A Murder at the End of the World: The Shining Easter Egg and Spoiler Alert

The Shining Parallels in A Murder at the End of the World

A Murder at the End of the World episode 6's The Shining easter egg makes it hard not to wonder if the show might have already spoiled its overarching mystery's twist ending. Since A Murder at the End of the World is Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij's first television outing after The OA, many viewers cannot help but notice several narrative parallels and potential connections between the two shows.

Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance stares out a window in The Shining

In all of its subtle references to The Shining, A Murder at the End of the World's episode 6 presents a scene reminiscent of an iconic moment from the Stanley Kubrick movie. This uncanny similarity could merely be an artistic choice made by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, given how many of their previous shows and films have also drawn some inspiration from Kubrick's works. However, considering the meticulousness and attention to detail with which the two showrunners create their movies and TV dramas, it is impossible not to believe that The Shining reference is narratively significant.

Clive Owen's Andy Ronson and Emma Corrin's Darby in A Murder at the End of the World

A Murder at the End of the World shares several intriguing parallels with The Shining. For starters, both the show and the movie unfold in remote hotels with complex, unorthodox floor plans. They ensue at the peak of winter, where their respective characters are surrounded by deadly snow storms. A Murder at the End of the World's episode 6 also features a shot of Zoomer cycling down the hotel corridor, reminiscent of The Shining's iconic scene where Danny rides his tricycle in the Overlook hotel.

A physical projection of Andy Ronson's AI tech, Ray, in A Murder at the End of the World.

Like Jack Nicholson's character in The Shining starts losing his grip on sanity partly due to isolation and sets out to kill his wife, A Murder at the End of the World's Andy Ronson grows increasingly paranoid about his son's well-being and abuses his wife. Both The Shining's Wendy and A Murder at the End of the World's Lee Andersen fear for their life and attempt to escape their respective hotels with their sons. While they are at it, their husbands desperately try to stop them. These parallels are incredibly fascinating because they highlight how much Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij are influenced by Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.

Emma Corrin as Darby Hart and Clive Owen as Andy Ronson in A Murder at the End of the World

The Influence of The Shining on A Murder at the End of the World

New episodes of A Murder at the End of the World release on Tuesdays at 3am ET/ 12am PT on Hulu.

The Potential Spoiler and AI Connection

However, other than being fascinating, these parallels might have also given away the show's ending. In The Shining, Jack Nicholson's character is not only plagued by alcoholism and loneliness but also by external supernatural forces. While there are no supernatural undertones in A Murder at the End of the World, the show is metaphysical with its depiction of Artificial Intelligence. In one of its episodes, Darby even seeks psychological help from Andy's AI assistant, Ray. This could mean that Andy Ronson might be responsible for the crimes at the retreat in A Murder at the End of the World but, like Jack, he may have been under the influence of external, "invisible" AI forces like Ray.

Emma Corrin as Darby and Clive Owen as Andy Ronson in A Murder at the End of the World