Based on a real story (Season 1) Recap & Ending Explained: “Based On A True Story” is a tempting Peacock authentic sequence that delves into the lives of Ava Bartlett (Kaley Cuoco), a profitable realtor, and her husband, Nathan Bartlett (Chris Messina), a former tennis star. Their lives take an sudden flip after they meet Matt Pierce (Tom Bateman), a plumber who seizes a novel alternative to capitalize on America’s starvation for true crime.
Created by Craig Rosenberg, this eight-episode comedy-thriller showcases a recent and distinctive strategy to crime thrillers. The sequence offers an entertaining commentary on folks’s fascination with homicide investigations and the psychology of criminals or crime suspects. By ingeniously incorporating parts equivalent to podcasts and true crime thrillers, “Based On A True Story” sheds mild on the hundreds of thousands of devoted true crime lovers who tirelessly examine on a regular basis crimes.
As Ava and Nathan enter the subsequent section of their lives, together with the arrival of their child, the sequence explores the transformative impact this has on their dynamic. It captures their struggles each of their private {and professional} lives, exhibiting the tensions and modifications that come up inside relationships when people embark on new chapters of their lives.
With witty writing, sensible performances, and intriguing plotlines, “Based On A True Story” effortlessly captures your consideration and turns into your must-watch weekend binge. The Peacock authentic is a intelligent satire, serving as a mild prod to these engrossed in homicide investigations and true crime tales, encouraging viewers to replicate on the extent to which they immerse themselves in these narratives and the impression they could have on their very own lives.
Based on a real story (Season 1) Recap:
Episode 1: The Great American artwork kind
The episode begins with the ugly homicide of a younger lady, performed by Natalie Dyer. The motion then shifts to a middle-aged couple, the closely pregnant Ava, an actual property agent, and her husband Nathan, a former tennis champion who now heads a tennis membership. They each appear to be going by way of a midlife disaster, and their marriage is dealing with some roadblocks. When Nathan will get fired from his job of 17 years, they discover themselves struggling to resolve methods to transfer ahead with their lives, particularly with restricted funds. To make issues worse, Ava’s sister Tory, who lives with them, by chance clogs the bathroom, main them to buy a brand new one.
The plumber they rent to repair the bathroom seems to be a tennis fan, which ends up in them providing him a proposition: just a few tennis classes in change for his plumbing providers. The plumber, named Matt, agrees and begins hanging out with Nathan. Meanwhile, Ava, an avid listener of homicide podcasts, turns into engrossed within the story of the Westside Ripper, a serial killer who has been concentrating on younger ladies in Los Angeles. She typically discusses the newest developments within the case together with her group of middle-aged girls associates. One day, whereas utilizing Nathan’s laptop computer, Ava stumbles upon information of the homicide of a younger lady, the identical sufferer from the opening scene. Realizing that Nathan had been in shut proximity to this lady the night time earlier than, Ava turns into suspicious. After discovering some new proof, she turns into satisfied that Matt, their plumber, is perhaps the serial killer accountable for the murders.
Instead of going to the police, Ava proposes to Nathan that they flip this discovery right into a podcast. She believes that they’ll make it go viral and appeal to a big viewers. She means that Nathan ought to strategy Matt and invite him to be part of the podcast, making it a novel and charming present.
The episode concludes with Nathan confronting Matt and posing the query in entrance of him, leaving the viewers eagerly awaiting his response.
Episode 2 – BDE
The second episode opens with a flashback of Matt at a grocery retailer together with his son. As he buys cereal, his eyes fall on the lady who was killed within the earlier episode. A short montage exhibits us how he observes her actions earlier than ultimately killing her. The episode then transitions to the second Nathan proposes the podcast concept to him on the seashore, the place they plan to surf.
Matt doesn’t admit to being the killer and stays silent in response to Nathan’s proposal, leaving each their concepts of a podcast hanging within the air. Feeling unsettled by the shortage of a correct reply, Nathan swiftly rushes out of the water. In his traditional self-deprecating method, he pities himself for not even finishing the small duties his spouse requested him to do. Meanwhile, Ava stays composed and encourages him to focus his vitality on his each day actions. She receives a telephone name associated to work, and their day continues as if every thing is okay. However, Nathan struggles to pay attention at work, and simply earlier than he can take any motion, two detectives from the LAPD go to him.
