The Hunger Games Movie Series: Mockingjay
Plutarch: The Ultimate Gamemaker
To her friends' horror, Katniss agrees to participate in the opening ceremony of Coin's new Hunger Games - where she will finally be given the chance to execute Snow. Abernathy supports Katniss' decision, trusting that the Mockingjay has already recognized history repeating - that Coin is destined to repeat the same mistakes as Snow, a ruthless dictator willing to sacrifice innocent life in order to maintain her status and power. Instead of killing Snow, Katniss uses the opening ceremony as an opportunity to publicly assassinate Coin instead - leaving Snow to be beaten to death by an enraged Panem mob (or, in the books, choke on his own blood while laughing). Recognizing that only a select few people would know why she killed Coin not Snow, Katniss prepared to ingest a suicide "Nightlock" pill, but Peeta stripped the poison from her as she was carried away by rebel guards.
Hours later, Katniss is visited in the Capitol jail by Abernathy - who reads a letter from Plutarch. The gamemaker writes that Katniss had lived up to his expectations, hinting that Coin's assassination was part of Plutarch's long con - to not only wrest control from Snow and his Capitol cronies but also set the stage for a legitimate democracy. Coin was just a pawn in Plutarch's game. Always one step ahead of everyone else in Panem, Plutarch accurately predicts that District 8's Commander Paylor would be elected President - leading the nation to prosperity.
Ultimately, given his methodical approach to securing democracy, it is unknown whether Plutarch had a say in bombing the Capitol children. Coin takes credit but, in the book nor the film, there is no definitive answer to prove the explosion wasn't a move in Plutarch's plan. Nevertheless, Plutarch aids in protecting Katniss after she kills Coin, arranging the Mockingjay's escape from the Capitol (and safe return to District 12). Later, he would remain an advocate for Katniss - ensuring her pardon (in the movie) and acting as a witness for her defense trial (in the book series). Katniss never doubts his innocence; though, it is up to the audience to decide just how far Plutarch might have been willing to go - in order to break the cycle of tyranny that had ruled Panem for three-quarters of a century.
The Love Triangle: Katniss, Peeta, & Gale
Plutarch may have directed the larger players in the Hunger Games series toward a fully transparent and democratic society. Yet, the Panem rebellion isn't the only storyline that movie and book fans expected to see resolved - as Mockingjay gives a definitive answer to who Katniss ends marrying in the new Panem. Ultimately, some fans might have been rooting for childhood friend Gale in the Hunger Games love triangle; however, any chance that Katniss would be able to love Gale exploded along with the bomb that killed Prim. Following her conversation with Snow, Katniss realizes Coin's two-detonation plot was similar to a battlefield strategy that Gale had devised earlier in the war. While Gale cannot be sure that it was his bomb that actually killed Prim and the Capitol children, Gale's increasingly violent actions, and lack of concern for innocent life, make it impossible for Katniss to be with him.
Like the similarities between Snow and Coin's ideologies, the conclusion to Mockingjay's love triangle plays on similar themes. Earlier in the book and film, Katniss kisses Gale and he dismisses her, saying he knew she would do it: "Because I'm in pain. That's the only way I get your attention." Katniss (both in the games and in her personal life) generally tries to avoid violence but is drawn to action when people she loves are hurting. It's the reason she volunteers as a tribute in place of her sister for the 74th Annual Games. Later, in the arena, Katniss refrains from killing until Marvel mortally injures two-year-old Rue - and Katniss fires an arrow into his neck in return.
The theme comes full circle in the end when Katniss uses an arrow to assassinate Alma Coin (who was directly responsible for Prim's death). In the book's epilogue, Katniss admits that after the rebellion both she and Gale were too obsessed with rage and retribution to be a healthy couple. Choosing Gale would have only stimulated her own anger but Peeta balanced out that anger with continued cool-headedness and pacifism.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 is now playing in theaters.
