FAQ for
The Departed (2006) More at IMDb Pro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags are used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for The Departed can be found at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/parentalguide.

Costello's opening narration - "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones.

Costigan and Sullivan go through the police academy - "Cops and Criminals" by Howard Shore featuring Marc Ribot (dobro) and Larry Saltzman (guitar).

Sullivan and Barrigan graduate from the academy - "Scotland The Brave" by the NYPD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums.

Main titles / Costigan in prison - "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by Dropkick Murphys.

Costigan drives Sean to drug deals - "Thief's Theme" by Nas.

Costigan breaks glass over the head of the guy who made fun of his cranberry juice - "One Way Out" by The Allman Brothers Band.

Costigan beats up the Providence guys - "Nobody But Me" by The Human Beinz.

Madolyn dates Sullivan / Costigan gets his hand bandaged - "The Departed Tango" by Howard Shore featuring Marc Ribot (dobro) and Larry Saltzman (guitar).

Costigan meets Costello for the first time in the bar - "Let It Loose" by The Rolling Stones.

Costello and French talk about Costigan - "Sweet Dreams (Of You)" by Patsy Cline.

Providence corpses are found / Costigan meets Costello at his home - "Well Well Well" by John Lennon.

French collects debts / Costigan knocks out Jimmy Baggs' teeth - "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba.

Costello messes with priests in restaurant / Fitzy gets busted - "Sail On, Sailor" by The Beach Boys.

Madolyn moves into Sullivan's apartment - "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones.

Costello goes to the opera - ""Chi mi frena (Sextet, Act 2)" (from opera "Lucia Di Lammermoor") by Daniela Lojarro, Gisella Pasino, Giuseppe Sabbatini, Michael Knapp, Michele Pertusi, Marco Chingari with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Costigan fills out the Citizens Trust info / Costigan and Madolyn have sex - "Comfortably Numb" by Roger Waters, Van Morrison, The Band.

Costigan kneecaps the bank robber - "Baby Blue" by Badfinger.

Costello confronts Costigan about possibly being the rat - "Sweet Dreams (Of You)" by Patsy Cline.

Costello covered in blood tells Billy to take the night off - "Tweedle Dee" by Lavern Baker.

Costello and crew drive on the highway / Costello tells Sullivan to take off the tail - "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" by Dropkick Murphys.

Rat on the balcony / End credits - "Sweet Dreams" by Roy Buchanan, "The Departed Tango" by Howard Shore featuring Marc Ribot (dobro) and Larry Saltzman (guitar).

Although it is not specified in the movie, Madolyn tells Colin Sullivan (Damon) that he was going to be a father, so we assume the Sullivan is the father of her baby.

But it is possible that Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is the father due to his one night stand with Madolyn. It is also hinted at that he is the father when he gives Madolyn the envelope: as he leaves, Madolyn tries to tell him something; but he tells her to think about it real hard, and if she still wants to tell him she can do so in two weeks. There is also a brief reference to Sullivan having problems with Madolyn regarding sex. She says, "It's actually quite common. Guys tend to make too much of a deal out of it."

When Madolyn listens to the incriminating tape sent by Costigan (DiCaprio) for Sullivan (Damon) that proves he was working for Costello (Nicholson), she tells Sullivan, "...and I thought I was the liar." Her comment may be a reference to her having told him that he was the father of the baby. (But more likely, she had realized that as a shrink she is condemned to being something of a liar in order to help her patients.)

It looks like the cover to the September 1989 issue: Wolverine Vol. 1 Issue #11. "The Gehenna Stone Affair: Pt. 1 of 6" : Brother's Keeper. Writer: Peter David, Penciler: John Buscema.

Covers here: http://www.mrlcomics.com/wolverine_vol1_cover_01to20.htm

When Delahunt (Mark Rolston) is dying, he mentions to Costigan that he gave the wrong address (314 Washington instead of 344), but Costigan showed up at the correct address anyway, but late. As he dies, he asks Costigan why he (Delahunt) didn't mention this to anyone. Later on a news report mentions Delahunt being an undercover cop, but Costello dismisses this as misinformation. So, is Delahunt an undercover cop or not?

The most likely distinguishing indicator is Delahunt's last words: "Tell me why I didn't tell nobody!" What could Costigan possibly "tell" that Delahunt would want to know "why" about? Certainly not that Costigan was a cop; even if Delahunt knew that Costigan was a cop, he wouldn't need to ask why Costigan didn't tell anybody; the reason for that would be obvious. The only secret that Delahunt could possibly be referring to, then, is Costigan's possible suspicion that Delahunt is a cop. We can piece together the scenario as follows:

Delahunt is a cop, deeper undercover than Costigan. Neither realizes that the other is a cop. Delahunt knows that Costello is getting suspicious about there being an internal cop, and when the call from Sullivan comes, decides that this is a great opportunity to frame Costigan by giving him the wrong address, which would make him not show up and therefore make the others suspicious by his absence. However, Costigan shows up anyway, and Delahunt realizes that if Costigan tells the others that the reason he's late is because Delahunt gave him the wrong address, then Delahunt's cover will be blown. But, strangely, Costigan didn't mention this to anybody (thereby protecting Delahunt), and Delahunt doesn't understand why. He asks Costigan with his dying breath why Costigan is protecting him, perhaps suspecting that Costigan is also a cop, but looking for affirmation.

There are two problems with this theory. The first problem is that Delahunt told Costigan the wrong address in earshot of the other gang members, so he was taking a big risk if he was giving the wrong address deliberately. The other problem is that the character from Infernal Affairs that Delahunt was based on appears in the sequels, and is not a cop. But both of those problems are more circumstantial, and no other theory seems to be able to explain Delahunt's last line.

In short: Sullivan (Matt Damon) shoots Frank (Jack Nicholson) and Billy (Leonardo DiCaprio) is shot by another one of Frank's moles in the department as well, other than Sullivan. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) shoots Sullivan.

Not in short: Costigan (DiCaprio) is sent a series of tapes that he recorded of Costello's (Nicholson) conversations with Sullivan (Damon). Costigan gives one copy to Madolyn (his therapist/Sullivan's girlfriend) with instructions to open it if anything happens to him, and sends another to Sullivan. Sullivan goes to meet Costigan to try to pay him off and Costigan arrests Sullivan with plans to take him in. Costigan has called Brown (Anthony Anderson, his friend from the academy) to help him, and Brown allows him to take Sullivan down the elevator. When the elevator opens, Barrigan (James Badge Dale, Sullivan's friend from the Academy) shoots Costigan. When Brown gets down stairs and sees what's happened, Barrigan shoots him as well, and then reveals to Sullivan that he also worked for Costello. Sullivan then shoots Barrigan. Sullivan tells the police that Barrigan was Costello's mole, and recommends Costigan to be honored by the department. When Sullivan returns to his apartment, he finds Dignam (Wahlberg, who we assume has been given Costello's tapes by Madolyn) and Dignam kills him.