The Perfect Couple's Ending Changes Merritt's Killer From The Book – Here's Why

8 September 2024, 22:12 | Updated: 9 September 2024, 19:27

The Perfect Couple's ending is completely different in the book. Picture: Netflix

By Katie Louise Smith

Who kills Merritt in The Perfect Couple book? Here's why they changed the ending in the Netflix series.

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In the final episode of The Perfect Couple, Merritt Monaco's killer is revealed – but what happens is not exactly what happens in the book the Netflix series is based on.

The Perfect Couple is based on a novel by Elin Hilderbrand and it's a pretty loyal book adaptation but there are several key differences. Alongside a handful of minor character changes (Amelia is called Celeste in the book, Isabel replaces a book character named Featherleigh), the actual way in which Merritt dies is very different.

Now, Nicole Kidman, director Susanne Bier and showrunner Jenna Lamia have all explained why it was so important for the Netflix show to change various aspects of the story.

WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!

Read more: The Perfect Couple Boss Explains Opening Credits Dance Scene Meaning

Merritt's death is completely different in The Perfect Couple book. Picture: Netflix

The Perfect Couple book summary: Who kills Merritt?

In Elin Hilderbrand's book, Merritt remains the subject of the murder mystery but the big reveal is somewhat more of an accident rather than an outright murder.

For the most part, the novel and the Netflix series follow the same storyline with Merritt's death and the Winbury family as suspects. The final chapter of the book lays out Merritt's final hours in detail – including how she actually died.

In the novel, Merritt ultimately dies of accidental drowning after accidentally consuming a drink that contains barbiturates.

Same as in the show, Abby is the one who spikes her drink but she doesn't do it on purpose. Abby's target is actually Featherleigh, the woman who Thomas is having an affair with... not Merritt. (In the Netflix series, Thomas is having an affair with Isabel. Featherleigh does not exist.)

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In the book, Tag, Merritt, Thomas and Featherleigh are all sitting on the beach having a night cap before the wedding. Featherleigh briefly returns to the house and grabs a glass of water for Merritt. Believing the glass of water to be for Featherleigh, Abby spikes it with one of Greer's sleeping pills because she doesn't want Featherleigh to sleep with her husband.

Merritt (who is pregnant with Tag's child) then drinks the water and quickly grows drowsy. She asks Tag to take her out in the kayak so they can talk but it all goes wrong and begins to get even more sleepy. Tag saves her after she jumps into the ocean and then leaves her on the beach alone.

As the drugs begin to take over her system, she walks towards the water to wash the blood off her feet. She clocks the ring she previously threw into the ocean and attempts to retrieve it. The drugs fully take hold and she falls into the water and drowns.

When news of Merritt's death reaches the rest of the family, Greer discovers that Abby stole one of her pills and realises that she has unknowingly killed Merritt. Greer keeps the secret and does not tell anyone – not even Abby.

Who kills Merritt in The Perfect Couple? Picture: Netflix

Why did Abby kill Merritt in the Netflix series?

If you've watched The Perfect Couple, you'll know that Abby is eventually found out to be Merritt's killer. Knowing that Merritt is pregnant with Tag's baby, Abby sets out to kill her so that she can secure Thomas' inheritance money which will be released when Will turns 18 in a few weeks.

If Merritt had eventually given birth to Tag's baby, the three Winbury brothers would have had to wait another 18 years before their trust fund paid out.

In the show, Abby purposely drugs Merritt with a pill from Thomas' prescription roulette stash (stolen from Amelia's sick mother), mixes it into a drink, gives the drink to Merritt and then heads out into the ocean with her for a midnight swim. She then drowns her and leaves her face down in the water.

The Perfect Couple's ending reveals Abby killed Merritt. Picture: Netflix

Why did they change The Perfect Couple's ending and murder?

Director and executive producer Susanne Bier explained the reason why it was necessary to change the book's ending before adapting it into a TV series. Speaking to Tudum, she said that she "wouldn’t have done the series had [the murder] not been intentional."

In a behind-the-scenes featurette, Nicole Kidman also explained: "Whenever you're translating something to a series, you do have to have some creative license. Which is what Elin said, 'Please, take it and create it in its own form.'"

And that's exactly what happened. During production, showrunner and writer Jenna Lamia revealed that the producers "all agreed right then and there [that] there needed to be a murderer, and there needed to be a motive for that murder."