Aahana Swrup
In charting George and her cousins’ riveting adventures over summer break, ‘The Famous Five’ invites the viewers to witness the unraveling of several mysteries— from hidden treasures and cunning robbers to the secrets of a wondrous circus. George, Dick, Anne, and Julian— alongside the trusty dog, Timmy— remain at the center of several plots and ploys occurring on the seaside by Kirrin Island. Consequently, they manage to make many friends and foes along the way. However, in the line of the kids’ newfound acquaintances, W, a mysterious messenger who sends a peculiar post to George and her cousins as their summer together comes to an end, retains a distinct secrecy. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Mystery Sender, W, and Their Cryptic Message
In the show’s finale, Dick, Anne, Julian, George, and Timmy save their new friend Jo’s life, rescuing her and her father from Sir Lincoln Aubrey, who wants to exploit Jo’s hypnosis powers to take control over all of England. The adventure already prolonged the length of Julian and his siblings’ stay at the Kirrin Cottage as the kids remained adamant about seeing the mystery through before taking their departure. Therefore, as the kids return home to Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny, huddling around the dinner table, it marks a clear end of their adventurous summer, which had begun with a quest after Kirrin Island’s hidden treasure.
During this time, an unusual postcard arrives at the Kirrin Cottage, addressed to “The Famous Five.” The postcard, sporting the renowned Mona Lisa painting and a French post stamp, reads, “Until our next adventure, W.” While there is some initial confusion about who the elusive W could be, George’s grin affirms that the kids have figured out the sender’s identity even if they don’t vocally share it with the viewers. Nonetheless, one only needs to speculate for so long before an obvious answer emerges about W’s identity.
W is probably a reference to the sender’s initials, casting Thomas Westworth as the person who is most likely behind the postcard. Westworth finds his introduction into the narrative as an antagonist, greedily seeking out Kirrin Island’s treasure— and putting George and the kids’ lives in peril for it. Nevertheless, after he secures the treasure, a fountain of wisdom, and drinks from it— the knowledge of future events drives the man insane. Consequently, his fate within the story becomes precarious until he returns in the finale.
While solving the mysterious case of The Great Supremo, whom Dr. Graves abducts to learn the secrets of his hypnosis abilities, George ends up becoming a prisoner at Graves’ institute. Therein, she crosses paths with Westworth again, who now embodies a much different disposition than the villainous Westworth of the past. After the insanity earned from the flood of the fountain’s wisdom, the man realizes a few truths about the universe and decides to use his knowledge for good.
Therefore, Westworth nudges George and her friends toward the right path without showing them the future. In the end, his help remains invaluable in saving Jo’s life. As such, despite their earlier rivalry, Westworth and the kids become tentative acquaintances as the summer ends. Since Westorth was only at Graves’ institute to reunite with George and urge her to save Jo’s life, it isn’t improbable for him to have left after accomplishing his task. For the same reason, it’s plausible that he would have traveled to France, from where he sends the postcard to Kirrin Cottage.
Furthermore, W’s use of “The Famous Five” could be a sign that the sender knows of the future adventures the kids and Timmy will embark on that will earn them their reputations. The same increases the likelihood of Wentworth’s identity as W since the man already knows about the potential these kids have in shaping the world. Therefore, the idea that W is Westworth, writing to foreshadow George and the others’ future escapades, remains the most probable and sound theory.
Read More: The Famous Five: Is Timmy The Dog a Real Dog? Is He CGI?
