Parents assume they are familiar with their children. They have faith in their own goodness and innocence. However, children frequently keep secrets from their parents. They have two personalities, one of which they like to keep buried. What if a parent discovers their child’s dark side? What happens when they discover their children’s true capabilities? This issue is explored in Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Mother,’ which questions how far a mother will go to protect her kid. The story is about unstable relationships, and it finishes on a terrible note. What does the surprising finale signify for the characters? WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Synopsis of the Plot of The Perfect Mother

Helene lives in Berlin with her husband and son. Her daughter Anya, 20, is a college student in Paris. Anya contacts her one day to tell her that there has been a murder and that the cops are looking into her as a suspect. Helene rushes to Paris and learns that the evidence is stacked against her daughter. But she knows Anya couldn’t have committed such a heinous crime. Helene rekindles her relationship with Vincent, an old flame with whom she parted on shaky terms 25 years ago, in order to save Anya.

Vincent offers to assist her. He understands as an ex-cop that once the cops have set their sights on a single suspect, they don’t look anywhere else. So it’s up to him and Helene to figure out what happened to Damien and save Anya. While Helene begins the research with high hopes for her daughter, she uncovers frightening facts that make her question how well she knows her own flesh and blood.

Did Anya Kill Damien at the End of The Perfect Mother?

‘The Perfect Mother’ begins with Damien’s murder and Anya as the sole suspect. Throughout the investigation, she has maintained that someone else was present as well. She claims Damien’s drug dealer broke into the house and killed him. Initially, the viewer is more inclined to believe Anya’s version of events. However, when her mother investigates the case, Anya’s stories shift. Every time new evidence is discovered, Anya presents a new version of what happened the night Damien was murdered.

The truth is finally revealed when Anya’s buddy Sophie comes clean about everything. Following Kamal’s death, she meets Vincent and tells him about Sophie’s intention to blackmail Damien. It turns out that this was not her first rodeo. Anya had met numerous women who had suffered at the hands of men but had not received justice, primarily because those men were in positions of authority. She and Sophie had trapped and blackmailed a college professor a few months ago. Anya intended to utilize the funds to assist the center financially.

Damien Carnau was the illegitimate son of a wealthy and prominent family. He was used to having his way, and he had a history of abusing women. Anya knew there was no way she could put him in jail, but she could make him suffer, literally. So she seduces him one night, and when they are alone at his house, she roofies herself. She threatens to call the cops, believing that this will frighten Damien. But it quickly becomes evident that she had underestimated him. Damien is irritated by blackmail and goes violent. He raps her, and in order to rescue herself, Anya stabs him with a knife.

A terrified individual Anya phones Kamal, who had no idea she murdered Damien. He enters the building through the roof and responds to her injuries, but he becomes terrified when he understands what has transpired. He doesn’t want to be a part of it since it could find him in even more trouble, especially because he’s already an undocumented immigrant with a family to support. Anya hands him Damien’s wallet and watch in an attempt to extract some money out of the situation and sends him out. She knows that if the police find out she was raped, they will believe her. She attempts to keep to the dealer notion, but the CCTV footage from the adjoining building throws her strategy out the window. When the officers discover Kamal, she tells him to go. She attempts to blame him and wash her hands of the whole situation. She eventually succeeds.

Is Anya able to walk free in the end?

‘The Perfect Mother’ leaves the audience guessing about Anya’s innocence throughout the four episodes. We see the case progress through the eyes of Helene, who refuses to believe her daughter could conduct such a heinous murder. We value a mother’s love and faith in her child. Helene’s loyalty to her daughter throughout the case, even when Anya’s falsehoods are revealed one by one, demonstrates that she is willing to go to any length to safeguard her daughter.

When Vincent tells her the truth, he expects her to go to the police and hold Anya accountable for her acts. But Helene knows it will ruin her family. She can’t see Anya going to prison, especially after learning that she had previously been abused. She informs Vincent that she will defend her no matter what and that the judge will dismiss the allegations against her. Vincent realizes Helene is blinded by love, and there is no way he can persuade her otherwise. As a result, he does what any smart lawyer would do. He convinces his customer to leave.

The guilt for Damien’s death is placed on Kamal, who is no longer present to defend himself. This had been Anya’s intention all along, but she hadn’t expected Kamal to die while fleeing the cops. She is also enraged that he concealed the fact that he was already married and had a child. She thought they were in love, which is why she tried to protect Kamal even when he was forced to flee. But now she makes no attempt to safeguard his image at all. Things become more convenient for her, and she is able to stroll freely.

While Helene refuses to admit the facts, she cannot deny that her daughter is no longer the same innocent, lovely girl. Anya has a nasty, manipulative side that she is completely unaware of. And now she must contend with the fact that her daughter is a liar and a murderer, and that she is complicit in her crime since she concealed the truth from everyone else.