Much has been made about The Watcher and for solid reason. The limited series has cemented Ryan Murphy’s place as a Netflix force, given that he held tight with two shows atop the Netflix charts at the same time. In addition, plenty of people who would have preferred a definitive ending expressed disappointment at the lack of a concrete conclusion. I still maintain that the show is worth watching despite complaints, but who does The Watcher end up being on the TV show?
As you’re likely aware by now, The Watcher is inspired by the real-life ordeal of the Broaddus family. They purchased what they believed to be their dream home in New Jersey and soon began to receive threatening letters from a mysterious person who raved about “young blood” while stalking the home and family. No one ever figured out who this real-life Watcher is, and the Broadduses moved out without further incident to the next owner. The same thing happens on the show but with a twist.
No character ends up pinpointed as The Watcher. However, multiple characters take credit, either in a joking way or otherwise:
– Theodora Birch: The private detective hired by Dean Brannock delivers a deathbed confession that she is The Watcher and had been jealous that the Bannocks owned the home. Yet as Theodora’s daughter later reveals, that this was a falsehood, and her mom only meant to make it appear as though her final case wouldn’t go unsolved.
– Roger Kaplan: After Dean and Nora confronted this high school teacher about a letter-writing exercise he had once conducted, they accused him of being their stalker. Subsequently, Roger’s wife was so freaked out that she separated from him. In retaliation, he mockingly stood near the problematic house and declared, “I’m The Watcher!” But no, it ain’t him, either.
– Nora Brannock: When Jennifer Coolidge’s real estate agent ended up buying the problematic house, Nora surfaced inside to deliver a piece of her mind. She menacingly signed off with an “I’ll be watching.” And then someone with a male-looking stature appeared inside the home and sent the realtor running for the hills but not before killing her dog. Not cool! However, this was clearly not Nora.
In summary, no one is The Watcher, but that might make everyone The Watcher.
The Watcher is streaming on Netflix.