Absentia Confirms Who the Killer Is (And Why They Did It) In Season 1 Finale

by

The season one finale of Absentia revealed the identity of the serial killer terrorizing Boston. The Amazon Prime Video series centers on FBI agent Emily Byrne, played by Stana Katic, who vanished while pursuing the killer and resurfaced six years later, barely alive. The killer was known for being one of Boston’s most dangerous criminals, and this was confirmed when they began to target Emily again after her return.

In the first season of Absentia, Emily didn’t just struggle with the trauma of being held captive for six years. She was also falsely accused of kidnapping her son and endured abuse at the hands of her husband, Nick Durand (Patrick Heusinger), who moved on and remarried while she was believed to be dead. The source of all her problems turned out to be the serial killer responsible for her initial capture, and his true identity was revealed in a surprising twist fueled by revenge.

Oded Ruskin directed the thriller series Absentia, which features Stana Katic, Matthew Le Nevez, Patrick Heusinger, Ralph Ineson (known for his role as Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps), and Lydia Leonard. It first appeared on Prime Video on September 25, 2017, with the last episodes released on July 17, 2020. Despite being canceled, Absentia is now available on Netflix in the US and is gaining a new following.

Who Is the Killer in Absentia?

The first season of Absentia ended with a shocking finale. In Episode 10, “Original Sin,” Nick, Emily’s former husband, was convinced Emily had kidnapped his wife, Alice, and their son, Flynn. But the episode ultimately revealed that someone with a personal connection to Emily had been manipulating events for years, framing her as part of a long-running revenge scheme.

Wow, talk about a twist! It turns out the killer was Laurie Colson, the crime reporter who’d been following the case – and Emily’s disappearance! But that wasn’t even her real name; she was actually Logan Brandt. I definitely did not see that coming, it was a real shocker!

Logan was driven to seek revenge on Emily, believing she had ruined someone’s life – specifically, the life of a person they both knew from their childhood. The show revealed Logan and Emily grew up in the same orphanage. Emily faced difficulty getting adopted because she didn’t easily show affection, so she took matters into her own hands, hoping to influence her prospective parents’ decision.

Emily foolishly exchanged files with Logan, a decision that led to her being subjected to Dr. Shen’s horrifying experiments. These involved brutal procedures like waterboarding and electroshock, which fundamentally altered Logan. Without realizing it, Emily’s actions turned Logan into a monster.

Okay, so Logan is convinced Emily ruined her life, and that fuels this incredibly dark revenge plot. She doesn’t just want to get back at Emily, she wants her to feel the pain Logan endured during those years with Dr. Shen. And let me tell you, Dr. Shen was disturbingly effective. He didn’t just train them, he forged them – and I use that word intentionally – into these incredibly dangerous, practically emotionless killer soldiers. It’s chilling how successful he was at stripping away their humanity.

The first season finale of Absentia revealed that Logan was responsible for Dr. Shen’s death. It also showed that Conrad Harlow—the man originally convicted of kidnapping Emily—helped Logan and was one of Dr. Shen’s test subjects.

Did Emily Kill Logan in Absentia?

Logan attempted to secure Flynn’s release by demanding Emily kill Alice, promising to return her son in exchange. Although Emily considered the horrifying request, she hadn’t lost her moral compass. However, the situation became even more tangled with Nick’s return, as he still suspected his ex-wife was responsible for the crime.

Nick’s overconfidence and impulsive actions nearly put Emily in danger, but discovering who the real killer was made him reconsider his behavior. Once she’d guided Nick, Alice, and Flynn to safety, Emily chased Logan into the woods, where they had a final, intense confrontation. In the end, Emily won by causing Logan to drown in the lake.

Even after Logan was defeated, Emily continued to be deeply affected by the six years she spent as a captive. This emotional trauma became a central part of her story in later seasons of Absentia.

If you enjoy the show Absentia on Prime Video, you might also like Blindspot. Both series feature a main character trying to adjust to a changed life after a challenging FBI assignment.

Read More

2025-11-18 00:38