If there’s a complaint to be leveled at Netflix’s otherwise very good whodunit The Perfect Couple, it’s that the ending is a little predictable. I, for one, figured out the identity of the killer about midway through, though this isn’t as much of a criticism as you’d think. The show isn’t exactly subtle about it, and Episode 6, “That Feels Better”, is more about the catharsis of the inevitable outcome than the surprise of a last-minute twist.
Let’s just get to the important stuff and work outward from there.
Who Killed Merritt Monaco?
The entire series hinges on the answer to this question, and the finale provides it – Abby killed Merrit.
As mentioned above, this isn’t exactly a surprise. Abby has been shown all throughout the season as cruel, nasty, and self-obsessed. She has married into money, but she knows her husband is a degenerate. She’s desperate to preserve the lifestyle she has come to enjoy, and the only way to do that is to take matters into her own hands.
That means getting rid of Merritt. But why?
It’s All About the Money – What Else?
The key revelation about Merritt is not that she was having an affair with Tag. It’s that she was pregnant with his child.
Money. What else would rich people kill for but the one thing they already have too much of?
Ironically, Abby’s motive is revealed as Isabel’s motive, since at the time she’s the prime suspect. But as soon as the idea is raised, it becomes obvious that Abby had more to gain from the murder than Isabel did.
It’s about the trust fund. The Winbury boys only get access to their many millions when the youngest sibling turns 18, which Will is about to in a few weeks. If Merritt gave birth to Tag’s child, it would be another 18 years before the money was divvied up. Abby couldn’t wait that long.
How Did Abby Murder Merritt?
With all the evidence that has mounted up over the season, it’s eventually very easy for Nikki and Chief Carter to put the pieces together. For good measure, though, when Abby is finally arrested, we’re shown how the murder went down.
It was simple enough. Abby drugged Merritt using the barbiturate that Thomas had stolen from Amelia’s mother. The pill was one of three, intended for euthanasia in the worst case scenario. One wasn’t fatal on its own, but it was enough to render Merritt weak and manipulable.
Once Merritt was dosed, Abby led her into the sea and drowned her. At no point did her expression change. A true psycho, right to the end.
A Happy Ending?
It’s odd to say that The Perfect Couple has a happy ending, but it really kind of does.
Perhaps it’s fair to say that none of the key couples – Greer and Tag, Thomas and Isabel, and even Will and Chloe – are especially happy, but that’s mostly the point. Their default state is nasty bickering. The mega-rich have nothing else to do.
Amelia and Benji don’t stay together – how could they, really? – but they seem to part amicably enough. Six months later, Amelia is back in London working in the zoo where Benji met her. But this time, it’s a different Winbury she’s approached by.
Greer has written a new book. It’s about Amelia, and partially dedicated to Merritt. Greer hopes that if Amelia likes the novel, she’ll give her a call sometime.
How things change. And how they stay the same.
What did you think of the ending of The Perfect Couple? Let us know in the comments. In the meantime, you can check out my review of the series and a complete breakdown of every episode.
