As a seasoned observer of human drama and a connoisseur of dark comedy, I must say that “The Perfect Couple” has left me utterly captivated. This miniseries, with its intricate plot twists, masterful performances, and biting wit, is a true testament to the power of storytelling.
Netflix launched its highly anticipated September lineup with the premiere of “The Perfect Couple”, a limited series, which debuted towards the start of the month. This series is an adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novel, often referred to as the “queen of beach reads” by New York magazine. The story unfolds around the affluent Winbury family who are busy planning a wedding, but their preparations are abruptly halted when a body appears on the beach. The unfortunate victim is later identified as Merritt Monaco (Meghann Fahy), who was close friend and maid of honor-to-be of the bride-to-be Amelia Sacks (Eve Hewson).
Initially, it appears that Amelia was the only significant link between Merritt and the Winbury family. However, as “The Perfect Couple” progresses, this notion is disproven – not just were there others with a past involving Merritt, but virtually everyone could have gained something by her disappearance for various reasons. Therefore, we delve into unraveling who killed Merritt, the motivations behind it, and how these events connect to those before and after her demise. In this exploration, we’ll gather insights from some of “The Perfect Couple”‘s cast members as well as creative minds behind the series.
What you need to remember about the plot of The Perfect Couple
The majority of events depicted in “The Perfect Couple” unfold at a luxurious beachfront mansion belonging to the Winbury family on Nantucket. Greer Garrison Winbury (portrayed by Nicole Kidman) is the matriarch, an accomplished and highly successful author of mystery novels. She resides primarily with her husband Tag (played by Liev Schreiber) and their youngest child Will (Sam Nivola). The adult children Benji (Billy Howle) and Thomas (Jack Reynor), along with Thomas’ spouse Abby (Dakota Fanning), attend the wedding of Benji and Amelia. Additionally, Amelia’s close friend Merritt, as well as Benji’s longtime companion Shooter Dival (Ishaan Khatter), are also present in town.
Despite a successful rehearsal dinner, the actual wedding gets postponed when Merritt’s body is found on the beach. The authorities arrive to probe into the matter, uncovering several possible suspects among the Winbury family and their associates. Relationship tensions were already running high between Amelia and the Winburys, who felt she wasn’t good enough for Benji. However, Merritt’s demise significantly intensifies the dynamics of almost every connection within the group – be it friendly, familial, romantic, or otherwise. Finger-pointing ensues, accusations are hurled, and everyone soon finds themselves at odds as shocking truths emerge one after another.
Why was Merritt’s pregnancy going to cause problems?
Ultimately, it comes to light that Merritt was carrying Tag’s child at the time of her death, which places both Tag and Greer high on the list of suspects – Tag due to the obvious motive, and Greer because a love child with another woman could damage the image of their perfect couple status. This flawless image is crucial to Greer’s reputation as a writer, as it forms the basis of her brand.
However, since Merritt has Tag’s child, it poses significant challenges for the Winbury children, especially concerning their family trust. The boys must all reach the age of 18 to gain access to this trust, with Will nearing this milestone. This impending event would bring them closer to financial independence. Yet, Merritt’s baby would also be considered Tag’s child, implying that the trust wouldn’t become accessible until that baby turns 18 as well. While Benji and Amelia don’t seem greedy for money, Thomas and Abby appear to be more financially motivated, and they might resort to extreme measures to secure that trust money ahead of schedule.
Apart from Thomas’s girlfriend, Isabel Nallet – a friend of the Winbury family and portrayed by Isabelle Adjani in this context – has loaned Thomas $2 million and expects repayment once he receives his trust money. This suggests that at least five individuals might have a strong reason for wanting Merritt out of the picture since she was carrying Tag’s child, creating a potentially powerful motive for their actions.
What happened at the end of The Perfect Couple?
In the TV series “The Perfect Couple,” we get a peek at the events surrounding Merritt’s death from different characters, some more involved than others. However, it is only in the final episode that we witness the entire chain of incidents leading to Merritt’s drowning. During this argument with Tag about their affair, Merritt doesn’t meet her end at his hands. Interestingly, Thomas, who had contemplated both persuading Merritt to terminate her pregnancy and attempting to shoot her, ultimately chooses not to carry out either plan in the end.
Instead, it’s actually Abby who commits the murder of Merritt. From a balcony, she observes as Thomas and Isabel depart together following Isabel calming Thomas down from his intentions to harm Merritt. In response, Abby decides to act independently. She descends to the beach and feigns consoling a distraught Merritt. This gesture of support comes with a spiked drink meant to incapacitate her. Abby then proposes they both take a swim. Once Merritt is in the water, the effects of the drugged drink cause her to feel faint, making her weak and susceptible. Seizing the opportunity, Abby submerges Merritt’s head underwater until she drowns.
