Dare Me Season 1 Ending Explained

WARNING: Spoilers for Dare Me season 1.

The Dare Me season 1 ending mostly stays true to its source material, but the TV adaptation doesn’t fully connect the narrative dots for its audience. Based on Megan Abbott’s eponymous 2012 novel, the 10-part series originally aired on USA in 2020, and has since gained new fans upon releasing on Netflix. Since the Dare Me season 1 finale, “Shock & Awe,” doesn’t fully resolve the series’ central murder mystery, viewers may feel a bit underwhelmed and confused by the cryptic ending.

For the most part, Dare Me season 1 features tight storytelling. Colette French (Willa Fitzgerald) becomes the new cheerleading coach at Sutton Grove High School, and takes a no-nonsense approach with her students. Unsurprisingly, Beth Cassidy (Marlo Kelly) rebels when she loses her role as team captain, while Addy Hanlon (Herizen Guardiola) warms up to her new coach, and takes an interest in the woman’s personal life. When it’s revealed that Colette has been cheating on her husband Matt (Rob Heaps) with a local Marine recruiter named Will Mosley (Zach Roerig), the series’ power dynamics are repeatedly shuffled up from episode to episode.

Dare Me season 1 builds to Will’s shocking death in the seventh episode, “Scorched Earth.” From there, the series transforms from a teen drama into proper crime thriller, as Colette discovers her lover’s dead body and then calls Addy for help. Soon after, Beth comes to the realization that Will was likely murdered, and that a man who sexually assaulted her, Corporal Kurtz (Chris Zylka), may have information about the case. In the final moments of Dare Me season 1, it’s heavily implied that Colette and Matt know the truth about Will’s death, but the series ends with cryptic narration and doesn’t provide traditional narrative closure. Here’s a full breakdown for the season 1 finale, including how it sets up Dare Me season 2 (which isn’t likely to happen).

Colette And Matt’s Conspiracy Explained

The majority of Dare Me season 1 frames Matt as an innocent bystander: a man who is repeatedly mocked by students and colleagues. He’s a project manager for a new Sutton Grove High School stadium, but only received the job because his womanizing boss at Eagle Investments, Bert Cassidy (Paul Fitzgerald), was intrigued by Colette. However, there are two key events in the Dare Me season 1 finale that suggest Matt is somehow connected to Will’s death, which naturally complicates his marriage even more.

In “Shock & Awe,” Colette receives a visit from the local police who inquire about a recent “misadventure.” They have CCTV footage of Colette driving into a light pole, which prompts a shocked reaction from Matt, who somberly looks at his wife and states “I’m gonna need a minute.” For viewers, this sequence may seem to imply that Colette crashed after leaving Will’s apartment, possibly right after his death. At the very least, it shows that Colette didn’t inform her husband about the incident. Based on what happens in the final moments of Dare Me season 1, however, the cop sequence is revealed to be narrative misdirection, tinged with some dark subtext.

The Dare Me season 1 climax shows Colette frantically looking for a hamsa bracelet, and then telling Matt “I might have left it behind at his place… when we were there.” Earlier in the episode, Beth informs Addy that a hamsa bracelet was found at the scene of Will’s death, with the twist being that Addy had previously given said bracelet to her coach. So, the final sequence featuring Colette and Matt links them to Will’s death, and also gives new meaning to the aforementioned cop sequence. Since Will died on a Sunday – which is repeatedly mentioned through dialogue – it appears that Colette may have contemplated suicide two days later, as the police state that the CCTV footage is from a Tuesday, and also that Colette appeared to crash her car on purpose. Unfortunately, Dare Me season 1 doesn’t confirm WHO killed Will, but one of them is revealed to be the actual murderer in the book (more on that below), which serves as further evidence that Colette may have tried to take her own life after Will’s death.

Why Corporal Kurtz Is The Most Obvious Suspect

In “Shock & Awe,” Beth realizes that Corporal Kurtz had been “squatting” across the hall from Will at his apartment building. She then confronts the Marine recruiter, and essentially blackmails him into revealing what he knows, as he’d previously assaulted her while drunk. Even though Kurtz may be innocent and clearly states that he doesn’t know if Beth killed Will, his collective behavior makes him a prime suspect in the case. Beth identifies Kurtz as a logical suspect while speaking to Addy’s mom in “Shock & Awe,” and the final act shows the Marine being arrested at a football game. Whereas the book provides clarity about Will’s murder, the cryptic Dare Me season 1 finale on the popular Netflix 2020 TV show teases the possibility that Kurtz could eventually take the fall. Once again, though, the book ending suggests that the Kurtz subplot is merely misdirection.

The Real Meaning Of Beth’s Character Arc

By the end of Dare Me season 1, Beth seemingly takes control of her life and embraces a fatalistic attitude. Previously, though, her obsession with Addy is a major source of conflict in various episodes. Beth’s behavior stems from a turbulent relationship with her estranged father, which makes her feel that she must protect her emotional well-being by putting up a guard. So, Beth essentially performs in public rather than presenting her true self as a way to maintain control. And since she fails to develop healthy relationships with friends and acquaintances, Beth naturally values what she has with her long-time friend, Addy, whose’s friendship with Colette makes the coach a natural enemy.

Beth takes a major step forward in the Dare Me season 1 finale by confronting her attacker, Corporal Kurtz. She also calls out Colette during a climactic cheerleading routine, and then stands up to Addy while describing herself as “the abyss.” Interestingly, however, Beth’s empowering character arc is misleading, as her final words to Addy suggest that she’s destined to be bad. It’s also implied that Beth may have tampered with the crime scene at Will’s apartment, evidenced by her statements about the missing hamsa bracelet and a previous (unapproved) visit to the crime scene. Dare Me season 1 fully develops Beth as a character, but then doubles down on her self-destructive behavior, which seems to reference her fate in the book.

What Happens In The Book’s Climax

In the Dare Me book, Beth’s behavior has a tragic domino effect. She informs Matt about Colette’s cheating, which leads to Matt killing Will and getting arrested. Beth later fractures her skull during a pyramid routine, and Addy takes over as the team later. Whereas the book provides clarity, the Dare Me season 1 finale is cryptic and somewhat muddled. Still, it heavily implies information that is indeed confirmed in the source material. Netflix viewers may not necessarily understand WHY the season ends with Addy’s cryptic narration, but the dialogue seems to reflect her cheerleading ascent in the book.

Why Dare Me Season 2 Probably Won’t Happen

Dare Me was canceled by USA in April 2020, reportedly because of average viewership numbers and the network’s shift to “eventized” projects (per The Hollywood Reporter). It’s certainly possible that Netflix could produce new episodes, but the original author, Abbott, would probably want to write a second book first, which would allow her to fully capitalize upon the franchise’s success, and THEN move forward with Dare Meseason 2, wherever that may be. Much like Addy, Abbott is in control.

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
(1892 Articles Published)

See also  10 Best Umbrella Academy Tattoos

Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

More From Q.V. Hough