Rather than offering a simple wrap-up, the closing episode delivered a message about enduring strength and courage. Faced with a mix of paranormal disturbances and constant racism, the Emorys had no choice but to confront everything threatening to break them.
Evil spirits haunted their home, and the hostility from the local white community was unrelenting. But even with all these trials, the Emorys stood firm, finding unity in their pain and refusing to fall apart. The finale focused on how deeply human resilience can run when people are pushed to their limits.
Paranormal or not, the Emorys stood their ground against it all (Photo: Them Season 1/Amazon Studios)That last episode made it clear that even during periods of deep suffering, there’s still room for healing and renewal. Standing side-by-side to face the evil around them, the Emorys embodied a kind of hope many viewers could relate to.
The horror was real, but so was the strength they displayed. Them season 1 closed not just on fear, but also with a reflection on how much can be achieved through bravery and determination to survive, even when the odds are far from favourable.
How The Season 1 Ending Was Received
The Finale Was Enough To Carry The Show On For A Second Season
There was a mostly positive response from audiences and reviewers when season 1 of Them came to a close, which played a part in Amazon deciding to proceed with season 2, titled THEM: The Scare, released in 2024.
The final episode succeeded in tying up the bulk of the season’s mysteries, and even though it was disturbing, many viewers found the resolution satisfying enough to warrant more episodes, even though there weren’t many unanswered questions left behind.
Several critics focused on how some of the final moments brought emotional relief after such an intense buildup.
Few recent shows delivered the kind of tension that Them sustained throughout its first season. Some events in the finale allowed viewers to breathe and feel a sense of victory alongside the Emorys before the story closed. As Mekeisha Madden Toby wrote for TVLine:
“The words ‘I see you’ have never sounded and felt so good. Thank you, Queen Lucky. Thank you.” Even with the praise it received, not every viewer or critic was pleased with how the story ended. A good number voiced disappointment with the episode titled “Day 10,” calling it underwhelming.
This view didn’t just apply to the final episode alone, but extended to the last few episodes in general. For instance, some reviewers were disappointed with how certain character arcs were handled. Greg Wheeler, writing for The Review Geek, shared his thoughts:
“Betty’s story has been completely butchered. Early on, the show has some really interesting juxtapositions between her and Lucky. But yet, right at the end it renders everything about her progression pointless if she was just going to be killed off unceremoniously like that.”
Wheeler’s remarks reflected a broader dissatisfaction from those who didn’t feel the ending did justice to the buildup. While all the central questions were addressed before the season ended, several people, including Wheeler, thought the answers fell flat.
They argued that although the production was visually strong and touched on weighty themes, the actual story didn’t deliver the level of depth needed to make the conclusion emotionally rewarding: “Them is a show big on themes but lacking in substance.
Behind the glossy façade and gorgeous aesthetic is a show that slips up where it matters most – the story. The plot isn’t outright bad, but it does have a bad ending, which makes for a bit of a sour experience.”
Did The Them Season 1 Or Season 2 Have A Better Ending?
Both Seasons Had Similar Themes But Different Outcomes
Instead of changing the story structure completely, the second season of Them continued with the theme of a mother’s battle to protect her loved ones. In season 1, Lucky faced her internal fears and chose not to let hatred define her, conquering her demons in the process.
Meanwhile, in season 2, Dawn recognised that as a Black woman in a corrupt system, she could never be part of a real solution. Her fight was different, but she too overcame the evil surrounding her. Season 2 seemed to go deeper in its presentation, offering a more layered view of the moral tensions within society today.
The New Direction In Them: The Scare
The plot in the second season follows LAPD homicide detective Dawn Reeve, who takes on the brutal murder case of a foster home caretaker—a case so gruesome that even experienced officers were disturbed.
The finale showed that even in darkness, there’s room for hope (Photo: Them Season 1/Amazon Studios)As she works through this investigation during a tense period in Los Angeles, Dawn becomes aware of something dark and sinister threatening not just her job but her entire family. Both Lucky and Dawn were portrayed as women stuck in systems that worked against them and their families.
While Lucky’s journey leaned more toward fighting personal fears in a fictional context, Dawn’s experience spoke more to real-life issues that Black individuals continue to face in America today. Season 2 touched on deeper truths, showing how institutional racism presents barriers that can’t be solved through personal change alone.
Dawn ends up taking the life of a white police officer who had planned to kill her and wrongly pin crimes on her. She conquered her fears and saved her brother’s soul by choosing compassion over vengeance.
One key difference this time was how the story acknowledged that, if she hadn’t recorded the self-defensive killing, her department would have destroyed her. Recognising this reality, Dawn chose to resign from the police force.
She reconnected with her son, now confident that she no longer played a role in the very problem she had been trying to fix. This gave Them season 2 a kind of emotional closure that the first season did not fully achieve.
