The Perfect Couple on Netflix: The Original Ending Was Even More Surprising!

Warning, spoilers. Before continuing reading the article, it is advisable to watch the mini-series “The Perfect Couple”.

Topping Netflix’s top-rated charts, A Perfect Couple is a must-see back-to-school series. Highly addictive and captivating, just like The White Lotus and Big Little Lies, this fiction was created by Jenna Lamia (90210: Beverly Hills New Generation, Good Girls) and directed by Susan Bier (Bird Box, The Undoing).

This 6-episode mini-series is a dramatic and cynical thriller that immerses us in the ruthless world of a wealthy family devastated by a disappearance that will upset their balance and reveal their dark secrets.

The Perfect Couple follows how Amelia and Benjy’s lavish wedding ends in disaster before it even begins when the body of Amelia’s best friend Merritt is found in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony. All the guests and the Winbury family are suddenly suspicious.

The series is supported by a high-profile cast, including Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning (Ripley), Megan Fahy (White Lotus), Eva Hewson (My Friend Adele), Jack Raynor (Midsomary), Donna Lynn Champlin (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ), Sam Nivola (White Lotus, Maestro), Billy Howl (Snake) as well as French actress Isabelle Ajan.

Differences between the book and the Netflix series

The Perfect Couple is an adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestseller, published in 2018, and as with any transposition of a novel to the screen, sometimes script changes are necessary. Creator Jenna Lamia also changed a specific detail to avoid confusion with another Nicole Kidman series.

But he also made other changes, in agreement with the author, most notably the fact that Winbury couple Greer (Nicole Kidman) and Tag (Liev Schreiber) have three children in the series instead of two in the book. The new son is named Will (Sam Nivola), and he’s added to the intrigue of young Chloe’s (Mia Isaacs) first love story.

Also, Celeste in the book has a sudden meltdown as her wedding approaches, while Amelia doesn’t mumble in the series. The heroine in the book is blonde and has the highest professional status – director of the zoo – and in the TV series she is brunette and only an employee.

The character Shooter Dival (Ishaan Khattar) has a different name (Uxley) and a different story in the book, as does Isabelle Nalet (Isabel Ajan), who was called Featherleigh in the novel.

In addition, the charming Greek detective who investigates the murder of Merritt (Megan Fahey) became the funny, brilliant and sly detective Nicky Henry (Donna Lynne Champlin) in the series.

The ending of “The Perfect Couple” could have been different

But the biggest change between Elin Hilderbrand’s book and the Netflix series is none other than the ending! In the series, Merritt is drugged and then killed by Thomas’ wife Abby Winberry (Dakota Fanning). He wanted to get back the money that Thomas was supposed to inherit a few weeks after the wedding of Amelia (Eve Hewson) and Benjy (Billy Hawley).

It was the inheritance of the three Winbury children, locked away until they were of age, and the youngest Willie would eventually turn 18. But with Merritt pregnant from her relationship with Tag Winberry, the plans fell through as they would have to wait for Tag’s new child to turn 18 and Bee and Thomas needed money fast. So Abby drugged and killed Merritt by strangling her.

In the novel, the ending is more complicated because Merritt’s death is almost accidental! Greer suspects Fetherly, a family friend who became Isabel (Isabelle Ajani) in the Netflix series, of having an affair with her husband Tag. Except Featherleigh is having an affair with her son Thomas and Tag is having an affair with Merritt.

Abby, Thomas’s wife, tried to kill Fetherly with pills from Greer’s stash to get rid of her rival, crushing them and mixing them into a drink meant for her. Except Merritt drank the deadly cocktail.

Merritt goes canoeing with Tag in the middle of the night, and on the way back, cuts her foot on champagne glasses dropped by Chloe the waitress. When Merritt returns to the sea to cleanse herself, she discovers a piece of jewelry that Tag gave her, which she dropped. But as soon as he is taken out, the drugs kick in and he falls into the water and drowns.

Then no one is held accountable for Merritt’s death, and only Greer knows what happened. Series creator and author Jenna Lamia explained The Hollywood Reporter that the series underwent many changes during production, which explains the change in the finale.

“It was a five-year development process for various reasons, so the series took many different forms and was closer to the book from the beginning.”Jena Lamia said.

“And then this wonderful director Susan Bier came along and her influence changed things, and when we were casting, she changed things.”.

The mini-series “The Perfect Couple” is available on Netflix.