Blake Lively's big twist in Another Simple Favor smartly avoids a common movie franchise retcon pitfall

Paul Feig’s Another Simple Favor not only continues the wickedly fun 2018 thriller but also enhances the glamour, the danger, and most notably, the plot twists. Emily Nelson, played again by Blake Lively, is bringing an even more complex web of deceit, murder, and revelation into Stephanie's life.

In a sea of such outlandish storytelling, the most outlandish risk was most well executed by Emily’s long-lost triplet, Charity. While this might sound like the worst retcon conceivable, it is also the most bold retcon for the movie. Rather than succumbing to the fierce flow of franchise traps, this is a twist that manages to almost all of the franchise traps.

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Meet Charity: A dangerous third sister

In Another Simple Favor, it shows that Emily—actually Hope — was not only a twin but is one of three triplet sisters born to Margaret McLanden. The third sister, Charity, was thought to be dead at birth. Turns out, she survives and is raised in secret by Linda, Margaret’s sister, who trained her to be an extremely volatile and dangerous weapon.

In the sequel, she becomes the main antagonist. After Sean and Dante’s murders and framing her sister, she becomes obsessed with Emily, and her bloodlust culminates in an extreme and disturbing attempt to take her identity — in the end, she willingly assumes the role of Emily in prison. It is a lot, but manageable.

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Why the retcon doesn’t break the story

Retcons often trip over themselves when they either break a character’s facts or backstory in unfathomable ways. But Another Simple Favor avoids this blunder by expanding on the first film’s feel while maintaining just the right amount of ambiguity in its story.

The first movie tackled intricate family trees, cases of mistaken identity, and shocking discoveries—come along now... even a twin was thrown in alongside a half-brother reveal.

Charity’s narrative is not outlandish as a covert; in fact, it adds to the story but also does not defy it. The logic that was not provided in the first film fulfills this theory, so her appearance does not feel like some contrived idea but rather a piece within a jigsaw puzzle.

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Richer characters, higher stakes

The shock value this twist provides is not its only contribution — it adds depth to characterization:

The once unyielding Emily's character transforms into someone grappling with deep, aching loss, crushing guilt, and even a reluctant pity for her fractured sister. The choice of entrapping Charity into serving her impractical sentence is savage yet strangely redemptive.

Looking back at Margaret, the cold matriarch, her character’s tragic side becomes more apparent. The loss of a child whom she believed dead was the reason behind her most unreasonable, unforgiving, harsh parenting. This makes her treatment of Emily and Hope all the more tragic.

Charity is incredibly terrifying, but her villainous and one-dimensional representation lacks depth. She is a result of manipulative neglect, which makes everything she does tragically horrific.

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Setting the stage for A Simple Favor 3

Charity's inclusion was undoubtedly strategic in setting the foundation for the next film. She may be locked up for life but smiling—that's one guarantee. Emily is free, so both women achieve closure, but not finality.

Charity has a unique mix of intricate relationships with Emily, weapon-grade skills, and volatile personality traits. This serves perfectly for her potential return—whether as a vengeful primary antagonist or an unsuspecting sidekick.

The possibilities of her feral behavior bring an electrifying dash to any sequel while avoiding yet another round of narratively convoluted stretching to justify previous events.

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A twist that honors the franchise’s DNA

Another Simple Favor sets itself apart as one of the few sequels that expand or fracture canon to introduce new surprises. This time, Blake Lively as Emily joins the mix with Charity and unfolds yet another Simple Favor. Unpredictably, this amplifies the stakes while staying true to the stylish outrageousness of the original.

While reclaiming camp, the film demonstrates that history respecting retcons removes the lazy tag. Some, like this in particular, blur the lines of clever, chaotic writing.