They query him about his whereabouts and inquire about his connection to the murdered lady. Panicked, Nathan lies to them, however after they present him a photograph of the lady with him, he claims to have briefly interacted together with her. They additionally ask him about Matt, whom they can not determine at that second. In a state of panic, he decides to come back clear and tells them that Matt is his good friend, and so they typically hang around on the bar for drinks.
Meanwhile, Ava is together with her three associates, who’re gathered for a get-together with their husbands. Fashionably late to the gathering, Nathan informs Ava concerning the detectives visiting him. Trying to calm Nathan down, Ava advises him that speaking to the police will jeopardize their podcast concept and put Matt in a susceptible state of affairs, doubtlessly inflicting hurt to all of them.
While all of them are having drinks, Ava reveals that Nathan give up his job, however Nathan interrupts and admits that he was really fired. Their associates try to be supportive, praising Nathan’s confidence – his ‘big dick energy’ in case you should, however it solely intensifies his discomfort with himself. Nathan overhears considered one of Ava’s associates boasting about her husband’s wealth and intelligence, additional fueling his insecurities.
The subsequent day, he meets Matt at a neighborhood diner after not taking his calls earlier. They have interaction in a heated dialogue about Nathan’s proposal, and a intelligent Harry Potter reference is dropped in. Initially, Matt adamantly advises Nathan to drop the podcast concept and transfer on together with his life, warning him concerning the unknown risks concerned. However, seeing Nathan’s willpower, Matt in the end decides to be part of the podcast.
Ava, who has had a tough day resulting from her boss taking away mansion offers from her and telling her to deal with promoting residences, is ecstatic to see Nathan dedicated to doing the podcast and having the ability to deliver Matt on board. Finally, they’ve some pleasure and spice of their marriage, and each of them are equally thrilled – main them to have intercourse in Ava’s workplace house.
Ava later rents a warehouse for six months, the place the place they are going to file their podcast, and units every thing up. However, simply earlier than they go on air, Matt exhibits up at their doorstep and asks Ava if he can have a chat together with her.
A nonetheless from Based on a True Story (Season 1).Episode 3: Who’s subsequent?
Episode 3 takes a barely totally different flip, specializing in artistic variations throughout creation. The episode opens with Matt at Nathan and Ava’s doorstep, pretending to be there to repair an emergency leak that Nathan had requested him to handle. Feeling apprehensive concerning the state of affairs, Ava stays silent and permits him to proceed with the repairs. However, quickly sufficient, Matt raises the query that forces Ava to admit concerning the podcast concept and the proof she discovered, revealing that it was all Ava’s doing as a result of she and Matt share comparable views and methods of pondering. Meanwhile, Nathan waits on the warehouse for Matt’s arrival, changing into more and more anxious as time passes till each Ava and Matt lastly attain the situation collectively.
The three of them sit down to debate methods to transfer ahead, however the dialog turns into extra one-sided, with one particular person dominating whereas the others vulnerably conform to every thing. Matt suggests discovering a greater recording location, declaring that the present one has undesirable background noise and isn’t safe sufficient to keep away from detection by SWAT groups.
The present begins to revolve across the course of of making one thing, with Matt dropping cheeky references to show the podcast – which he proposes to name “Based on a True Story” into its personal universe. He claims that their podcast might ultimately grow to be one thing that results in a legacy sequel, just like “Top Gun: Maverick.”
As the meticulous planning takes time, Ava overhears that considered one of their rivals plans to debate the West Side Ripper case of their upcoming episode, which infuriates her. However, Matt reassures her that anybody protecting the identical case would lack the authenticity they possess. With higher tools and a brand new location organized, the three of them file the episode.
However, Matt shouldn’t be fully glad with Ava and Nathan’s reduce of the podcast. He insists that they should refine sure parts to make it really feel extra authentic. He randomly exhibits up at Nathan’s membership and tells him that he has give you another reduce that he desires them to think about. While Ava and Nathan initially present little curiosity in his solutions, they ultimately discover them to be an enchancment and meet up with Matt the next day with just a few notes of their very own.
The diner scene, one of many funniest within the present, depicts the absurdity of a serial killer giving creative recommendation a couple of undertaking centered round him. While the podcast was initially Ava and Nathan’s concept, it looks like Matt has utterly taken management and needs every thing to go his approach.
