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If you’re a fan of crime and comedy, look no further than the original Peacock series Based on a true story. Starring Kaley Cuoco as Ava and Chris Messina as Nathan, together this couple gets involved in a bizarre situation with a serial killer. Being a true crime fanatic, Ava grapples with the issue of who the West Side Ripper serial killer is, and the plot is, he’s their plumber. Then she gives Nathan a crazy idea about making a deal with Matt to do a podcast with him to compete with the top true crime podcasts and bring in some extra money. Nathan, a former tennis player, befriends Matt, before knowing who he really is, but ends up unable to say no to Ava after he is demoted as a tennis coach as a pickleball makes its way onto the scene.
The annoying trio makes a podcast. Then they find themselves in a rather unconventional scenario where Matt fights his urge to kill again, but continues to promote the idea as new content for his podcast. Meanwhile, Ava and Nathan struggle to maintain control of a somewhat chaotic and morally dishonest situation. And to make it even more difficult, Ava is several months pregnant and the parents-to-be are less focused on preparing for their new baby. Despite the twists and turns of the first season, there’s a lot more to the finale until the dump, so let’s dive into what the finale means for Ava and Nathan and where it leaves them for a potential second season.
Get rid of Ruby’s body
He died, true to his nature, unable to resist the urge to kill again. Although this time around he claims he’s killing for the group, not just himself. Ava’s friend and fellow true crime junkie, Robbie, discovers they are the creators of a game Based on a true story Podcast and Blackmail Ava. She wants to participate in the podcast, or else she will expose their true identities and arrest them all.
When the group can’t reason with her, Matt decides to take matters into his own hands and kill her. The kicker is that he doesn’t tell Ava and Nathan of his decision and actually leaves the body for them to find and dispose of. He’s doing this to make sure they’re all in this together and he wants to make sure Ava and Nathan stick to the project the way it is. And they get rid of the body. Ava and Nathan (after much dismay) figure out how to get rid of Ruby and seem to have no plans to stop things now that they’re out of control.
Simon catches Ava and Nathan
During the process of disposing of Robbie’s body, Ava and Nathan are nearly caught when Simon (Robbie’s husband) shows up unannounced to apologize to Nathan for killing his dog. With Ruby’s dead body in the trunk, and her cell phone ringing, Simon becomes suspicious, but Nathan is able to deter Simon out of the situation long enough that he doesn’t discover what, or rather who is hiding in the trunk. . Unfortunately, Simon wanders off again at the end while Nathan and Ava are cleaning Ruby’s blood off the floor of their new home. prompted Simon to ask, “Whose blood is this?”
It’s the final scene of the season that leaves us all wondering if Ava and Nathan are caught or if they’ll be able to talk their way out of the situation. Of course, it’s very possible that Simon would already have known that Ruby was missing and possibly dead if she had already told him that she knew who the West Side Ripper was and who the creators of the podcast are. It’s natural to assume that if there’s a second season, Simon will still be a nuisance to Ava, Nathan, and Matt. But the question remains: What will they do about it?
Tori has a secret boyfriend
Eventually, we also learn that Tori (Ava’s sister) has a secret boyfriend and definitely one that Ava and Nathan won’t approve of: Matt. We see them kiss rather passionately and make their way to Tori’s bedroom, but we don’t know for sure how far their relationship has been, how serious it is, nor how long it lasted. Although we can assume it started early in the show when Tory first started showing interest in Matt while he was fixing plumbing. The two are not shown interacting otherwise, but it is implied that there was a lot going on off screen and the two developed at least a sexual relationship.
This of course leads us to wonder if and how they will reveal their relationship with Ava and Nathan in season two and how that will affect Ava’s resolve to continue with the podcast, especially if her sister’s life is in danger. Or maybe Matt developed the relationship as insurance so he could continue to control Ava and Nathan and keep them under his thumb with the imminent threat of harm to the Tories. With so many unknowns, a second season is undoubtedly in the works as we’re leaving a lot of loose ends in the finale. Based on a true story.
