Red Rose transformed from a BBC drama to a Netflix original in just one year. It is a blend of Derry Girls, Black Mirror, and Unfriended. It’s a cautionary tale about the risks of technology and our always-online way of life, and the plot certainly takes some unexpected turns before it’s through in this horror-drama about a group of kids who are being tormented by mystery software.
Fortunately, we’re here to dissect the drama, analyze some of the real-world concepts, and make some educated guesses about some of the unanswered questions, which, in typical Netflix fashion, are quite a few. So let’s get started.
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Red Rose Season 1 Ending Explained
What is Red Rose?
Red Rose is the name of a mobile app, but it is a very annoying one. We mostly learn about it through Rochelle, whose life quickly becomes controlled by it because so much of it is on her phone. It controls her texts, calls, and camera, putting her in more and more dangerous social situations. Even though her early death is said to be a suicide, it seems likely that the app is to blame.
In its early episodes, Red Rose plays with the supernatural, but this is just a distraction. As the show goes on, it becomes clear that the software came from a much more human and, some might say, scarier place. It was created by a high school student in Manchester named Jacob.
At first, it was just a way for a young boy with a crush on Alyssa to find out more about her. But with help from online conspirators, it grew in size and power until it became a piece of technology that could see everything about a person’s life.
Even though Jacob had access to this information, he still couldn’t win over Alyssa. He was a joke, so he gave the keys to the kingdom to a mysterious man called “The Gardener.” This turned out to be, to put it mildly, a big mistake.
The Gardener uses the app to torture Alyssa, then Jacob, and then Rochelle, killing each of them in the end. How come? In a somewhat predictable way, for fun. Red Rose is being used to torture people on the Dark Web so that sickos can watch and laugh.
Who’s the Gardener?
When it comes to who the Gardener is, Red Rose does a bit of a double bluff. In the last episode, Rick, Wren’s father, is taken by a man who is thought to be a mysterious figure. Wren ends up killing him in a fight. But later, it turns out that the Gardener is actually a woman who saved Noah’s life.
She tells Wren that she led her to the person who took her father to keep the story interesting. The Gardener has been playing everyone the whole time, but it’s still not clear who they really are. The woman could be another false lead, but that’s something that will be looked into in later seasons.
Is Red Rose Ruined?
The Gardener says that Jaya can get rid of almost every trace of Red Rose, but she can’t get rid of an idea. People will always be interested in scary things, and for now, at least, the Dark Web is the best place to find them.
Even though Red Rose might not be able to stay the same, something very similar to it will always take its place. In the last scene, a young man in Tokyo gets a link to download Red Rose, which starts the cycle all over again.
Red Rose Season 1 Episode 8 can only be watched on Netflix. How did you feel about how Season 1 of Red Rose ended? Tell us in the comments section below.
