American Primeval is Netflix’s new biggest hit, and if you haven’t made it to the ending, click away now. In between all the violence, gore and blood of American Primeval, there’s a heartbreaking story of a mother and son facing all odds to get back to her husband. The ending of American Primeval, however, was nothing like what I expected, but a huge plot error in episode one meant we all should have seen it coming.

The big reveal at the end of American Primeval is that Sara and Devin opt to go to California instead of meeting Devin’s father, which they’d spent the whole series trying to do. Devin convinces Sara to carry on travelling all the way to California instead of meeting him in Crook Springs.

The ending spoiler was in the first scene of episode one

via Netflix

What you might not have picked up on is that Devin mentioned how much he wanted to go to California in the first scene of episode one. Devin wanted to go there before the series took place, so their decision to go there makes a lot more sense when you consider that.

Why does Sara agree to go to California?

Throughout American Primeval, Sara’s goal is to reach Devin’s father and give him away. The reason behind this is that she knows she will be living life on the run due to her murdering someone back home. Giving Devin away would protect him, and allow him to grow up with his father, far away from the danger of her and the frontier.

The growth and adventure Sara and Devin go through together completely change her perspective. She learns that she doesn’t want to part with Devin and no longer feels like she needs a man to protect them. Going to California therefore means a happy ending for the two. Or, at least as happy as you can get in the American Primeval world.