'Hysteria!' Ending Explained: Was it really Satan? Teen horror ends on a cliffhanger
Contains spoilers for 'Hysteria!'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Peacock's 'Hysteria!' has delivered a quirky mix of teen drama and supernatural horror. Premiered on Friday, October 18, the eight-episodic series is set during the Satanic panic of the 1980s and centers on a teen boy named Dylan Campbell (Emjay Anthony). He’s in a heavy metal band and spends his time rocking out in his basement.
When the town's football player goes missing, and is later found dead in a disturbing ritualistic state, the band decides to ride on the town’s sudden interest and rebrands themselves as a Satanic band. The purpose? To get some fame for the band and to impress a girl. However, it all backfires when Dylan and his friends, Jordy (Chiara Aurelia) and Spud (Kezii Curtis), become the suspects.
Who killed Ryan in 'Hysteria!'?
The ending of 'Hysteria!' is a real bombshell. It starts with Tracy Whitehead (Anna Camp) inviting everyone to the church at midnight to cast the evil out of the town once and for all. She brings in Dylan's mom in the wheelchair, seemingly possessed by a devil. Throughout the whole ritual, Tracy wants Linda (Julie Brown) to confess that Dylan killed Ryan.
However, it's Tracy who is found guilty of the crime. Throughout the series, we see her repeating that she's doing everything for the safety of her daughter, Faith. Tracy has over-the-top fear for Faith (Nikki Hahn) and this fear traces back to her own past. When she was Faith's age, her parents sent her to the Reverend (Garret Dillahunt) to get rid of the “evil” inside of her. Now she strongly believes that the devil is trying to take over Faith and she could go to any lengths to stop it. So in the process, the Reverend’s men ended up accidently killing Ryan. Later, one of his men, named Gilbert shows up at Tracy's house to make her realise that what he did for her was wrong. But since he threatens her physically, Faith steps in and hits him in the head. Just then Reverend and his guy show up and clean the mess. Now Tracy has another crime to hide and asks Faith to not tell anything to the cops. She then tells Faith to plant Ryan's inhaler in Jordy's house to make everyone believe that the Satanic band was involved in the killing of Ryan.
What happens to Linda in 'Hysteria!'?
At church, Tracy is trying to do some exorcism on Linda in front of the town residents. People already believe that Dylan and his band are guilty and therefore, Tracy tries to make Linda confess. While Tracy is busy with her act, Jordy and Spud tell Dylan the whole truth.
It turns out that Linda wasn't possessed. She acted weird as she started to believe that there was an evil force inside her after she consumed lots of content about Satanism once her son started the cult band. The only evil here is the fear. While there's extreme chaos with Tracy trying to pin the crime on Dylan, the mob going after them, and the church on fire, Linda comes healthy out of the entire mess. By the end of the series, we see her completely fine.
Will there be 'Hysteria!' Season 2?
In Episode 8 of 'Hysteria!', most of the loose ends are tied up to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Faith hadn't followed her mother's instructions and she hatches a plan with Jordy. She decides to plant the inhaler at Reverend's home, and Jordy sends Chief Dandridge (Bruce Campbell) to do the final act. Reverent is caught, and Faith is saved.
Eventually, Tracy is arrested too, but the town already believes that she is their savior. Though there has been no confirmation on 'Hysteria!' getting renewed, there's a lot Season 2 could explore. Will Tracy be convicted? Will Dylan and his friends restart the band and get the fame they need? And what is Judith (Jessica Treska) up to? She is sure to bring some havoc once she moves to her father's house in LA. And, what was the shadowy monster behind Linda?
'Hysteria!' is available to stream on Peacock