His imaginative and prescient clashes with theirs; he claims that he doesn’t need to flip the podcast into one thing typical and mundane, and having these parts in it is crucial for him. However, Ava notes that having the query “Who’s next?” on the episode’s ending was one of many details that she was towards. She reminds him that they made a promise to solely proceed with the podcast if he stops killing. To counter her argument, Matt claims that no one would need to take heed to a retired serial killer, and ending the podcast at that second can be an exhilarating cliffhanger.
Matt additionally reveals to Nathan that the LAPD detectives visited him and requested about his alibi. He informs them that he advised the detectives he went to Nathan’s place after consuming on the bar and noticed the movie Face/Off. The following day on the membership, Nathan wrestles with second ideas about their collaboration with a serial killer, considering how he’ll face his future baby and clarify their involvement. The membership supervisor checks in on him, mentioning that her daughter and Matt’s son are going to have a play date, doubtlessly resulting in one thing extra for herself and Matt too.
Nathan avoids instantly answering her, stating that he doesn’t know Matt nicely. His colleague additionally mentions that the LAPD detectives have been searching for him. Just then, Ava arrives on the membership, and so they sit down collectively to verify the variety of podcast downloads they’ve acquired. However, earlier than they’ll verify the variety of downloads, the detectives present up once more, inflicting Ava and Nathan to panic and swiftly transfer to the terrace space. Fearing the implications, Ava urges Nathan to not mess up and to stay to the alibi narrative. Somehow, Matt is ready to deal with the state of affairs easily, permitting the detectives to depart with out suspicion.
The episode concludes with Ava and Nathan lastly checking the variety of podcast downloads, and so they gasp in amazement on the response.
Episode 4: The Survivor
The episode opens with Nathan and Ava attending Crime-Con in Vegas. Their podcast hasn’t been as profitable as that they had hoped, with solely 130 downloads prior to now week. To acquire perception into how most crime podcasts work, they resolve to attend the Sisters of Crime Live podcast panel at Crime-Con. The podcast options Chloe’s mom, who was killed within the first episode, together with one of many survivors of the West Side Ripper.
Matt, who has additionally joined Nathan and Ava for the Crime-Con classes, questions the survivor Dahlia’s story and calls it bullshit. Dahlia, who has written about her expertise with the West Side Ripper in her ebook “Not Today,” claims to have confronted the Ripper and kicked him within the balls. Matt believes her ebook is only a facade, even borrowing the title from Game of Thrones, and needs to confront her about her expertise.
Meanwhile, Nathan and Ava, who’ve returned to Vegas after a very long time, reminisce about their youthful days after they had been filled with vitality. Ava’s good friend Ruby can also be at Crime-Con together with her boyfriend, whom she is having an affair with. Ruby assumes that Ava can also be having an affair with Matt. We additionally see Ava fantasizing about Ryan whereas within the bathtub.
As Nathan and Ava enter the elevate for dinner, Matt joins them as nicely. The elevate stops on a flooring, and Dahlia enters, making the environment tense for everybody. Nathan and Ava are afraid that Dahlia would possibly acknowledge Matt, which might smash their plans. However, she doesn’t acknowledge him and leaves for her ebook signing.
Matt follows her till she goes as much as the highest flooring and has a solitary drink. This is the place Matt confronts her about her trauma remedy, surviving the West Side Ripper, and the way troublesome it will need to have been for her to put in writing all of that in her ebook. While he’s initially appreciative, he quickly turns into confrontational, presenting her with info he is aware of. When he leaves her, we see that she is basically upset, particularly since he was questioning her about not having skilled the issues she has written in her ebook. At this level, we’re uncertain if Matt is genuinely confronting or gaslighting her.
The episode ends with Dahlia leaping from the highest flooring proper right into a poolside umbrella, killing herself.
Episode 5: Ted Bundy Bottle Opener
The fifth episode opens in Nathan and Ava’s lodge room, the place they’re freaking out about Matt killing Dahlia. Ava desires to depart instantly and return to their regular lives as a result of Matt has damaged his promise of not killing anybody. However, Nathan tells her to not overreact and assures her that leaving proper now would solely elevate suspicion and make issues bizarre for them. Ava is anxious and insists on leaving anyway. But, earlier than they’ll take the subsequent step, Matt arrives of their room and warns them that leaving will solely draw the eye of the police, who might suspect their involvement.
Matt tells them to stay to the plan and act like regular folks having fun with Vegas. He explains that they’ve to remain for some time in the event that they don’t need suspicion to fall on them. So Nathan and Ava resolve to affix Ruby and her boyfriend for a Vegas get together.
