Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Better Sister season 1.Prime Video’sThe Better Sisterhad an ending that was filled with as many plot twists and dramatic reveals as the rest of the thriller show, and they could all use some explanation. The entirety ofThe Better Sisterrevolved around one key mystery: who killed Adam Macintosh (Corey Stoll). Most of thecast ofThe Better Sisterhad reason to do it - both Chloe (Jessica Biel) and Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) had been abused by him, for example - but the answer was rather simple. Nicky killed Adam after she confronted him about abusing Chloe, and Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan) tried to cover it up after the fact.
That was just about the only simple part ofThe Better Sister’s ending, however. All thecomplicated relationships inThe Better Sistercreated a tangled knot of lies, secrets, and mystery, and it all unraveled in the show’s final moments. Chloe managed to frame Bill Braddock (Matthew Modine) for Adam’s murder, the shadowy Gentry Group was finally outed, and Jake (Gabriel Sloyer) met his mysterious demise all in a matter of minutes. The whirlwind ending ofThe Better Sistermay have been happy, but it could also do with some explanation and analysis.
How Chloe Framed Bill Braddock For Adam’s Murder & Outed Gentry Group
Chloe Made Copies Of The Gentry Group Files & Planted The Murder Weapon In Bill’s Office
Though he didn’t actually kill Adam - Nicky did that - Bill Braddock took the fall for the crime.Chloe carefully orchestrated a series of events that was meant to frame Bill for the murder and get the police off of Nicky’s trail, and it worked perfectly. Chloe first printed off copies of the incriminating Gentry Group files and sent them to Detective Bowen (Bobby Naderi), which gave him reason to search Braddock’s apartment. She then took the original files back to Braddock, which both got Gentry Group off her trail and put evidence in his apartment.
The real kicker of Chloe’s plan was the knife she planted in Braddock’s office. Nicky had previously given her knife, the murder weapon, to Chloe. Chloe then planted some of Adam’s hair on the knife, which tied it to the crime scene.With the DNA evidence in place, Chloe planted the knife in Braddock’s desk, knowing that the police would soon be there to search for the Gentry Group files. While looking for the files, Bowen also found the knife, and Braddock was arrested for Adam’s murder instead of Nicky.
Who Killed Jake In The Better Sister’s Finale?
Jake Was Likely Killed As Retribution By Gentry Group, But His Death Is Still Unexplained
One of the more surprising twists at the end ofThe Better Sisterwas when Jake’s dead body was shown washed up on a beach.The Better Sisterdoesn’t outright explain who killed Jake, but there is one suspect who seems most likely to be responsible.Jake mentioned that if Gentry Group found out he was working with the FBI, they would have him killed, and it seems that’s what happened. FBI Agent Olivero (Frank Pando) also threatened Jake, but once Chloe gave Bowen the files, he would have had no reason to kill Jake anymore.
Did Ethan End Up Living With Chloe Or Nicky?
Chloe & Nicky Reconciled & Decided To Co-Parent Ethan In New York
Another big question that wasn’t explicitly answered at the end ofThe Better Sisterwas Ethan’s fate. Nicky expressed a desire to move back to Cleveland and take Ethan with her, but she never said if that was actually going to happen. Nicky wasn’t sure if Chloe was actually fully loyal to her and Ethan or if Chloe would sell them out for a book deal or money.Once Nicky saw that Chloe had framed Braddock to save her, however, she realized that Chloe could be trusted, and she presumably decided to co-parent Ethan with Chloe in New York.
Why Didn’t Nancy Get A Chance To Catch The Real Killer In The Better Sister?
Nancy’s Past Brutality Caught Up To Her & The NYPD’s Internal Politics Kept The Truth From Coming Out
Another loose thread that wasn’t fully tied up at the end ofThe Better Sisterconcerned Detective Nancy Guidry (Kim Dickens). Nancy went to Cleveland and got everything she needed to prove Nicky killed Adam, and she was just waiting on DNA testing to prove it definitively. After Nicky leaked the file of Nancy’s bout of police brutality from years prior, however, she was put on administrative leave, and the NYPD didn’t finish the DNA test that would have proven Nicky’s guilt.Even with the administrative leave, however, it didn’t make sense that the NYPD would just ignore hard evidence pointing them at the right killer.
The simple reason Nancy didn’t get a chance to prove Nicky was the killer is because of the NYPD’s internal politics. As her lieutenant told her several times, Adam’s murder was an extremely high-profile case. After Nicky’s police brutality was outed, she couldn’t be tied to it at all, or the department would risk a major scandal getting even bigger.They already had a good enough suspect in Braddock that wrapped up a tricky case neatly, so the NYPD sacrificed the truth to save face. Nancy’s hard evidence wasn’t as important as the police’s corruption and their need to protect themselves from scrutiny.
The Real Meaning Of The Better Sister’s Ending Explained
The Better Sister Is A Story About Reconciling With Family & How The Past Never Stays Dead
The Better Sistertouches on a wide range of serious topics, but there are a few that are the most important.The biggest theme ofThe Better Sisteris the strength of familial bonds, specifically between sisters and mothers and sons. It is largely a mystery thriller, butThe Better Sisteris really a story about how Chloe and Nicky set aside years of bad blood, lies, and secrets to reunite and reconcile. It’s also a story about the lengths both biological and adoptive mothers would take to protect their children. It was only after Chloe and Nicky dedicated themselves to their families that their problems actually went away.
Another big message ofThe Better Sisteris the staying power of trauma and sins. Nicky shows this best: her father’s abuse haunted her throughout her adult life, and Adam’s abuse nearly stole her son from her.It was only by confronting the past and telling the truth about the wrongs that were done to her that Nicky was able to reunite with Chloe and Ethan. Additionally, characters like Adam and Braddock show that you can only escape the consequences of your actions for so long. Whether it was Adam ruining his wives' lives or Braddock abetting a human trafficking ring, they both had to pay for their sins.
The Better Sister is also a story about reconciliation, violence against women, and the power of truth and lies.
There are also plenty of other ideas thatThe Better Sisterspends less time on.There’s a major critique of the United States justice system in the show, especially in how justice is applied differently to people of different economic classes and ethnicities.The Better Sisteralso has plenty of negative things to say about the court of public opinion and the beast that is the tabloid media machine in America. More broadly,The Better Sisteris also a story about reconciliation, violence against women, and the power of truth and lies.
How The Better Sister’s Ending Sets Up Season 2
The Better Sister Season 2 Could Explore Gentry Group Or Nancy’s Revenge Against The Sisters
Though it’s based on a single book that has no sequel, the ending ofThe Better Sisterdid set up a second season.There’s still plenty of room forThe Better Sisterseason 2 to explore Jake’s fate, what happened with Gentry Group, and what Nancy does after being reinstated to the police force. If it gets continued, the show could easily use Jake’s death as a springboard to show Gentry Group seeking retribution against Chloe for outing their human trafficking ring. Nancy also knows that Nicky killed Adam, even if she can’t press charges, and she could continue her investigation in another season.
It’s still far too early to tell, but The Better Sister may be far from over.
There are so many waysThe Better Sistercould continue, and it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the show could be renewed beyond the book’s scope.The Better Sisteris one of thebest shows on Prime Video, and the streaming service may want to continue it if its viewership numbers hold up. It has a lot going for it, too, from Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks' on-screen chemistry to a fascinating plot. It’s still far too early to tell, butThe Better Sistermay be far from over.
