In the horror film “Devil in Ohio,” Emily Deschanel plays Dr. Suzanne Mathis, who tries to assist Mae (Madeleine Arthur), a teen who flees a cult in order to save her life. However, as Mae becomes more integrated into Suzanne’s life, strange incidents start to occur that have a negative effect on the Mathis family and start to rift Suzanne and her husband Peter (Sam Jaeger).
While Mae fights to fully escape the grip of the cult and her family, Suzanne contends with resurfacing trauma in her own life throughout the course of the series. Everyone, even the three Mathis children, is affected by the teen’s presence in various ways, some for better and some for bad. Cult members approach the Mathis family in various ways, such as by attempting to date (and maybe kidnap) one of the Mathis daughters or by setting fire to the property that Peter has spent a lot of money creating and is expecting to sell. They’ll do whatever to get Mae to return to the cult so they can finish the rite for which she was selected.
All these compelling problems and tensions reach a boiling point as “Devil in Ohio” draws to a close, putting each character under pressure to make a choice that could have a significant influence on their lives. We’re here to dissect this convoluted conclusion, from who survives to what a huge revelation might imply for the individuals’ destinies and roles in the family.
By blood we are still broken
The Dawning, the series finale of “Devil in Ohio,” demonstrates that the ritual continues even though Mae declines to take part. Abigail (Caroline Cave), Mae’s mother, is sacrificed in Mae’s place to aid the cult’s survival. This keeps the chain together because she is a willing participant. Malachi, her husband, is nonetheless initially taken aback by his wife’s conduct despite this fact. He bounces back swiftly and portrays the incident favourably for his supporters. However, this little diversion cannot disguise the truth that he is currently losing both his daughter and his wife.
The phrase “by blood we are broken” is frequently used throughout the series to demonstrate how the strength of the cult depends on the relationships among its members’ families. The sacrifice Abigail made in Mae’s place demonstrates the lengths the cult will go to uphold that tenet. Their second rule, “The chain shall not be broken,” is upheld by this deed. Abigail’s sacrifice safeguards the cult, but it also means that Mae is actually losing her mother, as opposed to only doing so symbolically when she first leaves the group.
The anguish Mae has endured at the hands of the cult is increased by witnessing her mother’s death. One of the most terrible scenes in “Devil in Ohio” is when she screams for her mother, underscoring the fact that the cult would only continue to harm the youngster if it remains a part of her life.
Leaving some loose ends behind
The residents of Amontown leave behind some people who have heard of them despite leaving the place. Detective Lopez has heard about the cult’s procedures, Suzanne has been researching the group, and Mae is well-versed in the group’s doctrine. Even though they are no longer covered by the law in the area, there are still persons who are aware of them and have the power to pursue them.
Malachi (Tahmoh Penikett), the cult’s leader and Mae’s father, may not be concerned about the people who are aware of their methods, however we can’t tell for sure what he is thinking. Given that someone else fulfils the role she was intended to play, he is likely considering his daughter to be a lost cause. The entire season is spent with viewers witnessing the cult attempt everything they can, including setting a house on fire, to get Mae to return. Mae is free to live the life she wishes now that they have left the neighbourhood. There is simply no longer any cause for her to worry about the cult.
They also leave behind Detective Lopez, a lieutenant who is aware of their potential but probably won’t have any control over them. Lopez might have the required jurisdiction, but the cult could contact the local law enforcement first. This indicates that the cult simply isn’t too concerned about any loose ends because they still have the upper hand.
Looking in the mirror
The experiences of Suzanne and Mae are parallel, notwithstanding the psychiatrist’s ability to alter events for her foster daughter. Suzanne learns from this encounter that she has never fully reconciled with what happened to her when she was a youngster and how it affects her life today.
During a therapy session in “The Dawning,” Suzanne confesses, “There was a part of myself that I kept buried.” I was reluctant to acknowledge that circumstances were more complicated. She acknowledges that the trials and tribulations she has gone through, particularly what Mae has made her and her family go through, have made her aware of the defences she had in place that kept her from coping with her suffering. These buffers consist of her commitment to her job, her relationships with her family, and other choices she has made throughout her life.