At the pub, Ruby provides them an edible, which Nathan takes, and so they all drink to their hearts’ content material. Nathan and Ava have a heart-to-heart, having fun with one another’s firm and having a mutual appreciation in direction of one another.
Meanwhile, Matt meets a fellow true crime fanatic who’s deeply within the West Side Ripper and believes that Dahlia was mendacity and she or he wasn’t a sufferer of the Ripper. They bond over their shared curiosity in crime tales. The lady, who’s a TV author coping with the Ripper’s tales, tells him about needing recent, authentic content material. Matt discovers one thing throughout their dialog and abruptly leaves the get together.
The subsequent day, whereas Nathan and Ava are having fun with the buffet, followers encompass the Lipinski sisters of the Sisters in Crime podcast. Nathan and Ava, who’re there to study extra about podcasts from the sisters, resolve to not strategy them. During their panel, information breaks that the West Side Ripper is doing a stay podcast in one of many halls.
Ruby, who can also be attending the Sisters in Crime panel, leaves and calls Ava to tell her about it. Upon listening to this, Nathan and Ava shortly go away the buffet and rush to the panel that Matt has organized. When they arrive, they see a large crowd gathering to take heed to the podcast, which now claims that the West Side Ripper really killed Dahlia.
Ava turns into livid. She sends a textual content to Matt on her burner telephone, asking him to fulfill them exterior the panel corridor. However, earlier than they’ll exit and speak to him, she drops her telephone, and Ruby finds it.
Ava and Nathan are indignant at Matt for going forward together with his plan with out informing them. They are additionally upset that he killed Dahlia. However, Matt explains that he made it up as a result of the listeners are literally involved in sensational tales like that. He factors to the big quantity of people that have come to listen to the breaking information and means that that is the path they need to take now.
The episode ends with Ruby studying a textual content message on Ava’s telephone, which reveals that Ava is aware of the West Side Ripper and is in touch with him for the Based on a True Story podcast.
Episode 6: I Love You Buzzfeed
Nathan and Ava are on their option to Ruby’s home for an public sale organized by her and Simon. They focus on the sudden success of their podcast, “Based on a True Story,” and the way it has gained recognition throughout America. They learn articles concerning the podcast’s optimistic reception and the million-dollar deal provided by Spotify. When they arrive at Ruby’s home, they’re ecstatic concerning the alternatives the podcast has introduced them.
While basking of their newfound success, they understand that Matt has additionally come to the get together with Nathan’s work colleague Michelle. Now that they’ve some monetary stability, they focus on the potential of shopping for again the canine that they had given to Simon. Nathan, who’s sad with how his canine is being handled, suggests utilizing the cash they’re making to get the canine again.
Meanwhile, Ruby takes Ava into a distinct room, confronts her concerning the burner telephone, and claims that Matt is the West Side Ripper. Ava, shocked by this, explains that “Based on a True Story” is only a fictional podcast the place Matt pretends to be the Ripper whereas she and Nathan produce it. Although Ruby is initially skeptical, she believes Ava’s lie, and so they all come collectively for the public sale dinner. Ruby has additionally invited Ava’s sister Tory, and as everybody sits on the dinner desk, contrasting opinions concerning the podcast come up. While some contemplate it groundbreaking, others, together with Tory, discover it disgusting.
Just because the dialogue turns into heated, Simon shifts the main target to the folks behind “Based on a True Story” and accuses them of being motivated solely by cash. He singles out Carlos, Ruby’s boyfriend, suggesting that he ought to set up a gymnasium in New York and go away every thing behind. Simon’s remark stems from jealousy over Carlos’ relationship with Ruby. Carlos takes the provide and his cash, leaving Ruby devastated and in tears as she retreats to a different room.
In a second of impulse, Ruby expresses her need to be part of the podcast, claiming to know lots about advertising. Ava bluntly tells her that it’s not a good suggestion and that they can not embody her of their podcast in any approach. This additional upsets Ruby, and she or he turns into indignant, shouting at Simon upon returning to the dinner desk. Meanwhile, Matt, Nathan, and Ava are in a state of panic as they see celebrities like Jessica Alba and others tweeting towards their podcast, leading to platforms like iTunes dropping their episodes.
The heated argument between Simon and Ruby escalates, main him to shoot the canine within the different room. He then returns to the dinner desk and factors his gun at Nathan, who deeply liked the canine. Matt one way or the other manages to calm Simon down as Nathan rushes to see the wounded canine and cries in anguish. With the gun in his hand, Simon receives a message that Spotify has withdrawn their provide for “Based on a True Story.”
