*Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Netflix's Cassandra*
A new sci-fi thriller that has been likened to an episode of Black Mirror even before its release, is now available on Netflix.
The German-made series Cassandra is packed with unexpected twists and turns throughout its six episodes. It includes a number of surprises that viewers may not anticipate. The trailer and synopsis of the series hint at a grim portrayal of technology gone awry. A family moves into what they believe is one of the first smart homes, designed back in the 1970s.
They are the first occupants of the property since the previous owners died under mysterious circumstances. Shortly after settling in, Samira, her husband David, and their two children, Juno and Fynn, discover some unique technology. This belongs to the home's virtual assistant named Cassandra, who wakes up from a decades-long slumber.
Cassandra sees this as a big chance to have another family. reports the Mirror. But there's much more to the story than that. Here's what happens in the final episodes and the real story behind it all.
What the trailer or synopsis doesn't reveal, but quickly becomes apparent, is that the series unfolds across two distinct timelines. The present-day narrative centers on Samira and her family as they interact with a Cassandra who appears on screens throughout the house and as a humanoid robot on wheels.
Concurrently, a storyline set in 1972 gradually reveals the deaths of the previous homeowners and the truth about Cassandra – she's not an AI. She once lived in the house with her husband Horst and their son, Peter. Her tragic fate is revealed in the second-to-last episode. While pregnant with her second child, Horst persuaded her to use a novel invention to determine the baby's gender.
Unfortunately, the radiation-based technology led to the premature death of the child and left Cassandra with terminal cancer. Despite discovering Horst's ongoing affair with her friend Birgit, she agreed to his next grand scheme: uploading her brain into a machine.
While the machinery is linked to the house, Cassandra is not an AI. After the procedure, her son peeks into the bag carrying her physical remains and sees her body. Cassandra, now transformed into a machine, attempts to recreate the happy family life she once had with her husband and son. However, her husband Horst eventually refuses and switches her off.
Unbeknownst to him, the off-switch installed is a fake, a favor she had coerced from the other scientists who worked on the project that caused her cancer. Cassandra 'reawakens' after Horst allows Birgit to move in with their baby son, Thomas.
In the present day, Cassandra is accused of murdering her family but it's revealed that it was actually her son, trying to escape from the moving car, that caused the fatal crash. Witnessing her son die at the scene seems to trigger some kind of overload back at the house and Cassandra loses power.
The oven light flickers on and off, controlled by a child. It's revealed that Cassandra's daughter survived, despite being born disfigured. Horst cruelly claimed she would be treated as a monster and they kept her hidden.
In the final episode, Samira remains in hospital on Christmas Eve, having been accused of mental instability and blamed for a child getting trapped in the oven. Back home, the rest of the family is held captive by Cassandra who is once again attempting to play happy families.
Cassandra is persuaded to let David, who has already had a finger chopped off, go out for a Christmas tree. He has become unstable and fails to get help. Samira, sensing danger to her family, leaves the clinic and heads home. Cassandra threatens David, demanding he kill his wife upon her arrival.
Shockingly, David complies and attacks Samira, claiming he has no choice as he fears Cassandra will harm their children. As Samira hides, she stumbles upon a secret room filled with children's toys – the room where Cassandra's daughter was kept.
Upon discovering pictures of Maggie, Cassandra's daughter, along with her body, Cassandra stabs Samira. The story then flashes back to 1972, revealing that Horst had promised to take their daughter with him and his new family before immediately fleeing.
Cassandra eventually allows Samira to leave, but not before revealing that despite what her husband told her, she would never harm the children. Samira tells David "it's over", and they all manage to escape just as Cassandra sets the house ablaze.
The final scene shows a spectral Cassandra with her daughter leaving the confines of the secret room. However, there is one unresolved issue: in the first episode, we see Birgit and baby Thomas survive the crash, but their fate afterwards remains unknown.
Cassandra is streaming on Netflix
Cassandra ending explained as Netflix series leaves viewers with final question – The Mirror US
