Since its debut on September 5, 2024, Netflix’s latest murder mystery, The Perfect Couple, has become a hit with viewers. Directed by Susanne Bier, the series comprises a total of six episodes, each running for a period of less than an hour. Despite it being just days since the release of the series, viewers have already begun comparing The Perfect Couple to other acclaimed works such as Big Little Lies and The White Lotus.
The series has a star-studded cast, with Nicole Kidman in the role of Greer Garrison Winbury, the cold, controlling, and somewhat miserable matriarch of the family. She is joined by other talented names, including Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor, Billy Howle, Sam Nivola, Eve Hewson, Dakota Fanning, and Meghann Fahy. Taking place on the picturesque island of Nantucket, the series opens on a warm, lively note, before plunging viewers into a complex web of scheming relationships, lies, and fake appearances. With twists and turns galore and a narrative that sometimes hits too close to home, The Perfect Couple keeps viewers glued to the edges of their seats.
The Perfect Couple Is Not a True Story
Although Netflix has a flair for adapting true stories to screens, The Perfect Couple is not based on real-life events. The story is entirely fictional. However, the series is based on a novel of the same name, authored by Elin Hilderbrand. The novel was published in 2018, and was Hilderbrand’s first venture into murder mysteries, with the author previously having focused primarily on romance. Despite this, the book found success owing to its compelling blend of romance, betrayal, and murder.
As with any adaptation, Netflix’s The Perfect Couple has taken certain creative freedoms. The series changed the name of its protagonist, swapping out Celeste Otis for Amelia Sacks. Shooter Dival and Isabel Nallet also have different names in the source text. Moreover, changes have also been made to the relationship between Amelia and Shooter, with their relationship progressing further along in the book. While the overall storyline remains similar, with the killer being the same in both the novel and series, The Perfect Couple is neither a true story nor a perfectly faithful adaptation.
However, as per director Susanne Bier, there are some truths in The Perfect Couple. Despite the story being a work of fiction, Bier was determined to do her research before she delved into the project and spent time on Nantucket itself. As a result, many of the small details, such as the qualities of her characters, have been inspired by her observations on the island. Speaking in an interview with Town and Country, Bier said:
“You go to have lunch, and you look at the way people are dressed, what kind of bags they’re carrying, the family structures. I would sit there watching every single detail, and I felt that there was a lot of fun, but also there was something under the surface that was very explosive. But maybe I was reading it into it because that’s the way this series worked.”
Who Killed Merritt Monaco?
The Perfect Couple is packed with twists and turns. Just when a viewer thinks they are fairly certain of the murderer’s identity, the series throws a curveball, blowing all assumptions out of the water. The murder investigation itself is convoluted, with the death first being ruled an accident, then a murder, and then seeming to take a backseat in the Winbury family affairs as Greer pushes through with her book launch. The police move from one to another, trying to pin down the real culprit.
While Greer herself appears to have the most motive, stemming from the fact that Merritt had an affair with her husband and was pregnant with his baby, she is ultimately found not guilty. The cases built against Tag, the Winbury brothers, Shooter, and Isabel also fall through. The killer is found to be someone who appears to have the least motive; Abby Winbury, the wife of the eldest Winbury brother, Thomas. Abby, having drugged Merritt, invites her for a swim, where she then forces her head underwater and kills her.
Abby’s motive for murder is money. She has her sights set on Thomas’ trust fund, which he will be entitled to when his youngest brother turns eighteen in a few months. However, Merritt’s pregnancy with Tag’s baby sets Abby back another eighteen years, as the conditions of the fund stipulate that the Winbury brothers will only be entitled to the money when their youngest sibling turns eighteen. If Merritt were to have Tag’s child, that would effectively make the baby the youngest Winbury sibling, prohibiting Abby from getting her hands on the money in the near future. Evidently, Abby’s solution to her predicament was to get rid of Merritt altogether.
Do Benji and Amelia End Up Together?
The end of the miniseries also appears to spell the end of Benji and Amelia’s relationship. Although the couple seems love-struck and excited to be married when the series opens, trouble in paradise is foreshadowed when Amelia talks to Merritt about her relationship with Benji. Amelia expresses that she feels as if something is missing, that there seems to be no spark. However, Merritt writes it off as cold feet, although she tells Amelia that she will support whatever decision she makes.
The true turmoil in Benji and Amelia’s relationship occurs after Merritt’s death. Throughout a few of its episodes, the series alludes to the fact that there appears to be something more than friendship between Amelia and Shooter. This culminates in Amelia and Shooter giving in to their desires and making out with each other. Benji walks in on them and is devastated. However, Amelia later sleeps with a drunk Benji and also distances herself from Shooter, telling him that she needs to find herself first.
The Perfect Couple ends with Amelia leaving Benji’s Nantucket home with her parents. This can be interpreted to mean that Amelia leaves Benji, to find herself like she told Shooter, before committing to a lifelong relationship. However, Benji and Amelia seem to part on amicable terms, hugging each other and smiling before Amelia leaves.
What Happens to Greer and Tag?
Greer and Tag’s seemingly perfect relationship, which was a big selling point for Greer’s novels, goes up in flames when a drunk Tag crashes Greer’s book launch. He spills the beans on their imperfect marriage, shocking Greer’s fans and effectively ruining both her image and credibility. Although Enid and her team attempt to do damage control by having Tag read a statement regarding his alcohol addiction and committing him to rehabilitation, Greer thwarts all efforts.
Walking into the family gathering, Greer claims that she is tired of living a lie. To the utter shock of her children and their spouses, she reveals that she was an escort in her early days, with her brother, only introduced to the family just moments ago, managing her bookings. Tag was one of her clients. The series ends with Greer telling Tag that he should stay in the Nantucket home while Greer moves to the city to write her book. While divorce is never a part of the conversation, it is safe to assume that Greer and Tag separate from each other, breaking the façade of their perfect relationship.
The Perfect Couple
is now available for streaming on Netflix.
