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twith kristen© Photo: Netflix

Netflix's The Woman in the House ending explained

Kristen Bell stars in the thrilling series

Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
January 30, 2022
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Netflix's new dark comedy thriller The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window made its debut on Friday and viewers have wasted no time getting stuck into the miniseries. 

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The eight-episode show stars Kristen Bell as Anna, a heartbroken woman who is unsure about whether she witnessed a murder in the window of her neighbour's house. If you've already binge-watched the series and need a breakdown of the events, we've got you covered. 

WATCH: What did you think of the series?

The Woman in the House ending explained

In the last episode, we learn that Anna did in fact witness a murder. Lisa, who turned out to be a conwoman, was killed by Neil's (Tom Riley) eight-year-old daughter Emma (Samsara Yett).

Anna learns this after following Buell (Cameron Britton) into Neil's house, convinced he is the killer after finding out that he was previously imprisoned for murdering his own family

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However, when Anna gets inside, she finds Buell on the floor with his throat slit while holding letters that had mistakenly been delivered to Neil's house but addressed to Anna. "You got some of their mail by mistake, Miss Anna. I was just…" he says. 

TWITH emma

Emma was revealed as the killer

Anna then runs to find Emma, convinced that her father is the murderer, only to find Neil with his throat slit as well. She turns around and sees Emma holding a knife while wearing blood-stained pyjamas

The eight-year-old then explains that she killed Lisa after she refused to buy any of her girl scout chocolate bars. Emma then reveals that she framed Anna by stealing one of her palette knives that she uses to paint before leaving it with Lisa's dismembered body in the woods. 

Neil didn't hear Lisa's murder as he was practising his ventriloquist act with the water running so no one would hear him rehearse. Emma then admitted to killing her father because his comedy act "sucked"

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We then learn that it was Emma who was responsible for her own mother's death - not Neil. She confesses to pushing her pregnant mother from the edge of a dock as punishment for wanting another baby. 

TWITH family© Photo: Netflix

Neil and Lisa were killed by his daughter

With plans to kill Anna and claim "self-defence", Emma attacks Anna and shoots her with a gun before hitting her over the head with a casserole dish. The eight-year-old then picks up the phone to the police, claiming Anna had attacked her. She picks up a knife and tells Anna that it was her who wrote 'STOP OR U R NEXT' in the dust on her car and if she had listened she wouldn't be in this position. 

Just as Emma is about to stab Anna, she manages to grab a sharp piece of the broken casserole dish and impales her through the chest. Anna's ex-husband Douglas (Michael Ealy) arrives just in time to help her. 

Later in hospital, Detective Lane (Christina Anthony) pays Anna a visit and confirms that she was right all along. Douglas also makes an appearance and apologises for prescribing her with a psychotropic drug rather than an anti-depressant. 

TWITH husband© Photo: Netflix

Douglas and Anna get back together

We also learn that Buell survived and after he apologises to Anna for living in her attic without her knowledge, she forgives him and lets him stay in the loft. 

What happened in the final scenes on the plane?

In the final scenes, we see Anna and Douglas get back together as well as Anna overcome her fear of rain. 

After Anna boards a plane to New York to visit Sloane in her new job, she orders a vodka and a mysterious woman, played by Glenn Close, sits beside her. After a short nap, she wakes up to find the woman gone and heads to the toilet to discover her dead body in the cubicle. 

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She then alerts the staff before they discover that the body is no longer there and that there was never a woman in the seat next to her. 

TWITH buell© Photo: Netflix

Buell survives the stabbing

The last scene sees Anna begin to question her sanity again before finding the woman's compact mirror down the side of the seat. "Bingo," she says before the end credits roll. 

So, what was this final scene about? The final moments of the series could be a set-up for a second season, with another mystery for Anna to solve, or perhaps just an intriguing way to end the satirical drama.

TWITH stairs© Photo: Netflix

Anna finds a dead body at the end of the final episode

While we don't know exactly what happened in those final moments, we do know that the original question is put to audiences once again - is Anna's psychological state causing her to hallucinate or has she really stumbled across a gruesome death? 

Let's hope we get to find out with a new series!

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