In the Dark season 4 ending explained: Does Murphy really kill [SPOILER]?

The CW’s little crime drama that could, otherwise known as In the Dark, came to an end with its polarizing series finale on Sept. 5. Finally, after many twists and turns, Murphy’s story reached its conclusion with the shocking In the Dark season 4 finale.

For four seasons, In the Dark followed the ups and downs of Murphy Mason (Perry Mattfeld), a blind woman who seeks to investigate the death of her close friend. As she gets deeper to the truth, her life (and those of her closest friends and co-workers) is turned upside down.

In the fourth and final season, In the Dark picks up with Murphy in jail after the events of the season 3 finale. As she struggles to acclimate to her new surroundings, Murphy once again finds herself in the middle of trouble that never goes the way you think it would.

Although Murphy ultimately goes to trial and cuts a deal to become a CI for the police who had previously been working to put her behind bars, she doesn’t necessarily receive her happy ending. So, what went down in that jaw-dropping, full-circle series finale?

Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead from the In the Dark series finale!

Does Max die in In the Dark season 4?

Unfortunately, yes… Max (Casey Deidrick) dies in the penultimate episode of In the Dark, and it’s one of the worst decisions the series ever made. Max gets shot while escaping into the elevator after saving Murphy from the fundraiser scheme as it goes wrong. It’s absolutely heart-wrenching to watch Murphy realize what has happened and what was taken from her.

Even though he didn’t pull the trigger, Josh (Theodore Bhat) is directly responsible for Max dying because he made a call that turned the whole operation sideways. It’s awful to watch someone so obsessed with ruining Murphy’s life do exactly that. Murphy and Max had finally gotten to a solid place and were building a life together. In one second, all of it was gone.

The decision to kill Max will surely hit all viewers a different way, but if you watched the Hulu revival of Veronica Mars, you know this pain all too well. Once again, the lead woman seemingly has a happy ending and loses it in one fell swoop for… the sake of trauma? In the Dark could have ended on a similarly cathartic note for Murphy without Max dying.

Does Murphy kill Josh in In the Dark season 4?

Murphy speaks at Max’s funeral and vows to find out who did this to him (clearly, she believes there were more cooks in the kitchen than the man who pulled the trigger) and get justice. There’s no talking her out of following through with her promise to get square. She lost the love of her life, she’s pissed, and she’s going to kill whoever killed Max.

Once she discovers Josh put in the call that placed him in the middle of their plan and prompted Max’s death, she has a renewed sense of purpose. Killing Josh? That’s no big deal for Murphy. He had it coming. She breaks into his apartment in the middle of the night to kill him, but he ran. With Felix’s (Morgan Krantz) help, she tracks him down to a cabin in Missouri.

Although Josh nearly gets away again, Murphy and Felix tie him up in the cabin. Felix tries to play mediator and keep Murphy from becoming a murderer, but Murphy sees through Josh’s hollow attempts at an apology. Throwing in the towel, Felix leaves Murphy in the cabin with the knife and her choices. In spite of an initial struggle, Murphy stabs Josh to death three times.

She throws the knife into the cabin, grabs Pretzel, and changes clothes at a nearby convenience store. After washing up and ditching her bloodied clothes in a dumpster, she reunites with Felix, who asks why she’s wearing a tie-dye outfit all of a sudden. We all know that he can surmise what went down in that cabin after he left.

Does Murphy go to jail in In the Dark?

Technically, yes: Murphy does go to jail in In the Dark season 4. But she doesn’t go to jail for Josh’s murder. (Whether she’s caught for killing her enemy is left up to the eye of the beholder.) Also, as previously mentioned, Murphy doesn’t last long in jail in season 4 due to health and safety concerns and other convoluted factors.

Who does Murphy end up with in In the Dark?

Ultimately, Murphy ends up with Max. She and her long-time on-again, off-again boyfriend get engaged after the rockiest of romances. After his untimely death, she remains committed to Max. However, in the end, she ends up with her ride-or-die best friend Felix and the best dog you could ever imagine, Pretzel. The trio drives off into the sunrise into the great unknown, again on the run.

What did you think of the series finale of In the Dark? Did you like how it ended, or do you wish the series had ended differently? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Watch In the Dark season 4 on Netflix beginning, Tuesday, Sept. 13.