‘A Man on the Inside’: Do Charles & Mona End Up Together in Season 2?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for A Man on the Inside Season 2.]

Charles (Ted Danson) is back on the case! A Man on the Inside Season 2 takes the private investigator-in-training out of the retirement home and onto a college campus. As he tries to find out who’s sabotaging a deal with a deep-pocketed alum, Charles gets sidetracked by a free-spirited music professor, Mona.

Charles’ new love interest is played by none other than Mary Steenburgen, Danson’s real-life partner. “This was our best working experience of our lives,” Steenburgen told TV Insider. “We were in love with the material that we had, with the relationship, with the challenges of it… And it was a privilege every day.”

Does that mean that Charles and Mona got a happy ending in the Season 2 finale? It’s complicated. Keep reading for a full breakdown of where Charles and Mona stand.

Do Charles and Mona end up together in Man on the Inside?

Charles does wind up cracking the case, but he doesn’t get the girl. Well, kind of… Let us explain.

Once Charles and Mona catch each other’s eye at a campus event, they leave together to buy a tuba, eventually opening up about their pasts and futures. After they share a kiss, an enamored Charles refuses to entertain the idea that Mona could be the culprit. After getting some relationship advice from Calbert (Stephen McKinley Henderson), Charles even lets Mona in on the investigation, much to Julie’s (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) dismay. Charles didn’t want to base their relationship on a lie.

However, in Episode 3, he does decide to investigate Mona, complicating their relationship once she catches wind of it. However, once Charles admits that his actions were based out of fear — he hasn’t let anyone in romantically since his wife died — the two reconcile.

Colleen E. Hayes / Netflix

“Charles discovers that he’s still a little fear-based, and he meets somebody who’s just total love, no fear,” Danson explained to Tudum. “Just, ‘Let’s live, stay in the moment, and have joy be the word for the day.’ My character loves it and is excited by it, and he thinks that he can run with her. But then he bumps into his limits.”

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From there on out, Charles and Mona’s relationship moves steadily ahead. They encounter a few bumps, but nothing they can’t overcome — until the finale. Mona, unlike several other college staff members, never gets involved in Holly’s (Jill Talley) plan to ruin the deal with the alum. Holly keeps her purposefully out of the loop, so Charles is proven right that Mona is innocent.

However, the couple still doesn’t get a happy ending. Mona gets an offer to teach in Croatia for a year, and she asks Charles to go with her. He realizes that he doesn’t want to leave behind everything he’s built over the past couple of years, despite how strong his connection with Mona is. They break up on good terms.

The show hasn’t yet been renewed, so there’s no telling if Mona will reappear or get back together with Charles in a potential Season 3. Regardless, we’re rooting for them!