‘Unstable’ Ending Explained: Does Ellis Get Fired From His Own Company?

Welcome to the Ending Explained for Unstable, a new Netflix comedy show starring Rob Lowe and his own son in real life, John Owen Lowe. The show is a mixture between light comedy and family drama. However, the series has no pretensions of being a profound examination of the topic of celebrity tech millionaires or the interpersonal relationships between people in a state of grieving. These are only the backgrounds offered for what ends up being a very pleasant and light TV series that doesn’t overstay its welcome and makes for a good watch to kill some time.

The series’ episodes run for about 30 minutes each, so the series becomes an easy binge if you are in the mood for that. All the cast is quite fantastic, except for John Owen Lowe himself, who seems to be having a hard time making his presence felt whenever he is on-screen. It must be hard to share the screen with your own father, who exudes charisma wherever he goes. We are confident that John Owen will get there someday as a performer, but as it is now, it totally feels like the role could have been played by someone else.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Unstable, Season 1. Read at your own risk.

Why Is Ellis Being Pushed From His Own Company?

The series begins with an introduction to our main character. Ellis Dragon. His name says it all. We learn that Ellis is a sort of millionaire inventor who has amassed a huge fortune and has become quite famous. Everyone seems to know him, and there is a mixture between adoration and disgust toward him among the common people. He is a version of Elon Musk, who is trying to save the planet instead of going to space. However, he is equally quirky and strange in his behavior.

Ellis works at the Dragon company, a company that he founded. He has been able to invent and develop several technological breakthroughs, which has afforded him certain leeway. He might not look like it, but Ellis is a very smart person. He and his team of scientists at the company are always trying to push forward when it comes to the next level of technology implementation. However, as we learn more and more about Ellis, we realize that something is wrong with him, which has halted his work progress.

Ellis is clearly depressed, and we learn the reason why. His wife has recently died. This would be a devastating blow for anyone, but it is so much more for Ellis. His wife seemed to be more than just the love of his life. She was also the person who managed to maintain her focus on the work. Ellis gets distracted quite easily, slowing down his creative process when it comes to science. Now that his wife is not there, Ellis is not only quite sad but also totally not focused on the projects he was pursuing before tragedy found him.

Anna Bennet, Ellis’ CFO and a long-time friend, try every day to keep the company afloat and push Ellis into the laboratory where he can work his magic. Her efforts are futile, though, and she knows that a dark shadow is looming behind her. The board has been anxious that there has been no progress on several projects, and Ellis’ enemies are ready to throw him out of the company that he founded if he doesn’t start delivering results. Anna is in a battle against time and against Ellis’ depression. However, she comes up with an idea to bring the old Ellis back to form.

Does Ellis Get Fired From His Own Company?

Anna’s solution to keep Ellis grounded in his work is to call his son Jackson, who currently lives in New York. Jackson is a flutist and gives the kids flute lessons. As you can imagine, Jackson doesn’t make a lot of money, so when he receives the call to go to his father, he is torn. He might need to rest a bit from his life in New York, but he doesn’t want to see his dad. Jackson feels that his father is disappointed in him, so he has always tried to change him. In the end, Jackson agrees to go for one day.

It is revealed that Jackson is actually as smart as his father. He joins a group called the Red Lab, which consists of Luna and Ruby, two young scientists working with Ellis to create a biomass that can turn carbon dioxide into oxygen and a liquid substance that can create concrete. These projects could change the world as we know it, but they are stuck in place until Ellis returns to work on them. Jackson connects with the two women, and they also seem interested in him. However, it is Ruby who takes the first step.

Jackson begins working at the company. It seems that having him around has helped his father feel better. He starts working on his own projects in the company, but things get increasingly intense as it becomes clear the board is not ready to give up their earnings. They want results soon, or they will vote Ellis out. Jackson starts a friendship with an older woman named Jean, a friend of her late mother. However, it is Jean who is leading the charge against Ellis as the leader of the company.

Jackson tells Jean how his father kidnapped a psychiatrist, and she will use this information to force Ellis out of his position. Jackson tells the truth, and Ellis cannot believe that Jean has used his son to get to him. Ellis burns Jean’s car and then goes to the Red Lab, where they finally manage to finish the concrete formula. Ellis has saved his position in the company and has also managed to repair his relationship with his son. However, the final episode seems to imply that burning Jean’s car might have been a huge mistake that will bite him back in the future.