Murdaugh: Death in the Family ending explained: The chilling reveal of what happened that night

Murdaugh: Death in the Family, a limited series, premiered on Hulu (and Disney+) on 15 October 2025.

The first three episodes were made available at once, thus allowing you to immerse yourself in the story right away. The show was created for Hulu by Michael D. Fuller and Erin Lee Carr, and draws inspiration from Mandy Matney’s Murdaugh Murders Podcast to some extent.

The Murdaugh family is the focus of the series, a litigation powerhouse in the state of South Carolina. In fact, the family appears to be invincible, enjoying their strong status. However, the situation gets worse when their son gets into a fatal boat accident.

This one incident breaks down the family’s well-controlled façade, and what comes next is even gloomier: the killing of Alex Murdaugh’s wife and younger son, as well as the gradual revelation of decades of deceit and elitism.

This season of Murdaugh: Death in the Family consists of a total of eight episodes. The final episode, The Man in the Glass, was released on November 19, 2025.

Next, we will analyze how the conclusion connects all the dots, what it reveals about the characters involved in the plot, and the perspective change that the whole saga undergoes for you.

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Murdaugh: Death in the Family ending explained

Murdaugh: Death in the Family culminates in a finale that is both emotionally draining and painstakingly skilled. The show, in its eight episodes, brings to life the downfall of one of the SC’s greatest families, taking the potential gain and loss of being human through privilege and murder as a central theme. The series's last episode, The Man in the Glass, condenses months of police inquiry, personal suffering, and court battles into a gripping, personal, and highly upsetting hour of TV.

The series kicks off with the unresolved mystery surrounding the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie Murdaugh (Patricia Arquette) and her son Paul (Johnny Berchtold). The first few episodes hint at the crime in a muted way, but the last episode opens the whole spectrum of Alex Murdaugh’s (Jason Clarke) deeds.

Video proof, first found by investigators Rutland and Owen, puts Alex at the dog kennel about ten minutes before the murders. Although he is not visible in the footage, the voice captured in the video confirms his presence, breaking the family’s beliefs and exposing his trickery.

Murdaugh: Death in the Family not only highlights the actual crime but also the meticulous calculations that led to it. He thinks of everything, down to the gloves, the clothes, and how to deal with phones and guns. It’s unsettling how careful he is.

As Fuller, who helped create the series, tells TIME:

“This is who this person has had in them all along, and this is who they are now, and what they have to live with for the rest of their lives, regardless of what they admit to or not.”

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The trial: Evidence, lies, and Buster’s perspective

The last episode of Murdaugh: Death in the Family condenses an actual trial into one hour of TV, thus juggling the legal process and the emotional drama behind the scenes.

Financial crimes context: The show presents Alex’s history of fraud, thefts from his company and insurance, which were at times validated by his addiction to opioids, among his other vices. His lawyer, Dick Harpootlian, seeks to present Alex in a favorable light, depicting him as an imperfect yet loving father. However, as the evidence grows, that tactic collapses.

Phone and GPS evidence: The investigators managed to obtain a video from Paul’s mobile phone (8:46 PM) and trace phone locks (8:49 PM) as the coroner estimated that the murder occurred at 8:56 PM. The GPS data indicates that Alex was driving at a high speed, disposing of Maggie’s cell phone, which further strengthens the timeline.

Buster’s role: During the whole trial, Buster acts out the part of the audience surrogate. At first, he sticks by Alex, holding on to that lesson, “the only real truth in this world is what you can get others to believe.” But as the evidence piles up, you can see him start to crack. Family and expert testimony wear him down. He watches everything, delving into the poem The Man in the Glass, and wrestling with his own trauma. All of this pulls the courtroom story in tighter, making it feel more personal.

On the 20th day of the trial, contrary to his counsel’s advice, Alex comes to the court to testify. He asserts that he did not murder either Maggie or Paul and states that his lying about being at the kennel was a result of his addiction and paranoia.

The questioning during cross-examination conducted by Prosecutor Creighton Waters (Rob Morrow) reveals the contradictions and improbabilities in his story. While the jury spends two and a half hours in deliberation, Buster’s loyalty is put to the test, which makes the emotional burden on the victims’ nearest ones very apparent.

The jury finally finds Alex guilty. Judge Clifton Newman gives him two life sentences, one after the other. He tells Alex that Maggie and Paul will haunt him day and night, even in his sleep.

Alex’s silent recognition highlights the series's unpretentious, realistic approach to law. There are no spectaculars, only the immensity of the moral burden on the man who has to bear the consequences of what he did.

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Flashback to the murders in Murdaugh: Death in the Family

Murdaugh: Death in the Family takes viewers back to the time of the murders with a ghostly flashback from Alex's perspective. This is what the viewers see:

The arrival of Alex at the kennel in a golf cart, followed by a brief interaction with Maggie and Paul.

The first shot that did not hit the target, the panic that followed, and the killer’s improvisation that resulted in the second act.

The handling of phones and clothing to clean up after himself.

Having a shower afterwards, putting out Maggie's pajamas as Buster had seen, and getting rid of the evidence.

The man has a breakdown and cries as he thinks about the crime he has just committed, which mirrors his humanity, corrupted by greed and temptation.

This sequence in Murdaugh: Death in the Family not only shows the planning but also the improvisation in the killings, revealing the terrifying duality of Alex's character, who could be both calculative and reactive.

The last episode of Murdaugh: Death in the Family reveals a larger aspect of Maggie and Paul that is mostly neglected in the media coverage:

Maggie: Patricia Arquette lends Maggie an emotional depth, guiding the character through her life, transcending historical references.

Paul: The actor Johnny Berchtold portrays Paul as a mix of opposites, showing him as both a daring and a gentle person, thus paying tribute to the young man whose life was taken away.

The scenes in the kennel, where mother and son spend their final moments together, form the emotional core of the series.

Buster's connection to the memories of the victims, as well as his moral awakening, provides viewers with a lens into the themes of sorrow, trauma, and resilience.

Murdaugh: Death in the Family gets its name, and its last haunting image, from the poem The Man in the Glass, which once hung in the Murdaugh house. Now, in prison, Alex stares at his own reflection. There’s nowhere to hide from himself. You can see it all on his face: regret, guilt, the raw instinct just to survive.

He has figured out how to get by behind bars. Ice cream, a little TV, he finds small ways to cope. But every time he looks in the mirror, he remembers. Getting comfortable doesn’t mean he is free, and it sure doesn’t make him innocent.

Meanwhile, at the estate sale, Buster lets go of the poem. It’s more than just getting rid of a picture; it’s him cutting ties, stepping out from under his dad’s shadow, finally choosing his own path.

Murdaugh: Death in the Family ends quietly, but it hits hard. Alex keeps breathing, but there’s no escaping what he has done. The law might have him, but that’s nothing compared to the weight he carries inside.