Dhruv Trivedi
Netflix’s thriller series ‘Pieces of Her’ opens with a young woman beginning to suspect that her mother might be hiding an explosive secret from her. After watching Laura kill a man with a swift and practiced motion, her daughter Andy starts to fear that her mother is a very dangerous person. The more the daughter uncovers, the more explosive her mother’s secret is revealed to be.
Slowly, Andy realizes that almost everything she knows about her past has been fabricated. One of the many crucial questions that linger in the daughter’s mind is who her father is. The revelation of his true identity, like many of the narrative’s other big reveals, comes as quite a shock and also changes the direction of the story. So who really is Andy’s real father in ‘Pieces of Her’? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who is Andy’s Real Father?
When Andy and Laura are first introduced, the mother and daughter seem to have a trusting and caring relationship. Through snippets of their conversation, it becomes apparent that Andy thinks that her father, Jerry Randall, died in a car crash when she was young, which is why she doesn’t remember him very well. Of course, this is later revealed to be a possible fabrication by Laura told to a young Andy when she asked about her father. Most notably, the US Marshall who oversees Laura’s witness protection program status, Charlie Bass, also confirms to Andy that her father, Jerry Randall, passed away when she was young. Of course, Andy doesn’t know at the time that Charlie is a handler and is fooled into thinking that he is a close family friend.
Later on in the narrative, it becomes known that Laura, in her younger days (as Jane), had an affair with Nick Harp, the leader of the extremist group known as the Army of the Changing World. Thus, Nick, who was been a fugitive for thirty years, also comes up as a potential candidate that could be Andy’s father. As more and more of Laura’s tumultuous past becomes known to her daughter, the latter’s real father also slowly comes into focus.
Is Andy’s Real Father Nick Harp or Jerry Randall?
Once Andy finds out that she has been in the witness protection program ever since she was born, the young woman realizes that Jerry Randall is actually a made-up person! Yes, the man that Andy has been told is her late father is actually fabricated as part of Laura’s cover story under the program. Thus, Andy can’t clearly remember Jerry because the man never existed. As shocking as the revelation is to Andy, the confirmation of her birth father is an even heavier blow.
In the season 1 finale, Laura finally admits to Andy that her real father is none other than Nick Harp. The fugitive and former extremist leader has been on the run for thirty years, which also happens to be Andy’s age. In fact, the show opens with the mother and daughter celebrating the latter’s thirtieth birthday. The fact that Nick is her father also explains why he doesn’t hurt Andy. Of course, Andy’s stepfather (Gordon Oliver) also tries to help her grapple with the traumatic situation as it unfolds. However, he eventually gives up after Laura sternly (and rather hurtfully) reminds him that Andy is not his real daughter.
Read More: How Does Clara Die in Pieces of Her? What Happens to Her Husband Eli?
