In the new Netflix series The Perfect Couple, everyone is a suspect but ultimately there can only be one murderer. As is typical in a whodunnit, the audience is led on a convoluted journey before finally discovering the culprit at the end.
Inspired by Elin Hilderbrand’s popular book, The Perfect Couple offers all the elements of a perfect beach read in a television series. With its thrilling murder plot and glamorous setting of a Nantucket wedding, it is the perfect combination of scandal and intrigue.
The all-star cast is another highlight of the film. Starring as the snooty mother-in-law is Nicole Kidman, with Dakota Fanning portraying her equally haughty daughter-in-law. Liev Schreiber, known for his roles in horror films, plays the laid-back “DILF.”Eve Hewson from “Behind Her Eyes”takes on the lead role of Amelia, while Meghann Fahy, known for her role in “White Lotus,”plays Amelia’s best friend.
However, one could argue that the most surprising casting choice of all is Isabelle Adjani, known for her unforgettable role in the cult horror film Possession. All of these elements combine to create The Perfect Couple, a series that is perfect for binge-watching. Before delving into the ending, be forewarned: spoilers ahead!
Who gets killed?
Amelia is devastated when she discovers the body of her best friend, Merritt Monaco, on the beach near her fiancé’s family estate the day before her wedding.
Merritt is killed before the wedding
Despite Tag Winbury (played by Schreiber), the father-in-law of the main character, initially claiming that the death was an accident due to heavy drinking at the rehearsal dinner, detectives Dan (played by Michael Beach) and Nikki (played by Donna Lynne Champlin) quickly realize that they are dealing with a homicide investigation.
As their investigation continues, it takes a sinister turn as they discover that she had a high level of drugs in her system at the time of her death by drowning. However, the case becomes complicated as there are numerous potential suspects.
The Perfect Couple Suspects and Motives
From left to right: Amelia, Will, Greer, Benji, Tag, Abby, and Thomas
Apart from Amelia and her parents, nearly every character is considered a suspect at some point, therefore, here is a summary of who they are and their potential motives:
- Greer Garrison Winbury (Kidman) – The matriarch and breadwinner of the family likes to keep up the image of perfection to the world (she even has a PR team). So, when she discovers her husband Tag was having an affair with Merritt, she might have wanted to get rid of her quietly…
- Tag Winbury – An obvious choice and the first on detectives’ radar, given he was a) having an affair with Merritt and b) had gotten her pregnant, which could unravel the comfortable life he’s secured by marrying Greer
- Abby Winbury (Fanning) – The pregnant wife of the douchebag Winbury son Thomas (Jack Reynor) isn’t the most pleasant of people, and she’s not completely out of the running due to her jealous streak
- Amelia’s fiancé, Benji Winbury (played by Billy Howle), is one of the few kind members of the family. However, like the rest of them, he too has a history of keeping their secrets hidden. Could this be one of them?
- Shooter Dival (Ishaan Khatter) – Benji’s best man and a longtime family friend, Shooter is established as one of the key suspects early on after his fingerprints are found on Merritt’s phone, he tries to flee the island during the investigation, and he made a $300k payment to Greer
- Thomas Winbury – As said, he’s a bit of a douche, and has a mean temper on him. There’s all the chance he could have lashed out after finding out about Merritt’s pregnancy, especially if it jeopardized his family (and therefore his lavish lifestyle)
- Sam Nivola portrays Will Winbury, the youngest son of the Winbury family. He is a typical teenager who becomes infatuated with Merritt. The detectives discover that he had her bracelet on the night of her murder, leaving them to wonder if there is a deeper connection between the two.
- Isabel Nallet (Isabelle Adjani) – There’s little reason to suspect Isabel, a family friend who has romantic history with Tag and now Thomas, although in this case, most of them are suspects
The Actual Murderer: The Least Suspected Culprit
After numerous misleading clues and nearly every character in The Perfect Couple being suspected of the crime, it is ultimately uncovered that Abby was the one who killed Merritt.
Abby was the culprit all along
After careful thought and deliberation, Dan and Nikki have come to the conclusion that they have solved the mystery. As a reminder, there was a sum of $300,000 involved. Their investigation uncovers a scheme involving Greer, Shooter, and a mysterious individual known as Broderick.
Despite her wealth, Shooter loaned the money to Greer, which was peculiar. The funds were then wired to Broderick, leading the detectives to suspect their involvement in a murder-for-hire scheme.
Following intense questioning, the truth is revealed: Broderick is, in fact, Greer’s brother. He had accumulated a debt due to his gambling addiction and Greer came to his rescue by paying it off.
Shooter had lent her the money as a display of his loyalty and because, in fact, he is even wealthier than she is.
Despite her desperate attempts to maintain a facade of perfection to those around her, her brother remained unknown due to her determination. However, as the Netflix series progresses, her attitude begins to shift.
Despite reaching what seems like another dead end, an unforeseen piece of information is delivered by Amelia’s mother, Karen (Dendrie Taylor). This revelation sheds light on her battle with cancer, which has been fluctuating in terms of her health.
During her stay at the Winbury home, she had discreetly brought three pills with her. The purpose of these medications remains unknown at this time.
Upon discovering that Merritt had drugs in her system at the time of her death, it was revealed that they were euthanasia pills. She had kept this truth to herself, only to be revealed after her passing. These pills were meant to be used in case of a sudden decline in her health, when she was in unbearable pain.
