Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Sweetpea season 1’s finale.After six highly entertaining episodes,Sweetpeaconcluded in dramatic fashion and Starz’s comedy-drama show’s shocking finale undoubtedly left audiences wanting more thanks to its big twist. With Ella Purnell continuing her fantastic 2024 in the lead role and delivering another great performance,Sweetpea’s exciting castalso played a vital part in the final episode, creating a dark ending that was hard to anticipate. Despite committing a series of murders, Rhiannon looks in line to get her happy ending in the finale when she breaks things off with Craig and spends the night with AJ, beginning their romantic relationship.
WhileRhiannon becoming a killer inSweetpea’sopening episode took a toll on her, she seems to have put her violent past behind her after starting her so-called life 2.0. As a result, her love story with AJ appears to be the fresh start she needs, butthe show throws a huge curveball by ending with Rhiannon killing her new partner as her sister walks through the door. The shocking climax leaves the protagonist’s fate a bit of a mystery and undoubtedly creates questions about what happens next, but the tragic ending perfectly rounded off Rhiannon’s chaotic journey.
Why Rhiannon Kills AJ
AJ Found Out Rhiannon Was Responsible For Sweetpea’s Murders
AlthoughSweetpeawas full of shocking moments, Rhiannon killing AJ was undeniably the show’s biggest twist, but it didn’t happen out of the blue. Having spent most of her life feeling invisible, Rhiannon met AJ duringSweetpeaepisode 1and the reporter was warm and welcoming to her despite the protagonist being in a dark place. Unfortunately, AJ’s loving personality wasn’t embraced by Rhiannon right away as she took some time to come around to him, but the duo’s chemistry slowly built throughout the season, leading to them finally hooking up in the finale and beginning a romantic relationship.
As the couple spends the morning together,AJ reveals he made a new police contact who sent him a picture of the murder weapon that had been used throughoutSweetpea. While this was supposed to be a proud moment for the young journalist, he quickly recognizes the knife, creating an awkward encounter with Rhiannon. As he begins asking about the weapon, it’s clear AJ is putting the pieces together and desperately searches for Rhiannon’s knife, hoping she isn’t involved.
Rhiannon tries to calm him down and explain herself before finally revealing the truth, claiming her victims were bad people and that their deaths made the world better. Naturally, AJ is appalled by her actions and even calls her a monster, which seems to hurt and anger the protagonist. The horrific revelation results in AJ attempting to leave Rhiannon’s house, but she prevents him by pulling him into a hug and claiming that he can’t leave, before grabbing a knife from the kitchen table and stabbing AJ in a heart-wrenching conclusion.
Rhiannon’s final kill is completely different from the rest of her murders, as her previous actions were all about making the world better in her eyes.
She proceeds to stab him repeatedly while tearing up as AJ bleeds out in her arms, and although she doesn’t want to kill him, Rhiannon obviously feels AJ learning the truth is too dangerous, forcing her to make this cold decision. Her final kill is completely different from the rest of her murders, as her previous actions were all about making the world better in her eyes. However,murdering AJ puts an even darker twist on Rhainnon’s killing spreeand, with her sister walking in on the scene, the final moments seal a haunting ending that explainsSweetpea’s great reviews.
Does Rhiannon Get Away With Her Murders?
The Protagonist Manages To Maintain Her Freedom, At Least For Now
Despite killing four people and kidnapping another throughoutSweetpea’s first season, Rhiannon does get away with her murders, but it comes at a cost. After attempting to kill Julia inSweetpeaepisode 3, the protagonist’s former bully turns out to be the only intended victim who survives, and she even ends up working with Rhiannon to earn their freedom. The duo makes a plan to frame Marcus in episode 5, resulting in Rhiannon pushing him to his death shortly before the police show up, which sets up the finale’s opening scene with Rhiannon and Julia at the police station.
