The following contains spoilers for Another Simple Favor, now playing in theatersAnother Simple Favor is full of mᴀssive twists and turns, which steadily unravel in a wild climax. Another Simple Favor reintroduces audiences to Stephanie Smothers and her best frenemy Emily Nelson. A Simple Favor was a clever millennial mom-centric take on a Hitchcock thriller, with Another Simple Favor expanding the scope by bringing the pair back together in Capri, Italy. Having been released from prison thanks to her wealthy fiancé Dante, Emily makes sure Stephanie attends their upcoming wedding by leaving enough lingering questions to catch her attention.
What follows is a series of murders, a secret sibling, and plenty of mishaps as Stephanie tries to avoid being blamed for any number of schemes and deaths. It all builds to a darkly hilarious ending for Another Simple Favor‘s characters that leaves the door open for Stephanie, Emily, and everyone else in their orbit to return for future stories. Here is how Another Simple Favor‘s ending builds off the first film and sets up further sequels.
Charity’s Survival Twist In Another Simple Favor Explained
Charity Has Been Alive All Along, Raised By Emily’s Dangerous Aunt
One of the biggest twists in Prime Video’s Another Simple Favor is the revelation that Hope and Faith’s long-believed-ᴅᴇᴀᴅ triplet, Charity, is actually alive and has become an accomplice in their aunt Linda’s schemes. It’s revealed that decades prior, when Margaret McLanden gave birth to triplet girls, she believed her sister Linda when she claimed one of them had died in childbirth. In reality, Linda took the third child to raise as her own.
While Hope and Faith grew up in an abusive household (leading them to burn down their home and kill their father, as revealed in the prior film), Charity’s situation was even more dire. Raised by Linda as a tool for her schemes rather than as her own person, the now creepily detached and effortlessly ruthless Charity replaces Emily and tries to follow through on Linda’s schemes. However, her deep love for Emily — which goes beyond sibling affection — proves to be the true wildcard in the film’s climax.
Emily’s Full History & Romance With Dante Explained
Emily And Dante Weren’t Actually In Love, But Did Care About One Another
Emily’s romance with Dante is at the heart of Another Simple Favor, as his family’s powerful lawyers can ensure her freedom from prison. Bringing Stephanie to her wedding with Dante, Emily reveals that she met him in her youth while traveling abroad. Hoping to stay hidden from any suspicions about the death of her father, Emily moved to Italy and grew close to Dante. When the press took notice, she fled without warm. Dante only learned what happened to her after her arrest became international news, and she quickly sprang into action.
The full truth about their relationship isn’t revealed until after Dante’s death, when Emily reveals that Dante wasn’t actually romantically interested in her. In reality, Dante was in love with Matteo Bartolo, the son of a rival crime family. By marrying Dante, Emily would afford him the appearance of heteroSєxuality to the more conservative corners of the mafia, all while ensuring peace between the families and even allowing Dante and Matteo to reconcile their romance.
Linda’s Real Plan For Charity, Emily & Stephanie
Linda Believes She Can Manipulate The Mafia
Initially, Linda’s arrival on the scene for the wedding is a cause for alarm for Emily. As she eventually reveals to Stephanie, Emily was actually surprised to learn just how much of a scam artist her aunt really was. Linda’s first plan was to try and blackmail Emily into handing over a portion of her newfound wealth on a monthly basis so Linda could “retire” in style. As things begin to unravel at the wedding, though, and Emily resists the plan, Linda shifts to her backup scheme and has Charity replace Emily at the wedding before killing Dante.
Allison Janney plays Linda, Margaret’s older sister. Margaret was played by Jean Smart in A Simple Favor, and is played by Elizabeth Perkins in Another Simple Favor.
Although Dante’s family hates Emily, Linda plans to placate them with the new, more “respectful” version of her by kidnapping Emily and replacing her with Charity. Linda and Charity then work to frame Stephanie for the murders of Sean, Dante, and even Agent Irene Walker, either getting her arrested by the authorities or killed by the mafia. The biggest hiccup in the plan comes when Emily breaks free to save Stephanie, leading to a confrontation between the four women over the cliffs of the island.
Why Charity Kills Linda & Agrees To Pose As Emily In Prison
Charity’s Love For Her Sister Ends Up Saving Stephanie And Emily
During the climactic confrontation of Another Simple Favor, Linda and Charity reveal the full scope of their plans and initially seem poised to kill Stephanie and Emily to complete Charity’s replacement of the latter. However, Charity truly does love Emily, albeit in her own twisted way. She claims that she’s connected to her on a deep level and refuses to let Linda kill her. In the ensuing scuffle, Charity uses the gun to wound Linda and then push her off the side of the cliff, killing her in a pretty gruesome way.
