The Girlfriend Episode 3 unpacked the harrowing truth behind Daniel Sanderson's fate, and it was an unexpected revelation. Amazon Prime Video's new psychological thriller follows the unusual story of Laura Sanderson (Robin Wright), a mother who is hellbent on preventing her son, Daniel, from marrying a manipulative and lying girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke). There are valid reasons why Laura wanted to stop Daniel from being with Cherry, considering that The Girlfriend slowly unveiled her psychotic nature, with her lying about her poor background and hiding her deep, dark secrets involving her past with her father.
While Cherry is a red flag, Laura is not a saint either. She is clearly possessive of her son, and it even reached a point where Laura thinks of Daniel as a romantic partner rather than her own child. The pair's eventual clash in The Girlfriend feels like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, but it came to an abrupt halt (temporarily) after a life-changing incident involving Daniel.
Directed by Robin Wright (who also plays Laura), The Girlfriend is a six-episode mini-series based on Michelle Frances' novel about the complexities of a mother's reaction toward protecting her son from her ambitious young girlfriend. Joining Wright in the cast are Olivia Cooke, Laurie Davidson, Waleed Zuaiter, Tanya Moodie, and Shalom Brune-Franklin. The Girlfriend premiered on Prime Video on September 10, 2025.
Does Daniel Die In The Girlfriend? Twist Explained
The Girlfriend Episode 3 showed that things remain tense between Cherry and Laura, but the pair's rivalry has yet to directly impact Daniel. Laura has been secretly investigating Cherry behind the scenes after she interviewed her ex-boyfriend, Nicholas, to learn more about her psychotic traits.
After learning the truth, she was concerned about her son's future, feeling that Cherry might be taking her son away from her forever. Laura's feelings were valid because she had already lost one child (Rose) in the past, and she didn't want a repeat of that experience.
While the pair's happily ever after appeared to be inching closer, it all ended unexpectedly after Daniel suffered an injury during his rock climbing adventure with Cherry. After the brutal accident, Daniel was seemingly in a coma.
Daniel's current state served as the perfect opportunity for Laura to get rid of Cherry, and what she did was a shocking bombshell of a twist. After the doctor told Laura and Howard that they couldn't stop the bleeding in his brain, he revealed that it's "unlikely" for him to make it through the next few hours.
In an unexpected twist, Laura told Cherry in a phone call that Daniel died that morning, even though he had yet to succumb to his injuries while lying in a hospital bed.
After Laura told Cherry the bad news, The Girlfriend Episode 3's ending confirmed that Daniel miraculously survived after making responsive noises to let his mom know he was still alive.
Laura's lie to Cherry was a significant plot point in The Girlfriend since it acted as a crucial point in allowing her to finally get rid of his manipulative girlfriend in the most cruel way possible. Laura's manipulation was on full display, and it showed how far she will go to protect her son and keep him under her wraps.
So What Happened to Daniel After Episode 3's Twist?
Laura's dangerous game of lying to a psychotic woman like Cherry would definitely come back to bite her in the end, but she managed to preserve the lie for months. While she did try to correct her mistake by telling Cherry the truth, the thought of seeing her son with Cherry was too much to bear, and her desperation prompted her to lie to his girlfriend more by even telling her that they held a small funeral without her.
As for Daniel, Laura told him that Cherry didn't even bother to go to the hospital, making it seem that she had broken up with him and left him during the hard times. This revelation pissed Daniel off, and he decided to move on.
Keeping such an elaborate lie would be hard, but Laura decided to take some necessary steps to preserve it, such as relocating to Spain for months during Daniel's recovery, setting him up with a more ideal woman, and telling her inner circle to keep the news about her son on the down low.
Laura pushed her dangerous game so far that she even orchestrated a way to have Cherry fired from her job by creating a reckless post to ruin her reputation in the world of real estate in London. This move would place Cherry's back against the wall, giving Laura more time and distance between her and Daniel for good.
Unfortunately, Daniel was still hurt by his "breakup" with Cherry, but destiny found a way to bring them back together after she finally learned the truth about Laura's lies. This revelation pushed Daniel away from Laura because he got back together with Cherry, leading up to their planned wedding.
