Devil in Ohio ending explained: what viewers are saying after that twist finale

Devil in Ohio is the hit show that has Netflix viewers hooked - but it's raised a few questions after its nail-biting finale. The Devil in Ohio ending left us with an unnerving conclusion, but what's next for the Netflix show?

Xaria Dotson and Emily Deschanel star in this dark thriller, which tells the story of Mae, a deeply disturbed young girl who has escaped the clutches of a satanic cult and goes to live with a suburban family in Ohio. 

Devil in Ohio is just one of the recent thrillers on Netflix that's been a hit with viewers in recent months. Psychological thriller Echoes remains a firm favorite among TV fans, who are eagerly awaiting to see if Echoes season two is on the cards, while The Sandman, a dark retelling of the graphic novels by the same name, received praise from critics and viewers alike. 

Many questions have been raised about the show since it dropped on Netflix last week on 2 September, like is Devil in Ohio based on a true story and where is Devil in Ohio set? Or, is Mae faking the whole thing? And after the explosive finale, fans are left wondering what's next for Mae and Suzanne...

Devil in Ohio ending explained

*Warning: Devil in Ohio ending spoilers follow*

In the finale, we see Mae (Madeleine Arthur) return to Amontown, where she originally escaped from. Suzanne, who we've seen develop a close bond with throughout the series, follows Mae back to the cult where she intends to sacrifice herself to please the cult members in a horrifying ceremonial act. Mae is repeatedly heard telling herself "you deserve this". In order to gain access to the cult, Suzanne (Emily Deschanel) disguises herself as a cult member and watches the horror unfold. 

Mae is only saved from her fate when a fire breaks out in the church, interrupting the ceremony. Suzanne manages to reach Mae, who is trying to save her cult 'mother' from the flames. 

Back at home, Suzanne and her family are still on bad terms, and Mae and Suzanne end up celebrating ThanksGiving alone. The pair try to find some semblance of normality together and repair the damage that's been done, but then Detective Lopez (Gerardo Celasco) has a chilling revelation. Mae was actually the instigator in her sacrifice, buying herself the white roses that "triggered her response to return to the cult".

The scene concludes after Suzanne learns the truth and enters back into the room with Mae. “Let’s eat,” Mae tells her. “We deserve it.” The two women face each other - and we're all unsure of what happens next.

“I loved filming that scene,” Madeleine Arthur, who plays Mae, tells Tudum. “They told us we couldn’t move, we just had to stare into each other’s eyes.”

Speaking about the ending, Emily Deschanel, who plays Suzanne said, "I thought it was a surprise, and I love a surprise. It was juicy to play, as an actor. It was a really interesting twist, and I liked that. I thought it also was fascinating for the character of Mae and what she's doing.

"There's some real shadow there that she's [Suzanne] not seeing. But I embraced the ending. I found it satisfying, but I don't know if everyone will find it satisfying. It's not as final, as neat, and as clean as some people might want it to be."

Viewers were quick to comment on the series, with one writing, "I’ll never go to sleep if these episodes of Devil in Ohio keep ending like this."

While another said, "Devil in Ohio on Netflix pretty damn good, hopefully it gets an extension with that ending."

While a third said, "My opinion: I don't like the ending, like seriously..Mae just want attn from Suzanne & the fact that Suzanne knew that Mae planned all those 'triggered' things at the end, make me feel like...RUN B****!! She's crazy!!!!!"

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Is Mae pretending to be a victim in Devil in Ohio?

The general consensus at the end of Devil in Ohio is that Mae isn't an evil character, but the victim of a horrific upbringing within the Amontown cult. 

The last glimpse into the story is a shrine containing photos of Mae and Suzanne – leading viewers to assume Mae was obsessed with Suzanne from the start. 

Some viewers are sure there's more to Mae's motives than meets the eye, with one writing, "Everyone... like EVERYONE in Suzanne's family eventually saw something was wrong with Mae except for... Suzanne... until the end."

This may lead some viewers to look at Mae negatively, but her motives are still unclear - and there's no evidence at the end of the season to say she's an evil character, with the storyline left open, potentially for another season.

Will there be a Devil in Ohio season 2?

While there seems to be plenty of intrigue over season one that would allow for a second. 

Sadly, there may not be another season of Devil in Ohio on the cards, as Netflix has billed the show as a limited series. Daria Polatin, the author of the original book and Devil in Ohio's showrunner, explains why she wanted the ending to be ambiguous.

She told TV Insider, "We leave them in that moment because that’s a huge moment and there are different ways it can go.

"That’s what’s fun about it, too, as a conversation piece. I like to write stories that people can engage with and talk about and discuss, and so it’s a good question and it’s something fun for the audience to engage with as well in conversation, like watercooler.

"What would she do? What would you do? I like stories that encourage some interaction as a viewer as well, and I think this gives us that to stimulate conversations with people.”