The conclusion of Black Snow season 2 sees Moorevale’s residents finally find closure regarding the cold case that had been suppressed for years. Zoe Jacobs’ death exposed deep-seated secrets that the town was unable to contain.
A network of powerful figures, including politicians, business elites, and the Jacobs family, had kept Moorevale trapped in a cycle of exploitation. While the first season revealed the plight of the working class in Australian society, the second season delves into the power struggles within the supposedly affluent circles of Moorevale.
Zoe’s death becomes the catalyst for exposing the powerful figures controlling Moorevale (Photo: Black Snow/Goalpost Pictures)What is James’s discovery from the Gita?
In the previous episode, Sam uncovered the locations from which Zoe received a series of mysterious phone calls. Most of these calls originated from within Moorevale, but one in 2019 traced back to Canberra. Sam speculated that Julie, being a senator, had reasons to visit Canberra.
In the next episode, James confronts Julie while she’s on a golf course. Julie recounts that she and Sean returned home after Zoe’s 21st birthday party, and later, at midnight, Gita arrived. She explained that the stress of Zoe uncovering their affair led her to end her relationship with Leo.
In a flashback, we see Zoe preparing to leave home when Will arrives with a birthday present for her. During their conversation, Zoe confides in Will about Leo’s affair, suspecting that Nadja knew but kept it to herself. She expressed her anger at her mother for tolerating Leo’s infidelity.
Zoe’s frustration with Leo’s behavior deepens when he throws Joseph out, claiming their friendship is inappropriate. When Zoe confronts Leo about his affair and the reason behind Gita’s invitation to the party, the argument escalates.
Julie and Sean’s arrival interrupts their heated exchange, and Zoe, visibly upset, orders them to leave. Leo, ignoring his daughter’s suspicions about the Cosgroves’ involvement in Cody’s murder, calls them in.
Is Leo Jacobs Responsible for Zoe’s Murder?
As questions about Leo’s role in Zoe’s murder intensify, James returns to ‘Xanadu,’ where Sam reveals that Julie wasn’t in Canberra when she received the mysterious call. Around that same time, Leo was invited to speak at a corporate construction event.
James later finds Leo at ‘Xanadu,’ swimming in a dam. Leo seems shocked by James’ arrival, and when he tries to leave the water, James pushes him back in with an oar. James demands that Leo explain his whereabouts after the party.
Leo, who had claimed for years that he was at the office after the party, admits that he was covering up his affair with Gita. However, when James presses him about his yearly calls to Samara on Zoe’s death anniversary, Leo reveals a crucial detail: he never made it to the conference and had sent Will in his place after calling in sick.
What Happened in Zoe’s Final Hours?
After leaving her house following the party, Zoe stops at a convenience store, where the cashier warns her about a police roadblock on the way to Brisbane. She decides to rest at her radio station office for the night. While there, she unwraps Will’s birthday gift to find a note with extra cash for her travels.
As she continues her journey, Zoe realizes the envelope contains money that links back to a bribe involving Will. She eventually arrives at Will’s house, uncovering his secret involvement in the bribes with Julie and the councillors.
Will confesses that he started Sapphire Futures to rescue the struggling family business, and he justifies his actions, claiming the crime was “victimless.” Zoe, however, is enraged that he disregarded Cody’s death as a consequence of the project. As tensions rise, Zoe insists that Nadja should know the truth.
When Zoe leaves to confront Will further, he becomes desperate. He attempts to convince her to let the matter go, but Zoe remains resolute. As she stands behind his car, Will, distracted by loud music playing from his stereo, reverses the car and accidentally runs her over.
Samara’s Encounter With Will at His House
Years after Zoe’s death, Will admits to Samara that his actions were unintentional. He expresses his guilt over her death but justifies the cover-up, stating that the years of destruction of evidence were all part of hiding both the murder and the illegal dealings at Sapphire Futures.
Will acknowledges that he called Samara every year on Zoe’s death anniversary, hoping to confess but never finding the courage. The truth comes to light as Samara listens, though things take a tragic turn when Will attempts to harm her.
The situation ends with a gunshot, and when James arrives, he discovers that Samara had defended herself. Will is dead, and justice has come, served by someone who was deeply affected by Zoe’s loss. The final scene shows Leo, Nadja, and Seb scattering Zoe’s ashes in the State Forest.
What Lies Ahead for James?
With Zoe’s case solved, James realizes it’s time to change his focus. He resigns from his job to devote himself to finding his missing brother, Richie. Meanwhile, hints of a potential romantic relationship with Nina arise when James tells her that, now that he’s no longer a detective, he can begin a proper relationship with her.
Tensions rise as the town’s elite scramble to keep their dark secrets buried (Photo: Black Snow/Goalpost Pictures)James revisits the motel where Richie was last seen, discovering that Richie had a partner. After tracing this lead, he learns from a bartender that Richie owes money to dangerous people. James figures out where the money might be and heads to the police station, pretending to investigate evidence from Zoe’s case.
In the evidence room, he takes the money found in Zoe’s car and uses it to pay off Richie’s debts. The bartender then directs James to Richie’s partner, Jade. Upon meeting her, Jade shares her concerns that Richie may have disappeared due to his struggles with gambling.
She tells James that Richie often retreats to “the blessed waters” when he needs to escape. James makes his way to the lake where he and Richie once fished as children. Upon finding Richie, the tension between them is palpable.
Richie confronts James, blaming him for a traumatic incident from their childhood and revealing his ongoing struggles with panic attacks. Despite the emotional confrontation, James assures Richie that he’s there to support him.
However, just as the two begin to find some peace, a police convoy arrives, and James is informed that Richie is now a prime suspect in an unsolved case. Richie’s DNA was found at a crime scene, and he’s being linked to the murder of a child.
As the episode closes, James is left staring helplessly as his brother is taken into custody. This twist hints at James’ eventual return to detective work, as he now faces a new personal and professional challenge, with both paths converging.