She says it’s challenging to understand her personality and how her early experiences have shaped who she is. She also acknowledges that Mae was the target of her youthful desire to be saved. She is now able to take steps to link the two halves of herself—the one suffering and the façade she has maintained. Suzanne is likewise optimistic that Mae will put in the same effort that she is. That, however, may not be in the runaway teen’s future after what is revealed.
Mae takes her power back
Mae must start over as a cult survivor and gain knowledge of a world she has never experienced. She has to adjust to a completely new way of life and assimilate into a society that she has been told is disgusting. She leaves the group, yet the lessons remain with her long after that. She has adopted a role similar to her father’s in order to control the atmosphere she creates and manipulate those around her. She wants a voice not just in her own life but also in the life of her new family. When Suzanne is triggered and returns to the cult during the Harvest Dance, Mae pressures her to make a decision. She also seeks to win over her classmates’ sympathy by pitting Suzanne’s daughters against one another and stirring up more trouble. Mae never feels helpless since she always has the upper hand and is aware of the influence her actions have.
Mae’s shrine’s final image is a powerful allusion to how her influence has grown over the series, in both her own life and the lives of others she surrounds herself with. What began as a tiny stump has grown into a full tree that is covered in pictures and other relics. It demonstrates how utterly domineering her control over Suzanne, her family, and her life has grown.
Mae’s true nature is revealed
Due to her unusual upbringing, Mae appears to be distant and socially naive, but it is shown in “The Dawning” that she actually had a lot of control over how things turned out for her. Mae admitted earlier that she changed the images for the article on her in the school newspaper, deciding to replace Jules’ (Xaria Dotson) chosen photo with one of her scar. She appears to be acting innocuously in this situation so that Jules might benefit as a photographer. But at the series’ conclusion, the nature of this decision alters.
Just as she and the teen are set to sit down to Thanksgiving meal, Detective Lopez warns Suzanne that Mae is accountable for her own actions. The youngster replaced the original flowers for the Harvest Queen, which were known to have previously caused Mae to rejoin the cult, with white roses, as seen on camera. But this time, she fakes being triggered by them. Mae then goes on to steal a car and head to Amontown in an apparent effort to coerce Suzanne into coming to her aid.
The parallels between the teenager and the psychiatrist stop here. No one in Suzanne’s life has ever been coerced into being with her. Mae, on the other hand, will stop at nothing to have Suzanne all to herself. Even if it harms Suzanne’s current family, she wants to start a new one. At this point, every action Mae has taken is immediately put into question, leaving the audience to determine who the true antagonist of the show is and whether Mae is actually as bad as she seems to be.
Suzanne is rewriting her own story
The audience is shown flashbacks to Suzanne’s youth throughout “Devil in Ohio.” It wasn’t a good one, with a mother who was abusive and had checked out and a stepfather who used violent methods of punishment when the teen misbehaved. She fled her home as a result of her experiences, leaving her mother and stepfather behind and moving in with her grandma.
Even if Suzanne is initially unaware of it, she recognises herself in Mae. Like the matriarch, the teen flees the cult in order to stop her father from harming her in ways that her mother is powerless to stop. The doctor is ultimately attempting to alter her childhood by aiding Mae in leaving the cult, while not realising it until she begins counselling. Suzanne had to attempt her escape on her own because no one was available to assist her. While Mae first manages to get away on her own, Suzanne assists her in doing so again the night of the school dance, risking her life to smuggle Mae back home through Amontown.
For Suzanne, this is a crucial experience. Giving a teenage girl the support she so sorely sought when she was that age almost allows her to rewrite history and provides her with fresh perspective on herself.
Suzanne loses everything
By the time “Devil in Ohio” ends, Mae appears to have achieved success. She has a new life and is well-liked at school. Her extended family has vanished without a trace. Even her new mother will go to great lengths for her. In essence, Mae, everything is going well. But Suzanne is in a mess as a result of all this good energy.
