Editor’s Note: Spoilers ahead for Deli Boys, Season 1HuluandDisney+’s critically acclaimed sitcomDeli BoysthrustsAsif Ali’s Mir Dar andSaagar Shaikh’s Raj Dar — scions of the DarCo business empire — into sheer chaos during the Season 1 finale following a shocking discovery about their father, Baba Dar’s (Iqbal Theba) sudden death.Abdullah Saeed’s 10-episode seriesfollows two Pakistani brotherswho unravel the secret criminal empire built by their father and maintain the business with the support of Lucky Aunty (Poorna Jagannathan) and Baba Dar’s business partner, Ahmad Uncle (Brian George). Throughout the series,Mir and Raj struggle to keep the business running, thanks to their obvious incompetence in the drug business, which their father successfully ran under the garb of a deli and trafficked cocaine in jars of Caca Brand achar (Urdu for pickled mango).
With the FBI on their tail, Mir and Raj try to pay off the Peruvians during a wedding celebration while challenges continue to mount, making way for a comedy of errors with South Asian flavors. In the finale,Deli Boysnot only throws a big reveal at its characters and the audiencebut also rolls out a red carpet of more shenanigans for future problems awaiting the co-saabs(translation for “co-owners” in Urdu) of A.B.C. Deli.
Troubles Keep Finding the Dar Brothers in ‘Deli Boys’
With Agent Mercer (Alexandra Ruddy) and Director Simpson (Tim Baltz) from the FBI making their final moves against the Dar brothers in Episode 8’s “Sweaty Boys,” Mir and Raj find themselves once again being questioned about their competence by their gang members. Thanks to Raj’s girlfriend and shaman, Prairie (Alfie Fuller), Mercer and Simpson have been able to get their hands on some small amounts of cocaine that they can link to the DarCo.The end seems near for the brothers and their business, but it’s not quite done yet.
Thanks to Mir’s desperate, out-of-the-box thinking,he seeks Prairie’s help to fool the FBI and move the drug consignmentright under the FBI’s nose. While Mir and Raj succeed in moving the drugs, Lucky Aunty plots to have Prairie killed by a hired assassin. Luckily for Prairie, Raj steps in and saves his “twin flame” from meeting an unfortunate demise.
Auntie Lucky Discovers a New Twist in the Story
Episode 9’s “Shaadi Boys” (Urdu for wedding)takes off on a wrong note for Lucky Aunty as she finds herself excluded from the meeting called by Mir. After confronting her for betraying the brothers,Mir orders Lucky to bring back the moneyshe paid to the assassin for killing Prairie. During her meeting with the assassin, Lucky comes across the assassin’s colleague, an expert golfer with razor-sharp accuracy. For a hardened criminal like Lucky, it doesn’t take too long to work out that the same golfer was hired to kill Baba Dar in what would look like a golfing accident. After questioning the assassin, Lucky is not able to find the killer’s identity, but she discovers that the man behindBaba Dar’s murderis someone with mid-digital hair, a genetic condition that results in hair growth on the knuckles.
On the other hand, Mir tries to buy additional time from the Peruvians before the South Americans send a dreaded killer named Chacho (Guillermo Diaz) to send a clear message to Mir and Raj. After the murder of one of DarCo’s gang members, the FBI reaches the wedding venue, making it difficult for Mir and Raj to take the drugs to the Peruvians. Thanks to Mir’s growing penchant for crime, they finally come up with a plan to carry out the drug deal despite the presence of the FBI just outside the venue, much to the growing frustration of Agent Mercer and Director Simpson, who were waiting for the warrant to come in.They decide to use a Trojan horse to transport drugsto the Peruvians under the cover of the wedding.
Who Killed Baba Dar in ‘Deli Boys’?
Initially,Lucky suspects their Italian partner, Chickie Lozano (Kevin Corrigan), of being the mastermind behind Baba Dar’s murder – something she shares with Baba Dar’s trusted personal assistant, Matthew (Jake Prizant). However, when Ahmad tries to kill Chickie in the toilet, Matthew hears Ahmad’s confession of plotting Baba Dar’s murder. As suggested repeatedly in the series,Ahmad always planned to take the top spotafter Baba Dar’s death. As a result, he plots his death so that he can rise to the position of CEO. Unfortunately, when the truth finally comes out, Ahmad still manages to shoot down Matthew and Chickie, buying some time for himself before Mir, Raj, and Lucky also discover Ahmad’s involvement in Baba Dar’s death.
