Hulu’s stylish murder mystery reaches an explosive conclusion with a finale packed with shocking revelations. The final two episodes of Death and Other Details take an unusual approach, with key events playing out across two timelines set six months apart.
From the very start, Detective Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) stressed the importance of paying attention to even the smallest clues, and true to classic mystery fashion, hints were carefully scattered throughout the luxurious Mediterranean cruise setting.
Detective Rufus always said to watch closely—now the truth is finally revealed (Photo: Death and Other Details/ABC Signature)Leading up to the finale, the passengers aboard the cruise ship found themselves at the mercy of a shadowy group of black-clad operatives working under the orders of the elusive “eat the rich” mastermind, Viktor Sams.
As the wealthy elites scrambled to secure spots on a helicopter to escape the doomed ship, amateur detective Imogene (Violett Beane) and her group remained focused on the mystery that had gripped them since the very first episode—who exactly is Viktor Sams?
The finale not only provides the long-awaited answer but also unearths deeper secrets that few even considered asking about. Was Viktor Sams truly responsible for Katherine Collier’s (Jayne Atkinson) death? What caused her husband’s illness? And is Imogene’s mother dead?
What Was Viktor Sam’s True Plan?
Revenge against the Collier family was the primary goal of Viktor Sams, also known as Kira, but her vendetta soon expanded into something much bigger. She evolved into a vigilante, closely monitoring and punishing the crimes of the wealthy, with several crew members on the cruise secretly working for her.
Although Kira confesses that Danny’s death was unintentional, she treats it as nothing more than collateral damage.
Her cold and indifferent reaction diminishes the idea of her being a righteous force against corrupt elites, instead painting her as someone whose thirst for retribution makes her just as ruthless as those she seeks to punish.
Throughout the show, the moral failings of each character are put under scrutiny, from the Colliers’ cover-ups to Imogene’s tendencies toward theft.
These layers of ethical gray areas make the characters and their relationships more gripping, particularly when it comes to Kira’s chosen form of punishment for Lawrence Collier (David Marshall Grant) and the family’s lawyer, Llewelyn (Jere Burns).
Llewelyn’s reputation as a cunning and relentless legal mind made him an expert at covering up the Colliers’ wrongdoings. His strong-willed nature made suicide seem like the least likely way for him to meet his end—until the revelation that Agent Hilde had poisoned him shortly before his death.
Refusing to die on someone else’s terms, Llewelyn chose to take control of his fate, jumping overboard before the poison could take full effect. His death provided Detective Cotesworth and Imogene with their most crucial clue about Viktor Sams’ identity.
What remained unknown at the time was that before meeting his end, Llewelyn had declared his love for Kira directly to her.
Kira’s revenge on Lawrence initially appeared underwhelming, especially compared to the more elaborate methods she used to deal with Llewelyn and Governor Alexandra (Tamberla Perry), who was poisoned and left to experience the same paranoia and helplessness Kira once endured.
Initially, Kira allowed Imogene to believe that Lawrence had suffered enough after losing his wife while being in poor health. However, after the six-month time jump, the truth came to light—Kira had secretly been poisoning him over time with the same toxic substance that had harmed his factory workers.
This led to his eventual decline into dementia, a fate that served as the most fitting and poetic form of vengeance against him.
Imogene Takes Matters into Her Own Hands
Once the major twists are revealed, Imogene appears to be swept away by her mother, leading to a scene of them skiing together six months later.
The snow-covered space paints a serene picture, occasionally interrupted by her mother’s phone calls—proof that she had not abandoned her vigilante ways, despite promising Imogene otherwise. Yet, Imogene herself had been far from passive, as she had been formulating a plan of her own to bring Kira to justice.
Imogene maintained contact with the impromptu team she had assembled on the cruise, including Cotesworth, Teddy (Angela Zhou), Leila (Pardis Saremi), and Jules (Hugo Diego Garcia).
