Warning: Spoilers ahead for Netflix’s The Unforgivable.

Netflix’s The Unforgivable ending finds the movie closing on a reconciliatory note, with the primary protagonist, Ruth, finally being able to meet and reconnect with her sister, Katherine. Based on the 2009 British mini-series of the same name, The Unforgivable follows a cast of characters led by Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock), fresh out of prison after 20 years for murdering a sheriff, who now looks forward to rebuilding her life. Her probation offer, Vincent (Rob Morgan) tells her she is explicitly not allowed to contact the victim’s family or associate with another convict, as this could land her right back in jail. Hardened by the system over the years, Ruth struggles for employment, all the while yearning to reconnect with her now-teenage sister Katherine (Aisling Franciosi), who was put up for adoption after the incident.

The Unforgivable sets itself up as Ruth’s process of rehabilitation into mainstream society, who, as Vincent reminds her constantly, would always view her as a “cop killer” no matter where she goes. Although prohibited by the judge to seek out her sister, Ruth finds a way to contact a lawyer who would make the arrangement possible, while the parents are cold to the idea of putting their daughter in contact with a murderer. Meanwhile, the sons of the murdered sheriff, Keith and Steve (Tom Guiry and Will Pullen), plot for revenge as they believe that Ruth was let off by the system too easily.

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While seemingly straightforward in terms of plot, The Unforgivable unfolds like a murder mystery in the vein of Mare of Easttown, as the truth about the day Ruth seemingly killed the sheriff is slowly unveiled over the course of the narrative. While Ruth is set up as a remorseless killer in the beginning, it is gradually revealed that she is not who she seems at all. Here are some lingering questions in The Unforgivable explained, and what the ending really means.

Did Sandra Bullock’s Ruth Kill The Sheriff?

Sandra Bullock in The Unforgivable looking in a mirror.

The Unforgivable opens with a flashback of Ruth and Kate’s father killing themselves, leaving a young Ruth to take care of her baby sister as their mother had passed away during childbirth. After having lost their father, the sheriff, along with a group of evictors, asks Ruth to vacate the place, and she refuses. While it is implied that Ruth unjustifiably killed the sheriff, who was kind enough to offer her his own place as temporary shelter, a twist reveal usurps the previous understanding of her character. During a tense confrontation between Ruth and Liz Ingram, Ruth’s lawyer’s wife (played by Viola Davis in the movie), she reveals that it was in fact a five-year-old Kate who had fired the shot, and she had taken the blame in order to protect her.

Due to the trauma of the situation, Kate’s psyche blacked out the shooting incident, and she gradually lost her memories of Ruth as she grew older. However, now, a teenage Kate experiences disconnected flashbacks about the incident, which is triggered after a car accident. This puts Ruth’s actions in a wholly different light, as the years of psychological trauma, injustice, and ostracization she faced were due to no fault of her own, but an active choice made to protect a loved one.

Who Really Is The Titular “The Unforgivable”?

Sandra Bullock in The Unforgivable

The “unforgivable” in this case is, of course, Ruth, as she is viewed through that lens by society, who deems her as a dangerous, remorseless cop-killer unworthy of forgiveness or redemption. This is reflected in various instances, right from her employment opportunities being drastically narrowed down, her having to live in a community-based rehabilitation center with other actual criminals, and the way in which she is physically attacked at her workplace after word about her past gets out. The two individuals who view Ruth via this lens are Keith and Steve, who go as far as to follow her to enact revenge, wherein Steve eventually ends up kidnapping Emily (Emma Nelson), believing her to be Kate. However, with the reveal in mind, the title poses a pertinent question: who truly is the “unforgivable” in this scenario? Is it the system, which promptly put recently-orphaned siblings in a situation that caused the tragedy? Or is it Kate’s parents, who kept her in the dark for years and never revealed any of the thousands of letters Ruth had written to her? While there are no easy answers, this adds a renewed layer of meaning to the title of the film.

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What Was The Point of Blake’s Confession?

Jon Bernthal in The Unforgivable

While working at the fish factory, Ruth gradually becomes friends with coworker Blake (The Punisher's Jon Bernthal), who seems to be affectionate toward her from the beginning. As the two spend more time together, Ruth decides to come clean about her past, to which he reacts by saying he cannot continue to associate with her. Blake goes on to share this with someone, and as word gets out, Ruth gets physically beaten by the daughter of a cop and is ostracized in her workplace. Understanding that no one will ever accept her as she is, Ruth maintains a cold distance from Blake, who later confesses that he is a convict as well, saying that the fact that they are even standing together is a legal violation. While narratively this offers no resolution or nor does it contribute to the overall plot, Blake’s confession points out his hypocrisy, as he actively chose to out Ruth while concealing his own past. While his confession can be seen as an act of remorse, it ultimately serves no purpose, as Blake never appears in the film from that point on.

Does Katherine Recover Her Memories? Does She Remember Ruth?

Katherine in Netflix's The Unforgivable

During her piano recital, Katherine has clearer flashbacks of Ruth, and the blissful days they spent together at the farm. It is important to note that it was Ruth who had taught her music, doing everything in her power to ensure that Kate’s childhood was a sheltered and happy one. While it is unclear whether Katherine remembers anything about shooting the sheriff, the visual cues in the film would point toward the fact that she does not. As Ruth would often appear in her nightmares, with flashbacks of the incident playing out in pieces, Kate recognized her as someone loving and dear from her childhood, someone who looked out for her at all costs and kept her safe. If Katherine had remembered the full extent of her actions, she would arguably be wracked with guilt, especially if she comes to understand the true weight of Ruth’s sacrifice.

What The Ending of The Unforgivable Really Means

Sandra Bullock hugs another woman in The Unforgivable

Toward the end of The Unforgivable, an enraged Steve kidnaps Emily, keeping her hostage and asking Ruth to come if she wants to save Kate, mistaking her sister for Ruth’s. Ruth manages to talk Steve down, explaining that if he pulls the trigger, it would ruin his life, and he would have to leave behind everyone he loved for nothing. Moreover, she stresses the innocence of Emily, who is just a child and asks him to do the right thing and let them go. The police arrive and arrest Steve for kidnapping, and Kate sees Ruth for the first time. Recognizing her as the woman in her memories, she gives Ruth a warm hug, thanking her quietly for granting her a childhood that could be as loving and safe as it could be. While it is unclear whether Ruth and Kate are ever to meet again, as there are psychological and legal ramifications for the same, this moment is an emotional and important one for Ruth, as her sole purpose throughout the entire film was to reunite with her sister.

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