Our Violent Ends

April 1927

Shanghai is under Nationalist rule. Tension between the Kuomintang and Communists simmers, and Juliette knows the Scarlet Gang is involved but not how. The Scarlets had few casualties in the revolution but lost enormous power. The Nationalists control everything except for the International Settlement, but life in Shanghai continues with an odd normalcy. Juliette attends Tyler’s funeral, bitter when her mother tries to console her about the supposedly great life Tyler lived. She thinks that she doesn’t want power; she wants safety. She whispers an apology to Tyler, hoping they can be friends in another life.

After the funeral, Juliette slips off to an abandoned rooftop to meet Roma. They play at attacking each other, then kiss. Roma has finally connected Pierre Moreau’s name to the Frenchman on the train, and Juliette realizes she saw this name on Rosalind’s list of burlesque patrons. There were four other names on that list, which causes them to wonder if Rosalind is the blackmailer.

Juliette searches Rosalind’s things for clues but ends up staring at herself in the mirror and thinking about her own guilt. Kathleen has all of Rosalind’s papers, though, including the list. Just then, the cry of a monster attack rings out.

Meanwhile, Rosalind bangs on a door in the French Concession. Dimitri has disappeared—she has betrayed her family for nothing. His apartment is empty except for an ominous note that alludes to worse chaos coming.

Marshall, Roma, and Benedikt sort through papers in Marshall’s safe house, looking for information about the Communist spy among the White Flowers. They hear something and rush outside to find the Nationalists fighting the monsters.

The monsters are attacking the soldiers but don’t release their insects. Suddenly, Rosalind appears and shouts at the monsters, who ignore her. Oddly, the monsters seem to only be attacking gangsters and Nationalists, so Roma tells Marshall and Benedikt to remove any identifying gang colors. They knock out Rosalind and take her to Juliette.

Chaos reigns at the Cai household. Juliette wonders why the blackmailer is striking now, and Lord Cai replies that the blackmailers have always been the Communists, which doesn’t align with what Juliette knows about Moreau. Lord Cai is shutting her out of major Scarlet decisions, even without Tyler’s influence.

A messenger arrives with a note from Roma—they have Rosalind. Kathleen and Juliette rush to the safe house, where Rosalind is tied up. The monsters retreated of their own accord, but British soldiers still patrol. Juliette asks Rosalind if she controls them, but Rosalind denies this, using Juliette’s Chinese name, Junli, to garner sympathy. Juliette is unmoved and reads the list of names, which the White Flowers recognize—those are Dimitri’s men. Rosalind says Juliette can’t judge, not when she’s done the same, but Juliette protests that it’s different. She loves Roma, but Rosalind helped Dimitri destroy Shanghai. Juliette isn’t as confident as she sounds, however; she did kill her own cousin to save Roma.

After an unsuccessful escape attempt, Rosalind confesses everything: Dimitri wants to take over the White Flowers and used the monsters to do so. Paul Dexter’s note was to servants at his property in White Flower territory—Dimitri discovered the insects when he went to collect rent. He plans to ally with the Communists (in contrast to the Scarlets’ alliance with the Kuomintang) and become the hero who saves the revolution for the workers. Rosalind knows Dimitri is alive but insists she doesn’t know where, even when Juliette points a gun at her. Juliette doesn’t believe her. Just as Juliette is about to shoot Rosalind, General Shu and a large group of Nationalists burst in. They are looking for Marshall, Shu’s son.

The soldiers take Marshall, and Roma and Juliette chase after them. Juliette tries to claim Marshall is a Scarlet, but Shu has proof otherwise. Marshall shouts at his father, saying that he is only coming after him now that it is convenient. Shu counters that he is keeping Marshall safe. Juliette agrees, though Benedikt asks if it’s really about Marshall’s safety or Roma’s, as the Nationalists are currently threatening Roma with their guns. As Marshall is dragged away, Benedikt laments that everyone else suffers when Roma and Juliette choose each other.

Juliette eavesdrops on her father. Her parents are intentionally keeping her out of the loop, though she can’t figure out why. A messenger arrives with a letter he tries to keep from Juliette, but she knocks him unconscious. Kathleen reads the notice from the Nationalists: They have decided to purge the Communists from the Kuomintang. The Montagovs are to be killed, starting in two hours. Kathleen heads out to warn the Communists that the Nationalists are calling for executions, but Juliette wants to flee Shanghai. Kathleen needs to stay, though; she has become sympathetic to the Communists and cannot live with herself if she doesn’t help. She tells Juliette she can escape on Communist sympathizer Da Nao’s finish boat—she will send him a note. Juliette knows this is goodbye. She tells her cousin she has a plan and promises she won’t stop fighting for love.

Marshall argues with Shu about whether the general really cares about him. Shu shows Marshall the execution order for the Montagovs and says he can delay but not call off the attack. Marshall agrees to stay with his father, be his son in public, and train for a prominent role in the Nationalists in exchange for Shu’s false promise to save his friends’ lives.

Roma is trying to figure out a survival plan when Benedikt arrives with a (false) report that Juliette has died by suicide.

Juliette, alive, arrives at the White Flower headquarters, having forged a note in her father’s handwriting announcing her death so the attack would be delayed. She breaks into Roma’s bedroom but finds Alisa, who reports that Roma ran out the moment he heard of Juliette’s supposed death. Juliette urges Alisa to come with her to find Roma and escape.

Juliette and Alisa are looking for Roma when they realize that he would still be trying to stop the monsters. They deduce that he is with Lourens.

Kathleen shares the news of the massacre with a man she helped during the revolution. She advises them to flee and regroup. Kathleen realizes that her life as a Scarlet is over—it is time for her to be Celia again. (Note: This guide refers to Kathleen as Celia from this point forward, even when other characters use the name Kathleen.)

Roma is at Lourens’s lab but not to get the vaccine. He wants to blow up the Scarlet headquarters as vengeance for Juliette, whom he believes was murdered because he does not believe she would have chosen suicide. Benedikt tries to stop Roma from doing anything rash, so Roma points a gun at his own head to make Benedikt let him go. Just then, Juliette arrives. They kiss. She tells Roma of the execution order and that they have to escape, but Roma says they can’t, not with Dimitri still on the loose.

Lourens interjects that he will have the vaccine ready in a few days; if he dumps it into the city water supply, everyone will become inoculated without even knowing it. Roma finally agrees to leave the city, but Benedikt won’t leave without Marshall. Benedikt proposes to go alone to rescue Marshall, dressed as a Scarlet. Roma agrees, but only if Benedikt promises to flee if he can’t get to Marshall. Benedikt clearly doesn’t agree, but he doesn’t argue, and only Juliette notices his intention. She tells Benedikt he must meet them at the Bund along the river by noon or else they won’t be able to escape. Benedikt understands what she’s not saying: If he doesn’t appear, she will force Alisa and Roma to leave without him.