To the luck of Ahmad, Director Simpson and Agent Mercer foolishly decide to enter the wedding venue premises without getting a warrant, in their desperation to find evidence against the Dar brothers. However, just before the FBI officers can do anything, an injured Chickie crawls out of the washroom and reveals the truth about Ahmad’s role in Baba Dar’s death. But before Ahmad could be punished for their crimes, more FBI officers rushed to the scene, finding in their hands the body of an Italian gangster. It is revealed thatDirector Simpson and Agent Mercer had lied about getting the warrant, ending up becoming the only people with weapons around a dead body. Both are eventually taken into custody under suspicion of killing Chickie Lozano (who was repeatedly called “Mr. Lasagna” throughout the series). In the ensuing commotion, however, Ahmad manages to escape successfully.
Mir and Raj Find Their True Calling In the Finale of ‘Deli Boys’
During the finale, a few more important events transpire that will determine the path of Mir and Raj in Season 2. Mir’s plan to use the wedding as a cover for the drug deal with the Peruvians does not go well with his wife-to-be, Bushra (Zainne Saleh). While Bushra was initially fine with Mir’s criminal activities as far as they funded her lifestyle,Mir’s plan to save the business crosses the line with his long-time lover. Eventually, Bushra decides to walk out of the wedding, a decision Mir, who’s finally embracing the life of a gangster, quite openly welcomes. It looks as if Mir had realized something that his father would have told him if he were alive — a gangster must know the costs one must pay to build an empire. This event fits well with Mir’s developing character arc that eventually sees him become a full-fledged mob boss by the end ofDeli BoysSeason 1.
With the bride gone,Raj steps in to save the day for Mir. Despite a minor tiff earlier, Raj realizes that he’s not cut for the drug business despite his passion for the good stuff. He realizes that Mir has the ability to not only save the business but also the passion to steer it to greater heights. This is important character development as, throughout the series, Raj seems to keep having flashbacks and hallucinations of his father guiding him. While initially, Raj seems a good contender to steer the business, Mir slowly comes out as the business mind that can take DarCo to greater heights.
Consequently, Raj agrees to marry Nandika (Amita Rao), who was betrothed to him as part of a deal. However, realizing how important the wedding is for Mir’s plans to be successful, Raj proceeds to marry Nandika, after finding some common ground with her. Although it’s still clear that Raj continues to love Prairie, Raj’s decision not only ensures that Mir executes his plan successfully but also saves the family business. Also, the revelation of Ahmad’s involvement in the murder of his father keeps Raj in the business, as seen later. Instead of exiting the business, as initially planned by Raj, he continues his hunt for Ahmad — something that may translate into animportant storyline in Season 2. At the same time,DarCo will face new challenges in the capable hands of its new CEO, Mir Dar.
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Poorna Jagannathan also reveals when Damon Lindelo’s DCU series ‘Lanterns’ begins filming.
After the events at the wedding venue,Deli Boyscuts to one week later. Lucky walks into a restaurant to confront Chickie’s former employee, Nick (John Fiorentino), who tries to take over Chickie’s business, soon before killing him. On the other hand,Mir has managed to make peace with the Peruvians, who are impressed with the good business the brothers have been able to rake in with their new recipe for cocaine. Raj still appears to be keen on finding Ahmad, whose location is unknown. However,Deli Boyssaves an explosive final twist for its protagonists.
Just before the curtain drops on Season 1 ofDeli Boys,Mir and Raj find the A.B.C. Deli outlet exploding behind themas they walk on toward a brighter future. This twist sets up an interesting angle for Season 2 to explore. The explosion could be the ploy of an unknown actor who’s yet to appear in the scene or revenge from Ahmad, who’s still on the run. In Season 1, the Dar brothers have already realized the risks of running a drug business in Philadelphia. Season 2 may only elevate the stakes in this unapologetically funny comedy series.
All episodes ofDeli Boysare available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
