Each season of The Sinner has wrestled with understanding why humans commit crime, with Harry Ambrose’s journey right in the middle of it. But S4 hit closer to home, as Harry tries to ease his own guilt by trying to solve the mysterious death of Percy Muldoon.
So, does the finale give Harry, Percy, and the fans the closure they all need?
The Sinner S4 finale reveals that it was the guilt of killing Bo Lam that drove Percy into committing suicide. She also felt additional pressure because she was hiding her father and uncle’s involvement in human trafficking.
Let’s understand the finale in more detail.
Did corrupt police officer Josh kill Percy?
In the penultimate episode, Harry realizes that the reason Novak’s human trafficking schemes have been going on undetected is that he has inside help from the police. After stealing Novak’s phone from evidence, he finds out that the corrupt cop is one named Josh.
In the finale, Lou finally admits that he was wrong and that Josh indeed is the mole. They can’t arrest him just yet, because the FBI is already involved and has plans of their own that are stopping Lou and his team from taking any action.
What happened is that Percy had discovered Novak’s schemes and had gone to the police station to report them. However, officer Josh was on duty and he tried to cover up the whole thing.
In a flashback, we’re shown that Josh brings Percy back home and warns Sean and Colin to keep her in check, lest they want her to be shut up for good. However, this is the last time Josh is with Percy, and isn’t the one directly responsible for her death.
The “Ghost” Haunting Percy Finally Explained
Harry and Lou find that the Lams and Muldoons are quite cozy with each other despite being business rivals.
This leads them to dig deeper into the Lams’ background, uncovering that the family had suddenly received a highly valuable fishing permit, loads of cash, and a small private island, the latter of which was sold to them by Sean Muldoon for only $10!
Upon visiting the island, Harry finds a grave with a jade statue that is similar to the one CJ gave Percy. After massive pressure, CJ indirectly confirms that his brother Bo, who is supposed to be in Hong Kong, might actually be dead.
As Sean has been the weakest link since the beginning, Harry decides to pound him for more answers.
He finally confesses that it was the Muldoons who killed Bo. The flashback depicts exactly what happened: Bo was working for the Muldoons but was borrowing their boats without prior permission.
Colin, Sean, and Percy try to talk to him about it, but matters get heated and it leads to an altercation between the men. Here’s where Percy picks up a gun but it accidentally goes off and hits Bo.
By the morning, the Muldoons come to an agreement with the reluctant Lams—covering up Bo’s murder in exchange for the fishing permits, the island, and more.
However, Percy continues to be haunted by her actions and it is Bo’s ghost she encounters throughout the season.
The night that Josh brings Percy back home, Colin and Sean hide the real reason for her arrest from Meg. They didn’t want their mother to know they were involved in the human trafficking scheme as well.
All the secrets and guilt adding up drives Percy to take her own life, as we see in Episode 1.
The Sinner’s Cathartic Ending
Just like Percy, Harry too carried the guilt of killing Jamie in the previous season. So, it is quite relieving to see that by solving Percy’s death, Harry was able to deal with his own emotions.
In the end, Harry has one last conversation with Percy’s vision (in the form she’s been appearing all through the season). When she asks him if he’s finally found a way to cope with all the ugly emotions, he nods back with a tearful yes.
Season 4 is The Sinner’s swan song season. As for Harry, who has encountered intense nihilistic questions about the human condition, this is perhaps just the right, quiet, contemplative ending he needs.
About The Sinner
The Sinner is an American police procedural anthology television series developed by Derek Simonds for USA Network. It is named after Petra Hammesfahr’s 1999 novel, which served as the basis for the first season. Bill Pullman stars as a police detective who investigates crimes committed by unlikely culprits and attempts to uncover their motivations. Only Pullman appears in every season, while the rest of the cast mostly changes for each season’s story.
Originally intended as an eight-part miniseries, The Sinner premiered to critical acclaim and high ratings. The show’s success led to USA Network turning it into an anthology series, which aired for four seasons from August 2, 2017 to December 1, 2021.
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