At the conclusion of the series, Suzanne seems to have lost everything. Her husband and kids have left the family home and are now residing in the apartment building that Peter oversees. They don’t want to interact with Mae, therefore Mae and Suzanne are spending the holidays alone. The psychiatrist decides not to go to work and will instead focus on improving herself. Although this is excellent and important, it can also mean that she won’t have a job to return to. Additionally, Suzanne searches into Enoch (Max Montesi), the only other person to have escaped Amontown, in violation of hospital regulation and HIPAA compliance. This unethical and possibly illegal action was carried out in the guise of aiding Mae. Based on these activities, the hospital board can decide to fire her from her position.
Although Peter is certain that their marriage would survive the trial, Mae must remain in the picture. Even though the runaway teen is there, Suzanne still sees and spends time with her kids, but they won’t live with her. When the time comes for Suzanne to make a choice about her family, Mae’s betrayal just might have done it for her.
Suzanne’s daughters make it out the other side
Jules and Helen are not friendly when viewers first meet the Mathis family. They have a hard time getting along and frequently create challenging or heated circumstances within the family. However, the two have made up by the time “Devil in Ohio” ends.
Helen seems to be unsure about her sexuality despite dating Teddy (Ty Wood) for a while. She doesn’t talk about this with her family; instead, she chooses to keep it a secret in order to avoid facing the source of her sadness. Based on their interactions during and after the Harvest Dance, it appears that Helen has taken action in the final episodes, possibly even beginning a love connection with her best friend.
Jules has a lot of insecurity towards the beginning of the series. She relies on the opinions of those around her because she is unsure of her prowess as a photographer or reporter. However, towards the course of the series, she seems to have developed her talent and gained confidence in her relationships with her peers and in making creative judgments.
Helen and Jules improve their friendship through working together. In the days following the Harvest Dance, as they struggle to come to terms with their mother’s conduct at Amontown, it seems that Jules’ discovery that Mae might not be as kind as she looks helps the two to get closer. One of the series’ rare few successes is this.
The cult leaves town
Detective Lopez (Gerardo Celasco) is determined to examine the property and find out what else they’re keeping behind locked chapel doors after learning everything about Amontown. Lopez is elevated to lieutenant after the sacrifice’s events and the discovery that a sizable portion of the sheriff’s department was controlled by the cult. A court eventually issues him a search warrant for the cult’s compound after some time passes. But it’s too late; the cult has already dispersed when Lopez shows up with the warrant, leaving just the Sheriff Wilkins’ (Bradley Stryker) dog behind.
What does this indicate about the cult’s future? The precautions that were previously in place for the sect are gone, for starters. With Wilkins’ passing, a large number of additional officials make the decision to resign, presumably so they could go on their own terms rather than risk being dismissed for their association with the cult. This indicates that the organisation needs a new location where they can hide and function. There is a lot higher likelihood that they will get into big legal issues without a sheriff’s department turning a blind eye.
According to Suzanne’s conversation with Dr. Hawkins, a college lecturer, Amontown has been functioning in the region for a number of decades (Lossen Chambers). In Episode 4, “Rely-upon,” the professor states, “They’ve been alone for a century.” There is a lack of knowledge regarding this community. They appear to have been there for a while based on this. It will probably be difficult for them to decide to leave their longtime residence.
Unmasking Suzanne’s trauma
In “Devil in Ohio,” Suzanne discovers more about herself and goes through her traumatic upbringing again. As she tries to rescue Mae out of her own awful condition, memories of the situations she was put in—including being chained to a radiator pipe and climbing a tree as a means of escape—reappear.
Going to the counselling required by her employment and having these memories surface over the course of several weeks aids Suzanne in comprehending why she has kept these memories hidden and how it has affected her adult life. Not just Suzanne is impacted by this; her family is as well. She is insulated from Mae’s true nature by her life experiences, which Peter and their oldest daughter Helen (Alisha Newton) instantly notice. Her family suffers a great deal because of her blindness. Not only does the doctor need to process her choices, but also her husband and kids, especially now that Suzanne appears to favour Mae over her other children.
Since “Devil in Ohio” is a short-lived series, viewers won’t get to witness whether Suzanne’s efforts to process her trauma have been worthwhile. By seeing a therapist, at the very least, she is obviously wanting to win her family back and develop a better relationship with them. Even though Peter is open to it, it’s impossible to predict how it will turn out in the long run. The only thing we are certain of is that Suzanne’s trauma is public, for better or worse.
