Hot Skull is a drama series about a lone man immune to a global epidemic in a dystopian world and how he tries to survive while being pursued by an authoritarian government trying to keep its power. The series is streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
In a dystopian future, the entire world has been dealing with an epidemic called ARDS or the “jabbering” and it is spread through verbal means. Eventually, all communications were shut down as infected around the world continue jabber nonsense without control.
An organization called the AEI or Anti-Epidemic Agency stepped into the power vacuum and began asserting its control, setting up quarantine zones, enacting curfews and suppressing information.
Murat Siyavus, a linguist from Turkey appears to be immune to the disease but suffers from different effects when exposed to the infected. He draws the attention of an AEI officer named Anton who wants to find Murat at all costs.
A group of researchers initially studied the diseases and tried to find a cure. Murat was part of that team with Özgür, a pharmacologist who gave Murat his immunity somehow. The work that the researchers were carrying out was classified as “Project X”.
When Murat hears jabbering, the temperature of his cephalic region goes to very high temperatures and he also suffers from hallucinations and epileptic episodes. He also developed a genius-level intellect and photographic memory and was given the nickname “hot skull”.
Anton wants to dig into Project X and Murat further but his boss, Fazil, tells him not to look into something that might cause unrest within the public. Fazil clearly has something to hide regarding the issue.
A young kid named Arif living in Murat’s neighbourhood tells Murat that he believes Özgür is still alive. Murat tells him that everyone from project X either started jabbering or died when a fire spread in the lab.
When Murat escapes Anton’s clutches by the skin of his teeth, he decides to go along with Arif and find out whether Özgür is dead or not. After sneaking into the AEI headquarters, he confirms Arif’s suspicion when he notices the body in the records was not Özgür’s.
Murat begins searching for Özgür and learns that he’s in the 6th zone which is an uncontrolled region. While he’s there, he runs into a woman named Sule who he would see regularly at a bus stop and admire.
She reveals that she’s part of the rebel organisation Plus 1 that is looking for a cure and trying to prove that AEI is covering up the truth about the disease. Murat only wants to find Özgür so that he can go back to being normal.
He tells Sule that he’ll help her in their research for a cure if she helps him find Özgür. Meanwhile, Anton disobeys Fazil’s orders and continues to remain on Murat’s trail, forcing Fazil to look for him too.
Fazil is the man who set fire to the lab and ended Project X. He then used fabricated information to carry out a massacre in the Kocaeli region 5 years ago, killing several innocent people while raising his own stock within AEI.
Murat has given up hope in life because his wife started jabbering and killed herself, something Murat blames himself for. Anton is looking for Murat because his own wife and son are infected and he refuses to let go of them.
Murat eventually finds Özgür, who is a drug addict that manufactures different drugs for the public. Özgür lives a secluded life and likes to party but Murat wants his help resetting his brain.
Sule is mad at him because he’s the only hope of finding a cure but he considers it a curse. Murat has to choose between Özgür and helping Sule and Plus 1. He eventually chooses Sule because he’s fallen in love with her.
Murat and Sule face off against Fazil with Anton switching sides as well. The radical part of Plus 1, the Hawk Wing, wants to retaliate against the AEI with drastic action.
They also got their hands on a level 6 jabberer, Haluk, who is familiar to Murat and Özgür. Özgür tells Murat that the cure is hidden within something common between him and Haluk.
Fazil blows up a brand new research lab and blames it on the rebels to consolidate his power and take the fight to Murat who has had the upper hand till now.
Hot Skull ending explained in detail:
What is Fazil’s plan?
Fazil is facing stiff competition for his position from a younger official named Suat. He invites Suat to the grand opening of the research lab and once all the guests are inside, he leaves and blows the place up.
He contacts the leaders of AEI and tells them that he needs complete control over the region so that he can root out the traitors. He announces a state of emergency and sends his troops to round up anyone suspicious.
They focus on the 6th zone looking for Murat and the leaders of Plus 1.
What happens to Arif?
Murat, Sule and Arif try to warn everyone to escape but the soldiers get there right then. Everyone scatters and Murat, Sule and Arif get separated from the rest.
A soldier gets close to finding Murat but Arif distracts him and gets shot in the back. With no hospital nearby, Murat takes Arif to Özgür’s house where they temporarily patch him up before taking him to the university where Dr. Victor of Plus 1 operates on Arif.
He tells them that Arif’s condition is quite serious and he may not survive. Sometime after, Arif passes away with Murat and his family and closest allies by his side.
What does Murat do?
Murat tells everyone that they need to scatter and rebuild before they can regroup and fight back against Fazil and AEI. With Anton’s help, he has his mother and Arif’s father and grandmother sent to Armutlu which is a safe region.
Anton takes them to the docks from where they’re supposed to escape and then heads back to the 4th and 5th zone because his wife and son are there and he needs to protect them.
Murat insists on taking Haluk along and they arrive at the docks and find the soldiers waiting for them. Murat realises that Özgür sold him out even though he asked his old friend to go with him.
Murat’s contact Erol swiftly arranges another form of transport, a seaplane. Sule, Murat, Haluk, Victor and Erol get on and escape just in time. He asks the pilot to take them to the forest where Haluk was found as he knows that is the key.
Sule constantly receives calls from someone which she ignores and when they’re on the plane, Murat answers the phone to hear Fazil’s voice, making him question how Sule and Fazil are connected.
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