‘The Nevers’ Episode 6 Ending Explained: From the Galanthi to Claudia Black’s Cameo

*The Nevers Episode 6 “True” Spoilers Ahead!*

The Nevers Episode 6 “True” finally revealed the literal truth behind its mysterious heroine Amalia True (Laura Donnelly). For weeks, we’ve been given clues that all is not what it seems with Amalia. Sure, her turn is seeing slightly ahead in the future, but she is also a preternaturally skilled fighter. Amalia is singularly focused on finding the Galanthi and at one point even chillingly remarks that her face is “not [her] face.” HBO’s The Nevers has been giving us mystery after mystery to juggle and tonight’s episode — The Nevers Part One Finale — seems to finally revel all. Well, mostly.

The Nevers Episode 6 is divided into four chapters, each of them revealing step-by-step the events that lead Amalia True into the subterranean tunnel to meet the Galanthi that Lavinia Bidlow (Olivia Williams) and Dr. Edmund Hague (Denis O’Hare) have captured. While the origins of the Galanthi and the extent of their powers are still a mystery, we finally understand where Amalia True came from…and what the stakes are in The Nevers going forward.

Here’s everything you need to know about what we learned in The Nevers Episode 6 “True.”

What are the Galanthi in The Nevers?

The Galanthi — note, not Galanthe (hey, I made that mistake) — are an incredibly powerful alien species who seem to have traveled to our galaxy sometime in the future. They arrived via portals and have gifted some humans extra-empathetic abilities via spores. (Sound familiar?)

While the Galanthi are mysterious even to the future folks we meet, The Nevers shows that there is a great interplanetary civil war afoot threatening to destroy humanity from within. Thanks to their awesome power, the Galanthi are seen both as humanity’s last hope and their greatest threat, by the warring groups PDC and Free Life, respectively.

One of the last Galanthi was captured and treated with kindness by one group of (strangely Victorian London-obsessed?) PDC scientists until the rival Free Life group captured this secret base. The Nevers Episode 6’s first episode opens with a group of PDC stumbling upon this last Galanthi and nearly all dying in a desperate stand off. Except the Galanthi gets away and reveals a whole new bevy of tricks…

The Nevers Episode 6 Recap: What Happens in All Four Chapters?

The Nevers Episode 6 Chapter One “Stripe”

The first part of The Nevers Episode 6 opens in the far future where a brutal civil war is being played out between the Pro-Galanthi PDC (Planetary Defense Collation) and a sect of extremists called Free Life. The Chapter introduces a mysterious “Stripe,” or warrior, who forms an unlikely friendship with a member of the PDC who has been “spored” by the Galanthi. They debate and bond while exploring a base on this war torn world where a Galanthi had been studied and later kept hostage.

While Stripe (Claudia Black) and Knitter (Ellora Torchia) seem to be more concerned with figuring out what this off-the-grid base was really up to, they have no idea that the Free Life asshole (that’s just what I call him) is turning their PDC team against them. A violent shootout occurs, leaving almost everyone dead, the Galanthi in danger, and the promise of an intense battle on the horizon. Knitter dies without being able to give Stripe her real name.

Assuming that at best the lone Galanthi is leaving for help (and at worst, departing forever), the nameless Stripe commits suicide. Her spirit, however, travels with the Galanthi through a portal and back…to Victorian London.

The Nevers Episode 6 Chapter Two “Molly”

The second part of The Nevers Episode 6 shows us the real Amalia True’s backstory. A bakers’ apprentice who goes by Molly, she crushes on a sweet customer. However, since he’s not ready to wed — and Molly’s boss wants to replace her with her own daughter for zero wages — Molly finds herself pushed into a grotesque marriage with the awful Mr. True. When he dies, and she is left alone with his awful bed-ridden mother, Molly struggles to find meaning, purpose, or even enough wages to live.

Despondent, Molly jumps into the Thames, expecting death.

Her fall into the water coincides with the arrival of the Galanthi…

The Nevers Episode 6 Chapter Three “The Madwoman in the Thames”

When Molly’s body is pulled from the river, she is no longer Molly. The spirit of the aggressive, profane Stripe from the future is now in her body — now enhanced with a turn to see the future in glimpses. Because of her confusion, odd accent, and outbursts, Amalia is brought to the same asylum as the future Maladie, Sarah (Amy Manson).