While a single one may not have been lethal, it would definitely have rendered a person unconscious.
Thomas stole Amelia’s mom’s pills from her room
Upon informing the police and the rest of the family, Benji recalls something – Thomas has a penchant for a game called “prescription roulette.”As the name suggests, he would sneak into each person’s room, pilfer their medications, and invite others to participate in the game.
Upon being informed of this, Thomas is brought in for interrogation, during which the detectives highlight the potential consequences he could face if they are able to demonstrate that Merritt’s death was a result of his carelessness.
However, he has a different suspect in mind: Isabel. He alleges that he is in debt to her for $2.5 million, a sum he agreed to pay her upon receiving his trust fund. This money is only accessible once the youngest Winbury offspring reaches the age of 18.
Will was expected to receive the cash soon, but with Merritt’s pregnancy, Isabel would now have to wait an additional 18 years. As a result, another arrest is made and another round of interrogation takes place.
The theory is quickly disproven when Isabel clarifies that she has enough money and never anticipated receiving repayment from Thomas.
Despite the abundance of evidence, the most convincing proof is that she was not present when Merritt passed away. Instead, she was with Thomas at the nearby Sand Dollar motel, as confirmed by the dashcam footage from the cab driver.
All of this ultimately points to Abby. A crucial piece of evidence is her statement to the police that she went to bed at 10:30pm on the night of the murder. However, she later revealed that she woke up when Thomas came to bed at 1:30am, which would not have been possible if he had been out with Isabel.
Isabel and Thomas were off canoodling when Merritt was killed
After the incident, Nikki recalled a comment made by the housemaid Gosia (Irina Dubova) about Abby always giving orders. However, the next morning, when Nikki saw Abby washing her own glass in the kitchen, she appeared noticeably anxious.
It is possible that this glass was the one used to transport the drugs to Merritt. However, Abby had washed it, so forensics was unable to find any evidence. Nevertheless, a substance identified as tallow was discovered in Merritt’s hair.
Despite appearing insignificant, as disclosed earlier in The Perfect Couple, Abby has a tendency to utilize FDA-prohibited skincare items, such as a body lotion that contains tallow. This was alluded to during her initial interrogation by the police.
The last missing component is the motive, which is identical to what was claimed to be Isabel’s: money. Abby had been urging Thomas to request a loan from his father, as she desired to upgrade to a better house.
Despite the fact that she has shown to be the most materialistic member of the family, it is evident that the thought of waiting another 18 years for her husband’s trust fund was the motive behind her committing murder throughout the new series.
After these shocking revelations, the true events of that night are finally revealed to us. Upon seeing Merritt on the beach, Abby proceeded to crush the pills, mix them into a drink, and offer it to her under the guise of comforting her amidst the tumultuous consequences of her pregnancy.
Abby convinced Merritt to join her for a night swim, and by then the drugs had begun to take effect. Seizing the chance, Abby held Merritt’s head underwater until she drowned. This explains the presence of tallow in her hair.
After connecting the dots, the detectives arrest Abby, ultimately bringing an end to the mystery.
Explaining the ending of The Perfect Couple
Despite the fact that Abby’s arrest will not bring Merritt back, there is a sense of closure in the end. Greer, who has made the decision to end the pretense, seeks out Amelia to gain her approval on the manuscript for her upcoming book.
The ending sees closure for Amelia and Greer
Throughout The Perfect Couple, Greer has dedicated herself to managing her public persona, making sure to portray herself as having a happy family, a beautiful home, and a thriving career as a accomplished writer.
Despite her outward appearance, she is not content. She becomes increasingly irritated with Tag’s infidelity, always having to hide his affairs, and she shows little warmth towards the genuine Amelia.
Following Merritt’s murder, a series of events unfold, ultimately resulting in the disclosure of her brother’s involvement. Once they are released by the police, she takes Broderick to their Nantucket estate, where she makes the decision to reveal the truth to the rest of their family.
Despite their previous claims, Greer and Tag did not actually meet at a “gallery opening.”The truth is that Greer had been working as an escort and Tag was one of her clients. Tired of living a lie, Greer is now seeking a divorce.
Despite Tag’s initial hesitation, Greer ultimately agrees to let him remain in Nantucket while she moves to the city to write a book about her time on the island. Meanwhile, Amelia and Benji had already decided to end their relationship, but they reconcile before she departs from Nantucket.
At the end of the story, we learn that she has settled in London and returned to her job as a zookeeper. Greer successfully locates her and they reconcile, with her finally confessing her jealousy.
Greer hands her a manuscript for her next book, which is titled ‘Your Call’. Unlike her previous works that focused on her own life, this one is about Amelia. Greer encourages her to read it and if she likes it, to give her a call and have dinner together. She expresses her hope that the person will call as she would love to see them.
Will there be a Season 2?
There is a low chance that a second season will be produced due to two reasons. The first being that Hilderbrand’s novel, The Perfect Couple, currently does not have a sequel. Additionally, the show is a limited series, with the entire story being told within six episodes.
Should the Netflix series be deemed successful, the streaming service may consider creating a follow-up by adapting another one of Hilderbrand’s novels. However, the plot would be distinct and feature new characters. We will keep you updated if there are any changes to this scenario.
For the latest Netflix updates, be sure to stay up-to-date with everything we know about the upcoming seasons of Virgin River, Stranger Things, and Wednesday.
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