A Man On The Inside Season 2 Ending Explained: Who Is The Culprit

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for season 2 of A Man on the Inside! Netflix has released the second season of its delightful crime comedy, A Man on the Inside. The show features Ted Danson as Charles Nieuwendyk, a retired widower who unexpectedly finds himself working undercover as a detective for a team of private investigators. The new season is even more enjoyable than the first, with even funnier moments.

Like a classic TV mystery, season 2 of A Man on the Inside concludes with a major reveal. However, this reveal is just the beginning, leading to Charles Danson finally uncovering the true criminal behind the show’s central plot. The season finale cleverly throws viewers off the scent, misleading them not once, but twice.

The central crime in the episode is the theft of a laptop belonging to Jack Beringer, the president of Wheeler College. Initially, detectives Charles and his supervisor, Julie Kovalenko, wrongly suspect Beringer himself, believing he staged the theft to cover up his involvement in a scheme to dismantle the college and profit from its assets.

Beringer truly didn’t steal the laptop. The real thief is a new character from the show A Man on the Inside who has been working with him at Wheeler on a $400 million deal with a financier – a deal that would greatly benefit the institution.

Holly Bodgemark Is The Culprit In A Man On The Inside Season 2

Just like the first suspect, Dr. Benjamin Cole, the head of the English department at Wheeler College, isn’t actually the laptop thief. He confessed, but only to protect the real culprit: Holly Bodgemark, the college provost and actress Jill Talley, who actually stole Jack Beringer’s laptop.

Holly acted after accidentally hearing Beringer boast about a deal he’d made with his wealthy partner, Brad Vinick, in his office. Once they left, she searched Jack’s laptop and then decided to steal it as proof of the agreement. After that, Holly started bringing other people who worked at Wheeler into her plan.

Okay, so it turns out she’s the one who initially took the item, but she definitely had help with the whole Beringer computer situation. And get this – Linda Park’s character, Elizabeth Muki, the art teacher, was actually the one who stole Vinick’s portrait right from the awards ceremony! Then, she went and burned it in a campus garbage can. Seriously, the layers to this are wild!

After Elizabeth supported Holly’s plan, several other staff members also agreed to help cover it up. While Holly actually took the laptop, hiding it from Beringer was a group effort – much like the way everyone worked together in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.

Why Holly Stole Jack Beringer’s Laptop From Wheeler College

The trailer for season 2 of A Man on the Inside showed Jack Beringer’s laptop was stolen, but the reason remains a mystery. Holly committed her crime because of something she overheard during a conversation between Beringer and Vinick, where they were discussing Vinick’s $400 million donation to Wheeler College.

During their discussion, Vinick revealed his intention to overhaul the college by dismissing staff and completely rebuilding the campus. He planned to transform it from a non-profit educational institution into a profitable business. He and Beringer formalized this plan with a contract, made in exchange for Vinick’s financial contribution.

Holly stole Beringer’s laptop, hoping to find evidence of Vinick’s scheme – known as “Aurora” – that she could show to the college board. She then used the information on the laptop to pressure him into breaking his deal with Vinick.

How Ted Danson’s Charles Solves Season 2’s Mystery

Charles and Julie initially suspect Beringer of stealing his own laptop to distract from his connection to the Vinick deal, but they’re wrong. Dr. Cole publicly ridicules Charles’s incorrect assumption, and then surprisingly admits to committing the theft himself.

D.B. Russell from CSI wasn’t brought into A Man on the Inside without a reason. Ted Danson’s character ultimately figures out that Holly Bodgemark, not Dr. Cole, was the one who stole Beringer’s laptop.

Like a classic mystery, a small detail reveals Holly’s involvement to Charles. He connects the pen used to write the threatening note left where Vinick’s painting was with the pen Holly signed her confidentiality agreement with at the beginning of Julie’s investigation.

If Holly wrote the note, she likely also sent the threatening email to Beringer, using his own computer. Despite what Dr. Cole believes, Danson is still capable and impressive.

A Man On The Inside’s Dr. Cole Twist Explained

Even though Charles revealed Holly was the actual thief at the end of the season, it still doesn’t explain why Dr. Cole took the blame for her. He wasn’t even really involved in the crime, despite appearing as a likely suspect from the very beginning, ever since he was first shown in promotional images for season 2 of A Man on the Inside.

Holly initially left Professor Cole out of her plan to blackmail Jack Beringer. However, once Cole figured out what Holly was doing, she told him where she’d hidden Beringer’s laptop. This meant Cole would be the one to take the blame if anything went wrong.

With the investigation tightening around Holly and suspicion falling on both her and Beringer as the potential thief, Cole chooses to recover the laptop and surrender to the authorities. He makes this decision to protect Wheeler from the fallout if its leader were discovered engaging in blackmail.

Cole is taking full responsibility, which protects the college’s reputation and allows Holly to remain provost. He’s framing his departure as a retirement. And thanks to Charles, Cole has found a new outlet for his strong opinions on books – the book club at Pacific View Retirement Community.

Season 2’s Thief Continues A Pattern From A Man On The Inside Season 1

Similar to how season one of A Man on the Inside ended, the second season wraps up with a touching surprise. Both seasons reveal that the person who committed the main crime was actually well-meaning, and stole for a good reason.

During the first season, it’s revealed that Gladys, a patient at Pacific View with Alzheimer’s, took the ruby necklace because she recognized it from her past and genuinely thought it was hers. In the second season, Holly steals Beringer’s laptop, hoping to save her college from the job and program cuts planned by Vidnick.

This charming and lighthearted crime comedy is expected to stay on this track in upcoming seasons. It’s simply too positive and well-intentioned to change.

How A Man On The Inside Season 2’s Finale Sets Up Season 3

Because the show A Man on the Inside is proving popular with fans of The Good Place, it’s expected to be renewed for another season. However, the season 2 finale suggests that Ted Danson’s wife, Mary Steenburgen, probably won’t be back for season 3.

In this episode, Steenburgen’s character ends her relationship with Charles Nieuwendyk, mirroring the actors’ real-life status as just colleagues. Meanwhile, the residents of Pacific View Retirement Community remain a close-knit group, and they’ve welcomed a new member: Dr. Benjamin Cole, played by David Strathairn.

At the close of season 2, a romantic connection begins to develop between Julie and Didi, played by Stephanie Beatriz. Elsewhere, Charles’ longtime friend Calbert enjoys a date after recovering from hip-replacement surgery.

I’m really excited for season 3 of A Man on the Inside! It looks like Julie’s mom, Vanessa Cascade – played by Constance Marie – is coming back, which is great. And things get even more interesting because she’s recently single and, honestly, she seems like exactly the kind of woman Charles goes for. I’m already predicting some drama!

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2025-11-20 21:57