Amazon’s Panic: Season 1’s Biggest Unanswered Questions

Amazon’s Panic ties up several loose ends by the conclusion of the season 1 finale, but it also leaves plenty of unanswered questions surrounding the plot. Based on Lauren Oliver’s 2014 novel of the same name, Panic follows a group of Texas teens competing in a game that tests one’s greatest fears. Though the game is dangerous enough, certain events occur, threatening the lives of players and others involved. In a story full of twists and turns, season 1 seemed to purposely leave a few subplots open for future seasons.

At the center of Panic is Heather Nill (Olivia Welch), a graduating teen who lives with her mom and sister in a trailer park. When she learns her mother stole her savings, Heather joins the game alongside her best friend, Natalie Williams (Jessica Sula), and other notable players like Dodge Mason (Mike Faist) and Ray Hall (Ray Nicholson). The group becomes imperative to the fate of the game, but not purely in regards to carrying on the tradition. The group is responsible for figuring out the truth connecting Sheriff James Cortez (Enrique Murciano) to the game through his gambling and manipulation.

Oliver, who also served as the creator for Panic’s TV adaptation as an Amazon Prime Original series, made changes to the story to build a more expansive story. The differences between the book and Panic show allow for certain storylines to carry over to future installments if Amazon puts faith in the title. With that, some mysteries lingered, leading to several unanswered questions by season 1’s end.

Who Was Panic’s Second Judge?

Each year, two judges are enlisted to oversee the game of Panic. The two figures are chosen from the previous year’s judges, as are the prize money collector, the bagman keeping the money safe, and the emcee of the event. Whereas the collector and emcee are public knowledge, the identities of the bagman and judges are largely kept a secret. By the end of Panic season 1, it’s revealed that Natalie served as one of the judges, but she planted herself in the game as a player. For a time, Bishop Moore (Camron Jones) is hinted at as being a judge, but the show never directly states this notion. Instead, he’s confirmed as the bagman, which Sarah Miller (Maya Hendricks) catches wind of and decides to steal the game’s winnings. With that, the series leaves the identity of the second judge a secret.

Did The Judges Actually Give Heather The Prize Money?

Heather is technically taken out of the game when she leaves her individual challenge to save her little sister, Lily (Kariana Karhu). Still, she participates in Joust after taking Ray’s truck to face off with Sheriff Cortez. Seeing as Cortez swerves around the tiger, Heather is technically the last person standing. She doesn’t expect the cash prize of $50,000, but she gets it anyway. After receiving an email from an unknown sender, she finds the cash stashed in a book with a note claiming the judges deemed her the winner of Panic. Natalie claims to not know about the winnings, stating that she believed the cash was still missing. Could she have been lying so Heather would unquestioningly accept the money that Bishop sold his Audi to replace? Or was the second judge or another power responsible for handing over the cash?

Who Really Caused Dayna’s Accident?

Every player featured in Panic had their own reasons for partaking in the dangerous game. While most had money as motivation since it meant a way out of town, Dodge had other reasons for playing. He participated as part of a deal made with Sheriff Cortez. While believing Luke Hall (Walker Babington) was behind the accident that paralyzed his sister, Dayna Mason (Madison Ferris), the sheriff needed a clear reason to prosecute the man in order to link him to the hit and run. Dodge plays so Luke’s gambling involvement is brought to light in the hopes of bringing justice. Dodge then learns Luke is innocent, and Cortez was just using the game for his own gambling. Dodge’s fight for revenge then turns to Cortez, seeing as he misled the family for so long. Though Luke is cleared of the crime, Panic never explains who caused Dayna’s accident. It’s possible Cortez was linked to the event while trying to pin it on Luke, or maybe it was a complete stranger.

What Happened To The Tiger?

The incorporation of the tiger is a surprising aspect of the series for those unfamiliar with Oliver’s novel. The tiger resides on Anne’s (Bonnie Bedelia) local farm, which doubles as a sanctuary for rescued animals. After Cortez manipulates Heather’s challenge, she enters the tiger cage to save Lily. Following the event, the lock on the cage door isn’t properly closed, allowing the tiger to escape. It later returns during the Joust challenge, jumping between the cars driven by Heather and Cortez. Heather approaches the tiger, but it runs off when Cortez’s car explodes. The animal then approaches Cortez’s lifeless body after being shot by his wife. It’s presumed the tiger eventually made its way back to Anne’s farm, but this isn’t confirmed. In the Panic book, there were two tigers, and one was shot by the police, but the show didn’t go that far.

Is Sheriff Cortez Truly Dead?

Sheriff Cortez isn’t in good shape after crashing his car in Joust. He’s then shot in the chest by Melanie Cortez (Moira Kelly) while trying to escape. To make matters worse, it looks like the tiger is ready to feast on him as he lay dying. Granted, the camera pans away before any attack takes place. Without any confirmation of death, it’s difficult to believe Cortez is completely gone. It’s possible someone he was secretly working with scared away the tiger before dragging him to safety before seeking medical help. There’s also a chance the other cops made an effort to save him so he could serve a real punishment for his crimes.

Is Heather Staying In Carp?

Other than her sister, Heather didn’t have much of a reason to stay in Carp at the start of Panic season 1. She has dreams of leaving to attend college or some kind of program with financial stability. Her need for money becomes the reason Heather enters Panic in the first place. Despite the shocking events that take place while playing the game, Heather comes out as the winner. After the game, she’s still living in town, but is she staying for good? Heather is seen writing her novel, indicating that she’s focused on becoming an author instead of attending college. With $50,000, Heather can provide for Lily for the time being. In addition, she’s now with Ray, who seems content staying in Carp.

Who Is Continuing The Game Of Panic?

Despite the presumed death of Cortez and Heather being named the winner of Panic, the game isn’t over yet. In an effort to tease Panic season 2, a car approaches Heather as she’s driving down a dark road. Someone hanging from the back of the truck throws a scarecrow with Panic symbols on her windshield. Other symbols are painted around town, proving the game hasn’t stopped. There was already some confusion into who was truly controlling Panic, which adds another layer to the mystery. The next round of the game isn’t supposed to begin until the following summer if it was planning to continue in the first place. Therefore, the rules are again changing, which spells doom for Heather and the others if Panic gets another season.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1745 Articles Published)

See also  HSMTMTS Star Recalls Nearly Dying From Heart Failure

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

More From Kara Hedash