Why did Abby kill Merritt in The Perfect Couple? Explained

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for The Perfect Couple.

Netflix's newly released suspense-drama The Perfect Couple has consistently kept viewers on the edge, as they kept guessing who the killer is. The limited series began with a vibrant day as Greer Winbury (Nicole Kidman) and her sons, recorded a video before Benji (Billy Howle) and his lover Amelia (Eve Hewson) walked down the aisle.

The Winburys were set to make the high-society wedding day in Nantucket a memorable one. However, at the end of episode 1, titled Happy Wedding Eve, Amelia notices someone floating on the water, and upon reaching close to the ocean, she finds a dead body.

Amelia finds her best friend and maid of honor Merritt Monaco's dead body at the shore, and the wedding inevitably comes to a halt. Following Merritt's death, each member of the Winbury family including their close friends like Isabel and Shooter Dival become the top suspects.

After discovering that it wasn't a death by accidental drowning but murder, detectives Dan Carter (Michael Beach) and Nikki Henry (Donna Lynn Champlin) join forces to identify the killer. With each episode, viewers get to unveil more secrets about the Winburys.

Finally, the killer is revealed to be Thomas Winbury's seemingly innocent and pregnant wife Abby Winbury played by Dakota Fanning. She is driven by her obsession for wealth, and this leads her to kill her father-in-law's pregnant mistress.

What made Abby Winbury kill Merritt in The Perfect Couple?

Abby gets arrested (Image Source: Netflix)

It isn't revealed until the last episode of The Perfect Couple that Abby is the killer, as she tries hard to bury her crime. The detectives interrogate everyone including Isabel, hoping to find a clue leading to the actual culprit, but initially fail.

However, when it is Thomas's turn to answer the police and share details about his whereabouts, the detectives learn of Abby's involvement in the murder. Many believe that Thomas killed Merritt because he didn't like his father having an extramarital affair and that he was going to be a father for the fifth time.

Additionally, he admits to stealing Karen's pentobarbital pills, making him a suspect since Merritt was drugged. In the end, when detectives discover that Abby is lying about her husband's whereabouts and is extremely anxious, they solve the case.

When the Winburys are enjoying a sunny day in the last episode, the police show up and arrest Abby for killing Merritt.

It is then revealed that Abby had been eagerly waiting for Thomas's share in Tag's trust fund. However, the share would only come into effect when Will, the youngest Winbury turns 18. Thomas was going to have a child to raise, and the trust fund money was the best source to fuel them with millions of dollars.

However, after learning that Merritt was carrying Tag's baby, Abby gets frustrated as it means that she would have to wait for another 18 years until the trust fund becomes accessible. So, to make things easier for her and Thomas, Abby first comforts Merritt when she is feeling down, and then offers her fresh orange juice which is drugged.

After Merritt drinks the juice, she starts fainting, and Abby suffocates her to death by forcing her head into the water. She makes it look like an accident but isn't able to hide it for long. So, Abby's motivation to kill Merritt in The Perfect Couple comes from her obsession with Tag's wealth.

How did Merritt die in Elin Hilderbrand's Novel?

While Abby turns out to be the murderer in Netflix's The Perfect Couple, she doesn't plan to kill Tag's mistress in Elin Hilderbrand's acclaimed novel. Though Abby was responsible for the death, it was accidental in the novel.

In the book, Abby is aware of her husband Thomas's mistress Featherleigh, who is named Isabel in The Perfect Couple. To stop her from sleeping with Thomas, Abby mixed barbiturates in water hoping that Featherleigh would drink that water and pass out.

However, Merritt drinks that water instead and drowns in the ocean. Abby doesn't want to kill Merritt, but she becomes partially responsible for the death. In Netflix's The Perfect Couple, however, Fanning's Abby Winbury intended for Merritt Monaco to die.