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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Couple’ as well as Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same name.Netflix’s The Perfect Couple makes quite a few changes to the source material to bring to life American writer Elin Hilderbrand‘s mystery thriller novel of the same name. Featuring an ensemble cast including the likes of Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, and Dakota Fanning, the new Netflix series makes some creative choices that may surprise fans of the original 2018 novel. Undoubtedly, the biggest change to the source material revolves around the ending of the Netflix series. While the six-episode series retains Abby Winbury’s (Dakota Fanning) involvement as the one responsible for Merritt Monaco’s (Meghann Fahy) death, it converts the death of the character from an accidental drowning to an intended murder.
The change not only allows Dakota Fanning’s character to flourish in the role of the surprising antagonist, but it makes the outcome of The Perfect Couple a rather satisfying one for a fast-paced whodunit. While other changes also follow this change in the book’s ending, the creative decision to give Abby a strong motivation and make her the mastermind behind Merritt’s murder extends the Netflix series a lot of potential in terms of fleshing out a sumptuous murder mystery. Although the change may upset hardcore fans of the book, The Perfect Couple justifies the change in the book’s ending by offering the audience more.
How Is ‘The Perfect Couple’s Ending Different From the Book?
In Hilderbrand’s source material, the mystery of Merritt’s murder comes to an end in a starkly different way. In the Netflix series, the police arrest Abby at the Winbury property in Nantucket, paving the way for a flashback that gives insights into Abby’s motivations and execution of Merritt’s murder. It is revealed that Abby killed Merritt anticipating that the birth of Tag’s (Schrieber) child through Merritt would result in the release of the Winbury trust fund money being pushed by another 18 years until Tag’s child with Merritt turns that age. To avoid the risk of letting the birth of the child postpone the release of the money, Abby took matters into her own hands and murdered Merritt to resolve the complication once and for all. However, in Hilderbrand’s novel, Merritt’s death is only a matter of bad luck rather than a result of a conspiracy. Yes, Abby remains responsible for the death of Merritt in some fashion, but she is neither held responsible nor arrested for it in the book.
In the series, Abby’s husband, Thomas Winbury (Jack Reynor), is seen balancing an affair with Isabelle Adjani’s Isabel Nallet, a family friend of the Winburys, right under Abby’s nose. As revealed in Episode 6, Thomas’s affair with Isabel actually saves Thomas from being framed as the culprit by providing Thomas with an alibi. It turns out that Thomas spent the night with Isabel in a hotel. In the series, Isabel replaces a character named Featherleigh Dale, who has quite a controversial past of her own, from the book. However, in the source text, Thomas’ relationship with Featherleigh directly results in Merritt’s accidental death by drowning, thanks to Abby’s attempts at keeping Featherleigh at bay.
The book’s Abby spikes Featherleigh’s drink with sleeping pills taken from Greer’s (Kidman) pillbox, which Greer had left on the kitchen counter. However, instead of Featherleigh, Merritt ends up consuming the spiked drink. Later, when everybody had left, Merritt ended up injuring her foot with a broken piece of glass and approached the water by the beach to wash off the blood. Unfortunately, Merritt notices the silver ring given to her by Tag, that she had thrown into the water earlier after an argument with him. Wanting to keep it as a memoir to share with her child, Merritt reaches for the ring.
Dakota Fanning’s Abby Isn’t Arrested in the Book
The book’s ending suggests that Merritt accidentally drowns while trying to retrieve the ring, under the effects of the potent sleeping pills used by Greer. Importantly, the book’s ending presents the death as an accidental mishap resulting from the chaos inherent to the Winbury family. Consequently, Abby is never arrested in the book. The real mystery is only solved by Greer, who overhears a conversation between Abby and Thomas regarding Thomas’ relationship with Featherleigh. Much like the series, Greer knows that she must keep the secret to herself, in the interest of her family and its image. Having hit a dead end with no strong evidence, the police also declare the death as an accidental drowning.
‘The Perfect Couple’ Changes Its Book Ending To Make Itself More Enticing
The Perfect Couple‘s choice of holding Abby responsible for Merritt’s murder by virtue of her intention to kill Merritt purposefully adds a layer of complexity and thrill to the Netflix series. Firstly, the series presents itself as a twisty whodunit that keeps dropping hints at the killer’s identity throughout the episodes. For this to happen, the series definitely needed a killer in the form of Dakota Fanning’s Abby Winbury, who had the intent to kill Merritt and the genius to almost get away with it. For the reveal of Abby Winbury’s involvement in Merritt’s death to have the impact that it did, it was necessary for the series to make Abby guilty of the death in a true sense.
As suggested by creator Jenna Lamia in an interview with TheWrap, it was important for a mystery series on television to give its viewers a satisfying conclusion at the end of a thriller that keeps its audience on their toes. On the other hand, the book tends to lean on the side of delivering dramatic commentary by letting Merritt be a wronged victim at the hands of the Winbury family, in more than one way. By allowing the mystery to be resolved properly with Abby’s arrest, the series wraps up the entire story satisfyingly, delivering justice where it is due to Merritt and her friend Amelia (Ewe Hewson), who seems the only one emotionally affected by Merritt’s death. As a result, the cops, played by Michael Beach and Donna Lynne Champlin, also get to shine in the series, having solved a high-profile murder of an influencer.
The Perfect Couple‘s changed ending actually elevates the series from just a mystery drama to a perfectly crafted thriller which forces the audience to put on the detective hat and rewards their keen observation through well-placed clues. Also, by including a final friendly meeting between Kidman’s Greer and Hewson’s Amelia, the series reaches for more by shedding the spotlight on the female friendship it tries to cultivate between the two strong female characters. For a series that has punched quite above its weight with the success it has achieved, The Perfect Couple changes the book’s ending in a way that pays off well for everyone involved — the characters as well as the audience!
The Perfect Couple is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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