The pair face intense interrogations, but they both stick with their story and are released, subsequently achieving their freedom while putting the past behind them. Managing to deceive the police and overcome her past with Julia may suggest the protagonist can move on with her life with a weight off her shoulders, but this isn’t entirely true. While out celebrating her newfound freedom with Julia, Rhiannon’s house is broken into by Marina, who is still convinced the protagonist is the killer and she eventually finds the CCTV footage to prove it.
Sweetpea Season 1 Soundtrack Guide: Every Song From Every Episode
Sweetpea’s memorable soundtrack helps add a tense yet lively atmosphere to the comedy-drama and features the likes of Billie Eilish and Katy Perry.
Although she can’t use the evidence, Marina confronts Rhiannon and claims to know the truth before telling the protagonist that she’ll be waiting for her to kill again, meaning the central character will constantly be looking over her shoulder in the future. In addition to Marina’s discovery, Julia also knows exactly what Rhiannon did, while Jeff and AJ also find out she was the killer before their deaths. Even Craig has his suspicions and, with Seren walking in on the final murder, it’s obviousRhiannon’s freedom doesn’t guarantee she will stay out of trouble for long.
What Happens To Julia In Sweetpea’s Finale
Julia’s Ending Suggests She Left The Country After Telling Her Story
Having spent over a week in captivity, Julia remarkably survivesSweetpea’s ending after being released from police questioning, but her uncertain ending leaves a pessimistic vibe around her fate. Initially presented as Rhiannon’s irredeemable school bully, Julia seemed poised to beSweetpea’s main antagonist who the audience would constantly root against. However, watching her take accountability for her previous actions and opening up about her own personal issues made her much more likable, and she even became friends with Rhiannon, at least momentarily.
Rather than facing the press, Julia goes to Rhiannon in the finale, where the two agree to move on and celebrate at the club. Their wild night out allows them to bond further and Julia agrees to do an interview with The Gazette, giving her the chance to take control of the story and present her version of events. While this seems like a good idea on paper, Julia’s interview creates tension between her and Rhiannon when she mentions how humiliated she felt while being gagged and tied up, resulting in Julia ending the interview abruptly.
When Rhiannon asks if the two are still on good terms, Julia reassures her and claims she is just hungover from the previous night. However, despite promising to visit Rhiannon later, Julia never shows up and instead appears to buy a plane ticket using the protagonist’s card that she had after buying drugs at the club.Sweetpeanever confirms whether Julia actually leaves the country or not, but Rhiannon receiving a bill from British Airways all but confirms the former bully’s story ends with her leaving town, which is a bittersweet conclusion to her redemption arc.
Was Marina AJ’s Police Source?
Sweetpea Keeps AJ’s Police Contact A Mystery
Intentionally or not, AJ’s police source is one of the biggest reasons he was killed during the finale, butSweetpeanever reveals who his new contact is. Marina seems like the obvious candidate considering she is hellbent on seeing Rhiannon go down for her actions, hence why she would potentially risk sending such a confidential piece of information to a reporter shortly after meeting him. Assuming she is the one who sent AJ the photo, she will have strong reason to suspect Rhiannon killed him when AJ’s disappearance is reported, putting more pressure on the protagonist going forward.
My Biggest Fear For Ella Purnell’s New Show Came True In The Very First Episode
Ella Purnell leads Starz’s new show Sweetpea as Rhiannon, a woman who suffers a lot of loss and trauma, including a few dark events in episode 1.
On paper, this sounds like great news for Marina, but the reality is far different. Sending a reporter a picture of a murder weapon is completely irresponsible, and the fact it got him killed would put Marina in even more hot water as a police officer if she is the private contact. Sadly,the series never confirms who the source is and leaves audiences speculating, but a second season would surely provide some answers to this, making Marina’s future even more interesting.
