The Undoing- I have a theory (spoiler discussions)

[NopeNopeNopeNopeNope]

No idea how I got sucked into this show as it’s incredibly slow and seems to mainly involve Nicole Kidman walking around before something happens in the final 2 minutes.

Also, I’m really lousy at whodunnits.

But anyway...

I think that Donald Sutherland’s character is the murderer.

I think it was because Elena was blackmailing him for some reason. Was there ever an explanation for how she and her husband were well off enough to afford a very expensive private school for their son? I don’t think we heard about their jobs (I know she was a sculptor but was that her actual job, and was she earning well?), and their apartment seems modest.

If I was to really eek it out, I’d guess that old Donny was either Elena’s father, or fathered her son, and was a source of income for her. Wasn’t there some conversation at the start between Elena and Grace about the two boys looking a bit similar? I thought this was to line up the Elena/Jonathan affair, but now I’m thinking the resemblance may be down to Donald.

Anyway, here’s my big theory.

The opening credits give it away.

It shows a happy little girl with red curly hair (so Nicole’s character as a child) playing. And then the bubble she’s playing with bursts.

Little girl. Bubble bursting. Kind of feels like something to do with a parent.

So pfiffle my mad theory, and add your own.

We think it’s its Donald as well - but just thinking maybe it’s because he’s usually a baddie!

But him because he can’t have Hugh’s indiscretion ruining Grace’s life.

If Elena’s his daughter why would he bludgeon her to death? Surely he pays her off to never grace his doorway?

In 24, I was staggered when Farmer Hoggett turned out to be Jack Bauer’s mean baddie dad 😱 and then he shows up in Succession - but atm his character is neither here nor there 😅

I think the blonde lawyer friend is somehow implicated and definitely knows more, as I thought it strange that Hugh Grant would go to her for legal help as she seems to be his wife's friend rather than his...
Also, perhaps I'm still hung up on the Queen's Gambit, but I thought Nicole Kidman playing chess with her father when she went to him for advice maybe implied something about playing games?

II read the book which is rubbish and I think based on the series so far they will pick a different killer to it
Nicoles hair is a WIG

Interesting. Just watched Episode 4.

@workshy44 - NOOOOO say it isn't true! It is my favourite character in the show.

Yes I'm afraid so, her hair in real life is super thin now and v v blond. She uses wigs most of the time, I think a lot do to prevent over styling

Donald has to be involved because he’s too big a name to just be wandering round being ‘dad of main character’. And we noted the credits too.

I also think it’s the dad - Sutherland.
A wig?!? Omg - she really is super-fake 😞

Now we can all have hair like Nicole!

Someone will have to ask her on Instagram and hope she replies!

Does anyone think it's Nicole?

I can see why the DS story (based on credits makes sense) but I'll be somehow disappointed if it's him. His evolvingly fiery/ vicious/ doting/ honest / art-museum haunting character is too good as it is. DH and I have suspected the blonde friend from the start, but the threatening way in which HG looked into the screen at the end of the last episode, while telling us that he suspected he knows exactly who the murderer is, made me think he was talking to his wife.

I also think it's Donald that's the killer. He's too much of a Hollywood legend to just play Nicole's dad. And he was standing in the street staring into Elena's house in Ep2? He's defo involved with Elena somehow.

I think the kid is the killer, and Donald Sutherland knows.

I binge-watched al 4 episodes so far last night. I love it. I am v impressed with Hugh Grant. Initially I thought he was just going to churn out his usual likeable witty English Gentleman routine but we have seen, IMO, some superb acting from him with the flawed multi-faceted character he is brilliantly portraying. I love the aspects designed to make us think...a dedicated, caring paediatric oncologist or a narcissistic pathological liar? Or a bit of both? Or are those images of him interacting with sick children just Nicole's memories of brief sightings of him at work, that he may have embellished for her benefit?

Due to binge-watching just a matter of hours ago, my head has been full of it all day and I came here seeking a thread such as this (knew you wouldn't disappoint).

