Clark (Netflix) summary and ending explained

Clark (2022) is a Swedish language series based on the truth and lies of Clark Olofsson, the famous criminal who enjoyed unprecedented fame and inspired the term “Stockholm Syndrome”.

Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers

Plot summary

Clark Oderth Olofsson (Bill Skarsgård) was always a hustler ever since his childhood. Juvenile detention and prison time have been some early experiences for the cheeky Clark.

Some childhood habits die hard and the same has been the case with Clark.

One day, a young Clark and his friends break into a mansion only to find out that it’s the summer retreat of the Swedish prime minister. The prime minister catches them and a brief chase ensues before they finally manage to escape.

Clark, separated from others, manages to steal a car but ends up getting into an accident on the way. The doctor calls Clark’s mother to inform her about his death. But Clark wakes up to the doctor’s surprise.

However, he was immediately put into a youth detention centre for 18 months. His brief stay comes to an end when he manages to escape using a ladder he made at the workshop.

Soon after, Clark comes across Madou (Isabelle Grill) and her mother Liz on a beach. He dons the identity of John, a Harvard student, to get a night’s stay at their house.

He gets romantically involved with Madou during his stay at the house before leaving with some expensive belongings that he managed to steal.

Next, as part of his plans to rob a bank, he takes his loyal friend Gunnar along to steal some camping paraphernalia. But on the way out, they are caught by a couple of police officers. Gunnar loses his cool and ends up shooting one of the officers.

Police officer Tommy Lindström (Vilhelm Blomgren) is called to find Clark and Gunnar. The incident brings nationwide fame to Clark’s footsteps, but this was not the fame Clark was looking for. Clark decides to part ways with Gunnar.

Unfortunate for Gunnar, he’s soon caught by police. He takes the responsibility for shooting the officer but reveals it was Clark’s plan entirely. He also shows them the way to Clark’s girlfriend Madou’s house.

Clark contacts Madou and conveys his feelings for her. He tells her that he didn’t murder any policeman. Madou falls for his words and charm. Immediately afterwards, Clark is caught by the police who have been keeping an eye on Madou’s actions.

Clark gets cleared of the police murder but awaits sentencing for the other charges. But all this has resulted in sudden celebrity-level fame for Clark. Clark’s criminal career started with a bang.

Clark gets 8 years in prison for his crimes. In a bid to escape, he proposes to Madou and gets a day out for the wedding. But instead, he flies off to Spain. His vacation is cut short when Tommy Lindström appears.

In the jail, he meets Maria (Hanna Björn), an intelligent and politically opinionated woman, during a theatre act for the prisoners. Clark again applies his charm.

Inspired by Maria, Clark decides to join the prison journal as the editor-in-chief. He uses articles and cartoons to influence prison inmates across the country and make them protest. The prison gives in to his demands. But the revolution is short-lived as he uses the opportunity to escape with Maria to Beirut.

On the way, they meet Kajan Robert (Björn Gustafsson), an old friend of Clark. They stop for a short breather, but a night of adventure results in Clark losing all the money he had saved for his Beirut trip.

He decides to rob a bank with Kajan. He buys a car with the money and escapes to Beirut before the police can reach him. Kajan, on the other hand, gets caught by Tommy.

Clark stays for some time in Beirut and returns to Sweden with hash-filled oranges. He sells some drugs and robs a bank before getting jailed one more time. Maria breaks up with Clarke because of his habits.

Meanwhile, Clark failingly tries to break out another time with the help of small-time thief Janne Olsson (Christoffer Nordenrot). He also finds some support in Ingela who gets pregnant with his child.

One day, Tommy pays a visit to Clark in the jail and takes him out with a police escort. He informs Clark about a terrorist who has taken hostages in a bank and demands to see Clark.

Clark realises it’s Janne but keeps the information to himself. Clark admits to playing along in return for immunity.

Without knowing what awaits, Clark enters the bank to broker peace. He finds a drugged up Janne waiting for him instead.

Clark intends to be a national hero. He unties all the hostages and arranges food for them. Janne gets impatient with the wait. But Clark keeps him on hold.

The police get impatient waiting for Clark to make a move. The police trap the robbers along with the hostages in the locker room.

Clark makes Kicki, one of the hostages and Clark’s latest love interest, dial the prime minister to make the police stand back and agree to Clark’s requests. The police soon start drilling the roof of the bank.

Knowing they have no way out, the police gasses the locker and finally, Janne is arrested and the hostages are rescued.

Clark becomes a national hero for getting all the hostages out safely. After a brief meeting with the prime minister, who sees Clark as a criminal, Clark is informed of his father’s demise.

Back in the jail, Maria pays a visit to Clark after she receives a letter, along with an envelope, that Clark sent to Maria from inside the bank. He stashed the envelope with cash from the bank. Through this act, Clark becomes a national hero and robs the bank at the same time.

Impressed with Clark, Maria also reunites with him. Maria’s mother convinces the prison authorities to allow Clark to act in her play. He convinces Maria to escape with him again. This time they head to Denmark where his friend Kurre (Adam Lundgren) helps him.

He joins a group of Danish revolutionaries in the hope of assisting them with funding the revolution by robbing a bank. 

The police soon track Clark. But Maria refuses to leave with Clark as she’s done with his lies. Clark escapes with Kurre. The police arrest Maria.

Clark and Kurre spend the next few months venturing the seas and oceans. After braving a storm, Clark and Kurre reach Belgium. Clark then parts ways with Kurre.

If you have any doubts about the ending, here’s a complete breakdown.

Clark (2022) ending explained in detail:

Change in tide

On his way to Brussels, Clark meets Marijke (Sofie Hoflack). Then, he robs a bank in Gothenburg but gets arrested on his way again. Although, he hides most of the money on his way before getting caught.

Marijke visits him in the jail and she makes a deal with Clark for him to come and go whenever he pleases but on the promise that his income from illegal activities stays out. For Clark, it seemed fair.

Clark, knowing his popularity, decides to get in touch with a writer to write his biography. He decides to go with Sussi Korsner for the job. However, Sussi is not impressed by the image building that Clark wants to achieve through his biography.

Sussi asks him to talk about his father, kindling Clark’s bad memories of him from his childhood. Unlike the other women Clark has met, Sussi sees straight through Clark.

The rehabilitation

On a day release, Clark gets a call from the hospital and pays a visit to his mother who breathes her last in front of him.

After escaping from prison 17 times, Clark finally completes his sentence and gets released after three years to follow a law-abiding life.

He’s given a party by Marijke and his frequent collaborators. He notices Sussi talking to the people around him. He stops her from talking to other people as he wants only his version of events in his life to put out to be published.  

On the way back home, Clark stops to collect the money from the bank robbery he hid earlier.

Eighteen months later, Clark has finally settled into a life out of jail. Sussi visits him to talk about his family, but Clark avoids any conversation about his traumatising childhood.

Myth of Clark Olafsson

Soon after, it’s revealed that Clark was meanwhile involved in an illegal side business with Kurre. The police arrive to arrest him. Clark gets surrounded by the police. Considering his son’s safety, who was with him at the moment, he decides to surrender. He gets ten years in jail.

In jail, Sussi tells him that she is done with his book. However, she informs him that she will not be publishing it.

She realises that Clark has only manipulated people all his life for his good and she doesn’t want to contribute to the myth of Clark Olofsson.

Before leaving she asks him how it feels to be Clark Olofsson. Clark remains silent. But that doesn’t mean Clark’s done and dusted.

In the end, Sweden’s most notorious and yet loved criminal, Clark Olofsson, swears that he’s just starting.


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