East of Eden on Netflix ending, explained: Who dies and how?

This post contains spoilers from East of Eden on Netflix from this point forward.

Netflix's East of Eden limited series adaptation has arrived, bringing John Steinbeck's classic novel to life with a new interpretation. Florence Pugh takes the lead as the antihero Cathy Ames, a polarizing character who takes on a new level of humanity as her questionable choices clash with conflicting brothers Adam and Charles Trask, played by Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist.

From the moment the Trask brothers meet Cathy and take her in after she's sustained a life-threatening attack, their lives are never the same. East of Eden explores a multi-generational story of family and choice as history threatens to repeat itself with the next generation of the Trasks. But all of the characters don't make it out alive for various reasons.

Obviously, the series takes place over the course of many decades, beginning in the late 1800s and continuing through the early 1900s. Even with the natural deaths that occur over time, East of Eden contains other deaths that happen because of choices characters make. Below, we're explaining how the series ends and touching on the various deaths that occur in the series.

East of Eden ends with three major deaths

In the final episode of East of Eden on Netflix, the story rapidly advances in a way that brings the entire Trask family, including even Cathy, on a dramatic collision course. Cal (Joseph Zada) learned the truth about his mother and her proximity in Salinas. He met and confronted her, but continued to keep the secret of her actually being alive from his twin brother Aron (Joe Anders).

However, when a fight at Thanksgiving dinner between Adam and Cal over money, Aron bites back at Cal, which leads him to reveal the truth of their mother's existence to Aron. When Aron and Cathy come face-to-face at Kate's, Aron breaks down and disappears. The family soon learns that Aron has enlisted in the army and no sooner do they receive word that he died in battle.

The news of Aron's enlisting in the army gives Adam a stroke, but the first stroke doesn't kill him. Upon hearing that his son died, Adam suffers a second stroke. While that one doesn't immediately end his life, the doctor informs Cal his time is limited. The series ends with Adam essentially near death as Cal embraces his father after coming to terms with each other thanks to "timshel."

Aron and Adam are two of the finale's major deaths (if you include Adam's passing, which we should), and the other big death in the last episode is Cathy. After meeting Aron, Cathy's mental decline continues. She had been hearing Charles' voice and started relying on his imaginary presence more and more. Ultimately, Cathy's overcome and dies by suicide, leaving everything to Aron in her will.

While those are the major deaths that end the series, East of Eden featured plenty of other deaths throughout the series, beginning with the death of Charles' mother Alice before his and Adam's father Cyrus (Tracy Letts) dies. In flashbacks, we learn that Cathy drove her teacher Mr. Grew to suicide after an inappropriate relationship, and she burned her house down with her parents inside, killing them.

Cathy also later causes the death of her madam Faye (Martha Plimpton) by poisoning her with the intent of taking control of her brothel and accumulated wealth. Adam also mourns the loss of his friend Samuel Hamilton (Ciarán Hinds), which leads him to Salinas to reunite with Cathy and inspire him to move with his sons off their ranch. For the most part, these are the biggest deaths.

Watch East of Eden on Netflix.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow