A Murder Mystery That Fooled Even Its Cast
Prime Video‘s The Better Sister has left audiences—and even its own cast—reeling from its final reveal.
The limited series, adapted from Alafair Burke’s novel, centers on the murder of Adam Macintosh, portrayed by Corey Stoll. But the true killer’s identity remained a well-guarded secret throughout production.
“People had different answers,” said Becky Clements, president of Tomorrow Studios and executive producer on The Better Sister. “And for us that was perfect, because you wouldn’t be able to predict.”
That unpredictability extended beyond viewers. “Even after we made it and I’ve been watching it, they totally threw me off and I’m like, I was there,” said Maxwell Acee Donovan, who plays Ethan Macintosh, Adam’s son and a key murder suspect. “I did not see it coming.”
Cast Reactions Reflect the Show’s Psychological Layers
Austin Smith, who portrays the prosecutor tasked with taking Ethan to trial, echoed Donovan’s surprise.
“As somebody who usually figures it out, I was shocked. So I’m hoping audiences will be as well,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
Detective Bowen actor Bobby Naderi admitted to second-guessing himself. “I was like I can’t believe I didn’t see it. The nuggets are there but you just have to be super observant and into that world,” he said.
Lorraine Toussaint, who plays Catherine, mentor to Jessica Biel’s Chloe, described the script’s misdirection as relentless. “I got screwed up several times when reading it. I thought I knew who the murderer was, and then I didn’t. I think the audience is going to go on the same kind of journey I did.”
Emotional Fallout and a Path Forward
As the series draws to a close, Chloe (Biel) and Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) reconcile to protect Ethan, who uncovers the truth about his troubled family history. That emotional arc leaves Ethan at a dramatic crossroads.
“He’s in such a different place than we found him at the beginning,” said Donovan. “He’s going to have to rebuild his life and redefine how he interacts with the world. He’s still 17, so he’s got that opportunity to reinvent himself, but it wasn’t anything anyone expected.”
For Chloe, Biel envisions a drastic life overhaul. “I hope Chloe changes careers fully and moves away, starts a new life, gets a new haircut … I think she needs a full re-do, start over situation, with her new family,” she said.
A Closed Story, or Just the Beginning?
While The Better Sister is billed as a limited series, showrunners Olivia Milch and Regina Corrado hinted that the door isn’t entirely closed. Milch teased that, “Even though so many mysteries have been solved, there’s now this new set of lies agreed upon and choices that set things in motion.”
Corrado added, “There’s so much that’s unresolved too. It’s the big stuff that was resolved but not the internal.”
At the show’s New York premiere, Milch emphasized that the season was crafted to feel “satisfying and complete,” but remained open to continuing the story. “The question is, ‘What happens now that the sisters are back together?’ Do you forgive? Can you move forward?”
Tomorrow Studios’ executive vp of development, Alissa Bachner, confirmed that the studio would welcome a continuation. “Yes, of course we would. Olivia and Regina are incredible storytellers and creators and if they want to keep telling the story, we would love that.”
Now Streaming
All eight episodes of The Better Sister are now available to stream on Prime Video. For fans still reeling from the finale, rewatching might reveal the very clues they missed the first time around.
The Better Sister is an American thriller television limited series directed by Craig Gillespie starring Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks. It is an adaptation of the 2019 novel of the same name by Alafair Burke. The series premiered on May 29, 2025.
