When James decided to follow Sophie/Tess to London, I don't know if he knew all the trouble he'd get into and how many times his life has been threatened in the short amount of time he's been there. Last week's episode, episode 7, "What Comes Around," ended with the cliffhanger of the car Sophie and James were in flipping over thanks to Quinn's men. Did they survive the crash? Do we finally get answers in the season finale? Let's find out with our review of Surface season 2 episode 8, "Unearthed," on Apple TV+. SPOILERS BELOW.
Sophie remembers who killed her mom
I mean, I knew they couldn't kill at the very least Sophie off. She's the central character. But as James struggles with Quinn's man and then shoots him in self defense, this triggers a memory for Sophie about the night her mother died. There was a gun that went off then too. So as she predicted, Emma didn't die in a car accident. And we actually, and finally, find out who shot her. It was Olivia Huntley, aka Quinn and Eliza's mom.
The reveal did manage to surprise me, but the reasoning behind it was kind of meh. Olivia didn't know who Emma was and thought she was a crazy person banging on their door. Fearing for her sleeping kids upstairs, she meant to only scare her and didn't know the gun was loaded. Apparently it was an accident. I mean, really? Your finger just happened to slip and shoot? Ok, Olivia. I mean I guess I believe her. I just wish after all this build up the writers came up with something a bit more interesting.
That's why Henry has been trying so hard to hide what happened, in an effort to protect his wife. He also wanted a relationship with his daughter, but his dad, William Huntely, made sure he wouldn't. He's the one who faked her death, changed her name, and had the priest come in and take her away. Angered at this, Henry does what we all saw coming from the moment he walked into the room alone with his dad and smothers him with a pillow.
On the run once more
Sophie and James are wanted for the murder of the guy who works for the Huntleys, and they try to use Callum to help them out. At first it seems like he's going to betray Sophie, but actually helps her out and she realizes what's going on just in time before she and James can be caught. Though they make it to the airport, she wanted to make sure he'd be fine, Sophie decides she doesn't want to run. She's going to go to the police. Plus, she feels like if she leaves, then her mother will be forgotten if no one is brought to justice.
Eliza comes through in the end and reveals to Sophie she believes her mother is buried under a tree on the Huntley grounds, and Sohpie goes to the police to reveal this information. But, she learns something surprising about herself. Though of course still having a number of memories missing, it turns out she's wanted in many other places and there's multiple warrants out for her arrest. Sophie, what did you do? Well, that's where the season ends so we'll have to find out if the series gets renewed for season 3.
Surface season 2 finale review and ending explained
I have to say after following this part of Sophie's journey for the past eight episodes in Surface season 2, honestly the story this season was one big disappointment. There were so many aspects of this that were predictable, Quinn and Eliza contributed nothing to the story except having the typical bad boy rich boy who sort of has a conscience and a wallowing Eliza who kept getting on my nerves, and Emma's killer was a surprise. But it all just comes down to an accident. Eh. Not the most exciting outcome.
It was so obvious that the writers had to fill time to get to eight episodes because all of this really could have been condensed into like, three. Unfortunately Surface season 2 episode 8 just did not deliver the way I'd hoped a season finale would, and honestly the whole season overall has felt like a waste of my time. Which is really sad for me because I really enjoyed season 1. But this one was not up to that standard.
So by the end, Henry kills his own father and we see him crying over Emma's death, Olivia is the one who killed Emma but of course no one is outing her, Quinn and Grace still get married (I don't know why this girl is still with him), Eliza sort of helps her sister out by telling her about Emma's body, James I guess is going to go on the run as he and Sophie are separated, and Sophie learns there's more aliases she's gone by and she's apparently been on the run for a long time. After the mess season 2 was, unfortunately this cliffhanger is not enough for me to want a season 3. Episode grade level: C.
Surface season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+.