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Dakota Fanning Explains the Shocking Finale of The Perfect Couple and Her Character’s Dark Motivations
Sep
The Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple has kept viewers on the edge of their seats, unraveling a gripping mystery set against the backdrop of a lavish wedding gone horribly wrong. As the murder of the Maid of Honor unfolds over six episodes, secrets emerge, lies are exposed, and viewers are led down a complex web of family dysfunction and betrayal. In a surprising turn of events, the killer is revealed to be Abby Winbury (played by Dakota Fanning), the seemingly poised and elegant wife of Thomas Winbury (Jack Reynor).
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fanning delved into the shocking twist of her character being the killer and offered insights into Abby’s motivations and the final scene, which left fans speculating about the characters’ futures.
The Killer’s Reveal: Abby’s Shocking Motivation
Throughout The Perfect Couple, viewers are introduced to Abby as part of the wealthy and influential Winbury family. From the outside, Abby appears to have it all—a beautiful home, a privileged life, and a picture-perfect marriage. But as the series progresses, it becomes clear that Abby’s seemingly perfect life is far more fractured than it appears. Her relationship with her husband Thomas is strained, and her place within the Winbury family feels precarious.
When it’s revealed that Abby is the one who killed Merritt (Meghann Fahy), the Maid of Honor, fans were stunned. As Fanning explained in her interview, Abby’s motivations went far beyond just financial gain. Merritt’s pregnancy with Tag’s (Liev Schreiber) child represented a direct threat to Abby’s carefully constructed world. The inheritance that Abby and her child were counting on was suddenly at risk. But, as Fanning pointed out, there was something even deeper at play.
“I see it as more than just the money,” Fanning shared. “I see it as saving the facade, being the person that saved this f—ed up family and kept it all together.” Abby, feeling unseen and undervalued, took matters into her own hands in the most extreme way possible. It wasn’t just about securing her financial future; it was about preserving the image of the Winbury family and asserting her own power within it. In a world where appearances mean everything, Abby’s actions were driven by a need to control the narrative and maintain the illusion of perfection.
The Final Scene: A New Beginning or an Empty Gesture?
The final moments of The Perfect Couple leave viewers with a bittersweet sense of closure, as Greer (Nicole Kidman) and Amelia (Eve Hewson) share a quiet moment at the zoo. For much of the series, the relationship between Greer and Amelia had been fraught with tension and judgment. Greer, the matriarch of the Winbury family, had always looked down on Amelia, the bride-to-be, viewing her as an outsider. But in this final scene, there’s a sense of reconciliation.
Fanning described the scene as a symbolic end to an era. “When I watch it, I just feel like it signifies the end of that era and everybody’s starting over and everybody’s kind of on their own,” she explained. The zoo scene represents a peace offering of sorts between Greer and Amelia. Despite their differences, they’ve both been through a life-altering ordeal and are now left to pick up the pieces.
“It’s Greer acknowledging that Amelia kind of had it figured out all along in terms of seeing behind the curtain and not really liking what she sees,” Fanning added. Amelia’s ability to see through the Winbury family’s facade and her ultimate survival in this chaotic world is what sets her apart from the rest. Greer’s acknowledgment of this suggests a newfound respect for Amelia, even if it comes too late.
Abby’s Dark Descent: From Poise to Murder
Playing the role of Abby was a challenge that Fanning embraced wholeheartedly. She revealed that she knew from the beginning that Abby was the killer, which allowed her to fully immerse herself in the character’s complex psyche. “I worked with [director] Suzanne Bier before, and we had become super close,” Fanning said. “She called me one day before this started and was explaining, ‘I want you to play this character. She’s pregnant. She’s the killer.’ I was like, ‘I’m totally in.’”
Abby’s descent into murder was no accident. In fact, the show’s deviation from the book, where the death is an accident, allowed Fanning to fully explore Abby’s darker side. “She meant it, which is so much crazier,” Fanning explained. “It’s so much more fun to play.” Abby’s calculated decision to kill Merritt wasn’t just about protecting her child’s inheritance—it was about reclaiming control in a life where she felt increasingly powerless.
For Fanning, the most important aspect of Abby’s character was understanding the pressure she faced in her social circle. “I think what was most important was to think about what she’s up against now, the circle that she’s living in now, the pressure of that keeping up with the Joneses,” she said. Abby’s resentment toward her husband and the wealthy world she’s trapped in only fueled her actions. As Fanning pointed out, Abby’s inner turmoil led her to make the drastic choice of “drugging and drowning” Merritt in order to preserve her crumbling life.
A New Era for the Winburys
As The Perfect Couple draws to a close, the Winbury family is left shattered by the events of the series. Abby’s revelation as the killer, coupled with the exposure of long-buried secrets, means that life will never be the same for the family. Yet, there’s a sense that each character will be forced to start anew, whether they want to or not.
Fanning’s portrayal of Abby offers a nuanced look at a woman pushed to her breaking point. Her actions may be unforgivable, but they’re also a reflection of the suffocating pressures of wealth, power, and societal expectations. In a world where appearances are everything, Abby’s choice to kill was both a desperate act of self-preservation and a chilling reminder of the lengths people will go to in order to protect their place in the world.
As viewers grapple with the shocking conclusion, one thing is clear: The Perfect Couple is far from perfect, and the aftermath of the Winbury family’s tragedy will linger long after the credits roll.
