Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Zero Day!
Zero Dayis finally here, and here is what happens at the ending of the miniseries, explained. Netflix’sZero Dayis one of the most highly-anticipated streaming releases of 2025, with the show’s all-star cast and impressive creators making it incredibly notable. Now thatall six episodes ofZero Dayhave been released, there is a lot to break down, with the complicated political thriller having all kinds of twists and turns throughout. So, here is what happens inZero Day’s ending, what loose ends the show leaves unanswered, and howZero Daycould connect to real life.
Zero Daytells the story of Robert De Niro’s George Mullen, a former president who is forced to leave retirement after a devastating cyber attack destabilizes the entire planet. Mullen is put in charge of the Zero Day Commission due to the former president’s overwhelming popularity, although this wanes as his tactics become increasingly authoritarian throughout the series. By the end ofZero Day,Mullen discovers that the Zero Day conspirators are actually government officialswho enacted the attacks in order to reach their own goals, with Mullen exposing them before ending the Zero Day Commission.
How The Zero Day Attack Happened
It Was Carried Out Through Monica Kidder’s Apps
When the Zero Day attacks first occurred, it was assumed that they were Russian in origin, with bits of code referring to Euromaidan. However, the Zero Day Commission then began to believe that the Zero Day attacks were the product of a left-wing extremist group based in the United States, with the Russian references being nothing more than red herrings. As it turns out, both of these trails were red herrings, with the Zero Day Attacks in reality being the product of some of the United States' wealthiest individuals as well as some of the country’s most powerful politicians.
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Monica Kidder is a tech mogul in the world ofZero Day, and the Zero Day Attack came as a result of her apps. Kidder’s apps are explained to be on 80% of phones in the world, with them having an exploitable code that allowed them to hack into essentially all of the technology in the world and shut it down for one minute. How exactly Kidder’s app was able to pull this off unnoticed was never resolved, as Kidder either ended or own life or was murdered while in prison. Nevertheless, this vulnerability ended up being incredibly dangerous, with it ending many lives and causing massive global instability.
Everyone Who Was Involved In The Zero Day Attack: All Conspirators
In The Government & Outside Of It
All kinds of conspirators were involved in the Zero Day Attack,with George Mullen admitting near the end of the series that the Zero Day Commission isn’t anywhere near done finding all of them. However, there are some main ones. From inside the government, George Mullen first learns about the attacks from his daughter, Alexandra Mullen. Alexandra explains that she and several other Congress members had knowledge of the attacks before they happened, with Richard Dreyer telling them that the instability would lead to a new era of American strength and unity.
Meanwhile, several powerful figures from outside the government were also involved. As has already been explained, Monica Kidder’s apps were what made the attacks possible, with her allowing the apps to be used to hack into all kinds of technology. Wealthy investor Robert Lyndon also played a big role, with him communicating with the various conspirators and even shorting the market before the attacks in order to profit from the instability. Several other minor co-conspirators are named by George Mullen by the end of the series, with theZero Dayplot going far beyond the main castof the show.
Why George Mullen Chose To Not Cover Up The Conspiracy
He Went Off-Script
Atthe end of theZero Dayfinale, George Mullen gives a press conference, with him sharing the findings of the Zero Day Commission. While Mullen was originally given permission to speak of Kidder and Lyndon’s role in the conspiracy, he goes off-script, with him revealing the government figures involved in the conspiracy. Mullen did this in order to call out the corruption from within the government, with him believing that elected officials should look for common good and not hide from hard truths. Inspired by his daughter’s decision to turn herself in, Mullen decided that everyone else should face justice as well.
What Happened To Robert Lyndon?
Did He Flee The Country?
The fate of Robert Lyndon is a bit mysterious at the end ofZero Day, with it not being known exactly what he got up to. In one scene, Robert Lyndon is on his yacht,with him continuing to cover up the Zero Day Attacks through online communication. While there, Lyndon explains that he is preparing to flee the country, with him taking his wealth and sailing away. It is likely that this is what happened afterZero Dayended, with Lyndon using his wealth to hide from his consequences and start a new life.
What Happens Next After Zero Day’s Ending
The Zero Day Commission Has Ended
WhileZero Daydoes end after episode 6, the story is far from over, with the world still having to do a lot of recovery from the Zero Day Attack. As George Mullen says in his presentation, the Zero Day Commission is officially ending, meaning that he can return to retirement. However, he also states that the government is far from done with its investigation into the conspirators, with the named conspirators getting charged and the yet-unknown conspirators still being hunted down.
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On top of that,Mullen also explains that a robust cyber-security package is neededin order to ensure that the Zero Day Attacks never happen again. The government’s attempts to stop future attempts at cyber warfare will also be a major storyline that is continued after the end ofZero Day. After all, there is still the possibility for more Zero Day attacks after the first two, meaning that these vulnerabilities must be fixed fast.
Is Zero Day Possible In Real Life?
The Cyber Threat Is Real
The Zero Day Attack as seen inZero Dayactually could happen in real life. If all of the world’s communication systems were shut down for just a minute, it most likely would lead to all kinds of deaths, as things like transportation and medical systems would not be able to function. While it is doubtful that the hacking method that is described inZero Daywould be how an attack like this is pulled off, the world’s reliance on technology does make us vulnerable to these cyber threats. So, even if some elements may be exaggerated,Zero Dayacts as a warning of a real danger.
