Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club.The director and producer of The Thursday Murder Club explain the movie’s ending. The comedy mystery is helmed by Chris Columbus and follows unsolved investigation enthusiasts who suddenly become involved in a real murder case. The Thursday Murder Club cast is led by Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, and Ben Kingsley.

The movie, based on Richard Osman’s novel, largely centers around the murder of Tony Curran (Geoff Bell) and explores various suspects, including Ian Ventham (David Tennant). However, Ian dies amid a protest at Coopers Chase, and near the end of The Thursday Murder Club, John (Paul Freeman) is revealed to be responsible, having killed Ian to prevent a past crime from being unearthed.

Speaking with Netflix’s Tudum, Columbus explained that the moment regarding John and his wife, Penny (Susan Kirkby), provided “emotional complexity” for the ending. Producer Jennifer Todd also noted that the conclusion of The Thursday Murder Club may prompt audiences to consider what stage of life Elizabeth (Mirren) and other residents of Coopers Chase are at. Read their comments below:

Chris Columbus: [Writer Kate Bard] managed to put in those wonderful moral ambiguities, the emotion of what happens with Penny and Bogdan [Henry Lloyd-Hughes]. The movie does take a slightly dark turn at the end, but that is also what gives it emotional complexity. […]

Jennifer Todd: What the ending does is it reminds you of the chapter they are in. Elizabeth’s got a husband who’s struggling with memory and a best friend adventurer pal for her whole life who’s now basically in a coma. Even though Elizabeth’s off solving crime and having fun, that’s why she’s here, and it reminds you of the gravitas and the hard part of being in this chapter of your life.

Osman added that when it comes to storytelling, he aims to “write people as real” and does not focus on clear-cut aspects. Check out his comments below:

To me, whodunits are never about what happens, they’re about why do I care what happens? I try and write people as real, and when you do that, you can’t have an open and shut, black and white, this person’s evil and this person’s good, good has prevailed story. It just wouldn’t be fun to write or read.

What This Means For The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club‘s ending reveals that Penny was entangled in the Angela Hughes cold case. Presently comatose, Penny is a former police officer and original member of the Thursday Murder Club, which makes the discovery more shocking for audiences.

The team proposes that because Angela’s boyfriend, Peter Mercer, avoided punishment for her death, Penny sought vengeance. Then, in the present, John used fentanyl to murder Ian and keep the nearby cemetery from being exhumed, but he was too late, and Peter’s remains were found.

The revelation surrounding Penny and John is memorable, considering it comes after The Thursday Murder Club wraps up its main mystery. The subsequent decision by John makes it emotional as well, because he killed Ian to maintain the secret, and his tearful confrontation with Elizabeth and others highlights how much he cares for Penny.

Our Take On The Thursday Murder Club’s Ending

The final minutes of The Thursday Murder Club bring many surprises, but perhaps none as emotional as John and Penny, who have a mysterious and ultimately tragic storyline.

The end of The Thursday Murder Club is touching, as audiences become aware of how John will handle things and Elizabeth reflects on the loss that comes from uncovering the truth. Also, at the funeral service, Ibrahim (Kingsley) declares that John loved Penny, emphasizing that bad decisions can be carried out by anyone.