‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes‘ serves as a prequel to ‘The Hunger Games’ based on Suzanne Collins’ novels. The new film set up huge expectations, but unfortunately, it was a disaster. The plot follows the journey of Coriolanus Snow played by Tom Blythe as he gets his first experience of the Capitol and Games while mentoring District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird portrayed by Rachel Zegler.
Like the original source, though, the movie ends with a few unanswered questions, including the fate of Lucy Baird. What happens between her and Snow leads to him shooting at her as she flees, although her body is never discovered. So, if you are confused about what happened at the end of ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snake’, here’s the explanation.
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Is Lucy Gray Baird Dead? Her Fate Explained
Lucy Gray Baird’s fate in ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ is intentionally left unanswered in both the novel and the film, leaving the viewers to interpret her tragic ending.
Towards the end, Coriolanus Snow shoots her, but it’s unclear if the bullet shot her dead. But before the shooting incident, Coriolanus was bitten by a snake in a trap set by Lucy Gray so it’s possible he was merely hallucinating her in the woods. Or maybe Gray could have bled out and died. There is also a possibility that she could have escaped and gone north as was always wanted.
There is also a theory that the Capitol found her somehow on Dr. Gaul’s instructions and killed her quietly, so she would never be a distraction. Few fans theorized that 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’.
The Reason Behind Dean Highbottom’s Hatred For Coriolanus Snow
Finally, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ revealed the reason why Dean Casca Highbottom holds up a grudge against Coriolanus Snow. It started with a loyal friendship and ended with brutal hate. Highbottom was once best friends with Coriolanus Snow’s dad, Crassus Snow after he stole the idea for the Hunger Games and submitted it to Dr. Gaul. Highbottom’s hate shifted to Coriolanus Snow who resembled his father.
Dean Highbottom saw a lot of Crassus’ behaviors and attributes in Coriolanus, and he wanted to prevent the younger Snow from having wealth and power. Highbottom also didn’t want Coriolanus in any leadership roles and was bothered by his relationship 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.
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How Lucy Gray And Coriolanus Snow’s Endings Set Up A ‘Hunger Games’ Sequel
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes’ ended on an ambiguous note, as the death of Lucy Gray was left for the viewers to interpret. If Lucy 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. Also, Coriolanus’ ending suggests he’s taken the next steps toward becoming Panem’s future president, but a ‘Hunger Games’ sequel could follow him over the next few decades of his life.
‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ would also lead to different ‘Hunger Games‘ spinoffs, that might reveal more of Panem’s history. As of now, There are no plans for a sequel to ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes‘ but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of Coriolanus and Lucy Gray’s stories.
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