The Watcher, a Netflix series created by Ryan Murphy and based on the shocking incident, attempts to bring the terrifying tale to a chilling conclusion, if only for the characters’ psyches rather than bringing the perpetrators of the atrocious crimes to justice.
A family purchases a dream home in the affluent suburb of Westfield, New Jersey, only to discover that someone else has already, in a sense, laid claim to it. This is the story of The Watcher, an adaptation of Reeves Wiedeman’s unsettling 2018 New York magazine article. The Watcher, who claimed to have been watching their property for “the greater part of two decades” as their father and grandpa had done before them, began sending them typed messages in the real-life story. The letters included vague threats directed towards the family’s children.
Theodora has battled cancer the entire season, yet she keeps going to assist Dean in solving the mystery. In contrast, she confesses she was the Watcher all along when she calls him to her bedside in her final days. She had to sell the house to pay for her medical care, but after receiving money from the death of her ex, she was able to afford it once more. As a result, she contends that everything was staged, including hiring actors, skewing the inquiry, and using the family’s information against them. All of this had been done to persuade Dean to sell, but now she wished to make things right, have peace of mind, and provide Dean with comfort. Sadly, her daughter revealed at her funeral that Theodora had fabricated the account in order to provide closure for Dean and obtain
Later on, Dean admits to having authored one of the damaging letters—though not with malice aforethought—in an effort to persuade Nora to list the property. He made poor investing decisions, resulting in debt and the threat of bankruptcy once more. He has felt inadequate as a provider and breadwinner since losing his work, yet he will eventually apologise to the neighbours for bothering them. Ironically, when these neighbours gather together to discuss conserving the place, they leave hints that perhaps the Watcher is present. Although their son pretended to kill people to get insurance money, Mitch and Mo don’t seem likely, even though this could indicate they are just as cunning.
Due to his earlier attempt to assist Dean, the other candidate, Dakota, also appears to be out running. Additionally, he has feelings for Dean’s daughter Ellie. Dean decides to lie about attending an interview rather than leave sleeping dogs alone, which leads to his stalking the new homeowners. Dean deceives Nora over the phone by claiming to be in the city as the series comes to a close. She is, however, following him as he drives out, plainly aware that his therapy is failing. Nora appears to be keeping an eye on Dean right now, hoping he can hold the marriage together. She has already toyed with divorce and makes a tonne of money with her pottery, so this might be the last straw.
Even Nora may be the new letter-writer, it’s possible. She appears more at ease and aggressive, which frightens the family away. She believed that buying the house back would be karma and justice for all she had to go through. Of course, it’s also possible that Nora is hanging out, obnoxiously preoccupied with the case. She might be attempting to determine what prevented Dean from solving the puzzle now that she is a little more stable. The final image shows her driving away, leaving viewers to wonder whether she will face Dean, attempt to reclaim the mansion, or continue to pursue the original stalker.
It could seem like a disadvantage that the true Watcher has never been located, yet it turns out to be a benefit. Instead of coming up with a cliched ending, Murphy and Brennan make the most of everything’s shaggy-dog appeal. While the great mystery is never fully resolved, smaller ones are frequently and in ways that only lessen the significance of the letters.