Lucky Hank episode 8 (finale) ending explained: Did Hank fire any of the professors?

The final episode of the first season of AMC's Lucky Hank was released on Sunday, May 7, 2023, and saw what Hank did as he had to fire some members of his staff. Titled, The Chopping Block, the episode was directed and written by Nicole Holofcener and Paul Lieberstein & Aaron Zelman respectively. The finale answered a number of questions that fans watching the show had and showed them what Hank did as he was supposed to fire three members of his staff.

Although he was stressed in the first half of the episode because of this, he managed to save the day in the end. None of the professors lost their jobs and Hank became a hero.

Lucky Hank follows a professor named William Henry "Hank" Devereaux, Jr. from an underfunded Pennsylvania college named Railton College. Hank is suffering from a severe mid-life crisis and has countless problems in his personal and professional lives.

The series stars Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk as the titular character along with Mireille Enos, Cedric Yarbrough, and Sara Amini in major roles. Lucky Hank also has a number of popular actors playing pivotal roles.

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Lucky Hank episode 8 (finale) ending explained: Did anyone help Hank fire his staff?

The episode began with Dickie Pope having an interview with a news crew. He was proud of all changes Railton College was undergoing and thought that firing professors would make the institution better. Hank was still confused about what to do. While every department had already fired its staff members, his department was still waiting for his decision.

Hank spoke to Dickie Pope and tried to convince him to change or reconsider his decision but the latter didn't budge and Hank went home after that. He and his family were preparing dinner when his daughter's husband knocked on their door. He apologized to Julie for cheating on her and begged her to take her back but Julie was furious and even shattered an expensive wine bottle in rage.

The following morning, Hank's wife Lily left their town to begin her new job in New York. Julie believed that her parents were on the verge of separating but that was far from the truth as they were just going to have a long-distance marriage.

Back at Railton College, Hank was still unable to decide who to fire. His staff patiently waited for him to reveal who he was going to fire but Hank was friends with all of them. After a couple of inquiries, he found out that Dickie Pope was involved in a lot of shady business and was only firing the professors for personal gain.

Fans also found out that Gracie and Dean Jacob Rose were having an affair. Hank managed to save the day and Dickie Pope was exposed for corruption. The latter was terminated and no professors were fired. In fact, every fired staff was quickly re-hired.

Hank decided to have a meal with his mother and dad, who he recently learned had dementia. He finally learned that Hank. Sr. abandoned him when he was a little boy because he wanted to roam around the country and have conferences. This just made him wonder if hating his father was even worth it.

Meanwhile, Lily was in her New York studio apartment and had already started a new life. She made sure the rooms were clean. She even tried to play the keyboard to kill time but she was getting bored. She realized that was missing her husband and her home in Railton.

When she heard a knock at her door, she opens it to find Hank standing there. He told her that he had resigned from Railton and decided to move in with his wife in New York. Lilly was overjoyed to see her husband, and the two shared an embrace and a kiss.

However, it was later shown that Dean Rose destroyed Hank's resignation letter, meaning that he was still employed at Railton College.