Mason’s father died in a terrorist-attributed bombing when the explosion was actually caused by a Citadel air strike gone wrong. While Citadel is the good guy in the story, everyone knows the spy game is dangerous, so it’s no surprise that the accident actually happened. However, since the Russo Brothers asked fans to doubt everything they saw on screen, it’s fair to ask if Dahlia was telling the truth. Maybe he lied to convince Mason to give him the secret documents that led to the fall of the Citadel. Or maybe someone else tricked Dahlia into blaming the Citadel for her husband’s death. It would be nice if Season 2 of Citadel gave us a definitive answer.
What Will Dahlia Do Next?
As far as we know, Dahlia is behind the rise of the Manticore and the killing of nearly all of the Citadel agents. However, when she failed to retrieve the nuclear warhead the Manticore needed to ensure their world domination, Dahlia became a target. So, he blows up his house, fakes his death, and disappears into the night. Now we’re wondering what’s next for the villain. Maybe Dahlia will go after Mason and Nadia to get revenge and buy her way back to Manticore. Or maybe he’ll become an independent agent interfering with Manticore’s plans. There’s enough room for Dahlia to reappear as a different villain or an unlikely ally. So, Season 2 of Fortress must explain what happened to Dahlia after her defeat.
Why Did the Manticore Keep Bernard Alive? And Where Is He?
Season 1 of The Citadel showed how Dahlia is a ruthless killer who doesn’t hesitate to drop bodies to solve problems. This is why it is somewhat surprising that she decided to leave Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) lived after extracting the information he needed from him. After she was done torturing Bernard, Dahlia even ordered her family’s execution, which meant she didn’t need any leverage to deal with the former Citadel spies. So, why keep him alive? That unanswered question leads to another, as we’re dying to know where the Manticore is holding Bernard. Dahlia mentions a Brazilian base, so it’s natural to assume Bernard is under the tutelage of one of the families that fund Manticore. The eight Manticore families, for those who need a reminder, hail from the US, Brazil, Mexico, China, South Korea, Italy, Germany and France. That’s why Prime Video is already developing international spin-offs in Italy, Mexico and India. So, with Bernard in Brazil, does that mean we’ll also get a Brazilian series in the future? It is something we want to watch!
Will Celeste Get Her Memory Back?
While Manticore is risking the world’s safety, Fortress putting its main characters through their fair share of personal drama. For example, in the season finale, Mason finds his wife, Abby (Ashleigh Cummings), is actually Celeste, the rookie spy whose mind she erased to protect Nadia. So now Mason has to live with the knowledge that he ruined Celeste’s life. At the same time, he’s building a whole life with Abby. Mason has to deal with the duplicate memories he now holds, but what about Abby/Celeste? If he finds out the truth, Mason risks losing his wife, children and possibly his life if he finds out the truth. Celeste has every reason to hate Mason, even though Abby loves him. Of course, we love drama, so we wanted to see Celeste get her memory back. Last episode of Fortress Season 1 even set a precedent for this, as Mason found his memories safe on a secret backup server. Then, why not give Celeste the same chance?
Will Mason and Nadia Rebuild the Fortress?
At the end Fortress Season 1, all the main characters who did not die or were imprisoned by the Manticore gather at the abandoned US base Citadel. In the first season, Mason and Nadia become involved with the Manticore while trying to find out who they are and trying to save their loved ones. Even so, Manticore will remain a threat even if Manson and Nadia choose to hide. This begs the question, will they rebuild the Citadel and fight back? That would be the perfect template for multiple seasons, as rebuilding the Citadel could bring together characters from multiple spinoffs under the same goal. And with eight families funding Manticore, there are plenty of opportunities for the main series and spin-offs to catch up with these influencers season at a time. Finally, provide an overarching goal for Fortress universe will help keep fans engaged, as the romance between Nadia and Mason just wasn’t enough to sustain the show long term.
All episodes Fortress Season 1 is currently available on Prime Video.