Despite being an avid watcher of thriller series, never in a hundred years could I have foreseen the ending twist of Fatal Attraction.
Fatal Attraction, the 2023 mini-series inspired by the 1987 classic movie of the same name, has gone above and beyond its predecessor. From the extended characterization to a completely different (yet fascinating) secret behind the murder, one can get immersed in the story in its 8 hours of runtime.
The most notable diversion from the movie was the reveal of who the murderer is. Even more shocking was seeing how Alex’s will live on untarnished.
Episode 8 packed a strong punch and lifted the entire series, as well as my faith in the writer and director. However, the open ending might have been puzzling for some. So here I am with a detailed explanation of Fatal Attraction’s finale.
What Happens at the End of Fatal Attraction?
At the end of Fatal Attraction, the 2023 mini-series, not only is Alex’s murderer revealed, but so is Ellen’s true personality. Episode 8 is the last installment of the series, and it had tons of surprises for us to unfold.
The episode showed us flashbacks of when Alex was still alive and footage of the current Dan, Ellen, and Beth. The scene opens with Beth and Alex having a talk, followed by Beth having a mental breakdown as she rants about the whole situation to Arthur on the phone. She claims Dan would have stopped Alex already if he could.
Following, we see Dan trying and failing to get a new trial. His appeals are getting nowhere, and no one believes he isn’t the murderer. Even his past colleagues aren’t ready to believe him.
Beth invites Dan over to dinner, where a flashback to Arthur begins. He is a good friend to Beth, and her troubled situation makes him tense. He can’t help but respond to Beth’s cries for help as Dan seems useless.
The next scenes show how Beth gained access to Alex’s apartment and how he killed him one day after Beth seemed especially distressed. He killed Alex and took care of her body but never admitted it to his dying wife.
After his wife’s death, he tried to confess, but his consultant gave him the cold hard truth that no one would believe him since Dan Gallagher is the perfect story of downfall, and everyone wants to see him at the bottom. The scene returns to a perfectly peaceful dinner of Beth, Dan, Arthur, and Ellen.
However, this was not the end, as we see another flashback of Ellen, who remembers the words of Alex when she was picked up from school. Alex tells her that Ellen’s parents are lying to her, and she needs to know who to trust. She tells Ellen to handle everything by letting others think they are fooling her. However, if anyone tries to stop the life she wants, she should make sure to leave them. “They don’t get to leave you.”
Not even a few seconds pass that we see how heavily Alex had impacted Ellen. Currently, she is stitching together voice recordings of her professor at his house, which she has stealthily broken into.
Fatal Attraction Ending Explained
The biggest concern in Fatal Attraction was never Alex’s murder. The ending of Fatal Attraction showed Ellen following Alex’s footsteps as another obsessive monster is born.
In the last scene, Ellen is seen stitching together voice recordings of her professor. She has gathered various lectures, skillfully editing and arranging specific phrases. The newly edited audio sounds like the professor is confessing his love to her and has never met someone like her before.
As if this wasn’t terrifying enough already, the professor himself enters next, as a chilling realization dawns that she has broken into his house. She acts coy and asks him, “Are you mad at me?”
Like Alex, Ellen will stop at nothing to get what she wants, even if it’s at the cost of the sanity of everyone around her.
Who Killed Alex in Fatal Attraction?
In the 2023 mini-series Fatal Attraction, Alex Forest was killed by Arthur Tomlinson, a close friend to Beth, who later became her husband. Arthur kills Alex because he cannot bear how helpless Beth sounded day by day.
After Ellen was kidnapped and then returned, Beth has had enough and calls Arthur to say that Alex will stop at nothing. She pleads that if Dan could stop her, he would have before Beth knew of Alex’s existence.
Arthur slowly plans how to infiltrate Alex’s apartment. He lays out a plan and waits for the perfect opportunity. Opportunity presents itself when Dan plans to rat Alex out to the FBI. He enters Alex’s apartment and then murders her; he even disposes of her body.
Arthur planned on confessing to the murder, but he was told no one would believe him as Dan was the golden goose in the situation.
Was Alex Pregnant in Fatal Attraction?
Alex’s pregnancy remains unconfirmed in Fatal Attraction 2023. While in the 1987 movie, there were obvious hints of the pregnancy being true, the mini-series did no such reveal, and the matter remains ambiguous.
I think Alex’s pregnancy is open to interpretation. You can either believe she went to such extreme lengths for her baby or think that she faked her pregnancy just to get more of Dan’s attention.
The 2023 series went beyond many prospects in the original film and might have taken the opposite route for Alex, meaning she could be faking her pregnancy.
Will There Be a Second Season of Fatal Attraction?
Fatal Attraction, the 2023 mini-series with eight episodes, has not been renewed for a second season yet. While season 1 had an open ending with Ellen filling in Alex’s shoes, the show might not receive a sequel.
A major reason for the conclusion is that the 1987 film that inspired the series ended the story with Alex’s murder and never delved into a sequel story.
Is Fatal Attraction Based on a True Story?
The 2023 series, Fatal Attraction, is based on the 1987 film of the same name. The original movie, however, is not inspired by a singular true event but rather by multiple studies of cases of infidelity and obsession.
The movie is directed by Adrian Lyne from a screenplay by James Dearden. Dearden had observed cases of extramarital affairs and stalking that were featured in the media. Psychological studies of obsessive behaviors are also incorporated into the project.
Where to Watch Fatal Attraction Mini-Series?
Fatal Attraction, the 2023 mini-series developed by Alexandra Cunningham and Kevin J. Hynes, is available to stream on Paramount+. The series debuted on April 30, 2023, with its last episode airing on May 28, 2023.
The twist regarding Ellen was more bone-chilling than Arthur’s murder of Alex. The possibility of another Alex is all too real now, and this time someone else’s life is on the line.
Did you expect the fabulous twist at the end of Fatal Attraction? Tell us about your theories on Ellen and Arthur in the comments.
4 Comments
Loved this show! Loved the Ellen twist at the end! Ellen is dealing with repercussions from her family trauma just like Alex has. Interesting. Every character in this show is messed up, which makes for a great show!
“The next scenes show how BETH gained access to Alex’s apartment and how he killed him one day after Beth seemed especially distressed. He killed Alex and took care of her body but never admitted it to his dying wife.”
It would be nice if people wrote these articles instead of companies being lazy and just using ChatGTP
I loved the show and the ending was chilling I really hope there’s a season 2
Disappointing. No where close to touching the movie ending.