Nearly five years after its release, Netflix viewers continue to be stunned by the ending of the psychological thriller Behind Her Eyes. Based on Sarah Pinborough’s 2017 novel, the six-part series debuted in February 2021 and quickly gained a dedicated following thanks to its gripping storyline and shocking twists.
Starring Tom Bateman, Simona Brown, Eve Hewson, and Robert Aramayo, the show centers on Louise (Brown), a single mother who embarks on an affair with her new boss, David (Bateman). Things become increasingly complex when she forms a mysterious bond with David’s wife, Adele (Hewson).
What starts as a seemingly typical love triangle gradually shifts into a dark, supernatural mystery. Louise and Adele’s connection deepens through shared nightmares and the practice of astral projection, an ability Adele teaches Louise to explore and control their dream worlds.
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Through flashbacks, viewers discover Adele’s traumatic past—including escaping a house fire that killed her parents and spending time in rehab—and learn about her ability to leave her physical body and observe the world in her non-physical form.
The tension escalates when Adele introduces Rob, a former addict, to astral projection. Obsessive about the power it grants, Rob convinces Adele to temporarily swap bodies with him. This fateful decision sets off a chain of events leading to the series’ unforgettable climax.
As Louise attempts to move on with David and leave Adele behind, Adele retaliates violently by setting her own house ablaze and overdosing on heroin. In a desperate bid to save her, Louise uses astral projection to assess the danger within the burning house. However, while Louise’s body lies unconscious, Adele’s astral spirit seizes her body, trapping Louise’s consciousness outside.
The stunning finale reveals a chilling truth: the character believed to be Adele was in fact Rob, who has been inhabiting others’ bodies through astral projection all along. Rob had previously disabled Adele’s physical body and killed it, continuing his life in her form before now taking over Louise’s body as well.
This mind-bending twist left audiences sharply divided. Some praised the show as one of the best ever, celebrating its originality and unpredictability. Fans lauded the series for haunting their thoughts long after finishing it, describing the twist as “for the ages.” Others, however, were frustrated and disappointed, criticizing the ending as nonsensical and poorly executed. Many felt the supernatural elements clashed with the show’s psychological thriller tone, calling the conclusion lazy or out of place.
On social media and forums, passionate debates continue about the merits and flaws of the finale. Some viewers admitted the ending kept them awake for nights, while others felt it undermined an otherwise compelling story.
Behind Her Eyes actress Simona Brown described the dream sequences as “unsettling” rather than scary, underscoring the show’s dark and strange atmosphere. She also revealed being “completely floored” when she first read the script, noting how the story twists repeatedly and leaves viewers “mangled” by the conclusion.
Despite divided opinions, Behind Her Eyes remains a memorable and talked-about series—one that lingered in viewers’ minds long after its last shocking revelation.