Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Sweetpea episode 4 and mentions of abuse.
With Sweetpea building towards its final few episodes, the stakes continue to rise in the comedy-drama, as episode 4 continued to reveal plenty about the main cast. Although Rhiannon remained the focal point of the latest episode, Sweetpea‘s supporting characters got fleshed out a little more, especially Julia and Marina, who seem to have more going on in their lives than meets the eye. While Marina seemed like little more than a curious DI and Julia was portrayed as a straightforward bully, the series revealed some major information about them while simultaneously expanding on Rhiannon’s story.
After Rhiannon attempted to kill Julia at the end of Sweetpea episode 3, the show left things on a bit of a cliffhanger as Julia opened her eyes before the credits. Thankfully, episode 4 not only revealed what happened next, but it also highlighted how the protagonist once again tried to use her sinister behavior to her advantage. She has become bolder in her everyday life, indicating a change in personality that has started to become more noticeable, and with Marina’s investigation making Rhiannon a person of interest, the show is shaping up to have an explosive ending.
11 Marina Has Her Own Kill List Like Rhiannon
The Episode’s Opening Sequence Suggests Marina & Rhiannon Are Like-Minded
Although both of Rhiannon’s victims so far have been relative strangers, Sweetpea episode 1 revealed she had a kill list, and the series just confirmed that Marina does as well. The idea of an innocent woman like Rhiannon having a list of people she wants dead may seem tongue-in-cheek at first, but now that she has begun murdering people, it’s suddenly a much bigger deal. Therefore, episode 4 revealing that Marina has her own list could be significant, as there is every chance she follows a similar trajectory to the protagonist.
Currently, Marina’s objective is to catch the murderer as she hates those who think they can get away with taking another person’s life; however, it’s not out of the question that she ends up going down her own dark path. Rhiannon noticed that Marina felt invisible at her job, and given the two share some similar traits, it seems like Marina’s kill list could be a massive detail come the end of the series.
10 Rhiannon Kept Julia In The Garage After Failing To Kill Her
The Protagonist Hasn’t Fully Figured Out What To Do With Julia
The fallout of Rhiannon’s failed kill on Julia was one of the biggest questions heading into Sweetpea‘s fourth episode, and the show didn’t waste much time in answering it. With Julia being incapacitated at the end of episode 3, the closing shot revealed that she was still alive, albeit still at the mercy of Rhiannon. Rather than finishing her off, episode 4 confirmed that the protagonist tied Julia up in her garage and is keeping her hostage.
Although we didn’t get to see if there were any further scuffles after episode 3’s ending, knowing Rhiannon somewhat panicked feels like an important detail. Despite how much she hates Julia, she finds herself unable to kill her, both while she is lifeless on the floor, and while she’s restrained. It’s possible Rhiannon still ends up killing her bully before the season comes to a close, especially since Julia knows the protagonist’s dark secrets, but her decision to tie Julia up alongside her inability to murder her former bully could become crucial heading into the final two episodes.
9 Julia Refused To Take Accountability For Bullying Rhiannon
Julia Viewed Her School Bullying As Light Hearted Fun
Even with her fate in Rhiannon’s hands, Julia was unable to take accountability for destroying Rhiannon’s life. With the protagonist once again venting her frustrations about how Julia’s constant bullying made her feel worthless and invisible, the real estate agent continued to deflect and blame Rhiannon. She described her high school actions as harmless fun and blamed Rhiannon’s descent into madness on her simply being weird, proving she was still unable to face the consequences of her actions.
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While Rhiannon’s attempt at revenge has certainly crossed several lines, the fact she is willing to go to such extreme lengths to show how much Julia hurt her makes the supporting character’s lack of accountability all the more shallow. Given how vain and selfish she has been described as throughout the series, it almost seemed like Julia would tell Rhiannon whatever she wanted to hear in order to escape. However, the duo’s interaction at the end of the episode explains Julia’s actions more, as she opens up about her own trauma.
She Made Sure To Cover Up Her Tracks After Kidnapping Julia
Rhiannon becoming a killer in Sweetpea was completely unplanned, meaning her murders have hardly been carried out with finesse or subtlety. Despite this, she has managed to get away with both of them so far, and with the protagonist learning more about how to get away with her violence, episode 4 showed her attempting to cover up her tracks. After seducing Craig in his workplace, Rhiannon kicks him out of his own office and shuts the door, allowing her the chance to steal the USB stick with CCTV evidence on it.
