The Instigators ending explained: Why did the Mayor release Cobby and Rory from the prison? 

The Instigators premiered on Apple TV+ on August 9, 2024, after a long period of anticipation. Though the initial reviews of the movie were not up to the mark, with many critics pointing out the flaws in the story and treatment, the film garnered enough excitement due to its lead pair, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, as well as a great chunk of supporting actors like Ron Pearlman, Ving Rhames, and Hong Chau.

The movie essentially centers around two not-so-smart robbers, who, at the word of Mr. Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg), go for a heist, which goes wrong at every nook and corner. The majority of the movie follows the duo and their botched decisions as they find themselves deeper and deeper into the chaos, ultimately ending in prison.

But in quite a rom-com-ish way, the characters find their way back out of prison due to the newly elected mayor, who decides to use Cobby and Rory to reach Miccelli's $100 million, which they could then keep in their own pockets.

The ending ends up being more of a catharsis to the two main characters, who do not find the money they were looking for, but have a sumptuous character development, which gives both of them a renewed sense of purpose in life.

Here is a full breakdown of what really happened with the money and the new mayor at the end of The Instigators.

*The following section contains multiple spoilers for The Instigators.

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The Instigators ending: How did Cobby and Rory get caught?

The entirety of The Instigators follows Cobby (Affleck) and Rory (Damon), who get embroiled in a heist scheme that goes terribly from the start. With pressure from law authorities as well as private detectives, the duo end up being chased around the town, and for nearly nothing.

By the final act of the movie, the duo reaches Mayor Miccelli's (played by Ron Pearlman) illegal heap of cash in the Municipal Building. However, by the time they find the illegally stacked money, they have nowhere to go and are surrounded by law enforcement officers.

The authorities, believing that Cobby and Rory have taken the Mayor’s associate, Alan (Toby Jones), send in Dr. Rivera (Chau) to negotiate. However, realizing the gravity of the situation, she advises Rory and Cobby to escape instead of surrendering.

To pull this off, the duo devise the first logically perfect plan by throwing the Mayor's safe out on the street, which attracts enough people to distract the police. This gives them the opportunity to escape in a firetruck without being noticed.

But this plan ultimately does not bear fruit as Frank Toomey, the mayor's right hand man, catches up to them and finally corners them. Cobby and Rory try to lure him by giving him the hard drives that contain evidence of the Mayor's corruption, but Toomey refuses and the dup ends up in prison.

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Why does the new Mayor help Rory and Cobby get out of prison at the end of The Instigators?

While it seems like The Instigators could end with the two primary characters going to prison, the story continues after this. After Rory and Cobby are taken in custody, the new Mayor realizes that he could take one of the two paths. By letting Cobby and Rory out, the new Mayor could trace the humungous amount of money and keep it for himself.

While, if he allowed Rory and Cobby to get prosecuted, the money will be traced and taken up by the State. So the new Mayor decides to take the former path and releases the two convicts, which also allows him to lay claim to the money.

This is why Rory and Cobby get out of prison at the end of The Instigators.

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Rory, Cobby, and Dr. Rivera all find closure in the final moments of The Insitgators

After getting out of prison, the characters all go through a defining change. First of all, Rory decides to mend his bond with his son. And despite not having the money he wanted for this very purpose, he goes to his son's game, and even gets an encouraging smile from the latter, hinting that things may finally be on the right track.

As for Cobby, he ends up at the doorstep of Dr. Rivera, asking her for a date. She had brushed him off during his initial approaches, but it seemed that even they would give it a shot.

This closes The Instigators on a positive note for all out protagonists.

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The Instigators is now streaming on Apple TV+. Read our full review here.