Who killed Abby Garland? 'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 drops major hints

'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 finally addresses the mystery behind the death of Abby Garland
Abby Garland died in a hit-and-run at the age of 17 in 'Emperor of Ocean Park' (@mgm+)
Abby Garland died in a hit-and-run at the age of 17 in 'Emperor of Ocean Park' (@mgm+)

Contains spoilers for 'Emperor of Ocean Park'

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Grantham Coleman and Forest Whitaker starrer 'Emperor of Ocean Park', streaming on MGM+, begins to uncover the mystery around Abby Garland's death in Episode 7. Abby was Judge Oliver Garland's youngest daughter who died at the age of 17.

She was referenced multiple times in earlier episodes, keeping the intrigue surrounding her death alive and hinting at its connection to the current mystery. However, the revelations in the latest episode not only explain how she died but also hint at the identity of her killers.

'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 drops flashback of Abby Garland's death

A still from 'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 (@mgm+)
A still from 'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 (@mgm+)

'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 offers a flashback from the year 2003 when Abby sneaked out to attend a party with her friends even though her father, Judge Garland (Forest Whitaker) had forbidden her. While returning from the party, she was hit by a car. A young girl and a boy stepped out, saw Abby, and then drove away, leaving her to die on the road.

Although the episode didn’t directly reveal their identities, it strongly suggests it was Jovan and his girlfriend, whom we previously saw at the arcade. Jovan was probably dating former Congressman Paul Derry's daughter, Bethany.

What happened to Abby Garland's killers in 'Emperor of Ocean Park'?

A still from 'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 (@mgm+)
A still from 'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 (@mgm+)

The episode disclosed that Jovan and Bethany also later died in a hit-and-run. Given that we learn Judge Garland ordered Abby's killers to be eliminated, it becomes clear that Jovan and Bethany were the ones responsible. Judge Garland ensured they met the same fate as Abby, carefully staging it as another hit-and-run rather than an act of revenge.

After orchestrating the deaths of Jovan and Bethany, Judge Oliver Garland surprised their families by attending both funerals, despite not being close to either of them.

But is this the end of the mystery, or are there more layers to uncover in Abby's death and Judge Garland's revenge plan? We hope to gather further insight into Judge Garland's life and how he may have collaborated with Jack Ziegler (Torrey Hanson) to avenge Abby's death.

'Emperor of Ocean Park' Episode 7 is now streaming on MGM+.

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