Netflix's 'Obsession' Ending Explained: Is William really out of Anna's life?
Spoilers ahead for Netflix's 'Obsession'. The following content might be sensitive for some readers.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The erotic thriller series from Netflix, 'Obsession', is finally out and the show is packed with steamy sex scenes, traumatic past events, character derailment and more. 'Obsession' is one of the glossiest productions from Netflix and it tells the story of the forbidden sexual affair between William, a respected doctor and family man, and Anna, the fiance of William's son Jay. Though the story explores the sexual encounters between the unusual couple, the four-episode story arc does more than just s*x and nudity. With a layered storyline, Netflix's 'Obsession' deals with some important psychological aspects of the human mind. Don't be surprised if you are left pondering about human nature after binge-watching the series.
Directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn, Netflix's 'Obsession' stars Richard Armitage as William Farrow and Charlie Murphy as Anna Barton as the main leads. The series also stars Rish Shah as Jay Farrow, Indira Varma as Ingrid, Sonera Angel as Sally Farrow, Anil Goutam as Edward and Pippa Bennett-Warner as Peggy. 'Obsession' ends with William, Anna and the others processing the unexpected death of Jay. So the series concludes with several unanswered questions like 'Is Anna really breaking the cycle of her old destructive ways?' and 'Is William really out of Anna's life?'
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Is Anna really breaking the cycle of her old destructive ways?
Though based on the book 'Damage' by Josephine Hart, the Netflix adaptation 'Obsession' took a different approach in narrating the story. One of the major changes made in the mini-series is the characterisation of Anna. Instead of being just eye candy, Anna in 'Obsession' had a strong backstory. It has been revealed in the final part of the series that Anna had an abusive brother (Aston) as a child and her mother knew about this unfortunate affair. Aston was madly in love with Anna and committed suicide when Anna rejected him. What is more heartbreaking is that Anna's mother did nothing to stop this behaviour of her brother and still tries to justify Aston's behaviour. This traumatic and abusive past Anna is the main reason she seeks out situations in which she can indulge in self-destructive behaviour. Her affair with William, lying to her fiance Jay (who according to Anna's mother resembles Aston) and running away from her problems all point to the demons within. All of Anna's destructive decisions stem from her traumatic past. However, the death of Jay serves as a wake-up call for Anna and she ends all contact with William.
To work through her past trauma she goes to see a therapist. At first, it seems like Anna is trying to turn a new leaf by mending herself. But when Anna sees the face of the therapist, she is again reminded of Jay, which leads to a sly reaction from Anna. This reaction gives us a hint that Anna will most probably fall back into the cycle of her destructive behaviour and continue repeating the pattern all over again.
'Is William really out of Anna's life?'
The downfall of William's character arc is one of the highlights of Netflix's 'Obsession'. William is introduced as a humble and highly successful surgeon, who has everything he wanted in his life. He has a loving family, money and reputation. William is a devoted family man with responsible behaviour and a good-natured heart. However, William's world turns upside-down when he meets Anna. After starting an affair with Anna, the good-natured character of William slowly starts to decay. His dark side emerges as he becomes obsessed with Anna and dangerously possesive. He stalks her in Paris and even pleasures himself in the hotel bed that Anna stayed at with Jay, wanting to 'smell' Anna to heighten his arousal. Even after his son is engaged and knowing that Jay is immensely in love with Anna, William continues his immoral affair with Anna. Even after Jay dies in front of him, William does not change a bit and thinks of Anna at Jay's funeral.
Even after his whole world was destroyed in seconds, William's obsession for Anna only continued to grow. He follows her frantically after Jay's death and even meets her. William even proposes the audacious idea of being with Anna now that Jay is gone. When Anna tells William not to follow her anymore, William is seen accepting it. It even seems that Anna is free from William for over a year. But is William really a person who will let go of things easily? No. William flew to Paris to be with Anna when Anna specifically told William not to come. This raises the horrific possibility that William is indeed stalking Anna throughout all this time unbeknownst to her and even waiting for the slightest opportunity to be with her in any way.
All four episodes of 'Obsession' are available to stream exclusively on Netflix.