The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Ending Explained

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Summary

The fate of Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes remains ambiguous, leaving readers wondering if she survived or not.
Dr. Gaul sends Coriolanus Snow to District 12 as a peacekeeper to expose him to the violent nature of human behavior and shape his views on the Hunger Games.
Dean Highbottom’s hatred for Coriolanus Snow is justified, as Coriolanus eventually poisons him, proving that he is someone to be feared.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ends on an ambiguous note that will leave one wondering what exactly happened to Lucy Gray Baird and how Coriolanus Snow’s hunger for power and prestige pushed him towards becoming the man in The Hunger Games movies. The prequel to The Hunger Games movies, set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen enters the arena, sees Coriolanus sent back to the Capitol following the murder of Sejanus Plinth and the disappearance of Lucy Gray. Before he’s returned and given a full pardon, Coriolanus attempts to leave Panem behind with Lucy Gray.

They’re both afraid of being implicated in Mayfair and Billy Taupe’s murders, especially after Spruce and Sejanus are hanged. Coriolanus finds the gun he used to shoot Mayfair, and Lucy Gray worries he might kill her for being the last witness. She excuses herself to go find katniss plants and, after realizing Lucy Gray is scared of him and runs away, Coriolanus goes after her with the intent of killing her. He shoots, but she seemingly gets away. Back in the Capitol, he’s awarded the Plinth Prize money and begins working with Dr. Gaul. Coriolanus ties up a final loose end by lacing Dean Highbottom’s morphling with rat poison.

Lucy Gray Baird’s Fate Explained – Is She Dead?

Lucy Gray Baird’s fate is as ambiguous in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as it is in the book by Suzanne Collins. Coriolanus shoots at her, but it’s unclear where the bullet actually hit Lucy Gray. It might have been a graze, which would explain why she was able to flee so quickly. Conversely, Coriolanus was also bitten by a snake in a trap Lucy Gray laid out for him, so it’s possible he was merely hallucinating her in the woods. Lucy Gray could have bled out and died, or she could have escaped and gone north as was always her intent.

It’s also possible the Capitol found her somehow — on Dr. Gaul’s instructions — and killed her quietly, so she would never be a distraction. Alternatively, Lucy Gray could have found her way to District 13, which has already been hidden from the rest of the Districts by the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, or beyond. After all, what lies outside of Panem is unknown territory within the scope of The Hunger Games franchise, and it’s better to think Lucy Gray somehow survived her encounter with Coriolanus than believe her dead.

Why Dr. Gaul Sent Coriolanus To District 12 After The 10th Hunger Games

Dr. Gaul proved to be calculated throughout The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. She arranged for Coriolanus to be sent to District 12 as a peacekeeper so that he could see human nature as she truly believed it to be — violent. She needed Coriolanus to shed what he believed the Hunger Games to be about, collective punishment of the Districts, and embrace the Capitol’s role of keeping the Districts in check to control their violence. Gaul thinks it got out of hand before, but for the Capitol to survive it needed a reminder of all that came before. Dr. Gaul knew Coriolanus had to see that first-hand to move forward.

The Deeper Meaning Behind Tigris’ Final Words To Coriolanus Snow

hunter schafer as tigris in the ballad of songbirds and snakes

At the beginning of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Tigris tells Coriolanus that he doesn’t have to be his father, Crassus Snow. It’s clear Tigris believed Coriolanus to be a better man than his dad, who was a cruel general. By the end of The Hunger Games prequel, though, Tigris tells her cousin that he looks just like his father. Tigris could probably see the trajectory of Coriolanus’ life; he’d strayed far from the boy she knew. In one sentence, Tigris was telling Coriolanus that he was turning into the man he never should have been. It’s a dangerous path to walk, but Coriolanus had no issue doing so. In Tigris’ eyes, he was on the way to becoming what she feared her uncle to be — ruthless, hateful, and

Dean Highbottom’s Hatred For Coriolanus Snow Explained

peter dinklage as dean highbottom in the ballad of songbirds and snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes reveals the reason behind Dean Casca Highbottom’s resentment of Coriolanus Snow. Highbottom was once best friends with Coriolanus Snow’s dad, and he became angry after Crassus Snow submitted the idea for the Hunger Games (which Highbottom had only written up as a joke while drunk) to Dr. Gaul. That anger and hatred rolled over to Coriolanus, who, like Tigris believed, was a lot like his father. Dean Highbottom saw a lot of Crassus’ behaviors and traits in Coriolanus, and he wanted to prevent the younger Snow from having wealth and power.

Dean Highbottom’s disdain for Coriolanus was justified given the latter eventually poisoned him, thus proving Coriolanus was someone to fear.

Attempting to prevent Coriolanus from winning the Plinth Prize was Highbottom’s way of keeping Snow from influencing the Hunger Games, which Highbottom wanted to abolish. The lack of wealth would have also kept Coriolanus from having power, something Casca feared because there would be no stopping him after that. Dean Highbottom also didn’t want Coriolanus in any leadership roles, and was perturbed by his closeness with Dr. Gaul. Dean Highbottom knew deep down that Coriolanus would only make the Hunger Games worse than they already were, continuing his father’s work and adding to the cruelty of the Capitol’s treatment of the Districts.

How Coriolanus Snow’s Family Really Lost Their Wealth

fionnula flanagan, tom blyth, and hunter schafer in the ballad of songbirds and snakes

In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie, the Snows mention the war and the Dark Days. By the time Coriolanus is in his final academy year, they’re barely getting by financially, skating by on their influential name alone until Coriolanus can secure the Plinth Prize money. While the details aren’t mentioned in the film, the Snow family actually lost their wealth because the majority of their investments were tied up with District 13. The Snows had owned many of the research facilities and factories there, but they lost most of their wealth after District 13 became independent. The rest of their savings were spent during the Capitol siege.

What’s Next For Hunger Games After Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Ends

tom blyth and viola davis in the ballad of songbirds and snakes

The 10th Hunger Games were largely a disaster, with many of the tributes killed before entering the arena and the academy’s students dying, too. After Coriolanus returns to the Capitol to work with Dr. Gaul, they start planning for the future of the Games. It’s Coriolanus who pushes the idea of the Hunger Games being mandatory viewing for the Districts. The changes implemented for the 11th Hunger Games — many of which extended to the remaining Games — included a home in the Victor’s Village, food parcels, and prize money for the winner to entice tributes and encourage volunteers. The 11th Hunger Games was also the first to include a Victory Tour.

How Lucy Gray & Coriolanus’ Endings Set Up A Hunger Games Sequel

tom blyth and rachel zegler in the ballad of songbirds and snakes

Although The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes ends rather definitively, the ambiguity of Lucy Gray’s fate could segue nicely into a sequel that explores what happened to her after parting ways with Coriolanus Snow. If Lucy Gray did survive, it’d be interesting to follow her on the next stage in her journey, one that is far from the Capitol and District 12. What’s more, Coriolanus’ ending suggests he’s taken the next steps towards becoming Panem’s future president, but a Hunger Games sequel could follow him over the next few decades of his life, detailing the choices and alliances he makes that bring him closer to his goal.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes could also lead to different Hunger Games spinoffs, ones that reveal more of Panem’s history rather than simply focusing on the Games themselves. There are no current plans for a sequel to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Suzanne Collins hasn’t written any more Hunger Games books, but that doesn’t mean the well has run dry when it comes to ideas for what comes next. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray’s stories may be over, but the film leaves enough room for more should there be another Hunger Games movie.

Rate this post