Sarah decides “Molly” ought to be her friend. It’s something our Stripe pal seems to only accept as Sarah is the only person who remembers seeing the Galanthi. Thanks to her turn, Amalia is also able to foresee that Dr. Horatio Cousins (Zackary Momoh) is a lover, if not ally. She reveals the truth of her situation to him and he, likewise, discovers his healing turn. Together they become allies, bent on getting Amalia out. While Amalia befriends a batty resident who teaches her proper Victorian manners, a new threat looms. Dr. Edmund Hague.

Dr. Hague visits the asylum and attempts to suss out if Amalia is in fact Touched. Sensing danger, she feigns looney ignorance and says she was only playing along with Sarah’s delusions. This would be bad enough, but she delivers Sarah right into the clutches of Dr. Hague by telling the trusting woman that he wants to help. Now we have a clearer picture of why Maladie felt so betrayed by Amalia.

Amalia tries to leave the asylum on her own merit, but is ultimately spirited out by Lavinia Bidlow. She comes to Amalia asking her to help run the Orphanage. Her first charge? Penance Adair (Ann Skelly).

The Nevers Episode 6 Chapter 4 “True”

This final chapter shows us what we didn’t see in The Nevers Episode 5: Amalia’s team’s efforts to locate the Galanthi in London. After a rough fight, Amalia makes it to the Galanthi. Nothing seems to happen and our heroine emotionally breaks down. The Galanthi opens and shows Amalia her past — as a child and soldier of the future timeline — and her character’s future in Victorian London.

After seeing the Stripe character’s past, we see Molly’s. Soon the lives combine and Stripe Amalia is in the asylum. We then see a quick scene where Amalia reveals the truth to Penance, explaining why the two women are so closely aligned on most missions.

We then see a disturbing quick cut of faces, including the Beggar King (Nick Frost), Hugo Swann (James Norton), and Augie (Tom Riley). We hear an ominous voice teasingly say, “Did you think you were the only one who hitched a ride?” Then there’s bedlam in the slave-run camp below the Galanthi. Maladie looks closer to Sarah. Lord Massen aims a shotgun in Amalia’s line of sight. A glowing star scape emerges and a woman’s voice says, “Oh, Amalia, this is a long time from that little cave. This, I will need you to forget.” The woman talking appears to be an older Myrtle (Viola Prettejohn), made up and speaking in fluent English.

Amalia crashes on the floor and comes to. The “bedlam” in the cave — with half robot warriors rushing in — begins. She quips, “Oh, that part’s now,” and gets up. Amalia only escapes with the help of Beth (Domenique Fragale), who seemed to be lobotimized and controlled by Dr. Hague (but maybe not?).

Amalia and her team reunited with Penance’s at the Orphanage. She says she didn’t learn who their enemy was but she is now sure it’s time to reveal the truth about her past and the Galanthi to the other Touched.

In the last moments, we learn the Stripe inhabiting Amalia’s body’s true name: Zephyr Alexis Levine.

Who Plays Stripe, aka “Future” Amalia, aka Zephyr in The Nevers? Meet Farscape‘s Claudia Black

If Stripe seemed familiar to you, it could be because actress Claudia Black perfectly embodied the steel that Laura Donnelly’s been portraying all season long. Or you were a hardcore fan of Farscape or the Stargate TV universe.

Claudia Black is a 48-year-old Australian actress best-known for playing Aeryn Sun on the old SyFy network show Farscape. She went on to also play Vala Mal Doran on Stargate: SG-1 and Shazza in the film Pitch Black. 

You can follow Claudia Black on Instagram @theclaudiablack.

What Does the End of The Nevers Episode 6 Mean?

Besides knowing who Amalia True really is, the ending suggests that things are about to heat up when The Nevers Part Two premieres at a later date. There is an enemy from the future amongst our heroes. Someone else who hitched a ride on the Galanthi. Who is the vessel for that enemy? Lavinia Bidlow? Lord Massen? Someone we haven’t even met yet?

Either way, a war is brewing between those who want to use the gifts of the Galanthi to save humanity’s future and those who fear all things Galanthi, including the Touched.

Where to stream The Nevers