Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Apple Cider Vinegar!Apple Cider Vinegar’s ending has been explained by creator Samantha Strauss and star Kaitlyn Dever, who unpacked what happened to Belle Gibson in the show’s final moments. The Netflix original dramatizes the real-world exploits of Gibson (Dever), who pretended to have cured a fake Stage 4 brain cancer diagnosis with natural remedies and a healthy diet.Apple Cider Vinegar’s true storyended with a disastrous60 Minutesinterview, where the fake health guru tried avoiding answering questions about the reality of her cancer diagnosis. This is reflected in the show’s final moments as well.
Speaking with Netflix’sTudum, Strauss and Dever explained thatApple Cider Vinegar’s ending emphasizes the regret Gibson hasfor everything she’d done to push a fake cure for cancer. The last moments of her going to the swimming pool with her son and Clive (Ashley Zukerman) highlight how she truly does want to be a good person for her family. However, there’s an underlying tragedy to it because of everything she’s done, forever defined by the pain she’s caused. Check out what Strauss and Dever had to say below:
Samantha Strauss:She’s saying, ‘I really hope I can be well.’ Does Belle think she’s a scammer? I think everyone is the hero of their own story. No one sees themselves as the bad guy.
Kaitlyn Dever:She wants to give love to her son. At her core, Belle really does want to be a good mom. That’s what I was thinking about in that moment. That scene is really twisted. It’s dark, heartbreaking, sad — it’s so many emotions wrapped up into one. To end the series in that way is really, really powerful.
Samantha Strauss was also a writer for Hulu’s 2021 mystery thriller seriesNine Perfect Strangers.
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The Series' Complex Morality Defines Its Final Moments
Throughout the series,Belle’s fake cancer diagnosis and subsequent false treatment programs are highlighted as damaging and manipulative, ruining countless lives for profit. However, the series also emphasizes her guilt over everything that had transpired, balancing her inner feelings with the reality of the many lives she negatively affected because of what she did. This explains whyApple Cider Vinegar’s reviewsare so positive, emphasizing how well the show balances its character writing with the dark reality of what its protagonist did.
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The show’s final moments intersect these two elements,indicating the guilt Belle feels for her schemes without taking away from the damage she’s done. It’s a careful balance highlighted in the pool scene, with the show’s final moments dedicated to symbolizing the darkness of the situation she’s caused. Even though there are some embellished elements ofApple Cider Vinegar, like Milla(Alycia Debnam-Carey) being a fictional character based on Jessica Ainscough, the overarching tale’s complexities are still aligned with the history it’s based on.
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A Fitting Finale For The True Story Series
While the show offers a thin layer of sympathy for Belle in her humanization, the ending delivers on the idea that she can feel guilty, but can’t be completely absolved of what she’s done. Being there for her family is all she can do, now, withApple Cider Vinegarhighlighting her new purpose in life after all the damage she’s caused. While not everything can be forgiven, it still adds fitting complexity to the show, demystifying her character by highlighting elements beyond her guru schemes.
