Surface ending explained: How did Sophie lose her memory?
The twists and turns of the season 1 finale explained. **WARNING: Contains spoilers for Surface**
The finale to Apple TV+ thriller Surface is now streaming, and while we got some answers to the questions which plagued both viewers and Sophie herself throughout the season, we were also left with plenty more questions to answer, too.
Last week's episode saw the clash between Baden and James reach new heights, while we were still in doubt about just who was telling the truth amongst them.
It seems that this week's finale has set up more storylines for a potential second season to follow, but for now, let's dive into just what happened at the end of season 1 and where it leaves our characters.
Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of Surface on Apple TV+.
Did Sophie jump or was she pushed?
In the penultimate episode, Baden passed Sophie a memory stick which had on it CCTV footage of her fall from the ship which caused her memory loss.
From the footage we discovered that Sophie did indeed jump – she wasn't pushed by either Baden or James, as she had previously thought.
We see in the footage that another figure was with her at the time, but it isn't clear who that was...
What happened to Baden?
In the penultimate episode of the series, Baden approached Sophie with a bruised and battered face, claiming to have been beaten by the criminal gang he was infiltrating in his undercover work.
Sophie then later found him dead, and believed his outing to be the work of her husband, James. However, we later learn it was actually Harrison who gave away his identity, with James having warned him not to do so.
Did Sophie kill herself?
Mid-way through the episode it seemed that Sophie had ended her own life, having left a backpack full of possession on the Golden Gate Bridge, thrown away a number of other possessions and seemingly said goodbye to those around her. She even left James a note, telling him it was meant to be this way.
However... he later discovered that she was, in fact, alive, and had faked her death. She had closed her bank account and sent the money to Caroline, and left James a video message explaining that she had done to him what he did to her – lied about his own life.
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Why did Sophie fake her own death and where did she go?
It seems that, heading into season 2, Sophie (or Tess, as she seems to have been called in a previous life) is now on a quest to rediscover her past, following a breadcrumb trail that she left in a storage locker before the accident.
It seems that Sophie had intended to fake her death the last time, and the head trauma had been an accident of a scuppered plan. Finding a key inside the clothes she was wearing when it happened, she heads to the storage locker which is filled with her passport (as Tess), a phone and other belongings.
She then travels back to her hometown of London and starts following the mysterious Eliza, who seems to hold the key to her past. Meanwhile, James leaves her a message saying that her actions won't stop him from looking for her, that he still loves her and he intends to find her.
With that, we are left on a cliffhanger, sure to be picked up if the show returns for a second season.
Surface is streaming on Apple TV+. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
