The following contains spoilers for Another Simple Favor, now playing in theatersAnother Simple Favor‘s big Blake Lively twist manages to avoid a frequent problem that comes with introducing retcons in sequels. Another Simple Favor directly builds off the events of the first film, bringing back Stephanie and her lethal frenemy Emily after five years apart. After being invited to be Emily’s maid of honor at her upcoming wedding, Stephanie accompanies her to Italy and encounters con artists, FBI agents, and mafia enforcers. However, the most dangerous character in Another Simple Favor is an unexpected wildcard.
A Simple Favor already established the twisty nature of the series, so it makes sense that Another Simple Favor‘s ending would follow suit. Their big swing introduces a character long thought ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, in a way that fits the somewhat soapy tone of the series as a whole. Here’s how the big twist in Another Simple Favor doesn’t break the canon of the films, improves the characters in the story, and quietly sets the stage for a sequel.
Another Simple Favor’s Triplet Retcon, Explained
Charity’s Survival And Role In Another Simple Favor, Explained
The big twist of Another Simple Favor hinges on the revelation that Emily’s long-thought-ᴅᴇᴀᴅ triplet, Charity, has actually been alive all along. In A Simple Favor, it was established that Emily (whose true name is Hope) was one of the triplets that Margaret McLanden gave birth to. For decades, they all believed that the youngest of them, Charity, had died in childbirth. However, Another Simple Favor reveals that she survived and was taken by Margaret’s sister Linda. Linda raised Charity as a weapon instead of a person, turning her into a lethal and versatile (but unstable) accomplice for her crimes.
Emily initially seems unaware of Linda’s existence and has no idea that she was responsible for the “death” of Charity. Charity plays a major role in Another Simple Favor, as she’s the one who secretly kills Sean and Dante in an attempt to frame Stephanie. However, Charity is also revealed to be obsessed with her sister, confessing her love for Emily and even ᴀssaulting her after kidnapping Emily so that she could replace her in public. This twist drives much of Another Simple Favor‘s latter half, building to the climax where Charity takes Emily’s place in prison.
Another Simple Favor’s Retcon Doesn’t Break Any Previous Characters’ Stories
Charity’s Survival Fits Into The Timeline Without Contradicting Anything
The reveal that Charity is alive is a big twist in Another Simple Favor, completely upending the narrative and dispatching multiple characters. It’s a wild retcon, but the kind of soapy twist that fits into Another Simple Favor‘s purposefully wild tone. The film that preceded it also had a mysterious hidden triplet reveal, along with plenty of other turns, like the revelations surrounding Stephanie and her half-brother. What makes Another Simple Favor‘s similar twist work is the way that it fits neatly into the tone of the film and doesn’t contradict anything about the established characters.
Emily is surprised by the presence of Linda at her wedding, but it tracks with the stifled upbringing she and Faith endured. She clearly misses the idea of who Charity could have been, justifying her tattoo memorializing her. This plays into Emily’s mixture of fear and sympathy for Charity, leading her to find a bond between them that she’s able to exploit and use to her advantage. It also makes their mother Margaret more tragic and adds a darker layer to Emily’s family, as they’re seemingly incapable of producing a wholeheartedly kind person outside of Nicky.
Another Simple Favor’s Big Twist Improves Established Characters
Emily And Margaret Are Better Characters With The Introduction Of Charity
Another Simple Favor‘s reveal about Charity had the potential to break the film, but it actually slots easily into the campy murder mystery. It adds a new layer of depth to Emily as she sadly admits she doesn’t want to have to kill another sister following the events of the previous film. She follows through on this impulse, with her final plea to Charity being a mix of clever trickery and genuine empathy. That moment of bonding is key to Stephanie’s survival, with Charity’s existence also being a perfectly bizarre turn for the snarky character to comment on.
Margaret becomes an even sadder character in light of Charity’s backstory, as the grief she had over the loss of one daughter — and her decision to blame her apparent death on her other two daughters — informs her terrible treatment of her other family previously. Linda’s theft of the infant Charity and transformation of her into her current form establishes her as a far more nefarious figure than the morally ambiguous lead characters, making her an ideal villain that can unite Stephanie and Emily in a believable way. It’s a wild twist, but one that fits the movie.
Another Simple Favor’s Retcon Helps Set Up A Simple Favor 3
Charity Could Become A Major Villain (Or An Unexpected Ally) In A Third Simple Favor
Perhaps the most important thing that Charity’s inclusion in Another Simple Favor does is set up a natural way for the film to resolve the mystery plot while still allowing Stephanie and Emily to have a happy ending. By going to prison instead of Emily, Charity can make up for her crimes against her sister. Her loopy behavior means she doesn’t even seem to mind much, allowing Emily to remain on the run and Stephanie to take in Nicky. It’s a handy tool to allow Emily to return in a future film without having to necessarily address her prison time.
Charity has the smarts, lethal skills, dark personality, and connection to Emily that would justify turning her into a major villain.
Charity also has the potential to become a driving force in any subsequent sequel, potentially becoming the big threat to any follow-up. She’s a dangerous killer, as seen with her ability to sneak around and dispatch people in public without being caught. If she decides she wants to get back at Emily for putting her away, she could expose her true idenтιтy and get the authorities looking for Emily again. She could even potentially escape and try to take revenge on Stephanie, which could carry its own film.
Charity has the smarts, lethal skills, dark personality, and connection to Emily that would justify turning her into a major villain. She could also become a surprising ally, thanks to her connection to Emily. In a series that already introduced secret sisters, incestuous romances, and fake deaths, Charity is just an escalation of those twists that fits alongside elements like Dante’s surprise mob family. She’s a great example of how a retcon can improve the story and characters in a franchise, and adds to Another Simple Favor‘s wild turns instead of distracting from them.
