Sumith Prasad
Based on the eponymous novel by Daria Polatin, Netflix’s horror series ‘Devil in Ohio’ revolves around Mae Dodd, a teenage girl who runs away from a religious cult that worships Lucifer. Psychiatrist Dr. Suzanne Mathis treats Mae and eventually becomes her guardian until she finds a foster home. Created by Polatin, the series progresses through the consequences of Mae’s attempts to break away from the cult’s influence, which includes the life-threatening dangers the Mathis family encounters. The enthralling series ends with astounding revelations and developments that are guaranteed to leave several unanswered questions behind in the minds of the viewers. Let us try to answer them for you! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Devil in Ohio Recap
‘Devil in Ohio’ begins with Mae running away from her family in Amon County. She gets hospitalized, especially due to the wounds on her back. Since she refuses to talk to anyone, Suzanne starts to treat her. The psychiatrist tries to find a foster home for Mae but fails to find a place that suits her. Upon realizing that Mae feels safe with her, Suzanne brings the former to her own house and family that comprises her husband, Peter and their three daughters named Helen, Jules, and Dani. Detective Lopez, who investigates Mae’s case, discovers that she is involved with a religious cult based in Amontown in Amon County.
Upon witnessing Mae’s hardships, Suzanne starts to think about her childhood and her abusive stepfather. To make sure that Mae will not struggle as she did, Suzanne prioritizes the girl’s well-being over spending time with her own daughters. The three daughters start to express that Mae is stealing their mother from them. Meanwhile, Lopez finds out that Amontown is the home of a religious cult and Mae is the daughter of the cult leader Malachi Dodd. When the detective informs Suzanne of the same, she starts to find out more about the cult and comes to know that it is known as “Devil’s Own.”
Lopez discovers that the cult members are involved in several unsolved arson cases. Thinking that these cases will help him break into the cult to find out more about them, he meets a witness named James Dressler to solve the case. Lopez and Suzanne realize that James belonged to Mae’s cult in the past and he lets the duo know that Mae is chosen to sacrifice to please Lucifer so that her father Malachi’s illness will be cured and the cult will overcome the obstacles they face. To retaliate against the Mathis family for protecting Mae from him, Malachi asks his son Noah to abduct Jules, but Mae perceives the danger and protects Jules.
Malachi’s people burn down a property Suzanne’s husband Peter wants to sell. Peter believes that Mae’s people can be the ones behind the arson. He asks Suzanne to admit Mae to a foster home as he doesn’t want to continue living with her. A detective suspects that Peter burnt down the property himself but Lopez proves that it is the cult’s doing. Suzanne finds an establishment where Mae can move, but Malachi gets hold of his daughter and sacrifices her. Before Malachi and his followers could burn Mae alive, Suzanne intervenes and saves her.
Devil in Ohio Ending: Why Does Mae Set Up Her Sacrifice?
After rescuing Mae from death and Malachi, Suzanne welcomes the former back into her life. However, a few days after the full moon day, Lopez calls Suzanne and lets her know that Malachi or his cult members didn’t trigger Mae with white roses. He finds security footage that shows Mae replacing red roses with white ones to create a narrative that the cult members abducted her to sacrifice her. Lopez also discovers the vehicle Mae used to drive to Amontown. Suzanne realizes that Mae was re into her own death intentionally, making the former risk her life as well.
Mae uses Malachi’s desire to sacrifice her as a way to be with Suzanne permanently. Before the full moon day, Suzanne informs Mae that she had found an establishment for her to move to. Mae stoops into distress as she doesn’t want to get separated from Suzanne and her kindness. After living among parents who do not mind killing her and a brother who doesn’t protect her, Mae finds care and security among Suzanne and she is not ready to lose it. Thus, she orchestrates a plan to convince Suzanne to let her stay with the latter.
Mae returns to Malachi and her cult with the belief that Suzanne will come looking for her. She chooses to disappear when the annual dance happens so that Jules will notice her absence and inform her mother. Mae must have thought that Suzanne could never let go of her once she witnessed the danger of the cult and how her life was at risk. Even though Mae’s plan may have ended with her death, Suzanne indeed arrives in the town and rescues her as the former wants. After seeing Mae escape death narrowly, the psychiatrist chooses not to leave her at an unfamiliar establishment or foster home.
Ultimately, Mae gets rewarded more than enough for the risk she has taken. She becomes Suzanne’s only “daughter” after they escape from the cult as Helen, Jules, and Dani start to live with Peter separately. By setting up her sacrifice, Mae steals Suzanne from the latter’s own daughters and husband so she can experience the psychiatrist’s love all alone. But Lopez’s discovery of the truth may change her life.
Do Suzanne and Peter Break Up? Will Suzanne Leave Mae?
Suzanne’s decision to welcome Mae back to her life turns out to be something Peter cannot tolerate. Mae, directly or indirectly, has threatened the lives of Peter, his three daughters, and most importantly, his wife. Even after all the hardships, seeing Suzanne bringing her back into their life makes Peter separate from Suzanne for the time being. But they neither have broken up nor intend to do so. Peter is separating himself and their daughters from the presence of Mae and the dangers that can threaten their life. A temporary separation also gives Suzanne the time she needs to work on herself and discover a way for Mae to lead her life in the future.
Suzanne and Peter’s reunion solely depends upon Mae’s departure from the former’s life. The moment Mae is out of the psychiatrist’s life, Peter is expected to reunite with his wife. Suzanne’s realization that Mae manipulated her by setting up the sacrifice may influence her to leave Mae for the sake of her husband and daughters. If that’s the case, we can expect Suzanne to leave Mae and rejoin her family. But it is not easy for Suzanne to take such a decision. If she is ready to temporarily forsake her husband and daughters for the sake of Mae, even after the life-threatening incidents Suzanne’s husband and daughters have to overcome due to Mae, it means that Suzanne has formed an extremely unhealthy relationship with the girl.
Since Suzanne had experienced the troubles of a tumultuous childhood, she must be able to empathize with Mae and her intentions. As someone who never had a loving mother and father beside her while growing up, Suzanne must be seeing herself in Mae, aspiring for a mother’s love. If the psychiatrist mistakes Mae’s vicious actions as a way of seeking love and comfort, Suzanne may fall for the latter’s trap and even lose her husband despite knowing the truth about Mae’s actions.
Where Do Malachi and Other Devil’s Own Members Go?
Detective Lopez’s intervention to save Suzanne and Mae by killing Sheriff Wilkins also gives him physical evidence to investigate Malachi. He acquires a search warrant and arrives at Amontown, only to see their settlement abandoned. Although Devil’s Own leader and members escape from their original settlement, they may haven’t gone far. According to their holy scripture, The Book of Covenants, Amontown is a holy land for the cult. They cannot abandon their holy land and establish themselves in alien territory. The most possible explanation is that they must have re-established their cult in another region within Amon County to be faithful to their scripture.
Mae’s escape, the burnt down church, and Wilkins’ death must have terrorized Malachi and his followers enough to leave their current settlement. Although they get forced to move, their influence and potency may safeguard them from Lopez’s ongoing investigation. Considering that Mae’s alive, they may even consider abducting her since she still is a chosen one.
Read More: Where is Netflix’s Devil in Ohio Filmed?