Why was Merritt’s death in the book different from the show?
In contrast to some TV adaptations that disregard their source material, “The Perfect Couple” didn’t fall into that category. However, during the transition from book to film, certain adjustments were made, such as altering the manner in which Merritt met his end.
In the original story, Merritt meets her untimely death by drowning due to a drug-laced drink provided by Abby. Interestingly, Abby intended to poison Featherleigh Dale’s drink as retaliation for her affair with Thomas, but it was Merritt who unknowingly drank the poisoned cocktail instead. Tragically, Merritt subsequently drowned in a swimming accident after consuming the drugs.
The main reason for altering the show was due to its creator, Jenna Lamia, feeling that the novel’s conclusion heavily relied on the ability to hear Merritt’s internal thoughts through voiceover. If they were to heavily rely on voiceovers, it might not work or be as effective for this particular series. Instead, Lamia decided it would be more intriguing for viewers to discover that the murderer had a clear intention to kill their victim. Furthermore, Abby’s motivations needed to go beyond jealousy, so elements like pregnancy and a trust fund were added to provide Abby with the necessary reasons to want to kill Merritt.
Is Abby the only person actually responsible for Merritt’s death?
One night, both Tag and Will engage with Merritt, unknowingly becoming part of a tragic event as Merritt is later murdered. During their interaction, Merritt confides in Tag about her pregnancy, but his response is less than ideal; although he seems to accept the news, he declares that he has no plans to leave Greer for her. This response upset Merritt and leaves her vulnerable. Meanwhile, Abby takes advantage of this vulnerability. Overhearing this conversation between Merritt and Tag’s father, Will – who harbors feelings for Merritt – offers his support. Additionally, he discovers Merritt’s bracelet on the beach, deciding to keep it safe for her.
Although neither Tag nor Will played a direct role in Merritt’s death, they failed to inform the police about their encounter with her before she passed away. Similarly, Isabel was initially suspected due to her desire for Thomas to receive the trust money, but there’s no evidence suggesting she harmed Merritt that night. In fact, it’s possible that Isabel may have prevented Thomas from causing any harm to Merritt.
Apart from Abby, only Thomas possesses the drugs that Abby utilizes to incapacitate someone. Consequently, it was Thomas who indirectly played a role in Merritt’s demise. However, he is absolved of any criminal charges once it’s disclosed that he had the pills for personal use, and there’s no evidence suggesting he intended to harm Merritt or anyone else with them.
What did Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber say about the ending?
Absolutely, the main actors from “The Perfect Couple” may hold their own opinions regarding how the series concluded, with Abby being revealed as the culprit. Liev Schreiber supported altering the ending compared to its presentation in the novel, explaining to USA Today, “We needed to modify (the ending) so the viewers wouldn’t anticipate what was unfolding. We required that aspect of surprise. It wasn’t just crucial for the book but significantly more so for the television series.
Schreiber highly appreciated Dakota Fanning’s performance as Abby Winbury, the transformative heiress-turned-murderer. He noted that the actress and character were poles apart, with Abby being referred to as “the queen of vapid” on screen, while Fanning was deemed “truly intelligent”. However, Fanning’s portrayal of vapidness was so convincing that it was laugh-out-loud funny. Kidman added her compliments for Fanning and emphasized that “The Perfect Couple” is a series that becomes even more intriguing upon rewatching after knowing the outcome. She explained that revisiting the show reveals its multiple layers, making it similar to classic mystery shows of all time.
Which couples in The Perfect Couple were still together at the end?
In “The Perfect Couple,” we initially encounter four primary pairs: Tag with Greer, Benji with Amelia, Thomas with Abby, and Bruce and Karen Sacks, who are Amelia’s parents. Additionally, there seems to be an emerging relationship between Will and Chloe, the police chief’s daughter. Furthermore, there are several secondary pairings such as Thomas and Isabel, Tag and Merritt, and eventually, we learn about Amelia and Shooter. Some of these couples might even vie for the title of most problematic pairs in television.
As a fan, I find myself pondering which relationships seem to stand the test of time, based on what we’ve seen so far. Amelia realizes that Benji isn’t her future husband, and she steps back from their relationship. She also doesn’t pursue her brief encounter with Shooter; instead, she chooses to focus on self-discovery. Tag and Greer’s marriage sadly disintegrates in a dramatic fashion, leading to Greer filing for divorce. It remains unclear if Thomas intends to wait for Abby, but it appears that Abby is going to be incarcerated for an extended period. The show doesn’t provide any answers about whether Thomas finds solace in Isabel’s arms during Abby’s imprisonment.