Charity’s arrest in the climax of Another Simple Favor includes a cameo from Another Simple Favor director Paul Feig, who appears as her lawyer.
Although Charity has to be talked down from killing Stephanie, she ultimately relents after Emily shares a kiss with her (and gives Stephanie a chance to disarm her). Because of her love for Emily, Charity agrees to take the blame for all the murders she committed and returns to prison as “Emily.” It’s a wild turn of events, but one that gives the climax a tidy resolution for returning “Emily” to prison, dealing with the danger of Charity, and allowing the real Emily to remain a free woman.
Emily’s New Mafia Role With Dante’s Family Explained
Emily’s New Job Could Take Her Around The World
Another Simple Favor ends with Emily free from the authorities and seemingly at peace with the mafia family that had openly despised her only days earlier. Portia Versano, Dante’s mother, acknowledges Emily as part of the family and agrees to keep her freedom a secret. On top of implying that she knows the truth about Charity’s idenтιтy, Portia also hangs an implied death threat over Emily’s head, seemingly keeping her aware of the dangerous people she is now within the orbit of.
The implication is that Portia has effectively recruited Emily as one of her agents in the mafia…
However, Portia believes that Emily can be of some service, and the film ends with Portia asking her to meet her new familial responsibilities by handing a “small favor” for her. The implication is that Portia has effectively recruited Emily as one of her agents in the mafia, a clever chameleon whom Portia has a certain level of leverage over. It also sets up plenty of potential directions for Emily, which is an exciting development given the character’s flexibility and versatility.
Why Stephanie Gets Custody Of Nicky After Sean’s Death
Stephanie Is Taking Care Of Nicky In Her Final Scene In Another Simple Favor
One of the most surprising elements of the ending of Another Simple Favor is the status of Stephanie and Emily’s son, Nicky. Following the deaths of Sean and Emily’s mother Margaret, it seems there’s no one around to watch over Nicky now that “Emily” has been sent to prison. However, due to their established connection, it seems that Emily and Sean were able to make Stephanie a legal guardian for Nicky.
While the full details of Stephanie’s apparent adoption of Nicky are left unexplained, it could actually be connected back to Emily’s connections to Portia and the mafia. It was their lawyers who were able to arrange her release in the first place, and it’s possible that the same legal team ensured Stephanie was dubbed a suitable guardian. At least in Another Simple Favor, that dangerous potential is undercut by the safety and security afforded to Nicky now that he’s being raised alongside his friend Miles by the now widely successful Stephanie.
How Another Simple Favor’s Ending Sets Up A Simple Favor 3
Another Simple Favor’s Open-Ended Nature Could Set Up Future Films
Another Simple Favor ends on a fairly satisfying but quietly open-ended note, leaving the door open for a potential sequel. Stephanie’s book career has flourished in the aftermath of her latest run-in with Emily, which could easily lead her to investigate other crimes across the world. Emily’s newfound role as an agent in the mafia is also fertile ground for storytelling, as there are plenty of opportunities to throw her into the seedy corners of the world to watch her outwit various criminals or other targets.
Another Simple Favor also leaves the door open that Charity could someday reveal the truth about her idenтιтy to the world at large, which could not just incriminate Emily and draw attention to the mafia but also potentially raise questions about Stephanie being able to watch over Nicky. Another Simple Favor ends on a satisfying note for the characters in the moment. However, it purposefully seems to keep some threads lingering, leaving the future either to the imagination of the audience or (if the film is successful enough to warrant another sequel) bringing it to life in a new film.
The Real Meaning Of Another Simple Favor’s Ending
Another Simple Favor Is About The Importance Of The Bonds You Choose
While much of Another Simple Favor is rooted in the twists and turns of the murder mystery narrative, there are some key emotional throughlines to the film. The biggest theme of the film is on the importance of the bonds we choose, with Emily’s insistence on bringing Stephanie to the wedding eventually being revealed to be a result of her respect and affection for her. Dante’s desire to have Emily in his life is built on a friendship that goes back decades, and was a genuinely kind act from Emily — something the family comes to extend towards her.
Even Charity, in her own twisted way, is made better by her bonds. Her love for Emily supersedes Linda’s control over her at a crucial junction, ultimately ensuring the film has a happy (if bloody) ending. Those bonds are also key to the relationship between Stephanie and Emily, which is reaffirmed as a seemingly genuine friendship in their final conversation. It’s a surprisingly sweet aspect of Another Simple Favor that gives the film’s mystery some emotional depth.
