Sumith Prasad
The sixth and final episode of Starz’s dark comedy series ‘Sweetpea,’ titled ‘Life 2.0,’ revolves around the aftermath of the murder of Marcus, Julia Blenkingsopp’s boyfriend. The real estate agent teams up with Rhiannon “Sweetpea” Lewis to convince the police officers that his death is an accident rather than a murder. They also imply that the serial killer who has been terrorizing Carnsham is the same person. Even though they throw sand on the eyes of Detective Marina Farrow’s superiors, the officer remains suspicious about Rhiannon. While the detective continues to poke into Sweetpea’s affairs, she makes a life-altering decision with deadly consequences! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Sweetpea Episode 6 Recap
‘Life 2.0’ begins with the interrogations of Rhiannon and Julia. Detective Farrow and her boss try to find a breakthrough by questioning the two women, who surprisingly protect each other without giving any contradicting statements. The police officer gets frustrated by the answers the former schoolmates give her, and she expresses her anger at Rhiannon, only for the latter to gain sympathy from the other cops. She walks away from the police station with her new “friend” without getting charged with any of the crimes she has committed, even though Farrow is not done with her. After being released from police custody, the two women enjoy their freedom by partying at a pub called Cameos.
Rhiannon and Julia reaffirm their newly found friendship and celebrate the occasion by consuming drugs. Craig shows up to see his girlfriend, who shares a kiss with the real estate agent under the influence of her intoxication. The trio’s celebration lasts till dawn, as they spend the night on the terrace of the pub. When the early morning freshens them up, Rhiannon talks about not being accepted by her peers in the past, only for Julia to comfort her by stating she does now. Sweetpea cherishes the moment by freeing the ashes of her late father, Tommy, for the wind to carry.
Meanwhile, Farrow breaks into Rhiannon’s house and looks for evidence incriminating the latter. Her search comes to an end when she sees a flash drive hidden in a cupboard. She plays the contents of the same and becomes stunned upon watching the footage that places Rhiannon at Tommy’s Transformations the night Julia went missing. Sweetpea becomes a star at the Carnsham Gazette. Her colleagues, who haven’t acknowledged her existence until now, display their love for her. Rhiannon also turns her life around by choosing AJ over Craig. The break-up becomes complicated when the latter blackmails her into accepting his offer to own Tommy’s Transformations in return for not revealing her presence in the firm the day Julia vanished.
Sweetpea Ending: Why Does Rhiannon Kill AJ?
AJ has been trying to get together with Rhiannon for a while. When he nearly succeeds, she becomes Craig’s girlfriend, which happens after her constant attempts to win the latter’s heart. Still, she nurtures a sense of affection for her charming colleague, which eventually conquers her senses. As far as she is concerned, Craig only accepts her because of her efforts to please him. If she hadn’t gone wild and initiated an intense sexual relationship with him, he may not have shown any affection towards her. That’s not the case with AJ, who loves her for whom she is, even when he confronts the possibility of not getting together with her.
This sincerity in AJ’s love for her leads Rhiannon to a relationship with him. However, their honeymoon period only lasts a night. After hours of lovemaking and a good night’s sleep in each other’s arms, they wake up to the image of the murder weapon the serial killer has used. The junior reporter identifies it as the one his girlfriend had, which exposes her secret. Rhiannon then stabs him repeatedly and lets him die in her arms to protect herself. When AJ learns the truth about her, she tries to convince him that she killed her victims because they deserved to die. However, rather than listening to her, he calls her a “monster,” which triggers her homicidal impulses.
Rhiannon is someone who grew up with an instinct to protect herself. She had to deal with bullies and manipulators all her life, which heightened her self-preservation impulses to ensure her survival. Even her homicidal urges are part of this eagerness to safeguard herself. All of her victims are individuals who threaten her safety or sense of security in one way or another. For Rhiannon, killing means protecting herself from the harm the opposite person can cause her. Unfortunately, AJ ends up in the same position where her previous victims were when they were killed.
When AJ calls Rhiannon a monster, she identifies him as a threat who can expose her to the world. He can easily collaborate with Detective Farrow and change the mind of the latter’s superiors to divert the official investigation her way. The hatred in his voice when he calls her a monster makes it clear to her that the man who loved her is not the one in front of her. This realization forces her to confront the ways he can hurt her, which triggers her protective instincts and makes her kill him.
Where Does Julia Go?
Rhiannon decides against killing Julia because of the unusual friendship they form after learning about the toxicity the latter had to suffer because of Marcus. The former realizes that her nemesis is also a victim like her, even though their circumstances are completely different. Their companionship, however, doesn’t last long. During their celebration at the pub, Rhiannon gives Julia her credit card to buy drinks. The latter uses the same to buy a flight ticket, seemingly to escape from her new friend in Carnsham. Even though Julia forms a friendship with Rhiannon, she does it to save her life. It is not a companionship that is born organically.
Deep in her heart, Julia cannot forget what Rhiannon has done to her. The latter has tied and locked up the real estate agent like she is a mere animal, which is highly degrading and hurtful to forget. The way Sweetpea has forced her to live in squalor is an immensely traumatic experience for her. Julia cannot be Rhiannon’s friend because she cannot distance herself from these traumatic recollections of her experiences. The real estate agent must be pretending to be a friend to save her life. She has witnessed how easily her serial killer companion can murder someone firsthand. After confronting Rhiannon’s homicidal urges, Julia may not want to test or challenge the same.
Julia must have disappeared from Carnsham, fearing Rhiannon will kill her when the latter learns her true feelings towards her. While her current whereabouts remain undisclosed, she must be far away from her hometown so that the serial killer cannot track her down easily. She may need time and space to process her trauma and loss without fearing her death, which justifies her disappearance from Rhiannon’s life.
Will Rhiannon Get Caught? Will Detective Farrow Solve the Murders?
Throughout the investigation of Rhiannon’s murders, Detective Farrow is on the right track. It is unsurprising that her instincts and hunches eventually lead her to the flash drive that exposes the serial killer’s involvement in Julia’s abduction, which is a start as far as the cops are concerned. However, Farrow cannot arrest the murderer using the CCTV footage because the same is not admissible in court. The evidence collected by breaking into the suspect’s house cannot be used against the latter. Therefore, the police officer has to start from square one if she has to capture Rhiannon.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean Rhiannon will not get captured. Farrow walks away from the serial killer’s house with the conviction that the latter will strike again. Unfortunately for the protagonist, she does so by murdering AJ. When the junior reporter’s disappearance becomes public knowledge, the detective is expected to keep her eyes on Rhiannon. Since the missing man is the latter’s colleague, not even Farrow’s superiors can stop her from investigating the serial killer. Furthermore, the detective can use the CCTV footage to convince her bosses that Rhiannon is not a poor woman, as they believe, even if she cannot present the same in court.
Thus, Rhiannon is in an extremely vulnerable position. Still, she can protect herself if she does a few things right. First of all, the serial killer can use the Carnsham Gazette to retaliate against the police. If Farrow continues to pursue her, she can present herself as a victim of a witch-hunt and gain sympathy. If she does that, the pressure will be on the cops to walk away from her. Secondly, she may need to ensure that Julia won’t resurface out of nowhere as a witness who can incriminate her. If the serial killer disposes of all the pieces of evidence against her, along with these protective measures, she may safeguard herself from the police.
Read More: Is Sweetpea a True Story? Is Rhiannon Lewis Based on a Real Serial Killer?
