Warning! Contains major spoilers for Anatomy of a Scandal.
The finale of Anatomy of a Scandal features a plot twist that left some viewers unsettled because of its controversial implications and because it fell short of expectations, but it may be the unethical way that justice was served that truly sits wrong. With a heavy focus on issues of consent, privilege, power, and intent, the subject matter of Anatomy of a Scandal and its finale is not for the faint of heart, especially those that are sensitive to content about sexual assault. In addition, the ultimate outcome of the dramatic courtroom showdown has felt tainted to some viewers due to the illegal and unethical methods used to attain justice.
The British Netflix political drama Anatomy of a Scandal places MP James Whitehouse (Rupert Friend) and his elite, privileged cronies in the hot seat after he is accused of rape by Olivia (Naomi Scott), a woman with whom he'd had a consensual affair. But the true focus of the series is the three women, seemingly on opposing sides, who help to unravel the truth. Kate Woodcroft (Michelle Dockery) is the prosecutor of the case, while Sienna Miller plays Whitehouse's wife, Sophie. By the end of the series, viewers learn that Kate once went by the name Holly Berry, a young woman who knew Sophie at Oxford. Their friendship ended abruptly when Holly left the school after being raped by James - a crime that went uninvestigated at the time.
It's possible that the scandal referred to in the title of the series isn't meant to be either of the two sexual assaults or the fact that James' connections to the Libertines in Anatomy of a Scandal set him free without consequence, even though the entirety of the series focuses on him. The revelation that Kate was once Holly - and that she knew without a doubt that James was truly a rapist - isn't meant to be the climax of the story, either, but for viewers who are used to the shock of such twists fueling the drama, it may have felt lackluster. The true moral of Anatomy of a Scandal is slightly more sinister, but far more interesting. While three women worked together to bring down men of immense power, there were significant conflicts of interest that were ignored to get there.
The ethical implications of Sophie working with Kate to help bring her husband to justice in Anatomy of a Scandal are obvious and fraught with emotion and the desire to protect her children. However, Kate, James's first Anatomy of a Scandal victim, makes a conscious choice to prosecute a case that she legally has an obligation to recuse herself from. While it is never shown on screen, viewers are left wondering if Kate coached Olivia on what to say on the stand, including specific phrasing that James had used when he raped Kate. The series leaves viewers with the uncomfortable truth that the law can be bent - not just for those with privilege, like James, who had used his status to avoid trouble his whole life - but also by those like Kate, who can bend the law to punish those who did her harm, even if it's deserved.
When viewed through that lens, Anatomy of a Scandal's ending doesn't look like just another courtroom drama with an unrealistic and unbelievable plot twist. If viewers consider that Kate manipulated the legal system in order to deal out justice to her attacker while getting support from the other women James had harmed, the story of an everyday political drama centered around the evils of privilege becomes something entirely different. It becomes the revenge fantasy takedown by three women who used the system to break the system, which is both brilliant and uncomfortable to entertain. Anatomy of a Scandal may not sit well with all viewers, but it's certain to get them thinking about the ethics of privilege and revenge.