As the last episode begins, the story throws us back to scenes from the opening episode, then it adds something new: a phone conversation between Kelly and Josephine (Chloe Guidry), where Kelly threatens to “break [Reena’s] bones with a bat and burn her at the stake, and cut off her toes.”
What makes the situation even more troubling is that Kelly’s mother hears every word and still does not speak up, even after Kelly goes ahead to suggest they should bury Reena alive. Before the party begins, Jo carries out a blood oath ritual with Dusty (Aiyana Goodfellow), officially bringing her into CMC.
When cruelty echoed louder than conscience (Photo: Under the Bridge/ABC Signature)That action is done mainly to keep Dusty quiet about what is about to happen to Reena. Jo lies by saying Reena will be initiated that night too. When the violence starts, Dusty watches without intervening, and her silence stems from fear, which later turns into deep regret.
Reena apologises during the confrontation, but things have already gone too far. The girls beat her mercilessly, with no hesitation, while others stand by and watch without stepping in to help.
Kelly’s Trial
At the trial, Jo chooses not to testify against Kelly, so only the other girls who attacked Reena and later Warren (Javon “Wanna” Walton) are left to speak.
Each of the girls recounts what took place that terrible night and gives details of Kelly’s behaviour, with Dusty revealing that Kelly confessed after Dusty saw Reena’s boots in Kelly’s closet. The defence tries to discredit their testimonies and even attempts to shift the blame onto the girls themselves.
When Warren takes the stand, he provides a full account. He says Kelly ordered Reena to remove her shoes before beating her. He joined her, kicking Reena until she collapsed, with both of them striking her all over her body and head. He confesses that he did it to release some of his emotions.
Afterward, both of them dragged Reena by the legs to the water, and Kelly pressed her head under. They acted without mercy, fully aware of what they were doing. Warren apologises in court, stating that he will regret it for the rest of his life.
Kelly later appears before the court, speaking in a British accent, which, according to Samir Mehta, actually happened. He confirmed to Den of Geek, “She did speak in a British accent, that’s real.” Quinn Shephard added, “She even had a breakdown and was screaming.
Everything, including Warren’s testimony, was based on court transcripts and his confession to Rebecca Godfrey, who wrote the book. We relied heavily on actual records so we wouldn’t need to invent anything.”
Regarding how they treated the rest of her trial, Shephard shared that the writing team debated for a long time, since the book discusses two of Kelly’s trials, while in real life, she had three different court cases. The team decided to pick the most memorable and impactful moments from two of them and merge them for the sake of the series.
Shephard mentioned they wanted the final episode to come with a heavy dose of truth. While earlier parts of the show had stylish visuals and thrilling moments, this last part was about the characters confronting the weight of what they had done. So they chose to keep the episode grounded in the present without using flashbacks.
Kelly is eventually found guilty but gets only five years in prison, the lowest sentence possible, because she has a “strong and supportive network of family and friends” and had done well academically. That judgment is extremely difficult to accept.
The Story Never Ends
After Seven Oaks is shut down, Cam (Gladstone) is called to come and collect her adoption file. What she discovers there is shocking: AIM, a programme that removes Indigenous children from their families, was responsible for sending her to Seven Oaks.
This new knowledge reveals that her birth family never gave her up or abused her, and they live just a ferry ride away, contrary to what she had always been told. This truth pushes Cam to resign from the police and sets her on a path to find her real family.
At the same time, Suman (Archie Panjabi) is overwhelmed by the court proceedings and remains in bed, unwilling to eat or leave her room. But when Rebecca delivers a copy of her writing on Reena, it seems to spark something in Suman, who then visits Warren in prison.
During their meeting, Panjabi gives an intense and heartfelt performance, expressing the emotional pain her character is feeling and the deep sense of loss. She tells Warren how he robbed her of the chance to repair her relationship with her daughter.
She explains that the only way to heal is through forgiveness, and so, she forgives him. Though she hoped to visit Kelly as well, Kelly’s lawyer blocked it.
The final moments show Reena’s parents reattaching the door to her room and playing her favourite Biggie Smalls song—the same one she danced to at the start of the series and in the final episode’s opening. Even if short-lived, watching them smile again brings some comfort.
As they sit side by side on Reena’s bed, looking into the mirror, the reflection shows Reena watching them from the doorway. Samir Mehta shared their reason for ending the story like that. He explained, “We always wanted the closing to include Reena and her family. Even if nothing good can come from such pain, we hoped to show a tiny change.
If anything at all can come out of this, it would be something small, like playing the song she loved. Seeing her reflection in the mirror, which ties to the meaning of her name, and her presence in the doorway felt like a gentle and poetic way to finish the story.”
Epilogue
As the credits approach, some details from real life are shared with the audience. After spending a year in juvenile detention, Jo worked as an exotic dancer in biker bars. Her time in custody was extended because she escaped twice. Dusty has spoken to the media about her guilt, saying, “We should have gotten more time. We were monsters.”
A mother listened but said nothing, and everything changed (Photo: Under the Bridge/ABC Signature)Warren turned his focus to restorative justice and was granted parole in 2010, partly due to Suman and Manjit (played by Ezra Faroque Khan) supporting his release. He also reconnected with his Métis background and Indigenous roots.
Kelly filed appeals and got two additional trials. Eventually, she was sentenced to life. The legal process lasted more than ten years. She continued to deny any role in Reena’s death for a long time, which the series reflects during her trial. It wasn’t until 2016, while applying for day parole, that she finally admitted responsibility.
At that point, she already had two children. Rebecca passed away shortly before filming began in 2022, but she had been deeply involved in the project’s development. She remained in contact with Warren for over twenty years. Since then, the Virk family has become a strong voice against bullying across Canada.
Manjit later wrote a book about his daughter, which was included in the material that shaped Under the Bridge. Suman passed away in 2018.
