Malice ending explained: Adam’s big reveal is a big anti-climax – but maybe that’s the point

by

*Warning: Contains major spoilers for all six episodes of Malice.*

The actor described a complicated emotional response to his character, who poses as a tutor and nanny to get close to – and ultimately undermine – Jamie Tanner, a rich and arrogant investor played by David Duchovny.

For me, it’s really important to have those moments where you almost feel bad for the villain. As the series went on, he definitely became a true antagonist – you were really rooting for him to be stopped and genuinely worried about the family he was threatening. But then the ending… it’s hard to put into words, honestly. There’s just this feeling that stays with you.

It’s odd how this situation affects him, and I think some viewers will sympathize with him. It seems likely people will feel bad for him.

Adam’s situation isn’t helped by the fact that he killed a kitten and a dog. Even worse, he’s also a double murderer. First, he killed Damien by hitting him with a cricket bat and throwing his body in the Thames. Then, he shot Jamie in the head in Greece, after already killing another man. These are, obviously, terrible acts.

Details of another murder – the death of a kid in Bangkok – are also touched upon briefly.

Beyond the murder, Adam commits many other awful acts. This includes poisoning the Tanners’ former nanny and knowingly allowing a burglary to occur even after discovering their daughter, April, would be home at the time.

However, his intense hatred for Jamie was impossible to miss, and the reason behind it was deliberately revealed at the very end to create the biggest possible effect.

Yet the big reveal ended up being a big anti-climax.

Malice ending explained

It wasn’t hard to predict the plot of many stories. Shows like Channel 5’s The Catch, Revenge, and even characters like Sawyer from Lost all feature people seeking revenge for their parents. In the series Malice, Adam is driven by the same desire, wanting Jamie to answer for the tragic death of Adam’s parents when he was a young child.

Jamie’s mother was killed by Adam’s father, Colin Tilderman, who then took a large number of pills and intentionally set their house on fire.

And according to Adam, Jamie was to blame.

Let me tell you, this story is a real gut punch. We’re talking about a family business, luggage of all things, that had been running strong for a century and a half. Then Colin, the father, took a massive £15 million gamble, and it backfired spectacularly. He couldn’t keep up with the payments, and his son, Jamie, was forced to cut ties. It’s heartbreaking to watch a man’s life work, something he clearly poured his heart into, just crumble before your eyes. The film really captures that sense of devastating loss and the painful breakdown of family ties.

Cue fade to black.

The story is heartbreaking, and fits well with the overall tone of the show and this type of television. However, it feels predictable – we’ve encountered similar storylines many times before.

At first, the series didn’t seem particularly impressive, but looking back, the story wasn’t really about solving a mystery. It was about the experience itself – the writing by James Wood was captivating and addictive – and it offered a thoughtful exploration of grief and the futility of revenge.

As Adam leaves the scene of Jamie’s murder on a boat, he initially seems satisfied. He’d successfully carried out his plan to ruin the venture capitalist. However, as Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” plays – a song the artist described as intensely emotional – it becomes clear that Adam isn’t feeling victorious or relieved. Despite achieving his goal, he isn’t happy; the act of killing Jamie hasn’t brought him any sense of fulfillment.

He looks utterly heartbroken, on the verge of tears, as he realizes something devastating: even with Jamie gone, it won’t bring his parents back or offer him any relief. He understands, finally, that the past can’t be changed.

Though Adam might have felt a momentary sense of triumph when he acted on his plan, his core pain remains. His parents are still gone, and he’s stuck in his grief, unable to heal or move on. Instead of facing his pain, he’s focused it on harming Jamie, which has only made things worse. His grief has become his defining characteristic, consuming his life instead of being just one part of it.

It’s deeply ironic that Adam, having experienced the pain of growing up without a father himself, would cause the same pain for Damien’s children. He might have even realized this at the time.

I know some people think Jamie’s kids are better off without him, but that wasn’t Adam’s place to decide, and the way he went about it was just wrong. I’m really worried about the Tanner kids now. I hope they don’t end up dealing with this pain the same way Adam did – it’s terrifying to think they could be consumed by grief like he was.

Although we can’t excuse Whitehall’s behavior, especially knowing how much pain Adam is in, there’s a lot of truth to what’s been said about him. It’s hard not to feel sympathy for Adam – not just because of the tragic loss of his parents when he was young, but also because of the person he’s become as a result of that loss.

It’s especially heartbreaking because the film shows us flashes of the good man he could have been, especially in his scenes with little Dexter Tanner. You really see a warmth there, and it makes it so sad that he let bitterness and the need for revenge take over his life and pull him inward.

Despite the darkly humorous and engaging nature of Malice, a particular scene is chilling: young Dex innocently asks about his father while police sirens sound nearby, completely oblivious to the danger, all while happily eating ice cream. It’s a moment that evokes a feeling of coldness rather than enjoyment.

Don’t miss out! Add “Malice” to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download it today for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Read More

2025-11-21 15:05