We're inside a restaurant at or near the airport. Charlie comes in.

Maverick is sitting at the bar, his hands on his head, his eyes closed. She asks if she can sit down.

Apparently, Maverick is about to leave and hasn't even bothered to say bye to Charlie.

Big no-no, buddy.

He's heard that she got the job in Washington, and congratulates her.

As it turns out, she was leaving as well. Both of them were.

She wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye though.

Maverick doesn't have a ticket, and he has no idea where he's going. Charlie points this out.

She reminds him that the accident wasn't his fault, and tries to get him to see things from the right perspective.

Maverick is pretty much unreachable, and he reiterates the fact that "it's over," for him.

He's already left, mentally, Charlie points out. It's clear Maverick hasn't "learned a damn thing," she says.

She pretty much calls him a quitter, gets up and says goodbye.

One way or another, this makes Charlie's character a more essential character when Goose is gone for good.

It may seem that they're parting ways but her words inadvertently or advertently spurned Maverick to strive on.

-----

The somber music from the last few scenes is still playing as Maverick rings a doorbell. A middle-aged woman lets him in.

She tells him to make himself comfortable and "Mike" will be right down. Hmmm, is this Viper's house?

Maverick looks at all the old photos on the walls. Viper comes in behind him and immediately tells him that he flew with his (Maverick's) father.

Viper tells him that he's a lot like his father, only better, and worse. His father was one heroic dude.

Maverick's interest is piqued, and he asks Viper if his father really did do things right? Yep, Viper says.

They walk outside, and Viper gets right down to brass tacks, asking Maverick if he flies the way he does because he's trying to prove something.

The Top Gun theme starts playing.

Viper tells Maverick the truth about his father. It's classified, and it could end Viper's career, but he knows Maverick needs to hear it.

His father's jet was hit, and he could've made it back, but instead saved three other planes and then crashed.

The story was classified because the battle happened "over the wrong line on some map."

Maverick asks Viper about his options. He's reconsidered. Viper says he has enough points to graduate the next day with his class if he wants. He can also quit.

They chat a little more, and Viper tells Maverick the truth: he feels responsible for Goose, and has a confidence problem.

He needs to learn from his mistakes.

Either way, the choice is his.

With this reveals that Maverick’s father was indeed a hero of the war and that it was his enterprising spirit that saved the lives of many soldiers on the ship.

It urged the young maverick aviator to not give up and get back into the field because the team needs him.

Maverick thanks him. They shake hands and Maverick leaves. As covered, the choice was his.

------

Maverick rides by Charlie's place, but the "For Rent" sign shows that she's already checked out.

Maverick is flustered and leaves her place. In the next frame, he's sitting on his motorcycle, watching an F-14 land.

It's just becoming night.

He's pondering.

------

This is clearly the Top Gun graduation ceremony. It's by a pool somewhere. People are clapping.

Jester starts to talk about Top Gun. Some of the guys are wondering about Maverick.

In the next shot, the celebration has already started. Maverick shows up and congratulates Iceman and Slider.

Iceman wins the trophy due to Maverick’s loss of interest but there were no hard feelings.

A lot has happened for them to still be caught up in silly grudges.

Viper interrupts to let them know that there is a crisis situation and some of the guys need to leave immediately: Ice, Slider, Hollywood, Wolfman, and Maverick.

Viper lets Maverick know that he'll get his flying partner (RIO) when he gets to the aircraft carrier.

If he doesn't, though, he can call Viper, and he'll fly with him.

That's a big deal. The big, bad Viper was willing to fly with Maverick.

------

We're in a smoky and, it appears, very warm briefing room. Old boss Stinger is telling the drafted pilots about the situation.

A ship has wandered into hostile territory, and the pilots will be providing air support.

There are enemy planes near, and they're carrying dangerous missiles. The pilots are to fire if they "witness a hostile act."

Iceman and Hollywood are going up first. Maverick will be on standby as a backup. As the men begin to file out, Iceman expresses some reservations about Maverick.

Stinger knows Maverick is okay and tells him: "I know what's on your mind Kazansky just get on it."

------

In the air control tower, with the same operators during the film's opening scenes.

He's on the radio, and he tells Iceman ("Voodoo 1") that there are MiGs in the area.

Iceman and Slider have spotted the MiGs as well.

Maverick is waiting on deck, his air mask already on. He gently touches Goose's dog tags. Is Maverick going to be able to do this? We have to wonder.

