Tamal Kundu
‘Surface’ is an Apple TV+ psychological thriller series. It revolves around Sophie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who, at first glance, seems to have everything — a loving husband, great friends, and a life among the social elites of San Francisco. And yet, she tries to take her life and develops amnesia. During her sessions with her therapist, Sophie asks if her life was so perfect, why she tried to end it.
In the season 1 finale of Surface or episode 8,, titled ‘See You on the Other Side,’ Sophie discovers that she can’t go back to the past and must look forward to the future. But to do that, she must come to terms with her past. We finally learn what really happened to Sophie. Here is everything you need to know about the end of ‘Surface.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
Surface Episode 8 Recap
In the season finale, both James and Sophie struggle to come to terms with Baden’s death. Sophie, in particular, has difficulty moving forward, as James has suggested. When she is alone, she breaks down crying. Life, as always, is deeply imperfect for James and Sophie. One day, she returns home to find a police officer there. James is speaking to him. This is the same officer Baden requested to look into Sophie’s case. When they are alone, the officer reveals that he was the one who acquired the footage of her jumping from the ship. He also spoke to the only eyewitness of the incident, who told him that it seemed that she apparently chose the place to jump.
It becomes increasingly clear that Sophie blames James for Baden’s death. She thinks he is the one who alerted the people Baden was investigating about his real identity. The resentment grows swiftly as she begins to feel suffocated in the life they have built together. One morning, she takes James’ car and drives toward the beach. James later gets a call from the police, telling him it’s about his wife. Once he arrives at the harbor, the officer reveals that they found Sophie’s belongings in the middle of the bridge. They ask James whether his wife was suicidal.
It appears that Sophie died of suicide because of the guilt over Baden’s death, but James refuses to let it go. His friendship with Harrison ends for good after an inevitable confrontation. Caroline also walks out of his life to protect herself. She is still very much in love with James, but now, she has realized that it will always end painfully for her. But then, Caroline thanks him for returning the money she has given him. As James didn’t do it, he realizes that Sophie is still alive and she is out there somewhere.
Surface Finale Ending: Who Is Eliza Huntley?
Eliza Huntley is Sophie or Tess’ childhood friend. It is heavily implied that they shared a romantic relationship. Sophie’s time in England constitutes the memories of her childhood and young adulthood, and they are the first of her memories to return to her. The finale seems to indicate that Sophie tried to jump off the ship that day to get to the storage unit where she had hidden away pieces of her past, but then the accident happened, and she was pulled into the propeller of the ship. In the present time, she finds the key to the storage unit hidden in the very dress she was wearing that day. After faking her death, she goes to the storage unit, picks the remnants of her past up, and heads back to London to confront the unknown.
It seems that James wasn’t meant to be a target, and Sophie genuinely came to love him. If it weren’t for Harrison’s meddling, she and James even would have been happy. But Harrison’s actions under the pretext of protecting his friend invariably damaged that relationship, almost to the point of irreparability.
Beyond everything else, James has been certain about one thing: he loves Sophie. His unwillingness to give up on their relationship eventually leads him to find the video she left for him as a goodbye message. As the episode ends, Sophie or Tess reunites with Eliza and embraces her past. Meanwhile, James refuses to let go of her and declares in a voice mail that she is most likely not to get that he will find her. He urges her to be safe until he does so.
Did James Orchestrate Baden’s Death?
No, James didn’t orchestrate Baden’s death. He wasn’t the one who reached out to the people that Baden was investigating and revealed his identity. It was actually Harrison. Sophie thought that James was responsible, so she didn’t alert the police. James Knew Sophie was protecting him. If she knew that Harrison was responsible for Baden’s death, she immediately would have gone to the authorities.
Harrison has this protective instinct when it comes to James, and it harms the latter much more than it does any good for him. Harrison seems to think that James and Sophie’s relationship has been toxic, and it was in certain ways. But Harrison’s own relationship with James isn’t any better. He regularly tries to intrude in James’ life. He is the one who hired Baden to investigate Sophie, bringing him right into his best friend’s marital life.
The dynamic between Harrison and Sophie is downright antagonistic from the beginning, and it never improves. They see each other as who they truly are and are remarkably candid about it in each other’s company. Before the incident, Harrison refuses to believe that someone like Sophie can change, playing an active role in the deterioration of the relationship between James and Sophie.
Why Does Sophie Return to England?
Sophie returns to London for the last few pieces of her past. The memories of her time in England in Eliza’s company were some of the first things she remembers. She comes to England in search of closure, but what she finds there seems like a new beginning. After being made aware of her presence, Eliza immediately realizes who the other woman is and calls her out by her half-forgotten other name. And that’s where the dichotomy between the two women lies. If Sophie actively seeks out her fate, Eliza’s destiny ironically falls right on her lap.
Read More: Is Surface Based on a True Story or a Book?