While Amelia’s parents exit the situation unaffected, it’s evident that Karen, who was the focus of hastily arranging the wedding so she could witness her daughter’s nuptials despite her cancer, has limited time left.
How does Dakota Fanning feel about playing the killer?
As reported by Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning took pleasure in portraying a murderer in “The Perfect Couple” and relished teasing her co-stars about it. However, what does Fanning herself reveal about embodying the cunning killer Abby Winbury? In an interview with Vanity Fair, she expressed that even before reading the script, she was aware of being assigned the murder role, and admitted to being genuinely excited about it. Fanning was the second cast member, following Nicole Kidman, for “The Perfect Couple”, and had previously collaborated with the show’s director and executive producer Susanne Bier on the 2022 Showtime series “The First Lady”.
Fanning enthusiastically shared her delight in immersing herself in an exaggerated setting to portray a character whose actions drive the core plotline. She found it thrilling to indulge in the mischievous antics, she added. Furthermore, she disclosed that she and Jack Reynor, their on-screen counterpart Thomas, enjoyed creating small subplots for Abby and Thomas during filming. By the end of production, they had formed a strong bond and became good friends.
Do Amelia and Greer mend fences at the end?
In “The Perfect Couple”, the main tension isn’t just about identifying Merritt’s murderer; rather, it seems to primarily revolve around the strained relationship between Amelia and Greer. Greer doubts Amelia’s suitability for her brother Benji, and even questions whether Amelia truly loves him. On the other hand, Amelia feels out of place within the Winbury family as a whole, but particularly senses that Greer is frequently critical and nitpicking towards her.
To underscore that Amelia and Greer’s conflict is central to the series, the final episode of “The Perfect Couple” concludes with a future scene exclusively focused on these two characters reuniting six months down the line. In this reunion, Greer pursues Amelia, who, as Greer points out, had intentionally become elusive, and now holds a job at a zoo.
Greer continues her career as an author, but this time her latest work revolves around Amelia. She requests Amelia to review the book before proceeding further, emphasizing the importance of her approval. Despite past disagreements between them, Greer acknowledges a deeper connection than initially perceived during their history and while working on the book. The story concludes with Greer proposing a meeting in the future and expressing a desire for friendship, an offer Amelia accepts warmly.
Why was Abby’s line about staying on the periphery so prescient?
In the trailer for “The Perfect Couple,” a comment made by Abby subtly hints at her guilt in the storyline. To Amelia, who’s marrying into the Winbury family and struggling to fit in, Abby suggests, “Keep your distance. That’s what I do.” At first glance, this advice might seem harmless, but it is Abby’s position on the outskirts that enables her to commit murder without raising suspicion for some time. Moreover, she becomes almost completely overlooked as a suspect in the investigation.
Initially, it is only after Abby is exposed as the murderer that viewers start noticing subtle indications of her guilt scattered throughout the series, which mostly go unnoticed since most characters appear to be preoccupied with other matters. However, Abby has a peculiar duality: she dislikes being ignored and craves attention, even if it’s just occasional. To maintain this balance, she often makes sharp comments that captivate everyone momentarily before slipping back into obscurity once more. Although she prefers to remain on the sidelines, she occasionally cannot resist creating a stir.
The cast and crew talk potential future seasons of The Perfect Couple
Despite being labeled as a miniseries, “The Perfect Couple” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fated to be among short-lived TV shows. On the contrary, based on feedback from the actors and creative personnel involved, there seems to be potential for the series to continue beyond its initial six episodes, possibly even developing into a long-running franchise. Additionally, given that it was a hit on Netflix in terms of ratings, it’s plausible to guess that the streaming service might support more episodes if that were an option.
Showrunner Jenna Lamia has emphasized that the series is intended as a standalone miniseries and fans shouldn’t expect more from these characters. However, when speaking with Town & Country, she hinted at the possibility of a second season, stating, “I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. There are certainly unanswered questions at the end.
Elin Hilderbrand, the author of the original book and a supporter of the adaptation, expressed her desire for more stories about these characters than what was presented in the six episodes, hinting that another season would receive her endorsement. Actress Eve Hewson mentioned that Nicole Kidman is open to returning for another season, an idea also hinted by Kidman herself. However, Hewson stated that she might not participate as she believes Amelia’s story within that universe has been fully explored.
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2024-11-20 00:31