I am interested in all the theories. My current thinking is/has been Donald Sutherland is responsible for the murder.. (isn't he amazing for 85!!) ..and mainly since we were shown him walking to Fernando's (dead woman's husband's) apartment and silently watching him with the baby in the upstairs window. What was that all about?

Baby is Hugh's.. sorry Jonathan's.. that has been ascertained via DNA has it not?

I think we are going to learn more about something that happened between Elena and Nicole in the short time they "knew" each other before Elena met her demise because we have already been drip fed a little more info about their interactions than we knew initially.

I can't see it being Henry, Hugh and Nicole's son.

Anyone think Hugh's ex-colleague was a bit suspect in his enthusiastic character assassination of him when he agreed to meet with Nicole outside the hospital ..particularly as Nicole described them a "friends"? Perhaps HE bumped off Elena in a fit of professional/personal jealousy?

And hmm yes, Nicole's lawyer friend... possibly more to that I agree... there were a lot of loaded stares between her an Hugh at Hugh's arraignment did you notice?

I'm actually loving it.. can't wait for episode 5 tomo.. how many episodes are there?

I've just watched last nigh's episode over breakfast and changed my mind three or four times! Her father made an interesting comment about Keeping the boy away from his father.

Why on earth did his mother have to stick her oar in? Must watch that bit again.

There are 6 episodes apparently.

The 'friend' certainly is more involved than it seems.

@3catsandcounting

I also think it's Donald that's the killer. He's too much of a Hollywood legend to just play Nicole's dad. And he was standing in the street staring into Elena's house in Ep2? He's defo involved with Elena somehow.

I doubt he did it himself but he could have arranged it. The scene at the end reminded me of the Harrison Ford film Presumed Innocent, in fact the whole series has a feel of that film and look how that turned out.

Yes it’s a wig - her natural hair , which she shows in her instagram pics etc is thin and blond - even from the time of filming - same dates and she is blond at any events plus her hair hasn’t been that long in years. She wore a wig in big little lies too. There was pics in tve daily mail during filming and the weekend at an event with blond hair. Lots of actresses wear wigs to save their own hair during filming

Spoiler based on episode 6 which aired in the ail tonight.

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Right. Think that’s my theory blown right out of the water.

Almost means that the series seems to be following the book.

Ooh I called Henry!

Can't wait to see if I was definitely right. Probs not

Hmmm.. Henry.. extremely incriminating... but still circumstantial...

Is Jonathan a sociopath? His mother says so.. his ex-work colleague strongly implied narcissism.... Bloody good "show" of emotion when he told Grace about his sister though...

You can probably be a sociopath and never commit murder... I think a sociopath feels SOME emotion as opposed to a psychopath who feels none.. (read a book that compares these issues recently...)

And sociopathic tendencies may well run in families... but Grace would undoubtedly have noticed these tendencies in Henry before now, when he was too young to know to mask them... surely?

And to bludgeon someone to death just because he saw his dad talking closely with her... seems a bit psychopathic even for a psychopath?! Even if he HAD taken one look and decided "he knew".

Very single minded vision from Henry at the restaurant when he was declaring they could "still be a family and get a dog"... this is also incriminating.

But that ending was the cliffhanger of the penultimate episode so it's bound to all change.. you think?

Lots of loose ends to tie up in just one last episode!

It hasn't really followed the book so far but would make sense that the ending does- as that will be the greatest twist really

I am finding it hard to concentrate due to Nicole's face, she looks like an animation. she makes me think of one of the dead in Coco.

Loving this. Still puzzled why Jonathan was fired for being inappropriate with patients family member, who reported this as it seemed consensual?
Wonder if the little girl in the credits is Jonathan’s sister? If so then he’s prob the killer (once it’s gone around all the other red herrings)

My theory is that Henry did it (having seen his dad and Elena together) and Jonathan knows this but took the rap for him. His running away to Cleveland right at the beginning, knowing full well that was such a suspicious thing to do that he'd certainly be arrested as the suspect, was part of the plan to take the blame.

This would be an interesting plot development as it would prove that Jonathan WASN'T a sociopath/psychopath, which is what we're being led to think at the moment.