What the 'Furious' Finale Sets Up for Alice, Catherine, and Season 2
The first season of Hulu's 'Furious' ends with a death, a confession, and a smile. The finale gives Alice a reason to kill Jay Easton, lets Catherine learn the truth about Isabel, and closes on an expression that has drawn two very different readings from star Emmy Rossum and creator Elizabeth Meriwether. Hulu has renewed the show for a second season, so the final shot is also a bridge to the next chapter.
One Death Was Mercy
The finale reveals that Catherine killed Isabel. Catherine had dissociative amnesia, which blocked her memory of the act, and the truth only surfaces as the episode builds to its end. Isabel was bleeding from childbirth and had been sexually abused; she asked Catherine to inject her with heroin to end her pain. The reveal turns the apparent murder into an act of mercy, though it remains a memory Catherine has to carry.
One Death Was Vengeance
Alice kills Jay Easton after he calls her the movie star, a phrase tied to a childhood video of her. She acts after learning that 50,000 people have downloaded that video. Rossum has described Alice as underestimated and seeking power. Meriwether has questioned whether the killing traps Alice instead of freeing her.
What the Smile Sets Up
The final shot is Alice's smile. Catherine asks Alice whether she liked killing Jay, and Alice smiles. In interviews with Variety and Decider, Rossum says the smile reflects peace and a new mission. She also says killing changes Alice's values. Meriwether, by contrast, wonders whether that change is truly liberating. Those two readings are the engine for Season 2.
Season 2 will follow Alice's journey of vengeance against the people who downloaded the video. The scope is wider than one target. Rossum has described both Alice and Catherine as underestimated people seeking power. Catherine now has the truth; Alice has a mission. The meaning of the smile is not confirmed by the show itself, and the creators have already disagreed about what it means. That disagreement is the real cliffhanger.