The Chair ending explained: Do Ji-Yoon and Bill end up together?

The Chair starring Emmy Award-nominated actress Sandra Oh finally premiered on Netflix and gave us the late-summer treat we’ve been waiting for. Once again, the comedic drama miniseries is another showcase for Oh’s unbeatable talents.

The new Netflix original miniseries takes place at Pembroke University, where Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh) has been named the first woman of color chair of the English department. However, her ascent to the coveted position is mired in a colleague’s scandal and the department’s decline.

Joining the Grey’s Anatomy and Killing Eve favorite in The Chair, which was created by Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman, are fellow knockout performers Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor, Bob Balaban, Nana Mensah and David Morse.

After watching all six episodes of the hilarious miniseries on Netflix, the ending might still be leaving you with questions. If you’re in need of clarity, we’re breaking down all of the finale’s major moments, including Ji-Yoon’s big professional and personal decisions.

Warning: Spoilers from The Chair on Netflix ahead!

Who is the new chair in The Chair?

The miniseries begins with Sandra Oh’s Ji-Yoon excitedly taking over the position of the chair of Pembroke University’s English department. She inherits the position from her friend and colleague, Bill, who’s been a wreck since his wife died one year prior.

With the English department on the brink of disaster due to low enrollment and a majority of the older tenured professors stuck in their ways, Ji-Yoon’s new role proves an uphill battle. It’s almost as if the school named the department’s first woman of color chair to place the blame on her in the event of its collapse.

In the wake of Bill’s scandal involving the Nazi salute, Ji-Yoon pushes her friend to apologize to the students calling for his resignation, but his public forum only makes matters worse for him, for Ji-Yoon and the entire English department.

After Ji-Yoon risks her reputation and finds herself publicly shamed for putting a “gag order” on Bill’s teaching assistant, three of the tenured English professors stage a coup and oust Ji-Yoon from the chair position. Joan (Holland Taylor) ultimately takes her place.

Do Ji-Yoon and Bill end up together in The Chair?

Even though Ji-Yoon and Bill’s friendship and relationship hits a number of peaks and valleys throughout the six episodes of The Chair, we couldn’t help but wish the pair could find happiness together amidst the collegiate chaos.

In spite of Bill’s mistakes, we see a lighter side to the troubled author and professor as he connects with Ji-Yoon’s young daughter, JuJu (played by the excellent Everly Carganilla). Bill also helps to show Ji-Yoon that she deserves to prioritize her home life more than she does her work life.

Although it’s open-ended, Ji-Yoon and Bill manage to repair their fractured relationship in the aftermath of firings, rejected settlements, chair coups and all of the other madness that ensued. While they didn’t run away together as Bill suggested, the pair looks closer than ever sharing quips in the final scene of the series.

Did The Chair end how you thought it would? Do you think Ji-Yoon and Bill end up together? What did you think of the miniseries? Share your thoughts in the comments!