Craig’s Reaction To Rhiannon’s Break-Up Explained
Craig and Rhiannon’s relationship has been complicated throughout the entirety ofSweetpea, but their romance finally comes to an end in a surprisingly messy break-up during the finale. Despite starting the series as relatively timid,Ella Purnell’sSweetpearolesees Rhiannon transition from a shy wallflower to a confident killer, allowing her to capture the attention of Craig and they begin a sexual relationship. While she’s initially head over heels for the handyman, Rhiannon begins to fall for AJ and after an eventful night out together, the protagonist approaches Craig at work to end things civilly.
Given how reserved Rhiannon used to be, Craig assumes she’s joking at first and laughs off her blunt tone, but his attitude becomes hostile after learning she is serious. Instead of simply agreeing to be friends, Craig assumes something is going on with Julia and brings up Rhiannon’s request for him to lie to the police. Using this as blackmail, Craig agrees not to say anything in exchange for Rhiannon selling him her dad’s business, something he has been pursuing ever since the opening episode.
Although Rhiannon and Craig were never officially dating, Craig saw them as a couple in progress, hence Rhiannon formally ending things.
To add insult to injury, Craig even claims he doesn’t like the person Rhiannon has become, leaving the two on bad terms. Although the protagonist has undoubtedly done some bad things throughout the show,Craig’s reaction to being broken up with shows he was using Rhiannon - which he even admits to- confirming the protagonist’s claim that their relationship was never truly real.
The Real Meaning Of Sweetpea’s Ending
Sweetpea Episode 6 Proved Rhiannon’s Attempt To Deal With Bullies Only Made Things Worse
WhileSweetpea’s story ends on a cliffhanger, there is a much deeper meaning behind the show’s conclusion. Rhiannon’s very first kill started a crusade against bullies, as she slowly justified each murder to herself, claiming it was all for the greater good. Even if it meant adopting extreme methods, she was determined to rid the world of bad people by any means necessary, butSweetpea’s climax proves murdering was never the way to go about this.
Julia’s redemption highlights that having an open, meaningful conversation can actually change someone’s behavior, and if Rhiannon attempted to do this with all her victims, it may have netted better results. Instead, killing them only put her on a darker path, as the protagonist slowly became more toxic and treated the people around her worse. This all culminated in her murdering a genuinely good person, with AJ’s death confirming Rhiannon is just as bad as those she killed, if not even worse.
Sweetpea’s real ending proves that, despite feeling invisible all her life, Rhiannon finished the series as more of a bully than a victim.
Therefore,Sweetpea’s real ending proves that, despite feeling invisible all her life, Rhiannon finished the series as more of a bully than a victim. Her transformation into becoming a killer may have made her feel good in the short run, but hurting people to feel better about herself is exactly what Julia did to her in the first place, provingthe show’s conclusion turned Rhiannon into the thing she hates the most.
Will There Be A Sweetpea Season 2?
The Show’s Ending & Source Material Indicate That Another Season Could Happen
There has been no official confirmation thatSweetpeaseason 2 is happening, but the show’s conclusion certainly suggests it’s possible. The cliffhanger ending makes it obvious that Rhiannon’s story is far from over, and audiences will be desperate to see what happens during the aftermath of AJ’s death.Seren walking into the house as Rhiannon holds AJ’s bloody body directly sets up a second season, while Marina and Craig could both play pivotal parts in a follow-up, adding fuel to the fire about the project returning.
Sweetpeaalso continued Ella Purnell’s impressive TV streakby earning a strong reception, indicating that viewers would be more than open to another installment. Additionally, the series is based on a set of books, and with season 1 only covering the first novel, there is still more story to tell. Although the TV show and source material have some major differences,Sweetpeaends in a similar fashion to the first book, meaning there is plenty of potential for Rhiannon’s journey to continue.
Sweetpea
Sweetpea (2024) follows Rhiannon Lewis, an unremarkable woman who goes unnoticed by those around her. However, her life takes a dark turn when she loses control, leading to a transformation filled with dangerous secrets she must conceal.
