Prime Video’s Scarpetta, led by Nicole Kidman, closes its season with a tense cliffhanger that leaves several questions unanswered. In the final episode of this crime thriller series, Kay Scarpetta (played by Kidman) is attacked by the serial killer inside her own home. She manages to fight back and kill him but just then, someone unexpectedly appears at the door, leaving her visibly shaken. So, who was the serial killer? Who was at the door? And is this case connected to the one Kay solved all those years ago? We answer those pressing questions (and more) in our ending explained piece for Scarpetta.
Adapted from Patricia Cornwell’s book series, the crime TV show spans eight episodes alternating between 1998 and the present day. Besides solving the mysteries of the past and present, the series also delves into the characters’ psychology and interpersonal relationships, while exploring themes of grief, trauma, death and family.
The narrative follows Kay Scarpetta, who has returned to Virginia to once again serve as the state’s Chief Medical Examiner. Kay’s first case after returning somehow opens a Pandora’s box from her past, when she famously solved the first case of her career. As the investigation becomes more complicated, Kay’s career stands at risk of being jeopardised. So, does she solve the case? And who is the present-day serial killer? Let’s find out in this ending explained piece for Scarpetta.
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Scarpetta ending explained: What is Kay’s secret?
Spoiler alert!
As established in the penultimate episode, a young Kay (played by Rosy McEwen) in 1998 figured out that the serial killer responsible for killing five women was a 911 operator by the name of Roy McCorkle. She found his address and went there after calling Pete Marino (young version played by Jacob Lumet Cannavale; present-day version played by Bobby Cannavale). However, Kay had an encounter with the killer before Pete could arrive. As the killer attempted to strangle her, Kay cut his throat with a shattered ceramic plate, killing him instantly. When Pete arrived, he shot the already dead Roy in the throat to cover up for Kay. The two subsequently lied to the police and media, while Kay created a false postmortem report about the cause of the killer’s death.
Kay kept the incident a secret from everyone all these years, except Pete and her sister Dorothy (young version played by Amanda Righetti; present-day version played by Jamie Lee Curtis). She even continued to hide the truth from her husband, Benton (young version played by Hunter Parrish; present-day version played by Simon Baker), leading to friction in their marriage.
What happens to Kay and Benton’s marriage in the present?
Burdened by lies and secrets from both ends, Kay and Benton’s marriage stands on the verge of collapse. They eventually have a confrontation over what Kay is hiding. When she still doesn’t tell him the truth about the incident, Benton leaves the house.
In the finale, however, Kay finds him inside the family compound next to a truck where he was earlier interrogating a suspect. She is shocked by his lies, and he asks her for a divorce. Kay returns home, while Benton goes to visit his partner at the FBI.
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What happens to Lucy and Janet?
Struggling to cope with the loss of her wife, Janet (played by Janet Montgomery), Lucy (played by Ariana DeBose) still talks to an AI recreation of her beloved spouse. However, in the finale, Kay realises that she has been enabling Lucy. So, she goes to Lucy’s cottage and talks to the AI version of Janet. Once Lucy gets home, she discovers that AI Janet’s program has been deleted. Lucy confronts Kay and her mother, Dorothy, accusing them of making AI Janet erase herself.
What happens to Dorothy and Pete?
Dorothy, consumed by the idea that Pete is in love with Kay, gives him an ultimatum and asks him to choose between the two. Pete chooses Dorothy, and they leave Kay’s house to live in a hotel, even though Kay tries to make him stay so they can find out the identity of the killer.
Who is the copycat killer?
With everyone gone, Kay is alone at home when she gets a call from Officer Fruge (played by Tiya Sircar), who tries to tell her the identity of the killer, but the call gets disconnected due to a bad network. It is then that Kay finds a flattened penny on her table – a signature of the copycat killer, which was also found next to the other two victims. As she picks it up, she is ambushed by the killer, who is revealed to be Officer Ryan (played by David Hornsby).
Kay tries to escape as Ryan gives her a chase. She manages to strike him with a baseball bat, and he falls down the stairs. As Kay repeatedly hits him on the head, the front door opens. However, it is never revealed who stands at the other end.
So, were the two cases connected? And why did Ryan do it?
Scarpetta ending explained: Why did Ryan become the copycat killer?
Ryan reveals that, in 1998, when he saw the body of the first victim, he instantly became obsessed with the sadistic and ritualistic murders. He also became obsessed with Kay and her methods. Therefore, when she returned, he decided to start killing in tribute to her, using the same modus operandi as the 1998 murders.
Are the two cases connected?
Yes, in a way.
The two cases are connected because it was the 1998 murders that prompted Ryan to venture into sadism and fueled his obsession with Kay. However, they aren’t connected in the way Kay had been suspecting, as the second spate of killings posed no threat to her career.
Hero and Featured image credit: Connie Chornuk/Prime; Amazon MGM Studios
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.