Meanwhile, it turns out that there are 4 MiGs, not two. Uh-Oh.

Slider notices it (the audience, however, has already seen them). Then, another MiG shows up on the radar and gets Hollywood in a missile lock.

The enemy shoots them down... but it looks like Hollywood and Wolfman have ejected okay.

As such, Maverick launched... racing to get there so he could help Iceman out.

After all, Iceman is in big trouble. There are now six MiGs. He's doing his best to avoid them, but he needs help.

Maverick gets in range, and then there's a MiG on his tail. He avoids him, but gets caught in a jet wash again and goes into a spin.

Uh-oh. Goose was killed when Maverick couldn't get out of a spin.

He manages to recover, however, Merlin (Tim Robbins), his new RIO, is yelling at him to engage.

Maverick says "it's no good".

He doesn't have a shot.

It looks like his old problems are coming back, and that he still isn't able to get over Goose's death.

Stinger, and everybody else, especially Iceman and Slider, are irate.

Stinger, like usual, screams, "Goddamnit Maverick!"

Maverick asks Goose to talk to him, while Merlin can be heard yelling in the background.

Finally, with a new sense of heroism, Maverick re-engages in battle.

He talks to Iceman, gets the MiG on Iceman's tail in missile lock, and shoots him down.

Maverick runs into his own problems, and Merlin tells him to get out of there.

Maverick, however, has learned his lesson and will not leave his wingman.

Iceman's turn: he shoots down a MiG before taking some bullets to his plane. He loses an engine but he's okay.

Maverick shoots down another MiG and then has another one on his tail.

He lures him in close, much to Merlin's surprise, and then executes his trademark move: he hits the brakes, and the MiG blasts by!

Now it's Maverick's turn again. He gets the MiG in a lock and shoots him down.

Shocking the rest of the enemy MiGs to head for home.

It was a success. Prompting the air control tower celebrates.

Maverick, elated by his success, requests permission for a flyby, is denied, but does it anyway.

The same guy from before is manning the tower, and he again spills his coffee.

-----

Back on deck, all the pilots are celebrating, including Hollywood and Wolfman, who arrive safely via helicopter.

Iceman finds Maverick and tells him that he's still dangerous, but that he can be his wingman anytime.

Maverick says the same thing, and they hug.

In a tense battle scene, Iceman and Maverick are able to do significant damage to the enemy fleet, forcing the remaining planes to fly back and retreat.

Their collaborative teamwork saved the day, finally bringing them closer to respecting each other.

-------

A freshly showered Maverick is standing somewhere below deck, overlooking the water.

The Top Gun theme is still playing as he looks at Goose's dog tags again.

After contemplating it for a moment, Maverick hurls the dog tags into the ocean, saying a final farewell to Goose and proving that he's ready to move forward with his life.

Maverick lets go of Goose’s ashes and his guilt over his death.

It gives him a big sigh of relief to have finally overcome the pain of losing his dear friend.

-----

In the locker room, Maverick is getting his stuff together, and Stinger comes in.

He asks Maverick how it feels to be on the front page of every newspaper. Apparently, the Navy is giving him his choice of jobs.

Maverick says he's thinking about becoming an instructor.

Stinger blows a puff of smoke out of his mouth, he always has his cigar, and says: "Top Gun!?"

Maverick assents and Stinger says. "God help us."

As it turns out, Maverick did move on. Move on with his career. A career still close to Top Gun.

-----

Of course, the hero's resolution was still incomplete...

Back in Miramar, a.k.a. Fightertown, USA. Maverick is sitting at a bar. We see a hand put money in a jukebox."You've Lost that Loving Feeling" starts playing again.

Maverick's interest is piqued, and he approached the jukebox.

Wasn't this the song he awkwardly sang to court Charlie?

Sure enough, Charlie could be seen over Maverick's shoulder, and she says "Hello Pete Mitchell."

Both repeating lines they both used during their courtship.

Maverick starts by saying it could be complicated. She smiles, and they approach each other.

He puts his hands on her face and is about to kiss her as the scene closes.

Now, with the girl, the hero was complete!

With this, the film ends!

------

The credits started rolling and themes heard throughout the film were going to be played.

None of these mattered though.

After all, the premiere crowd was engrossed in something else.

Claps were sounding and a standing ovation could be seen.

Although most military men had some qualms, realism wasn't needed with how moving this motion picture already is!

This must be the charm of movies!

This must be the charm of Top Gun!