This season of Parts Unknown has been difficult to watch. Following beloved chef and world traveler Anthony Bourdain's suicide in June, the trailers for the final season alone were enough to make fans tear up. Last night's episode, in which Anthony traveled to Indonesia, was especially poignant, as it showed Anthony and a friend discussing what they'd want to happen when they die.
As part of the episode, Anthony attended a funeral and cremation ceremony. Before, he asked his friend to explain what a traditional Balinese funeral entails. Family members typically light the match that cremates their loved ones—"It's in your face that we are not our bodies," his friend said. "They believe in an afterlife."
That prompted Anthony to ask, "How do you want to go?" Turning the question back on the chef, his friend teased, "You want them all to cry, don't you?"
Anthony's response: "No, leave me in the jungle. I don't want a party. 'Reported dead,'" he said, presumably of how he would want the news announced.
He continued, "What actually happens to my physical remains is of zero interest to me, unless it can provide entertainment value. Throw me into a wood chipper and spray me into Harrods, you know, at the middle of the rush hour," he joked. "That would be pretty epic. I wouldn’t mind being remembered in that way."
The scene begs a million questions and is chilling to watch. While many did shed tears over his death, there was no over-the-top public funeral—something Anthony would seemingly be happy to know.
The episode concluded with a visual of villagers scattering ashes in the ocean and others flying kites, while Anthony—who did not finish voice overs for this episode—says this: "All stories should end on a beach. All the good ones do anyway. Why should this one be any different?"
Next week, CNN will air a special tribute to Anthony called "Bourdain's Impact."