Given she was the last person to see Julia before her disappearance, getting rid of the evidence was vital, meaning she needed to access the footage from Craig’s garage the night before. Simply asking Craig if he could show her the CCTV tapes would have seemed suspicious, so instead she embraced her change in personality by taking charge and finding a reason to be alone in his office. With the investigation starting to point towards Rhiannon, episode 4 revealing that she removed this footage could be huge for her chances of evading the police, at least for a little longer.
The Protagonist Promised A Juicy Story If She Was Given A Chance
With Rhiannon getting her first taste at being a reporter in Sweetpea episode 2, the protagonist once again reiterated her desire for a promotion, but this time, she was more demanding. While she timidly asked about being given the opportunity in episode 1 and was swiftly rejected, episode 4 highlighted she was much more confident this time around. Strolling into Norman’s office, she immediately mentioned having another big story but claimed she would only reveal it if she was given a shot as a junior reporter.
Having played a massive part in gaining the information for the Gazette’s article on the first murder, she is clearly a valuable asset to the company. Despite Jeff being against the idea, Norman opted to give her an opportunity and allowed Rhiannon to pursue her new story about a missing person. Therefore, Rhiannon once again using her criminal behavior to further her professional career is another massive moment in Sweetpea, and episode 4 highlighted that it didn’t stop there.
6 Rhiannon Discovered Her Second Victim Was Also A Bad Person
AJ Revealed The Man Rhiannon Killed Was An Exploitative Landlord
Shortly after getting her promotion, Rhiannon was congratulated by AJ, who also talked about the second murder victim. Much like the first, AJ revealed that the man Rhiannon killed was a bad person, claiming he was an exploitative landlord who took advantage of immigrants and kicked out a single mother and her newborn. He was also cramming 18 people into 2-bedroom flats, confirming he was happy to treat people badly as long as he was making a profit.
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Rhiannon already knew he wasn’t an angel, having monitored the man’s behavior in the hospital and a local bar. Seeing how rude he was to innocent members of staff was enough reason for Rhiannon to go in for the kill, but hearing about his sins only made her feel more justified. AJ even suggested the killer could be a Robin Hood-type figure, and Rhiannon now knowing that both of her victims were full of flaws only makes the protagonist feel better about her actions, meaning this small interaction could be enough reason for Rhiannon to strike again.
5 Rhiannon Met Julia’s Friends & Partner As Part Of The Missing Person Story
Rhiannon Used Kidnapping Julia As A Way To Advance Her Career
Having used Julia’s disappearance to get a promotion, Rhiannon continued to take advantage of her bully’s missing status by interviewing her friends and partner. Despite knowing exactly where Julia was, Rhiannon met with her bully’s friends – who were also part of her torment in school – and they confirmed they Julia hadn’t contacted them. In addition, the protagonist also met with Julia’s partner, Marcus, who seemed worried about the fact that Julia didn’t come home but was happy to answer all of Rhiannon’s questions.
Although this may not feel like an overly important reveal, Rhiannon used all of Julia’s loved ones to write her first-ever story, despite being the one who kidnapped her. Meeting her friends and partner also gave Rhiannon more of an idea about Julia’s personal life, giving her a stronger chance of proving her innocence regarding the disappearance. Therefore, Rhiannon’s independent journalism helped both her professional career and her secret life as a killer.
4 Craig Interrupted Rhiannon & AJ’s Quiz Night
The Awkward Interaction Created Some Tension Between Rhiannon & AJ
While AJ has never openly expressed any romantic feelings for Rhiannon, his sweet attitude towards her strongly indicated there was some sort of connection. As a result, AJ inviting Rhiannon to a pub quiz felt like a big deal, but Craig’s unexpected interruption made things incredibly awkward. Although Craig and Rhiannon aren’t officially dating, Craig made it abundantly clear that the two had hooked up on several occasions, seemingly in an attempt to belittle AJ and squash any interest he had in Rhiannon.
Seeing this side of Craig makes it clear he has some flaws of his own and isn’t the innocent person he’s portrayed throughout the show. The uncomfortable interaction caused AJ to leave and while Rhiannon chased after him to try and explain things, it’s clear there is now some slight tension between the coworkers. AJ finding out about Craig seemed to indicate he was a little hurt that Rhiannon was with someone else, and episode 4 fleshing out its supporting characters in this way has only helped continue Sweetpea‘s great reviews.
3 Marcus Drunkenly Revealed He & Julia Had Problems At Home
Julia’s Partner Suggested Things Weren’t Perfect Between Them Despite Seeming Like A Happy Couple
After Rhiannon failed to catch up with AJ, she spotted Marcus drunkenly trying to get into his car the night after Julia’s disappearance. Sensing an opportunity, she helped him get home before questioning him, where Marcus explained that Julia had done this sort of thing before. The conversation revealed that there were problems between the couple despite the happy image they presented, and Rhiannon was also able to access Marcus’ phone, finding out all the secret details behind their relationship.
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Up until this point, the protagonist believed that Julia had a flawless life, but hearing all about her problems at home put a smile on her face. Alongside feeling satisfied with Julia’s troubled romance, this discovery means Rhiannon may shift the blame for her bully’s disappearance onto Marcus, as his angry text messages give him a motive. With a potential fall guy in place, Marcus’ drunken ramble could be one of the episode’s biggest reveals as it might have just set up Rhiannon’s next move.
2 Julia Revealed That Marcus Was Abusive Towards Her
Rhiannon Seemed Shocked To Learn That Julia Was A Victim Herself
Perhaps the biggest twist of episode 4 was Julia confessing her life wasn’t as good as she pretended, mainly down to her relationship with Marcus. While Rhiannon initially thought Marcus was just another person whose life was ruined by Julia, it turned out the opposite was true. Unexpectedly, Julia finally opened up to Rhiannon and broke down in tears, admitting she felt trapped by Marcus and didn’t know how to get out, claiming she deserved what Rhiannon had done to her.
Julia referred to her partner as a “monster” and claimed that he controlled everything about her life, suggesting he had been mentally abusive towards her. Despite being initially satisfied that Julia admitted she had faked her happiness, Rhiannon seemed stunned by the revelation that her former bully was a victim in her own right. Therefore, this huge reveal towards the end of episode 4 sets up an interesting dynamic going forward, as Rhiannon will feel even more conflicted about what to do with Julia, especially after feeling some slight sympathy.
1 Marina Appears To Have Connected The Dots About Rhiannon Being The Murderer
The DI Seems To View Rhiannon As The Top Suspect After Finding Pivotal Evidence
Having already had a hunch that Rhiannon was a potential suspect in the two murder cases, Marina seemed to have finally connected the dots about her involvement. Looking through CCTV footage earlier in the episode, Marina discovered that Rhiannon left the nightclub roughly 30 minutes before the estimated time of the murder, and also argued with the friends she claimed to be hanging out with. While this put Rhiannon on Marina’s radar, the information at the end of the episode seems to have sold her on the protagonist being responsible for these deaths.
Marina was informed of an article about a missing person, and after finding out it was Julia who had disappeared and Rhiannon who had covered the story, it appeared to link with all her other evidence. Her expression indicated that she had finally cracked the case and that she would now be pursuing Rhiannon for the remaining two episodes, making the rest of Sweetpea‘s story incredibly interesting, especially with episode 4 suggesting Marina isn’t too different from her primary suspect.
Sweetpea (2024) follows Rhiannon Lewis, an unremarkable woman who goes unnoticed by those around her. However, her life takes a dark turn when she loses control, leading to a transformation filled with dangerous secrets she must conceal.
- Cast
- Ella Purnell , Nicôle Lecky , Jon Pointing , Calam Lynch , Tim Samuels , Alexander Bellinfantie , Elliot Cable , Lucy Heath , Jessica Brindle , Dino Kelly , Leah Harvey , Jessye Romeo , Luke McGibney , Gurjot Dhaliwal , Alexandra Dowling , Nathan Hall , Cain Aiden , Mark Rainsbury , Malcolm J K Baker , Lee Byford , Guy Robbins
- Character(s)
- Rhiannon Lewis , Julia , Craig , AJ , Phil , Andy , Shaun , Lucille , Pidge , Marcus , Marina , Anni , Big Earred Mike , Nurse , Seren , Older Son with Tablet , Police Officer , Bouncer , Wheelchair User , Funeral attendee
- Release Date
- October 10, 2024
- Creator(s)
- Kirstie Swain
