The thriller Don’t walk away on Netflix ends with a huge twist. However, this twist was not in the book. Explanation.
Warning, this article contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the ending of Don’t Walk Away, don’t read on.
The British series Don’t walk away continues to thrill Netflix fans. Based on the novel of the same name by Harlan Coben, its shocking conclusion is not in the book. Here’s why Netflix changed the ending.
The narrative style of Don’t Walk Away is based on a breathless rhythm. It all starts with the death of a man, Stewart Green. The investigation into his death will cross paths with several people. We are thus entitled to revelations about the double life, the lies, the secrets of Megan (Cush Jumbo). This all leads to not one, but two twists in the eighth and final episode.
The final twist of Don’t Walk Away is pretty crazy. When detective Michael Broome (James Nesbitt) discovers that hitman Ken (Hyoie O’Grady) has been stalking his girlfriend Lorraine (Sarah Parish) with the intention of murdering her, he rushes to her house to save her. Upon arriving, Broome sees the bloodstained carpet and imagines the worst.
Lorraine actually managed to fend off her attacker, and when confronted by Broome, she admits she’s the killer he’s been stalking and obsessed with for years. But, important detail, during his confession at the police station, the detectives mention that they have not found the body of Carlton Flynn (Connor Calland), the young man who disappears at the beginning, with the others.
Either way, Lorraine takes responsibility for this murder. But the public discovers at the very end that Carlton’s death is not his responsibility! It is actually the result of the actions of other characters. Carlton was actually accidentally killed by Dave Shaw (Daniel Francis). And this, without him even knowing it! He pushes Flynn’s car into the water without knowing that he is still alive inside.
It’s that last-minute twist that’s not in the book. In the novel, it is Lorraine who kills Carlton Flynn. In an interview at Entertainment WeeklyHarlan Coben welcomed this final reversal:
“I love twists. I was thinking about the story – we did that with Intimidation too – and I wanted to give the readers of the books one last punch. I like that they watch the show smugly, thinking they know what’s going on, and then throwing them something new. I had this idea so that the culprits would not be the serial killer.“
This change, clever on his part, is also an incentive for his loyal readers to watch his future adaptations for Netflix. He has indeed signed a deal with the platform for the adaptation into films or series of 14 of his novels!