Together, they set a trap for Kira at a restaurant, making sure that every patron present was someone they had planted and armed in preparation. As they confronted Kira, another revelation surfaced—Imogene’s conversation with Kira on the boat had been a deliberate distraction.
While Kira was preoccupied, the team, with the help of shipowner Sunil (Rahul Kohli), secretly retrieved and secured all of her mother’s data servers before the ship’s destruction. Those mysterious large trolleys being frantically wheeled away as the ship was going down?
They contained Viktor Sams’ entire operation. With this, Imogene and her allies managed to deliver justice in a way that was more legally sound than her mother’s approach—proving that, while she may share some of her mother’s traits, she had chosen a different path.
Anna Collier’s Unexpected Connection to Viktor Sams
Another shocking discovery came to light in the final minutes of Death and Other Details—Katherine Collier was not killed by Viktor Sams, but Kira had helped cover up the real murder. Anna (Lauren Patten) had just uncovered the truth that her father had ordered a hit on Imogene’s mother.
Overwhelmed by this knowledge, combined with the revelation of her biological father’s identity as Llewelyn and the weight of her family’s factory scandals, Anna lashed out in a moment of rage and unintentionally killed her mother.
Seeing what had happened, Kira stepped in and claimed the murder as one of Viktor Sams’, erasing any evidence that could have tied Anna to the crime. This new context sheds light on Anna’s erratic behavior in the final two episodes.
Although she had already endured a stressful week, her sudden refusal to participate in Viktor Sam’s auction game seemed uncharacteristic, forcing her brother, Tripp (Jack Cutmore-Scott), to take charge instead.
However, with the truth now revealed, it becomes clear that Anna was consumed by a mix of guilt and grief—an overwhelming combination that had drained her of her usual resilience. Her growing dependence on drugs, abrupt disinterest in Leila, and reckless disregard for her well-being now make perfect sense.
More importantly, this revelation cements the fact that Anna owes a debt to Viktor Sams, and sooner or later, she will have to pay the price.
What Lies Ahead for Death and Other Details?
With Imogene successfully solving her first case, the final moments of the season hint that this is just the beginning of her career as a detective—suggesting that Death and Other Details could return for another season.
One of the closing scenes presents an eerie yet effective setup for what may come next, as Imogene stumbles upon dismembered limbs falling from trees into the snow. Combined with the unresolved debt Anna owes to Viktor Sams, it is clear that Imogene’s ties to her former best friend are far from severed.
A game of deception unravels as Imogene hunts for the real Viktor Sams (Photo: Death and Other Details/ABC Signature)Beyond the murder mystery, the show also keeps viewers intrigued with the unresolved romantic tension between Imogene, Sunil, and Jules, ensuring that any future installment continues to balance crime-solving with personal drama.
While Death and Other Details carried strong themes centered around the “eat the rich” ideology, at its heart, it was a deep look into grief and morality. Every character had flaws, and each of them was grappling with their form of loss.
From Imogene’s habit of stealing, fueled by the absence of her mother, to Llewelyn’s unwavering ambition, which cost him the love of his life, every character had moments of failure and redemption.
Although the murder mystery itself and its constant twists kept the plot engaging, what truly made the series stand out was its deeply human and emotionally layered characters—a particularly impressive feat, considering that most of them belong to the elite class, a group often portrayed as difficult to relate to.
Looking ahead, Death and Other Details has laid the foundation for an intriguing continuation. If a second season is greenlit, it could focus on Imogene’s growth as a detective while unraveling new mysteries.
The fallout of Anna’s connection to Viktor Sams would also provide an interesting thread to look at, as she struggles with the consequences of her actions. Additionally, the full extent of Kira’s network and how it continues to influence events could bring more surprises.
The show has already proven its ability to balance intricate storytelling with character-driven drama, and with so many loose ends still lingering, there is no shortage of material for another season.
Whether it is a fresh crime to solve, the deepening difficulties of Imogene’s relationships, or the long-term repercussions of Viktor Sams’ crusade, the series has more stories to tell. For now, fans can only wait to see if Death and Other Details will return with another gripping chapter.
