The Curse Show: Finale's Twist Ending Explained

Nathan Feilder and Benny Safdie's The Curse series ended in head-scratching out-of-this-world fashion.

By Klein Felt Posted:
Emma Stone in The Curse finale ending

Following nine uniquely chaotic episodes, The Curse on Showtime and Paramount+ ended with a fittingly bizarre finale. 

Brought to the screen by Uncut Gems' Benny Safdie and Nathan For You's Nathan Fielder is a subversive comedy series taking a close look at class, privilege, and the act of virtue signaling. 

The Curse stars Fielder and Poor Things lead Emma Stone as a married couple making what could be the next hit HGTV renovation show; however, after a young girl curses Fielder's Asher, things start to go awry. 

How Did Showtime's The Curse End?

Emma Stone in The Curse
Showtime

The Curse ended with a bang, leaving fans scratching their heads by the time the credits rolled. 

Episode 10 (titled "Green Queen") picks up sometime after the end of Episode 9. Asher Siegel  (Nathan Fielder) and Whitney (Emma Stone) Siegel are now pregnant (something the pair were trying to do throughout much of the series). 

However, everything comes to a head as, on the day Stone's Whitney goes into labor, Asher mysteriously wakes up defying the laws of gravity. 

While Whitney is stuck with her feet firmly on the floor, Asher has been bound to the roof. He is unsure how this has happened but believes it could be the result of the curse put upon him back in Episode 1

Nathan Fielder as Asher in The Curse
Showtime

As Stone's attention-craving TV host goes into labor, Asher is forced to let her go alone as he tries to figure out his ceiling-bound predicament. 

Swinging from doorways and sitting on the overhang above their front stoop, Fielder's character employs the help producer on Asher and Whitney's TV show Dougie (played by Benny Safdie), who instinctually wants to (and does) film the whole thing.

The pair get Asher outside, thinking this could be thanks to a pressurization issue in the married couple's 'passive' living homestead. 

This does not work. Instead, Asher becomes bound to a tree in the front yard, gripping a branch with everything he has in him. As the local fire department cuts Asher out of the tree - and Whitney gets further into labor at the hospital - Fielder's character is left floating further and further into the sky. 

Eventually, Asher makes it to space, curling into a fetal position and - to the shock of many - dying. 

This leaves Dougie weeping on the ground left to explain what happened to the authorities, as onlookers assume the whole thing was done as a publicity stunt for Asher and Whitney's HGTV show

As Whitney welcomes her baby into the world, she is asked if she wants to see her husband, to which she flippantly replies, "yes." She does not seem to be too concerned with Asher's whereabouts, just soaking in the spotlight that comes with being a new mother. 

Was Asher's The Curse Death Really a Shock?

Nathan Fielder as Asher in The Curse
Showtime

While there were plenty of head-turning moments in The Curse's finale, it was Asher's death that came as the biggest shock amongst fans. 

However, the series' creative team may have been hinting at this fate since the very beginning. 

Of course, the point of The Curse was ultimately the curse at its heart. 

From Episode 1, weird things started to happen to Fielder's unseasoned TV host, and it was all thanks to the curse put on him by the little girl with whom he did a stunt in the series premiere. 

It also always felt as though the series was leading to the dissolution of Asher and Whitney's marriage in one way or another.

Throughout the story, Emma Stone's Curse character is seen reluctantly putting up with her new husband, Fielder's Asher. 

The pair are not a good fit and it is evident. However, despite this, they also seem happy with forcing to make it work. 

But the hints are there that this is all going to end badly for someone. 

At one point, Asher says with an unconvincing layer of confidence, "If you didn’t want to be with me...I would feel it and I would disappear."

In Episode 8 - potentially hinting at his feet-on-the-ceiling predicament in the series finale - he also mentions his world being turned "upside-down" if Emma Stone's Whitney were to ever leave. 

While it would have been hard to predict exactly the way these finale twists would happen, the fact that they did is not all that surprising. 

Even in the finale itself, Whitney can be seen the night before everything comes to a head, looking at Asher with a level of disdain, seemingly signifying the official break in the marriage. 

From there, Asher does exactly what he said he would do. His world turns "upside down" and and he "disappear[s]."


The Curse is now streaming on Paramount+.

- About The Author: Klein Felt
Klein Felt is a Senior Editor at The Direct. Joining the website back in 2020, he helped jumpstart video game content on The Direct. Klein plays a vital role as a part of the site's content team, demonstrating expertise in all things PlayStation, Marvel, and the greater entertainment industry.