The Sweetpea finale is here, and boy did it deliver! Everything that was building in the previous episodes comes to a head, and with heartbreaking consequences too. Here's our review of Sweetpea episode 6, "Life 2.0." SPOILERS BELOW.
As I mentioned in last week's review, it's really luck that Rhiannon is running on. She isn't the smartest serial killer. She may have some good ideas, but she doesn't think to cover all her tracks and that comes up later in the episode. But really, she does have luck like no other and her plan to frame Marcus for Julia's kidnapping and the other murders works. And a big reason for that is the fact that Julia also corroborates her story.
The two seem to be besties now, going out clubbing and even sharing a smooch which Craig clearly didn't expect. But, chill dude. They're just having a little bit of fun. We get an insight into what a friendship between Julia and Rhiannon could have looked like. And at first, it's going well. Deep down, you can tell that at the end of the day, this is what Rhiannon wanted. To be friends with Julia.
She gets that for a couple of days until Rhiannon has the brilliant (I mean that sarcastically) idea to have Julia tell her story at the Gazette. I guess Rhiannon is running on a high right now, getting everything she's wanted. And she now wants extra brownie points at work. Though having Julia go in and tell her story makes her realize the pain and humiliation Rhiannon put her through.
Rhiannon starts to obsesses, as she does, when Julia goes AWOL. And turns out she doesn't want to be besties with her. Julia has Rhiannon's debit card - or perhaps this was Julia's plan all along actually? - from when they were at the bar the previous evening. She uses it to book herself a flight on British Airways. Though we don't know where she went. Julia finally felt free now that Marcus was gone, and she probably realized she was about to be trapped again in a different way if she didn't get away from Rhiannon.
This definitely rubs Rhiannon the wrong way, but she tries not think too much of it because she and AJ have finally hooked up. He's like the literal best, and did not deserve to die the way he did. However unfortunately, I saw this coming because Rhiannon was bound to snap once again just like Detective Marina told her as she found the footage of Rhiannon slashing Julia's tires. AJ is too smart for his own good and puts the pieces together. Rhiannon can't have him leave her, and she horrifically stabs him multiple times, just like her other victims.
RIP AJ. I mean, we don't condone killing her of course. But the other men you can kind of see why Rhiannon did what she did to them. They were all bullies and jerks. But, AJ? He's the sweetest person ever and I'm so sad he's gone. He deserved so much better. Also, elsewhere, Craig proves what a sleaze he is by blackmailing Rhiannon into handing over her father's company to him. And she has to agree. Though she does deserve it.
Overall, I think the Sweetpea finale was a really strong one. Initially, I kind of couldn't wait for this show to be over. But now after that last episode, I've changed my mind and think a season 2 should happen. What I found interesting is that in some scenes, Rhiannon herself was subtly turning into a bully. And that's what she was supposedly fighting this whole time. Ella Purnell played this role so well. Even after all the bad things she's done, there's still something about Rhiannon that Purnell does that makes us kind of sympathize with her. If that's the right word. She's definitely not a black and white sort of character, and that's very intriguing. Episode grade level: B.
Sweetpea is now streaming on Starz.