Netflix’s new limited series “Ripley” will keep you at the edge of your seat.
The show, out April 4, follows Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), a grifter in New York in the 1960s. He is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to convince his son, Richard “Dickie” Greenleaf, to return home.
Tom accepts the offer and heads over to Italy where he finds Dickie, played by Johnny Flynn, and his girlfriend, Marge Sherwood, played by Dakota Fanning. The three of them develop a relationship that takes multiple twists and turns in just eight episodes.
There's secrecy, deceit, mistrust and many, many crimes — all the way until the last second.
“Ripley” was written and directed by Academy Award winner Steve Zaillian and is based on Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels.
Warning: Spoilers for “Ripley” ahead.
What happens at the end of ‘Ripley?’
Tom's relationship with Dickie sours by Episode Three. His declaration of love leads to a swift rejection, and Tom kills Dickie. The grifter then moves around several cities in Italy pretending to be him.
Tom forges Dickie’s signature to access his money, dresses like him and even takes on painting as Dickie had. He pretends to be Dickie most of the time, only going back to being " Tom" for specific interactions, like with Marge or when he sees Dickie’s friend, Freddie Miles.
A few times, Tom comes close to being caught in his Dickie impersonations, but with true narcissistic confidence, he convinces mostly everyone with his lies.
But, when Tom's not able to fool Freddie, he kills him in Episode Five, and because of Tom's imposture, Dickie becomes a suspect in the murder.
An inspector who takes on the case, Inspector Ravini, speaks to who he thinks is Dickie and is unsatisfied with the responses. He asks that "Dickie" does not leave town, but he does anyway.
Episode Eight opens with Tom in Venice and back to being himself, plus a growing beard. When people ask about Dickie's whereabouts, Tom says he's taking a trip, which the inspector takes as confirmation that Dickie is guilty.
Soon, the case of Freddie’s unsolved murder and Dickie’s disappearance gains notoriety around Italy. Due to Tom's proximity to Dickie and growing fascination surrounding the case, Tom gains access to the world of the wealthy, receiving invitations to exclusive parties. At one of these events, he engages in a conversation with an “art dealer,” whose card he takes.
Meanwhile Dickie’s father, Mr. Greenleaf, hears about his son’s disappearance and travels to Italy to get answers. Marge, Mr. Greenleaf and an investigator all sit in a room together to talk through the last times Tom saw Dickie.
Speaking with just the investigator, Tom gives a self-deprecating monologue, disguising his true feelings and attributing them to Dickie.
“Everything about him was an act. He knew he was supremely untalented,” Tom says, under a pretense of describing Dickie's feelings while conveying how he sees himself.
Tom also claims Dickie confessed his love to him, and Tom had to reject him. (In reality, it was the opposite; Tom killed Dickie because of Dickie’s harsh and negative reaction to his admission of love.)
Tom then rejoins Marge and Mr. Greenleaf to read them all a letter that he wrote as Dickie to his landlady, painting Dickie as heartbroken, disillusioned with life and considering suicide. The landlady took the letter to Inspector Ravini and Dickie's “disappearance” was ruled a suicide.
With the case closed, Marge and Mr. Greenleaf say goodbye to Tom.
Does Tom Ripley get caught?
No, in fact, Tom's experience in Italy seems to open up more possibilities for lucrative crime.
As the series comes to an end, Tom meets with the “art dealer” at a café. He hands Tom a British passport with a new name, which he easily accepts. They seem to come to an understanding of the next steps in Tom's journey: more fraud and deceit.
Sometime after, Marge publishes a book about Dickie and her. She mails a copy to Inspector Ravini from Rome as a thank you for his help in solving Dickie’s case. She dedicates the book to Dickie and includes a photograph of him.
Inspector Ravini immediately notices the Dickie he met is not the real Dickie. His expression conveys the closing epiphany that everyone involved in the investigation has been scammed.
How many adaptations of ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ are there?
Tom Ripley, first introduced in Highsmith's "The Talented Mr. Ripley," is one of the most notable characters in fiction. The 1955 thriller and four subsequent novels inspired several film adaptations:
- "Purple Noon" (1960)
- "The American Friend" (1977)
- The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999)
- "Ripley’s Game" (2002)
- "Ripley Under Ground" (2005)
Despite there being a few adaptations, Netflix’s version stands out as a limited series that enhances some details of Ripley’s journey and is stylistically told solely in black and white.
“Ripley” is out now on Netflix.