Netflix’s Stay Close Twist Ending & Killer Reveal Explained

Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Stay Close

Netflix’s latest thriller series Stay Close ends with a major twist alongside the serial killer reveal; here’s the show’s ending, the twist, and the killer’s identity explained. Audiences waited with bated breath to see who exactly the killer was in Stay Close. The series kept most information pretty close to the chest and only revealed pertinent information when absolutely necessary. This lead to a slow burn with each episode ending on a cliffhanger, beckoning viewers to binge the short 8-episode show. The standalone miniseries shocked viewers once and for all when a secondary twist was snuck in right after the surprising revelation of the serial killer.

Based on Harlan Coben’s 2012 novel of the same name, Stay Close has a mixed cast of newcomers and veterans of the screen. The miniseries mainly follows Megan Peirce (Cush Jumbo), a typical suburban mother with a not-so-typical past. Her previous life as Cassie the exotic dancer comes back to haunt her when she comes into contact with her former colleague Lorraine (Sarah Parish). Lorraine tells Megan that her stalker, once presumed dead Stewart Green (Rod Hunt), is still alive. Detective Michael Broome (James Nesbitt) has been tracking Stewart’s cold case for years and believes his disappearance is connected to numerous other missing men in the area. Meanwhile, paparazzo Ray Levine (Richard Armitage) inadvertently takes pictures of the most recent missing man Carlton Flynn (Connor Calland). Stay Close‘s setup and ending are similar to Sharp Objects and other thriller miniseries.

While today’s audiences have gotten wise about twist endings, Stay Close‘s final episode managed to pull together something viewers haven’t seen before. There’s a lot to keep track of with the ensemble cast; and with their lives so intricately intertwined, it can be difficult to separate out what happened and to whom. For those who may have missed it, or just have questions in general, here is the ending to Netflix’s Stay Close explained, along with the serial killer’s identity, the infamous twist, and anything the show glossed over along the way.

What Happens In Stay Close’s Ending

Episode 8 of Stay Close opens on assassin Ken (Hyoie O’Grady) tracking down Lorraine at Vipers because he believes she knows something about Carlton Flynn’s disappearance. The Netflix original series then takes a turn while detectives Michael Broome and Erin Cartwright (Jo Joyner) sort through a massive pile of the deceased found buried in a hole in the ground. After a troubling phone call, Megan goes to visit Frances (Alibe Parsons). Then, she’s attacked by Barbie (Poppy Gilbert) and she kills her assailant in self-defense. Believing that Ray is the killer, Broome arrests him. In a passionate speech, he lies and says that he killed Stewart Green. Ray asks that Megan be present at the station, where they reveal that neither of them killed Stewart. Broome catches on that Ken is stalking Lorraine and races to her flat to save her, but finds that she already killed Ken. The Doctor Who actress fails at coming up with an excuse and Lorraine decides to come clean.

She reveals that she’s the serial killer and she’s been murdering abusive men once a year during the carnival. Broome is devastated at the news but is forced to arrest her nonetheless. She takes the fall for Carlton Flynn’s murder, as she was planning it anyway. However, the ending reveals that she didn’t kill Flynn. Instead, Kayleigh (Bethany Antonia) stuffed Flynn in the trunk of the car after he tried to chase her and Bea (Rachel Andrews) down in the ruins. In an attempt to keep his daughter safe, Dave (Daniel Francis) drives the car into a lake where Carlton drowns.

Who Killed Carlton Flynn?

While there’s only one serial killer in Stay Close, there are multiple characters guilty of murder. The twist ending comes when it’s revealed that Carlton’s death is a mixture of Bea, Kayleigh, and Dave’s actions. Bea used her color-changing nail polish to determine that Flynn had drugged her and Kayleigh’s drinks. When he found this out he chased the girls through the woods while the drugs started taking effect. Kayleigh is able to get back to the car and knocks Carlton out when he catches up to her. She stuffs his body in the trunk and doesn’t tell her friend. They ditch the car, only for Dave to find it and drive it into the lake. In Stay Close‘s final moments Megan looks at Dave quizically, suggesting that she’s toying with the idea that her new husband may have known more than he let on.

Why Lorraine Took Credit For Carlton’s Murder

Detective shows like Columbo show the murderer at the start. While Lorraine’s introduction is certainly tinged with an ominous tone, viewers don’t suspect that the woman is a killer from the get-go. When she reveals her actions, audiences are willing to accept that it’s possible she killed Carlton Flynn; but obviously, viewers find out she actually didn’t and lied about it instead. This prompts the question: Why did Lorraine lie? The reasoning behind her actions is all the same. She does it to protect the girls at all costs. Lorraine knew that Flynn was an abuser and therefore cared nothing for his life. Rather than send two teenage girls to jail, she figured she might as well take the fall for this one as well.

Why Did Barbie And Ken Kill Harry?

Barbie and Ken are an assassin couple similar to Natural Born Killers, but with a twist. They’ve been hired by Carlton Flynn’s father to find who killed his son. Stay Close shows the two going buck wild and murdering just about everyone they come into contact with. They murdered lawyer Harry Sutton for the same reason they murdered everyone else: they needed to know who killed Carlton Flynn and Harry didn’t have any answers for them. The Ken and Barbie killers didn’t need a particular reason to exercise their bloodlust. Their origins are explained in a single flashback when during a play Barbie drops a load of sandbags on the main performer and Ken is shown liking her for it.

Megan And Dave Both Reveal Their Secrets

Like many other crime series, such as Yellowjackets, one of the biggest themes in Stay Close is secrets. When Megan finally reveals her past to Dave it’s a huge blow to their relationship. Learning that one’s partner leads a secret life before the relationship would be difficult for anyone to swallow. However, Dave has a particularly hard time with Megan’s salacious past. The ending shows that Megan isn’t the only one with secrets. While Megan’s puzzling look at her husband during the final shot suggests her wondering about whether to tell him the truth about Carlton’s death, it could also be a look of suspicion. Though viewers would never suspect sweet and innocent Dave to have purposely killed Carlton, they also didn’t expect Lorraine’s confession either.

The Real Meaning Of Stay Close’s Ending

Stay Close is ultimately about dealing with demons, secrets, abuse, and losing oneself to their past. While television shows like Weeds solely zero in on critiquing suburbia, Stay Close takes a more intriguing approach with its shocking secrets. Along with some mild pokes at idealized suburbia, the series makes important commentary about abuse and the treatment of sex workers. Lorraine is obviously not a character to be identifying or commiserating with, and her actions come from a twisted and painful place of past abuse. She watched people abuse her friends at Vipers, she was abused by her ex-husband, and she continued to watch girls be abused in her career.

Netflix’s Stay Close starts off with little information about the character’s connections, leading to explosive revelations throughout the 8-episode series. Red herrings and fake-outs are scattered liberally in the storyline, leading viewers to suspect everyone except the actual serial killer. The final twist at the end is what solidifies Stay Close as a proper contender against critically acclaimed miniseries of the same genre. Fans of the series may enjoy other shows based on Harlan Coben’s works such as Safe, The Woods, and The Stranger.

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