The Real Villain of ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ Isn’t Who You Think

Editor’s observe: The under incorporates spoilers for A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide.

Like most homicide mysteries, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows a recognizable narrative construction. An adaptation of the Holly Jackson novel of the identical identify, considered one of Netflix’s latest hit collection abides by the standard conventions of its style, opening with Emma Myers’ novice sleuth, Pip Fitz-Amobi, revisiting an outdated homicide case in her hometown of Little Kilton. All through her investigation, outdated alibis are questioned, hidden secrets and techniques come to gentle, and new discoveries are made that dispel outdated myths in regards to the collection’ brutal crime. But, whereas Netflix’s slow-burn adaptation concludes by introducing audiences to a perpetrator no one on the town suspected, the collection provides a wrinkle to its acquainted method by additionally hiding the present’s true villain in plain sight.

The collection’ central thriller revolves across the disappearance of Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies), a highschool senior allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni), earlier than Sal killed himself out of guilt for his crime. Since Andie’s physique was by no means discovered and Pip knew Sal to be form earlier than his demise, nevertheless, the collection’ principal character refuses to consider this official story unfold by the police, finally teaming up with Sal’s brother, Ravi (Zain Iqbal), to clear the Singh household identify. Collectively he and Myers’ character plunge deeper into the dark side of Little Kilton, uncovering a string of Andie’s secret boyfriends, incriminating textual content messages, and damning on-line posts that finally lead the pair to discovering the collection’ true assassin.

Who Actually Killed Andie Bell in ‘A Good Woman’s Information To Homicide’?

For these well-versed within the thriller style, it is going to come as no shock that the police finally blamed the flawed boy for Andie’s homicide. After Sal and Andie’s pals admit that they have been blackmailed into undermining Sal’s alibi to be able to make him seem extra suspicious, Sal is cleared as a suspect in Pip’s thoughts fully. As an alternative, a string of threatening texts and private threats leads her again to the identical home that produced the sufferer, with A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’s ending revealing Andie’s true killer is definitely her sister, Becca Bell (Carla Woodcock). This revelation is adopted by Becca making an attempt to deposit Pip’s physique down the identical deep forest nicely the place Becca dumped Andie, however the assassin’s second try is fortunately interrupted by Ravi and Pip’s finest good friend, Cara (Asha Banks).

As for Becca’s murderous motivation, the matter is a little more difficult. Whereas it is pure to need to categorize all murderers as purely evil and all victims as purely good, A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide excels at surrounding its characters’ lives with varied shades of ethical ambiguity. As somebody who was drugged and sexually assaulted by Little Kilton’s Byronic unhealthy boy, Max Hastings (Henry Ashton), at one of many city’s notoriously harmful Calamity events, Becca is justifiably enraged to be taught that Andie is the one who bought Max Rohypnol within the first place. Her plight and the plight of all Calamity’s victims are symbolized by A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder‘s black ribbons, however her sister’s callous actions aren’t what units Becca off alone. Along with Andie’s reckless facet enterprise, Becca truly murders Andie when she learns her sister intends to run away with Sal, leaving Becca alone with somebody way more culpable of the present’s true crime.

‘A Good Woman’s Information To Homicide’ Actually Suffers From the Sins of Its Fathers

In different thriller shows like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, a lot of the blame for the collection’ central homicide will be positioned on the ft of the killer revealed in the direction of the top, as this killer tends to be appearing maliciously to undermine the younger adults making an attempt desperately to unearth the reality. In Becca’s case, nevertheless, the circumstances surrounding her homicide make her actions extra sympathetic, finally proving that she alone is not answerable for Andie’s destiny. Not solely is Becca a sufferer in her personal proper, however she and the remainder of the forged are tragically let down by the adults of their lives. Extra particularly, the true forces behind Little Kilton’s conspiracy are literally the present’s fathers, as each Jason Bell (Matthew Chambers) and Cara’s father (Matthew Baynton) contribute closely to Andie’s homicide.

Quite than killing himself out of grief, Cara’s father, Elliot Ward, admits to Pip that he murdered Sal to be able to cowl up his personal involvement in Andie’s demise, as he had been conducting an inappropriate relationship together with her when Andie was nonetheless his scholar. The English trainer was additionally the one who blackmailed his daughter’s good friend group to be able to undermine Sal’s alibi, stopping the police from attending to the reality of the matter below the pretense of defending his daughter–who had been concerned in a hit-and-run just a few months prior–from additional scrutiny by regulation enforcement. What’s worse, to be able to run away with Sal on the night time of her demise, Andie begged Mr. Ward for cash and he smashed her head within the course of. This pre-existing damage is what made it potential for Becca to kill her sister so simply, because the slightest shove to Andie through the pair’s last confrontation struck at a far deeper vulnerability than Becca may have ever recognized.

As for Andie and Becca’s father, Jason Bell’s half in his first daughter’s demise is much less direct however no much less tragic in one of Netflix’s best new shows. Whereas the person is not proven bodily abusing his daughters, the collection makes it clear that each ladies are deeply afraid of their domineering father or mother. As Pip pursues leads within the collection’ last episode, the identical one who saved Myers’ character from being assaulted at Episode 3’s Calamity social gathering, Jesse (Oliver Wickham), explains that Jason closely controls his daughters to be able to preserve them protected, although additionally they dismiss Pip’s suspicion that Jason may have been his daughter’s assassin. In actuality, Jason’s principal contribution to Andie’s demise is creating such a poisonous residence setting for his daughters that the mere considered being left alone with him spurs Becca to fatally lash out towards her sister.

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The Actual Villains of ‘A Good Woman’s Information To Homicide’ Level to the Deeper Drawback in Little Kilton

Taken collectively, the misbehaviors of each males reveal that Becca will not be solely in charge for her sister’s demise, however their similarities additionally spotlight probably the most harmful power on the core of the present — Little Kilton’s drawback with violent masculinity. In a quest to meet their self-declared roles as their daughters’ protectors, each Mr. Ward and Mr. Bell finally trigger those self same daughters no small quantity of struggling, with Jason’s controlling tendencies driving Andie into the arms of a harmful trainer and Becca into such an agitated state that she kills her sister. Likewise, Mr. Ward causes each his daughters pointless terror and disgrace by killing an harmless boy within the identify of fatherly love, finally undermining the police’s efforts to find out what occurred to Andie Bell to be able to shield himself.

Each fathers’ selections to position their very own emotions of safety above others’ well-being are unhealthy sufficient, however their actions additionally betray the grave injustice on the core of Little Kilton’s neighborhood. In a city the place Max Hastings can assault numerous ladies unchecked and Mr. Ward’s involvement with Andie will be hidden for years, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder gives Emma Myers each cause to be genuine, as her character should cope with a hometown dominated by the careless cruelty of wanton fathers and sons. Removed from an easy homicide thriller, Netflix’s adaptation subsequently offers audiences a transparent villain in Becca whereas additionally pointing a finger on the males who made her homicide potential. Though, with Pip confronting Max within the collection’ last episode, there’s nonetheless hope that Little Kilton’s good lady will quickly be taught to beat all of the methods a boy can go unhealthy.

A Good Woman’s Information to Homicide is on the market to stream on Netflix within the U.S.

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