Episode 7: National Geographic
A nonetheless from Based on a True Story (Season 1) on PeacockEpisode 7 opens with Nathan studying concerning the cancellation of “Based on a True Story” from all main podcast streaming platforms. He fantasizes a couple of second with Ruby, which sparks an concept in him: they need to go impartial and create a subscription-based viewers. Matt is happy by Nathan’s concept and believes it could work, particularly in the event that they introduce new content material. However, he additionally publicizes that he has been lacking killing folks and feels it’s time to get again into the sport. This distresses Ava and Nathan, who strongly oppose his harmful plans.
Meanwhile, Tory catches Ava masturbating within the lavatory after an argument with Nathan. Curious, Tory inquires about her secret fantasy, main Ava to admit that she typically fantasizes a couple of purchaser named Ryan. Tory warns her that indulging in such fantasies and doubtlessly pursuing them might have unintended penalties and disrupt her life.
Back at Nathan’s membership, he realizes that Matt has ended his relationship together with his colleague Michelle, hinting that she is perhaps his subsequent goal. However, earlier than Nathan can inform Ava about this, Matt abducts and takes him to their pub to play darts and speak issues out.
Matt confesses that being the middle of the podcast and having followers eagerly anticipate the West Side Ripper’s phrases has been probably the most important factor in his life. He manipulates and gaslights Nathan, making him really feel indignant and feeling accountable for the canine’s dying, which leads Nathan to virtually grow to be aggressive with Matt.
Meanwhile, Ava exhibits Ryan one of many properties she will promote, and she or he confesses that she has been fantasizing about him. She desires to deliver this concern to mild for each of them to grasp the state of affairs. Ryan, nevertheless, reveals that he has not had any fantasies of that nature about her.
Angry and upset, Nathan returns dwelling after leaving the pub. Ruby knocks on the door and considerably blackmails and tempts him to offer her a share of the expertise of doing the Based on a True Story podcast.
Later, when Ava arrives, Nathan blindfolds her and takes her away in his automotive. They arrive at a stupendous beachside home in Malibu that Nathan claims to have leased for them. Ava is shocked by this gesture and confronts him, emphasizing that they should deal with their marital points earlier than making such a big leap of their lives. She tells him that they haven’t been really connecting with one another for some time and that purchasing a brand new home gained’t repair that. In her anger, she tells him that he gave up on life after his tennis damage and have become too closed off to care about the rest.
Just as they’re about to depart the home, they each scream in shock upon discovering a useless physique on the doorstep. The digicam pans to the face of the deceased, revealing that it’s Ruby with a blue dart lodged in her neck, hinting at Matt’s subsequent strike because the West Side Ripper.
Episode 8: The Universe
The remaining episode of Season 1 of “Based on a True Story” opens with a panicked Ava and Nathan calling Matt, urging him to eliminate Ruby’s physique. Matt, who’s engaged in a Zoom name with fellow serial killers, is unsupportive of their request and insists that they take care of it themselves. He additionally informs them that he will probably be ready for them at their home, which causes them to fret about what he would possibly do to Tory since he has resumed his killing spree.
Nathan drives as quick as he can from Malibu to their home. Upon their arrival, they’re greeted with a shock get together celebration—it’s their Tenth-anniversary get together that Tory has organized together with Matt.
An indignant Nathan and Ava pull Matt apart into one other room and demand a proof for why he killed Ruby. Mat reveals that Ruby was planning to go to the police, and he intervened to avoid wasting their status. He additionally proposes varied spin-off concepts for the podcast, together with that includes disabled serial killers sharing their tales.
Just then, Tory informs them that an uninvited visitor is on the get together. The get together crasher seems to be Simon, who’s there to reconcile with Nathan. They step exterior to debate their points, and Nathan expresses that he can’t forgive Simon for killing his canine and pointing a gun at him. While they’re exterior speaking, Ruby’s telephone, which remains to be within the trunk together with her physique, begins ringing. Nathan barely manages to divert Simon’s consideration from the ringing telephone and instructs him to return inside.
Later, Nathan and Ava return to their automotive and verify Ruby’s telephone. In an try to confirm Matt’s declare about killing Ruby to guard them, they search her telephone and discover a voice be aware from an LAPD officer. