Mammoth season 2 episode 2 ending explained: Did Tony’s “bromance” with Matthew doom Mel’s romance?

Mammoth season 2 returns to its core triangle in Series 2, Episode 2, with Mike Bubbins as Tony Mammoth, Sian Gibson as Mel, and Joel Davison as Theo steering a clean, character-first closer. Mammoth season 2 aired this chapter on BBC Two on December 8, 2025, directed by Simon Hynd and written by Mike Bubbins and Paul Doolan. The plot runs simply by design. Mel is seeing Matthew, Tony enters as a wary father figure, then flips into full mate-crush mode on the new man.

Mammoth season 2 uses that flip to set up the ending in a way that feels inevitable. By the time dinner is on the table, Tony has invested more in Matthew than Mel has. The scene ends with a mutual decision to part as friends. Mammoth season 2 closes the loop on Tony’s arc for the week. He learns nothing grand, only that forcing a story never makes it true.

Mammoth season 2 episode 2 ending explained: Did Tony’s “bromance” with Matthew doom Mel’s romance

Mammoth season 2 builds the answer in stages. Tony starts by policing the relationship as a protective dad, then he fast-tracks a bromance because Matthew seems like the person he wishes would join his world. Across Series 2, Episode 2, Tony turns up at school with newfound swagger as a self-appointed head of PE, then tries to engineer together time so he can keep the friendship alive. Mel remarked,

“Actually, I’m thinking of breaking up with him,”

A line that lands like a pin in Tony’s balloon because he has already reframed Matthew as his best mate. Tony said,

“You’ll never do better than Matthew, Mel. He’s the total package,”

which is funny and telling. He is no longer advising his daughter. He is pitching for his friend. The dinner scene resolves the tension without drama. Matthew stated,

“We’ve decided to break up.”

It is mutual. It is calm. The sting sits with Tony, not the couple. Mammoth season 2 uses that beat to underline the theme. Tony’s 70s certainty keeps colliding with modern boundaries. His bromance did not doom anything. Mel and Matthew were never more than kind, compatible adults who felt like friends. Tony’s push only made his own feelings louder.

Mammoth season 2 episode 2 full recap: from protective dad to instant bromance

Mammoth season 2 opens with Tony clocking Mel’s new date and leaning into the role of gatekeeper. The joke turns fast when Matthew’s manners, interests, and easy charm win him over. Tony spends the middle act weaving Matthew into his day. He name-checks him at work, big-dogs PE with “head of PE” energy, and lines up a dinner he imagines as a relationship save for Mel and a friendship guarantee for himself. Tony said,

“Tell him Mammoth says hello,”

That reads as a small comic flair and a sign that the attachment has slid into need. In the background, Mammoth season 2 threads Theo’s “bad-boy” posture through school and home. He toys with image as a way to fit in, which adds friction to Mel’s week and gives Tony a reason to posture as a fixer.

Those beats turn the screws toward the ending. Mel enters the dinner already unsure. Tony tries to sell Matthew back to her. Matthew senses the mismatch. The scene lands with respect rather than shock. Mammoth season 2 keeps the camera on Tony after the decision, because the loss is his. The description of the episode, as per the BBC, reads,

"Mammoth turns into the protective father figure when Mel goes on a date with a new man, Matthew. But he quickly starts to adore him – mainly on a whim. Whilst trying to develop the world’s strangest bromance, he takes his self-appointed role as head of PE very seriously, until the pressure gets too much. Meanwhile, Mel isn’t feeling it with Matthew, and Theo revels in his new bad-boy image."

Stay tuned for more updates.