‘The Perfect Couple’ Ending Explained: How the Netflix Series Changed the Book’s Killer Finale

As someone who has spent a fair share of time immersed in the world of literature and storytelling, I must say that the changes made from the book to the screen adaptation of “The Perfect Couple” are quite intriguing. The addition of Tag’s character as a stoner, while not directly impacting the central mystery, certainly enriches the atmosphere and gives us a glimpse into the lives of these characters outside of the murder investigation.

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for all episodes of “The Perfect Couple.”

On a peaceful summer morning, a corpse appears on a sandy shore of Nantucket. A blood-curdling cry echoes through the calmness, causing an instant uproar in a well-known family.

The first episode of Netflix’s dramatic series “The Perfect Couple,” adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling novel, comes to an end. This show, masterminded by showrunner Jenna Lamia (“Good Girls”), focuses on Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson), whose wedding day takes a shocking turn when she finds the lifeless body of her maid of honor, Merritt Monaco (Meghann Fahy). As the authorities delve into Amelia and her fiancé’s family background, they uncover hidden secrets that threaten to shatter the pretenses everyone has been carefully constructing. This includes Benji’s overbearing mother Greer (Nicole Kidman) and his charming friend Shooter (Ishaan Khatter).

The Netflix debut of the show on September 5 signifies the completion of a five-year long development process, during which several modifications were incorporated into Nicholas Sparks’ original novel. EbMaster has prepared a comprehensive comparison between the book and the screen adaptation of “The Perfect Couple”, highlighting significant variations such as the dramatic finale.

Featherleigh Dale, meet Isabelle Adjani

In the show, I take on the captivating role of Isabel Nallet, a cunning and alluring character who is a longtime acquaintance of the Winbury family. Moreover, my character shares an intimate relationship with Thomas, their oldest son, hinting at a deeper connection that unfolds throughout the series.

As a devoted reader, I must admit that the character of Isabel doesn’t appear in the original book. Yet, if you look closely, you might find traces of her spirit in the enigmatic Featherleigh Dale. In Nicholas Sparks’ novel, Featherleigh is an uninvited British guest whose financial woes and self-centered behavior put a dampener on the weekend celebrations. Similar to Isabel, Featherleigh is involved with Thomas, but unlike her, Featherleigh is a bit of a troubled soul. However, she plays a pivotal role in unveiling the truth about Merritt’s death (I’ll share more details on that later).

Greer’s lore runs deep

In the TV adaptation of the mystery novel, the character of Matriarch Greer Winbury, portrayed brilliantly by Nicole Kidman, exhibits striking similarities to her literary counterpart while also introducing unexpected twists. Both characters are acclaimed murder mystery authors; however, Kidman’s Greer enjoys considerable success and arranges a lavish book launch party (possibly self-funded), whereas the book’s Greer grapples with rejuvenating her ailing series. Both characters maintain their composure and reserve in interactions with others. The TV show’s final episode of “The Perfect Couple” presents an unanticipated version of Greer. In a dramatic turn, she discloses to her adult children that she first met her husband Tag (Liev Schreiber) while working as an escort, and the persistent caller throughout the series, linked to the Turkish mafia according to the police, is actually her brother, Broderick Graham (Tommy Flanagan). The TV show’s Greer’s backstory and the existence of Broderick are not mentioned at all in the book.

Amelia’s parents have a much smaller role in the series

Though we get a glimpse of the bride’s relationship with her parents in the series, Celeste’s parents, Karen (Donna Lynne Champlin) and Bruce (Michael McGrady), are given much more space in the novel. A salesman who’s worked in a department store his whole life, Bruce drunkenly confides in Tag that while he’s never cheated on Karen, he briefly had intense feelings for a former colleague, Robin. Karen overhears and is stunned: though Bruce characterizes Robin as a woman to Tag, she knows that Robin, in fact, is a man. The scene has no real bearing on the murder mystery itself, as it serves mostly to deepen the relational dynamic between Karen and Bruce, so perhaps that’s why it was cut for the screen.

Tag is a stoner

In the series, Tag keeps lighting up. In the book, it’s unclear whether he knows what weed is.

The ending, explained

In the last installment of “The Perfect Couple,” it’s unveiled that Abigail (played by Dakota Fanning), Thomas’ pregnant wife, secretly adds one of Karen’s barbiturate pills to a glass of orange juice and hands it to a distraught Merritt, who is lounging on the beach. After Merritt consumes the drink, Abigail proposes they enter the water, where she forcibly submerges the maid of honor’s head until she drowns. The reason behind Abigail’s heinous act is financial: Thomas and Abigail were deeply in debt, and Thomas would have been able to tap into his trust once their youngest son, Will (Sam Nivola), turned 18. Merritt’s relationship with Tag, coupled with her pregnancy, complicated this scheme: if she had given birth, the countdown on Thomas’ trust fund would restart when the baby was born, and they’d have to wait until that child reached 18 before gaining access to the funds. Unwilling to endure such a long wait, Abigail opted for murder instead.

In the story, the authorities deem the drowning as an accident, with no identified murderer. It’s only Greer who uncovers the truth but chooses to keep it secret. Abigail learns about Thomas’ affair and attempts to drugg Featherleigh to prevent her from interfering with Abigail’s marriage. Instead, Featherleigh gives the drugged drink to Merritt. Merritt drinks it, confides in a family friend, who then departs, leaving Merritt alone. The maid of honor, reflecting on her past relationship with Tag, accidentally steps on broken glass and injures her foot. In an attempt to clean the wound, she wades into the water, finds a shiny object at the bottom – which turns out to be the ring that Tag had given her. Overwhelmed by memories, she dozes off and eventually drowns.

Flash forward

Towards the close of the last episode titled “The Perfect Couple”, we leap ahead six months into the future. During this time, Amelia has taken up a job at a London zoo and is seen guiding some kids around the penguin enclosure. It’s then that Greer approaches her from behind.

She presents a fresh piece of writing, a new manuscript for a book centered around Amelia, and shares that it’s this character who is the focus. In the midst of the penguin enclosure, they share an emotional exchange where Greer confesses her past dislike for Amelia but now harbors no such feelings. Instead, she expresses her newfound wish for a friendship with Amelia. The title of the upcoming book? “Your Turn.

This additional scene in the show isn’t found in the book, which concludes with Merritt’s drowning from her own viewpoint. It might be an effort to incorporate a metafictional aspect into the series, as it suggests the circular coincidence of a mystery novel writer experiencing a real-life mystery related to her writing. However, it remains unclear whether Amelia accepts the olive branch. The upbeat dance sequence at the end of the show –– where Susanne Bier, the director, dances with the characters –– could suggest that audiences find a sense of resolution, not necessarily on Nantucket’s shores, but perhaps in another realm’s splendor instead.

2024-09-07 00:17

‘The Perfect Couple’ Ending Explained: How the Netflix Series Changed the Book’s Killer Finale

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