Dhruv Trivedi
The thriller drama miniseries ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ follows the journey of nine individuals that attend an experimental retreat to fight their personal demons. Initially under the impression that the program is a luxurious getaway, the central characters soon realize that they are being drugged and put through mind-altering experiences by the retreat’s mysterious leader Masha. A profoundly psychedelic and emotional journey ensues, in which each of them, including Masha, is forced to confront their darkest fears. Things begin to spin out of control, and at one point, even the police show up. So what finally happens to Masha and her guests? Let’s take a closer look at the ending of ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ and find out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Nine Perfect Strangers Recap
The show opens with the nine individuals Masha has handpicked for the treatment showing up at the Tranquillum House retreat. They are all generally at odds with each other but, after the first day, begin to get along. Under the effects of a mysterious drug, one of the group members, Napoleon, who is there with his wife Heather and daughter Zoe, opens up about his son Zach, who committed suicide. It is then revealed that Masha has been regularly dosing all the guests with hallucinogens as part of their treatment.
Over the next few days, Masha increases the doses administered to her patrons, making them increasingly paranoid and vulnerable. Napoleon and his family have vivid visions of Zach, while the other members have strange dreams that remind them of their deepest fears. Carmel, who has long suppressed her anger at being abandoned by her husband, begins to lash out at other guests and seems to be bordering on a psychotic breakdown. Right before the series finale, it is revealed that she accosted Masha many years ago and shot her. This led to Masha undergoing a near-death experience that inspired her to establish the Tranquillum House.
Nine Perfect Strangers Ending: What Happens to Masha and the Tranquillum House?
On the final day of the retreat, Masha and Carmel make peace, and the former forgives the latter for trying to kill her. The Tranquillum House leader then joins Napoleon and his family in the forest where, under the heavy influence of hallucinogens, they are able to interact with Zach and make their peace. Masha, however, remains restless because she is unable to reconnect with her young daughter, who died in a mishap many years ago.
As the final day begins to close, Masha finally sees her young daughter and talks to her. Meanwhile, the police arrive on the property and begin to question the guests. Masha is also taken away to be interrogated. In the closing scenes of the miniseries, we see how each of the guests is faring after their tumultuous experience at the retreat, and Tony and Frances seem to have moved in together. So, the disastrous consequences that the residents of the Tranquillum House expect finally don’t come to pass.
By the time the police show up in the end, the guests have all realized the life-changing positive effects that Masha’s experimental therapy has brought about in them. Therefore, none of them file a complaint against her, and they all seemingly give vague answers to the questions they are asked by the investigators. This is perhaps most obvious in the article published by Lars, who initially came undercover to the Tranquillum House to dig up dirt on Masha, but in the end, publishes an article exalting her methods of treatment.
Masha seems to have kept Ben’s flashy sports car and is last seen driving down an open road, reunited with the memory of her daughter, whom she can visualize as sitting next to her. This also means that Masha is not arrested for using drugs, possibly because none of her guests and employees testified against her. An interesting exchange also seems to have occurred off-screen as Ben and Jessica seem to be the new owners of the Tranquillum House, while Masha is now in possession of their expensive car.
Why Did Carmel Try to Kill Masha?
In the series finale, it is finally revealed that the hooded “man” that shot Masha and almost killed her all those years ago was actually Carmel in disguise. Through the episode, we find out that Masha slept with Carmel’s husband many years ago, which seemingly drove the man to have more and more affairs outside of his marriage. This finally led to him abandoning Carmel and their kids.
Therefore, Carmel essentially blames Masha for her marriage falling apart. To add to her feelings of anger and frustration, when Carmel approached Masha with a gun, she dismissed the grieving wife by flinging a bundle of money at her. Incensed and furious, Carmel then lost control and shot Masha. Interestingly, Masha eventually forgives Carmel because she considers the near-death experience brought on by the attack to be the cause of the Tranquillum House being created.
Do Frances and Tony End Up Together?
Frances and Tony leave the Tranquilllum House and head to get dinner together. During their stressful times at the retreat, the two have alternatively also expressed an attraction to each other. Therefore, it seems very likely that they decide to build a life together. We even get a brief visual of Frances and Tony living together with his daughters as one big happy family. Frances comes home to a loving (and better groomed) version of the former football player, and it seems like they are deeply in love. However, this might just be in Frances’ imagination, as we also see her writing after being inspired during dinner with Tony. Therefore, it seems like Tony and Frances are clearly exploring a relationship with each other, though whether they move in together remains uncertain.
Where Do the Nine Perfect Strangers End Up?
In the end, Lars gets his wish of having a baby with his boyfriend and also has his article on Masha and the Tranquillum House published as the cover story of his magazine. Carmel — inspired by Masha — learns to forgive herself for all the anger and violence she has channeled at people and seems to be leading group therapy sessions for others. Ben and Jessica have taken over the Tranquillum House and are seen in flowing white “Masha-esque” robes, welcoming new guests to the retreat. And finally, the Marconi family is seen driving away, at peace with the death of their family member Zach.
