The Woman in the House ending explained: Who is the killer?

The Woman in the House is now streaming on Netflix, and it’s what everyone seems to be talking about. The eight-episode season had viewers on a seemingly endless journey to find out who the killer was. But once the killer’s identity was revealed, no one could’ve expected this person to commit these unspeakable crimes.

We watched The Woman in the House in its entirety on Netflix and shared what occurred in the final episode. If you want a recap or just need some clarification on what happened at the end of season 1, continue reading.

WARNING: Major spoilers for The Woman in the House below!

The Woman in the House ending

The final episode opens with Anna overcoming her fear of the rain to get to Neil’s home to save Emma from Buell. Once Anna walks through the door of Neil’s house, she sees Buell spread out on the floor with blood seeping from his neck. While struggling to breathe, Buell tells Anna that he came to Neil’s place to deliver their mail. At this moment, Anna realizes that Buell isn’t the killer and then immediately accuses Neil.

She hears Emma screaming in the living room and runs over to her and finds Neil dead and Emma holding a knife. In this intense scene, we find out who the killer is.

Who is the killer in The Woman in the House?

Emma wasn’t holding the knife for no reason. She killed Neil and confesses to all the other murders that happened in the Netflix original series, except for the murder of Anna’s daughter. In a flashback scene, we see Emma kill Lisa because she didn’t buy her chocolate bars. Then, Emma tells Anna that she was the one who framed her for Lisa’s murder.

Emma confesses that she killed her dad because she thought his ventriloquist act sucked. Then, in another flashback scene, we learn that Emma pushed her pregnant mother into the lake and watched her drown because her mother didn’t ask her if she wanted to have a sibling. Emma wanted to be the only child.

The last murder that Emma confesses to is the murder of her teacher. She tells Anna that she pushed her teacher off a lighthouse on the school field trip but didn’t explain why. After confessing to the murders, Emma and Anna engage in a physical scuffle all around the house. The fight ends when Anna stabs and kills Emma with the sharp edge of a dish.

It’s never revealed why Emma was murdering people, but our guess is that she suffered from a severe mental illness.

Does Buell die?

Fortunately, Buell does not die. While in the hospital, Anna finds out from Douglas that Buell survived but is in intensive care. However, the good news is that Buell pulled through. Later in the final episode, we see Buell fully recovered, living in the attic of Anna’s house.

Do Anna and Douglas end up together?

YES! They officially get back together at Sloane’s art gallery. After Douglas tells Anna that the woman he’s been with all the time is his co-worker, Anna is shocked. Anna had thought that the woman was his new girlfriend. Douglas then offers to walk Anna to her car. While outside, Douglas confesses to Anna that he bought her painting. It begins raining, and the two share an intimate kiss in the rain. Flash forward a year later, and Anna and Douglas have a new baby and are happily in love.

Who makes a cameo in The Woman in the House?

At the very end of the final episode, Anna decides to go to New York and spend time with Sloane for a girls’ weekend. While on the plane, a woman comes up to Anna and claims that she’s in her seat. Anna apologizes and moves over to another seat. When the woman sits down and takes off her sunglasses, she is revealed to be the award-winning actress Glenn Close.

Close’s character name is never revealed because her appearance is brief. But, if there is to be a season 2, we’re pretty sure we’ll learn her character’s name. Her character is murdered in the season 1 finale and disappears without a trace. Anna is the last person to see her alive, and no one believes that the woman exists besides Anna.

Anna even questions her sanity for a short moment and wonders if she really did see the mysterious woman. However, when Anna finds the woman’s compact mirror, she knows that the woman is real, and now she wants to find out who killed her.

So there you have it, folks! This is how the crime drama television series comes to an end. Hopefully, we get to see a continuation of the show in The Woman in the House season 2. We’ll make sure to keep you posted on a potential second season. But, for now, continue streaming The Woman in the House only on Netflix.