TV thriller Curfew ending explained as Paramount+ series differs to the original book

Curfew: Sarah Parish stars in trailer for Paramount+ series

*This article contains major spoilers for Curfew*.

Paramount+ delighted book fans with the announcement of a new adaptation of Jayne Cowie's 2022 thriller, After Dark, set to grace screens this autumn - and it has finally arrived.

Curfew is based in a dystopian future where men are only permitted outside between 7am and 7pm, effectively barring them from venturing out at night.

When a brutal murder takes place late at night, the police are quick to blame a woman, but one detective suspects a man is the culprit.

The cast is led by Sarah Parish as the tough Detective Pamela, joined by Alexandra Burke (Helen), Mandip Gill (Sarah) and Imogen Sandhu (Cass), reports the Mirror.

Viewers watched the mystery unravel, with the final plot twist revealing the identity of the killer. However, keen-eyed book fans might have been surprised as the series' conclusion diverges from the novel. So what exactly was altered? And who is the murderer in the book?

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Cass played by Imogen Sandhu and Helen played by Alexandra Burke (Image: Paramount )

How does the series conclude?

The killer is unmasked in a dramatic turn of events in episode six - and just as Pamela had suspected, it is a man. However, the identity of the killer comes as a surprise even to the detective.

Max, portrayed by James Craven, murders Helen in a rage after she spurns his romantic overtures. But how did he manage to violate curfew without being apprehended?

It emerges that when his family were having their tags installed, Sarah neglected to activate Max's tag. She rushes out of their appointment upon hearing a disturbance at the reception, which leads to the incident where she tasers Paul.

Max had been covertly breaking curfew. On the fateful night Helen dies, he pays her a visit after work and attempts to present her with a paper flower he crafted.

She rejects it, reminding him of their age difference. In a fit of anger, Max picks up a stone and strikes her on the head.

Sarah played by (Mandip Gill and Paul played by Neil Ashton (Image: Paramount )

His family then conspires to conceal his actions. His mother visits the crime scene, relocates the body and disposes of the car.

The police, upon reviewing CCTV footage, notice her habitual mistake of approaching the wrong side of the car, leading them to suspect that the individual at the crime scene is accustomed to driving on the opposite side of the road. This leads them directly to the home of the out-of-towners, where they discover Cass has been abducted by Ben Williams (Adam Korson).

Ben had been attempting to remove his and his sons' tags in order to escape the country before further evidence of the murder surfaced. He believed Cass possessed a tag coder, but she didn't.

Consequently, he threatens Sarah to take responsibility for the murder or he would kill Cass.

Once Sarah is released from jail, he coerces her into stealing another coder. As he's trying to remove the tags from his sons, the police show up.

Max is apprehended for the murder and Cass is rescued.

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How does the book conclude?

In the novel, the victim's identity remains unknown until the final chapters. The narrative unfolds through the four perspectives of Cass, Helen, Sarah and Pamela, suggesting that one of these women could be the victim.

Ultimately, the body is identified as Helen's.

The shock twist came when Helen's beau Tom Roberts, not Max, was unmasked as the killer. As viewers keenly watched, hints dropped that Tom could be guilty due to his closeness with Helen.

The puzzle remained though: how could Tom commit such a crime while on house arrest with a tag that should set off alarms past curfew?

In 'After Dark', the method Tom used to elude detection by slipping off his tag remains a mystery. The writer teases the readers, divulging: "It was Tom Roberts. He'd found a way to remove his tag without being caught."

Upon learning about Helen's tragic end, Sarah and Cass are left reeling, their world shattered by the heart-wrenching revelation.

Curfew is available to stream now on Paramount+

TV thriller Curfew ending explained as Paramount+ series differs to the original book

TV thriller Curfew ending explained as Paramount+ series differs to the original book

TV thriller Curfew ending explained as Paramount+ series differs to the original book

TV thriller Curfew ending explained as Paramount+ series differs to the original book

TV thriller Curfew ending explained as Paramount+ series differs to the original book