Fool Me Once: A Comprehensive Decoding of the Ending

Fool Me Once, in classic Harlan Coben fashion, is a mind-bending mystery. Here's the full explanation of the ending of the Netflix series, adapted from the 2016 novel of the same name. This is Netflix's first limited series release from their 2024 lineup.

Fool Me Once ending explained: Who killed Joe?

Fool Me Once ends with a jaw-dropping reveal: it was Maya who killed Joe.

Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) is reeling from the sudden loss of her husband Joe (Richard Armitage) in Fool Me Once. After leaving her military career behind, she now works as a private helicopter instructor and cares for her daughter Lily. Maya attends Joe's funeral with his family, including his strict mother Judith Burkett (Joanna Lumley). Later, Maya receives a nanny-cam as a gift from a friend, allowing her to keep an eye on Lily's care by the Burkett's nanny.

To her shock, Maya discovers a recording of Joe after his death, sparking her suspicion that the Burkett family is concealing something. When Maya confronts the nanny, she is assaulted with mace, further fueling her belief that the Burkett's are hiding the truth about Joe's death. Flashbacks reveal that Joe was murdered, leading Maya on a mission to uncover his killer. Meanwhile, Detective Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhtar) is assigned to Joe's case while grappling with unexplained blackout periods.

Maya’s world unravels

Maya's relationship with Judith is icy, and her feelings toward her brother-in-law Eddie (Marcus Garvey) are not much warmer. Tragically, Maya's sister Claire (Natalie Anderson) had passed away just before Joe, in what appeared to be a botched robbery. In addition to her suspicions about the Burketts, Maya discovers that her sister had been keeping secrets, including a burner phone.

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Several different storylines emerge from this point. Maya remains focused on tracking down Joe’s killer and assumes the role of an amateur detective. Witnessing Joe’s death has left Maya desperate for answers, but she has limited information to work with. Joe’s sister Caroline (Hattie Morahan) also finds Joe’s death suspicious, especially since she was not allowed to see the body or obtain a death certificate. Judith believes that Caroline is mentally unstable and accuses Maya of bringing harm to the family. It appears that death seems to follow Maya wherever she goes.

Furthermore, Maya delves into the tragic death of Joe's brother Andrew, who apparently took his own life when they were younger. This is where Maya's sister Claire comes into play. Claire caused trouble by attempting to expose the dark secrets of the Burkett family, striking a deal with Corey the Whistle to remove incriminating audio files of Maya from his website in exchange for information on the Burkett family. In the midst of all this, it comes to light that Claire also had a child with a former boyfriend, using the child to gather more information from a local school.

During her investigation, Maya discovers that both Joe and Andrew were friends with a boy named Theo, who tragically passed away before Joe reached adulthood. In addition to the potential scandal surrounding Andrew's death, Corey uncovered that the Burketts were manipulating data for pharmaceutical companies they owned, concealing the side effects of ineffective medication. This revelation sheds light on Sami's blackouts, shifting suspicion away from Maya.

Death is all around the Burketts

Vishal Sharma/Netflix

In the Fool Me Once conclusion, Maya discovers the body of the yacht captain, who was silenced by the Burketts. Her friend Shane has supported her as she uncovers the truth, and also reveals Maya's dark past. Through their conversation, viewers learn that Maya disobeyed orders and killed civilians in military tapes Corey had. Shane helps her test the bullet that killed Claire, confirming it was the same gun used to kill Joe. As the nanny-cam clip of Joe is proven fake, it is revealed that Maya was the one who killed him.

It is revealed that Joe was responsible for the deaths of Theo, his brother Andrew, the yacht captain, and also Claire. When Claire had incriminating information about Corey, Joe felt compelled to silence her, leading Maya to confront and ultimately kill him.

Sami is seen arresting Maya, but she later shows up at Judith’s house where she, Caroline, and their son Neil have finished dinner. Maya waits for them in the dark and confronts them about the multiple deaths and falsified pharmaceutical data. Judith denies everything at first, but starts to relent as Maya pushes her. She tries to make a deal with Maya, but Maya declines and is shot dead by Neil. Before dying, Maya points to the shelf, holding the nanny-cam frame. Sami and Corey have teamed up to create a livestream, showing the family killing Maya and admitting to the tragedy beforehand. The three are arrested and sent to prison. 18 years later, Lily – who was taken in by Eddie – gives birth to a baby girl, with Sami, Eddie, and Shane all visiting. Lily expresses her desire to name the baby Maya after her mother.

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Editor's P/S

As a hard fan of Harlan Coben's novels and the Netflix adaptations, I was eagerly anticipating the release of Fool Me Once. The series did not disappoint, delivering a gripping and suspenseful mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The show's complex characters and intricate plotlines were masterfully woven together, creating a truly immersive viewing experience.

The ending of Fool Me Once was particularly satisfying, as it provided a shocking and unexpected twist that completely changed my perception of the story. The reveal that Maya was the one who killed Joe was a brilliant piece of misdirection, and it left me in awe of Coben's storytelling skills. The series finale also tied up all the loose ends, providing closure to the various subplots and leaving me with a sense of satisfaction.