The Final Problem Ending Explained: Whose Body Was Found at the Hotel?

In The Final Problem, the new four-part murder mystery series on Netflix, we learn that the name we thought the deceased woman went by is not her name at all. Elisa Mander is not dead. She is actually a tourist discovered at the hotel on the island. Basil (played by Jose Coronado) looks into the case of Elisa’s apparent suicide, which begins to show signs of murder. However, Basil is unaware of the fact that the killer is using the victim’s identity.

The puzzle by the end is not how someone got into an apparently locked room but rather who was in the room. Both women had exchanged names prior to the death of one of them. The woman called Adela by Basil is really Elisa, while the dead woman is Adela.

Why Did Elisa Kill Adela?

A still from The Final Problem | Credits: Netflix

Elisa did not have either Adela’s financial means or the standing in society which Adela enjoyed. By beginning their identity swap, Elisa gained the opportunity to live Adela’s life. To do so, Elisa needed to murder Adela and let others search for the murderer of the one whom everyone assumed was Elisa.

It also put her in a very secure position. She could speak to Basil without appearing suspicious due to having something to gain from her conversation. The false clues pointing to Francisco Foxá (Martiño Rivas) took the focus elsewhere, but the doctor, Dr. Seruya (Pepón Nieto), found enough to question the charade and was murdered by Elisa.

The killings in this Netflix murder mystery series elevate Elisa’s character beyond a simple figure of sympathy. Adela is not a mere obstacle that blocked Elisa from achieving her life goal. Regardless of the suffering that Elisa endured during her lifetime, this is a reality that the TV series makes us think about.

Why Was Mr. Klemmer Part of Her Plan?

A still from The Final Problem | Credits: Netflix

The identity change had yet another function. Mr. Klemmer was not punished for his actions against Elisa’s husband during the Holocaust period. Elisa went to the island to seek revenge against him. Her adoption of the name of Adela offered her anonymity in achieving her aim and potentially a fresh start afterwards.

It becomes clear why the murders cannot be confined to one motive only. Elisa wishes to make Klemmer answer for his misdeeds, but her envy of Adela and readiness to murder Seruya prove that she is much farther from her original motive. 

The identity swap gives Basil’s past as an actor a darker meaning. He spent years convincing audiences he was Sherlock Holmes; Elisa convinces everyone at the hotel she is Adela. Both depend on people believing the performance in front of them, but Elisa has killed to sustain hers. Once Basil sees through it, the role that made him famous offers no script for what to do next.

Why Does Basil Let Elisa Go?

Basil’s discovery forces him to revisit an episode from his own past. Years earlier, Elisa was an aspiring actress when he took advantage of her ambitions and then left her behind. He had nearly forgotten her; she had not forgotten him. His role in her life does not make him responsible for her murders, but it changes how he responds once he understands them.

Rather than hand Elisa over, Basil helps her escape in the final episode of The Final Problem. It is an uneasy decision. He knows what Klemmer did and recognizes that Elisa was mistreated long before they met on the island. He also knows she killed Adela and Seruya. The actor who spent years playing Holmes solves the case, then decides what to do with the answer himself.

Did Basil do the right thing by letting Elisa go? Tell us what you thought of his decision in the comments.

The Final Problem released on Netflix on September 25. All four episodes are streaming now.