The Essex Serpent is a slow-boiling cauldron of suspense, gothic thrills, and personal freedom, following widow Cora who travels to Aldwinter to disprove the existence of a supernatural serpent, only to get blamed for summoning it.
The season finale will air on June 10, which is only a few days away. So, what lies ahead?
In the Essex Serpent, Cora will return to Aldwinter and may rekindle her romance with Will. Naomi may be found alive, which will help prove that the Essex serpent is not real.
With my own intuitive devices and knowledge about how the novel goes, here are some more predictions about The Essex Serpent finale:
1. What will happen to Luke’s hand?
In The Essex Serpent Episode 5, after quarreling with Cora, Luke leaves the party but is attacked by a mugger on the street. He puts up a fight, but after seeing that it’s futile, he tries to give up his wallet.
It’s a tad too late, as the mugger immediately stabs his right (operating) hand just as Luke exclaims, “Not my hand, please.”
This event directly replicates the book and sadly means that Luke’s medical career is now over. It’s tragic for him to have lost both, the woman he loves and the skill that he is infinitely proud of.
2. Cora Will Return to Essex
While it was nice to have an episode set in London, Cora has several reasons to return back to Aldwinter in Ep 6. Her primary motivation may be to search for more fossil remains, so that her discovery is not once again termed “useless.”
While I won’t call it an excuse, this would serve as a cover-up for her to see Will once again.
She would also be inclined to leave London after her constant rows with Luke and Martha, who are growing tired of being in love with her and having any hopes of it being reciprocated.
3. Stella May Pass Away
As in the novel, Stella may pass away on the screen as well. Tuberculosis was not an easily treatable disease back then, and her condition will get worse very quickly since she isn’t taking any medicines as well.
In light of her impending death, Stella is seen to straddle between accepting her husband’s secret love for Cora and the sadness she feels about his infidelity. Ultimately, she will want to see Will happy and will covertly approve of his next relationship.
4. Cora and Will’s Romance
It is clear that Cora has no romantic feelings for Luke, despite their profound friendship. His proposal, too, has created a wedge between them.
In the novel, when both Luke and Will declare their feelings for her, Cora is thoroughly angry since they both know she’s just gotten out of an extensive, abusive marriage. However, in the show, Cora does show some bias towards Will’s feelings as they both get physically intimate with each other.
What’s left to see is if they take this forward in the finale. If Stella does pass away, it may pave way for them to address their feelings more openly. But in the meantime, they still have to deal with angry town folk who have deemed Cora the devil, and Will, the one she tempted.
It is possible that, similar to the book, we might see their happy ending only in an epilogue.
5. Will Naomi be found? Will the Essex Serpent be uncovered?
Naomi is an original character created for the show, and her fate can go either of two ways.
The first is that she is not found, presumed dead, or her dead body is found—all of which strengthens Aldwinter’s insane notions about the Essex Serpent.
Or, she is found alive and she, along with Jo, tells the town folk about the truth: Gracie may have died by suicide after feeling guilty for sleeping with Samuel Dowsett. It has also been hinted that Naomi and Jo cast a play-pretend spell which they now think actually brought the serpent in.
If Naomi is indeed found alive, the truth, that there is no Essex serpent, may well be uncovered.
The novel did take the approach of disproving the serpent when the town folk finally realize it was just a huge fish all along. With this ending, they’re made to acknowledge their hysteria and how quick and cruel they were in condemning people like Gracie, Naomi, Cora, and Will.
While this is an ending I personally like, it is yet unknown if the show will adapt it. All we can do is just wait and watch.
6. About The Essex Serpent
The Essex Serpent is an Apple TV+ original series that follows recently-windowed Cora Seaborne who moves from London to Essex upon hearing rumors of a mythical sea creature.
Determined to investigate the truth, she befriends the local pastor but ends up getting up blamed for attracting the creature.
The cast is made up of Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleston, Frank Dillane, and Hayley Squires among others.
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