6 Burning Questions I Have After Harlan Coben's 'Run Away' Finale

3 days ago 8

James Nebitt as Simon holding Ellie de Lange as Paige's wrist, looking back in the same direction in 'Run Away.'

Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for 'Runway' Episode 8.It's become an annual tradition to spend New Year's Day cozying up with a blanket and the newest Harlan Coben thriller on Netflix. Though this year it had to share the spotlight with the series finale of Stranger Things, this year's entry was a runaway hit. Inspired by the novel of the same name, Run Away, on its surface, seems like a simple presence. The initial entry follows James Nesbitt as Simon Greene, a father on a great mission to find his runaway daughter, Paige (Ellie de Lange). Though the hunt is on, Run Away dives headfirst into a mind-blowing mystery that will leave you as shocked as certain characters in the end.

Over the course of eight episodes, the series expands beyond the search for Paige, revealing that the mystery is bigger than just her. Approached through four different angles—a father's pursuit, a private eye's investigation, the police's investigation, and the bloodthirsty killers on a mission from a cult—it all comes crashing in the end, opening up a world of questions. These the burning questions are leaving us hungry for answers, stat!

1 After Simon's Reaction, Could the Ambiguity Lead to a Continuation of the Story?

James Nesbitt as Simon Greene staring ahead with a serious expression in 'Run Away.'

When it comes to Coben mystery thrillers, the complete story is often condensed into a single limited series. Often, the resolution, or the closest thing to it, leaves the remaining characters content and able to move on with their lives. That's not necessarily the case for the Greene family. Simon thought his biggest obstacle was finding his daughter. Little did he know there were deeper family secrets that created the entire mess in a manner of speaking. Run Away was one of the darkest and twisted family dramas Coben has ever conceived.

At the very end of the finale, the Greene family seems to be ending up happily ever after as a family unit, sitting down to a meal together. But before that moment, Simon and Paige had an essential heart-to-heart in which Paige acknowledged that she drove her mother to kill someone. But not just anyone, her own son. While Paige swore her father to secrecy, not to reveal that Aaron Corval (Thomas Flynn) was her son, the final shot shows Simon looking straight down the camera's barrel, contemplating whether to remain mum. If ever there was a Coben cliffhanger, it was Nesbitt staring us down, eager to blow it all up. Though it would be a rare occurrence to have a sequel season, Run Away more than warrants episodes that directly handle the aftermath. Certainly, if all of us Coben fans speak it into existence, it could come to fruition, right?

2 Can Simon and Ingrid Actually Maintain Their Marriage?

Minnie Driver as Ingrid and James Nesbitt as Simon sit on the couch in 'Run Away.'

What a gift it was to have a star like Minnie Driver in a Coben thriller! And she didn't just play any role. Driver ended up being the unofficial catalyst of the entire chaos that caused Simon to embark on his super sleuthing. As Ingrid Greene, she appeared to be just a devoted wife and mother eager to find her daughter. That was until she got herself into the action, found herself in a coma, which allowed everyone to discover her secrets without her being able to defend herself. And let's just say, she's got a lot of explaining to do! The most twisted character in Run Away, Ingrid could be an unofficial secondary antagonist who acted out of a broken moral compass.

Relegated to flashbacks and references, Ingrid seemed like an innocent victim who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time after being shot by one of Paige's drug dealers, Rocco (Marcus Fraser), an associate. But the reason she came face-to-face with a bullet was ultimately revealed to be the killer of Aaron, Paige's assumed boyfriend. Yet, beyond being the coldblooded killer of someone she truly didn't know but actually did, she was having an affair with a colleague, she snuck Paige away to rehab without Simon knowing, and she was an early member of the cult, The Shining Truth. By the time it all came to light, Simon seemed to be the only person to be aware of the duplicity of his wife. Surely there was no way they could remain together, right? Not even for the sake of the kids! For someone who went to great lengths to find his daughter and protect his family, is Ingrid even capable of being around him and their kids?

3 What Happened to Henry Thorpe?

Maeve Courtier-Llilley and Jon Pointing as Dee Dee and Ash holding a gun and looking at something off-screen on 'Run Away.'

As we learn in Episode 5, the string of deaths that appear in Run Away was carried out by hired hands: Ash (Jon Pointing) and Dee Dee (Maeve Courtier-Lilley). As a part of the cult, Dee Dee and her accomplices were promised to be paid handsomely once they took out their targets on their kill list. Though we had moments to empathize with Ash and Dee Dee, who grew up in awful circumstances in the foster system, they were still cold-blooded killers. Though Dee Dee was adamant that the cult helped her in her dark times of need, she was unbothered to kill those in her path.

Now, one reason we had our favorite private investigator, Elena Ravenscroft (Ruth Jones), was that she was searching for a missing person, Henry Thorpe. We ultimately know that he was on Dee Dee and Ash's list, but we never learned his fate. Dee Dee may have revealed his fate through a coy conversation with Ash, who asked how the murders are covered up. She says, "One was shot in a robbery. One committed suicide. One is just missing, probably a runaway. One should be, I don't know, stabbed, maybe by a drug-addled homeless nut." Picking up on that clue and based on the other murders, Henry may have been killed but covered up as a runaway. This deliberate decision by Coben and the writers was meant to throw viewers off the scent early on. That said, it sure would have been nice for a bit more closure. Especially after what happened to Elena. But we'll get to that.

4 Will The Shining Truth Go Down for Good?

Ken Bones as Casper Vartage placing his hand on Maeve Courtier-Lilley as Dee Dee's head in Run Away.

A cult. It's always a cult. Perhaps the plot point you never saw coming, the ultimate motivation for the killing spree was thanks to the paranoia of the cult leader, Casper Vartage (Ken Bones). Dying, he was eager to allow his two "divine" sons to take over for him. Little did he know that other sons could stake a claim after his passing. How did they discover one another and their connection to their biological father? Well, a DNA site, of course! With each son being put up for adoption after their mothers believed they were stillborns, Casper set Dee Dee out on a mission to take them out so as not to "run the Shining Truth." The dark secret of The Shining Truth ultimately led to the devastating downfall of many individuals, many of whom had no idea they were connected.

In the end, The Shining Truth unraveled, causing the cult's demise. The ruthless, manipulative man who fathered at least fourteen children knew his end was near and was ready to swallow a fatal pill before DS Isaac Fagbenle (Alfred Enoch) stopped him, leading to his arrest. While there were many shady individuals in his orbit, there were some, like Mother Adiona (Geraldine James), who tried to stop the chaos when she learned that her son, put up for adoption, was on the kill list. Even if she killed Dee Dee, she was still part of the cult initially. Should we get more to this story, we could certainly imagine The Shining Truth's illegal activities be part of the aftermath.

5 Will There Be Justice for Elena Ravenscroft?

Ruth Jones as Elena Ravenscroft standing behind police tape in 'Run Away.'

Coben mystery thrillers have had the brilliant opportunity to cast some of the UK's biggest names for the limited series. Jennifer Saunders played Heidi Doyle in The Stranger. Eddie Izzard played Harry Sutton in Stay Close. So it should have come as no surprise to see Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones as a major character in Run Away. And just like the other two stars, Coben's series have never been afraid to kill off their comedy legends. As executive producer Danny Brocklehurst and Coben shared with Tudum, "Danny and I wanted to break your heart a little bit. It's one of the reasons why you get an actress as lovable as Ruth Jones."

Losing Elena in Episode 6, with two more episodes to go, came as a major shock. But, in reality, she was a supporting player for Simon's bigger mission. Having the opportunity to share her backstory through flashbacks, Elena was a brilliant character, so killing her off with time to spare was a gut punch. It allowed us to truly stay on our toes because what else could happen? Because the mystery had not been solved, and Elena's body was wrapped in a tarp only to be discovered later, Elena didn't get a great send-off. Though her killers got what was coming to them, does Elena ever get justice once the dust settles? Her last-name connection was her partner in the investigation, who just so happened to be her mother-in-law, Lou (Annette Badland). Though they had their spats due to past decisions, she might be the only person to avenge Elena's death. Though she does help gain insight into the cult, Elena's memory seems to be just that. Justice for Ruth Jones! I mean Elena Ravenscroft!

6 Do DS Isaac Fagbenle and DC Ruby Todd Continue Their Secret Romance?

Amy Gledhill as DC Ruby Todd and Alfred Enoch as DC Isaac Fagbenle look at each other at a crime scene in 'Run Away.'

There were three investigations going on at once during Run Away, but only one was official. Led by DS Isaac Fagbenle and DC Ruby Todd (Amy Gledhill), they were charismatic partners who were determined to help find Paige. Through their investigation, they uncover more mysteries, crimes, and deaths along the way. The two detectives had a secret of their own: they were sleeping together. Definitely not the first, nor will they be the last to tempt morality and the thin line of work and pleasure; their secret romance didn't necessarily hinder their mission. It just added color to their personalities.

The definition of a true detective double act, the pair's chemistry was enticing but never detrimental. Once we saw them share some private time together, it seemed to improve their working relationship. But, after capturing Casper and reuniting the Greene family, what happened to our love birds? Surely they had a celebration alone together, right? In a world of spin-off potential, they could easily continue on missions together with a little hanky-panky on the side. If Coben writes it, we'll be watching!