Kanika Kumar
HBO’s ‘Landscapers’ is a darkly humorous and mildly unsettling exploration of the thoughts and actions of Susan (Olivia Colman) and Christopher Edwards (David Thewlis), a meek British couple that shockingly commits and covers up a double murder. With their staunch belief in their innocence to their weird obsession with Hollywood memorabilia, the Edwardses certainly form an odd pair. Ed Sinclair’s miniseries thus touches upon the complex ideologies that drive humans towards crime.
The first episode of the series establishes the Edwardses as a poverty-stricken but loving couple. However, as the episode progresses, we see glimpses of their past and begin to understand the sinister reason behind the Edwards’ refuge in France. After the couple returns to England, we are hit with the realization that this mild-mannered pair is truly responsible for a gruesome crime. The end credits scene further cements this fact, giving us more context about the Edwardses and their wrongdoings. If you are looking for an explanation for the ‘Landscapers’ end credits scene, then you’ve come to the right place. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Landscapers Episode 1 End Credits, Explained
The first episode ends with Susan and Christopher Edwards arriving at the Saint Pancras train terminal and facing a horde of policemen. Christopher asks Susan to tell the authorities the truth and not panic. “They’ll [the police] try to confuse you, but don’t let them,” he says to his wife, aware of how taxing and troubling the police interviews will be. Then, Christopher, polite as ever, wishes the cops a good evening in a slightly bewildered manner, whilst Susan looks on in terror. In the couple’s hands are their scant belongings, mostly comprising their Hollywood memorabilia, such as posters.
Afterward, as the credits start rolling, we see bits and pieces of information, primarily sourced from old news footage, about the actual Susan and Christopher and their heinous crime. “Susan and Christopher Edwards might have seemed like an ordinary couple, but together they had carried a sinister secret for over 15 years,” says the voice-over, marking the beginning of the end credits scene, which plays out as though on an old television screen.
Then, the real-life counterparts of most of the elements pertaining to the crime — as seen in the first episode — are exhibited during the credits, along with voice-overs of different news reporters going over the same facts. The information presented revolves around the discovery, thanks to a tip-off, of two bodies in the back garden of a semi-detached house in Forest Town, Mansfield, that seemingly belong to William and Patricia Wycherley. A news reporter talks about how most believed that the Wycherleys emigrated in the 1990s.
Along with mugshots of the Edwards, we also see a photo of the World War Two .38 commando revolver that Christopher used to shoot the Wycherleys; the post mortem report indicates that each body had been shot at twice. The voice-over goes on to explain how the Edwardses fled to France but decided to return to the UK after they ran out of money.
We also see snippets of the emails Christopher sent to the police, informing them of the couple’s decision to return. The end credits scene concludes with the information that, upon their arrival at Saint Pancras, the couple was arrested on suspicion of murder. Then, we are told that they were escorted to Nottinghamshire, to be held in custody for the next 24 hours and questioned by the police.
Thus, we are reminded of all the important events of the first episode and also given the groundwork for the second episode, wherein the couple will be interrogated by the cops. In short, we find out about the aftermath of the Edwards’ arrival in England and also the true story behind the events covered in the inaugural episode.
We are also given hints at how the Wycherleys’ murder was kept a secret by the Edwardses for 15 years since one of the reporters talks about how people were given the impression that the elderly couple had shifted. Ultimately, the end credits scene highlights the true-crime nature of the miniseries, reminding fans that Susan and Christopher exist in real life and are guilty of a terrible crime.
Read More: Where Did Susan and Christopher Edwards Live? Where Were Susan’s Parents Buried?
