Warning! This post contains spoilers for The Perfect Couple.
Netflix released a thrilling brand-new murder mystery show,The Perfect Couple, earlier this month, but some viewers have already identified a potential plot hole.The Perfect Couple’scast and charactersincluded some impressive names. Among them were stars Nicole Kidman as the hyper-critical mother-in-law, Greer Garrison Winbury, and Dakota Fanning as Abby Winbury, a married-in member ofthe Winbury family tree.
The Perfect Coupleproved to be a murder mystery in the truest sense, as each episode seemed to contain its own carefully-crafted red herring. In truth, there were manyclues about Merritt’s true killer, but it nevertheless was a brilliant twist inThe Perfect Couple’sfinale. Yet,several viewers have pointed out that this twist may have come with a major plot hole in the show.
Why Abby’s Reason For Killing Merritt Could Be A Plot Hole
The Perfect Couple’sfinal episode revealed that it was the Winbury’s pregnant daughter-in-law, Abby, who had killed Merritt, which involved crushing up sleeping pills to weaken her and then drowning her in the ocean by holding her head below water. This was genuinely a surprising turn, although she was, of course, one of the suspects (as everyone in the family really was). In terms of the narrative, though, Abby didn’t seem one of the most likely killers.
She had been presented as someone who sympathized with the show’s protagonist, Amelia, who was the main target of Greer’s criticism and judgment. In fact, as the only Winbury in-law, Abby seemed like Amelia’s in-road to this family defined by extreme wealth and a lack of touch with reality. She was still vain, rude, spoiled, and petulant, but she had to navigate Greer’s bad behavior the same as Amelia.
Abby was really the worst of them all, as she decided to kill Merritt to ensure she and her husband would receive the Winbury trust fund money.
However,The Perfect Couplerevealed that Abby was really the worst of them all, as she decided to kill Merritt to ensure she and her husband would receive the Winbury trust fund money, to the tune of about two million dollars, sooner rather than later. Specifically,the Winbury children would only get their trust fund money when the youngest child turned 18. However, as Merritt was pregnant with Winbury patriarch Tag’s baby, Abby decided to take matters into her own hands, making sure that baby didn’t reset the clock.
Many have pointed out that this motive could be a major plot hole inThe Perfect Couple, though. Other than the unborn baby, the youngest Winbury child, Will, was quite close to his 18th birthday. This means that, in all likelihood,Will would have turned 18 before the baby was born. The ins and outs of the trust fund rules aren’t explicitly known, so this raises some critical questions. Namely, would the trust fund reset from conception or from birth?
If the trust fund clock is only reset once another child is born, then there was no reason for Abby to kill Merritt at all. Assuming Will’s birthday came first, which seems a safe assumption, her baby wouldn’t have prevented the Winbury kids from getting their money. That is a fair point, but this isn’t quite a plot hole for a few key reasons.
Why Abby’s Reason For Killing Merritt Isn’t A Plot Hole
First and foremost,this issue with the trust fund can’t quite be considered a plot hole because the truth isn’t known. The show makes no mention of the specific rules, and without confirmation that the trust fund clock is determined by the birth of a child, not conception, it doesn’t constitute a plot hole. It also seems rather unlikely the rule would apply to conceptions. Conception doesn’t guarantee a birth, for various reasons, so this would be a bit odd.
Abby had no idea whether conception alone would threaten the trust fund money.
Even if the clock did reset at conception, though, this arguably still wouldn’t be a plot hole. In all likelihood, Abby had no idea whether conception alone would threaten the trust fund money, or that information would undoubtedly have been provided directly in the show. Nevertheless, she clearly believed it did, and she had no intention of letting Merritt’s pregnancy ruin her chances of getting access to the money in just a few months.
Moreover,Abby was clearly not in her right mind, as she was willing to kill Merritt to shore up her husband’s trust fund money. Even with her confidence that they wouldn’t throw a pregnant white woman in prison (something she ‘joked’ about), this seems like a pretty significant gamble for a woman living in the lap of luxury with a baby on the way. Her willingness to murder, and ability to do so with seemingly no remorse, suggests Abby wasn’t exactly rational, so she may not have cared what the rule was either way.
How The Perfect Couple’s Book Avoided The Show’s Plot Hole Issue
The Perfect Coupleis based on a book of the same name, written by Elin Hilderbrand, although the show did make a number of changes to the original story. Interestingly, this included the book completely avoiding this potential plot hole problem. In fact,Merritt’s death in the bookwas quite different.
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Specifically,in the book, Abby didn’t intend to kill Merritt at all. Rather, she meant to put the pills in the drink of her husband’s mistress, who ended up handing that drink off to Merritt. Later, when Merritt went into the ocean to retrieve a ring she’d thrown in anger, she accidentally drowned. Even though Abby’s husband was still having an affair in Netflix’sThe Perfect Couple, the show changed Merritt’s death considerably.
Indeed,The Perfect Couplegave Abby an entirely different arc, turning her into a true murderer. This also means that the show invented the motive that created speculation about the show’s possible plot hole. However, at least when it comes to the trust fund money,The Perfect Coupledidn’t have a true plot hole.
The Perfect Couple
Cast
In the idyllic setting of Nantucket, a lavish wedding turns sinister when a body is discovered in the harbor just before the ceremony. As the investigation unfolds, every member of the wedding party becomes a suspect, unraveling secrets and lies. Starring Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, and Dakota Fanning, the series promises intense drama and mystery.
