Did Rachel escape the Something Very Bad is Going to Happen curse? Hidden loophole explained

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The popular book, ‘Something Very Bad is Going to Happen,’ has captivated readers, but its conclusion leaves many wondering about the story’s central curse and whether Rachel ultimately escapes it.

The new Netflix series is created by Haley Z. Boston and executive produced with the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers. The story follows Rachel (Camila Morrone), who travels to meet her fiancé Nicky’s (Adam DiMarco) family while preparing for their wedding.

At first, “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” seems like a typical horror story, especially with all the early warning signs. However, as the plot unfolds, you’ll discover a much deeper and more complex narrative than you initially expected.

The story revolves around a family curse, and it can be tricky to follow – particularly after the way things ended. So, let’s clarify everything. Be warned: this explanation contains spoilers!

Did Rachel escape the Something Very Bad is Going to Happen curse?

In the end, Rachel doesn’t break the curse. The book “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” concludes with her death, followed by rebirth as an immortal Witness. Importantly, the events leading up to sunset determine her destiny.

The curse itself is straightforward to understand, but difficult to break. Those affected have to marry their true soulmate before sunset on their wedding day. If they fail, they will either die, or the curse will jump to another family.

Okay, so in this game, a ‘soulmate’ isn’t some pre-destined thing, it’s all about how much you believe in that person. And honestly, even a tiny bit of doubt can completely ruin everything. When Nicky broke off the wedding, it hit me like a ton of bricks – I realized I didn’t actually believe he was the one anymore, and that whole ‘soulmate’ thing just… vanished. It was like the game over screen for us.

As the sun sets, the curse begins to affect Nicky’s family, tragically killing those who are married to the wrong person. Realizing his mistake and desperate to end the deaths, Nicky insists the marriage ceremony be finished.

However, the curse didn’t end there. It passed on to Rachel, who then became the new Witness – someone who lives forever and watches every wedding destined to fail.

The key question is why Rachel was the first to die. Although her marriage wasn’t officially completed until after the cutoff date, she had already exchanged vows before the deadline. This means her marriage to someone who wasn’t her soulmate still registered as valid.

One Reddit user pointed out that the curse seems to spread rather than move from person to person, which they accepted. However, they still questioned why Rachel’s death was triggered by a marriage happening late in the day, since the condition was to marry your soulmate by sunset, and she didn’t meet that requirement.

The rule about marriages ending at sunset doesn’t make sense and feels completely unnecessary. It also suggests that any marriage performed at night is destined to fail, as if the curse takes effect immediately and leads to death – which is a possibility, but a pretty weak one. It would have been much simpler to just have the restriction apply to the entire day.

Someone else pointed out that the prophecy seemed to state she’d die only if she married the wrong person – and that avoiding marriage altogether was what actually caused the curse to worsen.

It wasn’t immediately obvious how far the effects of the time change would reach, which caused some confusion. Ultimately, Rachel’s death occurred because she’d been married before sunset. This allowed Nicky to take advantage of a technicality by marrying her again after sunset.

The curse wasn’t lifted from her; it simply affected Nicky’s family as well. It didn’t move from her to them, it actually spread, much like an illness.

Even though the ending was quite dark, Morrone explained to Netflix that Rachel’s fate isn’t completely hopeless. Because she’s immortal and no longer controlled by Nicky, the creator believes it’s like a fresh start for her.

What is the loophole in the curse?

There’s a key weakness to the curse: it only becomes fully active when a couple becomes engaged. If someone avoids getting engaged, they still have the curse, but they won’t face a deadline or immediate danger. Unfortunately, Rachel didn’t know about this loophole before it was too late.

Just to be clear, the curse begins as soon as someone proposes. The person who proposed must either marry who they believe is their true love before sunset, die, or reject marriage and pass the curse on to another family line, becoming known as the Witness.

Rachel didn’t choose that alternative because she was unaware of it. She discovered the curse only after becoming engaged, and by then, she was already bound by its constraints.

The first Witness wasn’t much help either. Rather than explaining how things worked, he’d just ask victims a confusing question – “Are you sure he’s the one?” – forcing them to realize the truth on their own, often when it was too late.

Honestly, Rachel was doomed from the start. It felt like she didn’t even have time to figure out what was going on before she was suddenly scrambling to meet a deadline she never even knew existed. It was super frustrating to watch, like she was immediately thrown into the deep end!

Why do some people die and others survive?

The curse affecting Nicky’s family doesn’t kill everyone it touches. It’s only fatal for those who are related to Nicky and also married to someone they don’t feel is their true love.

Characters like Nicky, Boris, and Jules make it through because they truly believe they’ve found the right person.

Despite their conflicts and discussions about separating, Jules truly believes Nell (Karla Crome) is the one for him. Actor Jonathan Boston called this realization a “sweet” moment in an interview with Variety.

I really wanted Nell and Jules to have a relationship built on honesty,” she said. “But honesty doesn’t have to mean being harsh – you can be truthful while still being kind.

Something really stood out to us during the writing process, and we discussed it a lot in the writers’ room – particularly when deciding who would survive the finale. We found it particularly compelling to have Jules and Nell live, especially given that their marriage is falling apart.

They’re on the verge of ending things, but they’re committed to honest communication. They share everything with each other, so there are no secrets or hidden agendas between them.

Rachel and Nicky weren’t a romantic match, so it was really touching to see Nell and Jules finally become soulmates.

Not everyone fares as well. Those in families with already shaky marriages start to suffer almost instantly when the curse begins, and this includes Nicky’s mother, Victoria (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

What’s with the Barbie shoe, foxes, baby & wooden box?

The show ‘Something Very Bad is Going to Happen’ uses a lot of mysterious images and objects – like the Barbie shoe, foxes, and the abandoned baby in the first episode – but these mostly serve to mislead viewers and create a sense of unease rather than having a clear meaning.

The most puzzling part of the scene was Rachel climbing into a wooden box by the bed before being intimate with Nicky. However, actress Camila Morrone recently clarified what happened in an interview with Access Hollywood.

The mystery surrounding the box wasn’t about anything inappropriate; it was actually Rachel’s way of dealing with her anxiety. “The box was part of the script, and I didn’t get what it meant at first,” she said.

We initially saw the box as representing a safe, comforting space, almost like a womb. It helped me reconnect with myself, similar to how a calming technique can help when you’re feeling overwhelmed or lost in a new environment.

Then, during a creative session – ADR, I think – someone suggested a really unusual approach: simulating intimacy within the recording booth. It came across as sexual, probably because we immediately cut to a love scene, but the intention was actually to show Rachel finding her center and becoming grounded.

Then there’s Larry Poole, the unsettling frozen custard vendor at the Coldies stand. He initially seems like he might be important to the story, particularly since he was present when Rachel’s mother visited, but he doesn’t reappear later on.

As Julian Boston told Variety, the character is intentionally misleading and doesn’t reappear. He enjoyed creating a figure from Rachel and the Cunninghams’ history who would linger in their pasts.

In Episode 4, Jude is seen wearing a Coldy shirt. The writers also briefly discussed the idea that Larry Poole might have received financial help from the Cunninghams to start his first custard stand.

Okay, so with this character, especially at the beginning, the creators were intentionally throwing out a bunch of unsettling male figures. They wanted us to constantly ask ourselves, ‘Who is the Sorry Man?’ Like, is it that random guy at the bar? What about him? Could he be the Coldy killer? Or even Nicky’s dad? They really built up the mystery, making you question everyone!

We then linked the character to Rachel’s history, explaining why she recognized the logo – her mother had seen it before. I wanted to make that connection to her mother clear from the beginning.

The new thriller, “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen,” is now available on Netflix. While you’re there, don’t forget to explore other great shows and new movies, or check out our 2026 TV release calendar to see what’s coming soon!

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2026-04-03 16:54