Braithwaite only appeared in one episode of Black Summer season 2, but his significant impact on a core figure had many wondering what happened to Bechir Sylvain’s character. The survivor was one of a handful of new characters introduced in the follow-up installment of the zombie apocalyptic Netflix drama. Though Braithwaite’s fate was seemingly left unknown, there was evidence that he never existed at all.
After being left for dead by Rose (Jaime King) and Anna (Zoe Marlett), Spears (Justin Chu Cary), who was seriously injured from a gunshot wound, headed for the mountains. During his journey, he realized a mysterious figure was following him. It wasn’t until Black Summer season 2’s “White Horse” did Spears encounter his follower: a man named Braithwaite, who claimed to recognize Spears from their pre-apocalypse lives. However, Spears claimed he wasn’t who the man thought he was, which turned out to be a lie. After making a camp, it was revealed Spears, aka “Little James,” was a hitman for his brother, Big James. Braithwaite remembered the brothers because Little James shot the man twice in the back, thinking he killed him.
Following the revelation of their connection, the pair fought. Shortly after, the threat of roaming zombies sent them to a nearby cabin, which was the site of a suicide pact. The next morning, Braithwaite seemingly forgave the past actions of Little James while Spears pulled a gun on him. Rather than pull the trigger, Spears let Braithwaite walk toward a white horse wandering by the nearby creek. Though Sylvain’s character wasn’t seen again in Black Summer season 2, it’s possible he took the horse to the cabin he previously mentioned. Granted, there’s a reason to believe Braithwaite was nothing but a figment of Spears’ imagination.
Before Braithwaite caught up with Spears, the man was following behind like a shadow the man couldn’t shake. It was almost as if Spears was being hunted, serving as the prey that was getting weaker and weaker from his wound. Braithwaite was connected to Spears past when he was still Little James, and he has made it clear in the show from Z-Nation’s co-creator that he actively tries to forget his old life. Deep down, Spears may have known he was going to die, and Braithwaite could have been his conscious’ way of making him confront his past.
Braithwaite forced Spears to reclaim the name of Little James, something Cary’s character would have never done if in the company of a stranger. By coming clean, Spears had a chance to admit to his dark past and the pain he caused in the presence of one of his victims. During the scenes with Braithwaite and Spears, the latter was the one who made most of the direct actions like killing zombies or interacting with the sole survivor in the cabin. This could further hint how Spears made up Braithwaite before continuing on his journey that concluded in his death, meaning Cary won’t be involved with Black Summer season 3.
After his encounter with Braithwaite, Spears reunited with Rose and Anna at a secluded lodge. Rather than revenge, Spears shared the lesson of “bygones” before begging Anna for a peaceful death. He didn’t mention his past, nor Braithwaite, but it was clear that the event led him to accept his fate as if he needed closure before dying. Of course, a white horse is often considered a symbol of death in Christianity. It’s possible Spears actually killed Braithwaite as he kept walking towards the horse. But there’s also a chance the nonexistent version of Braithwaite in Black Summer was meant to serve as a symbol of Spears’ past as Little James while the horse was there to foreshadow Spears’ grim future.
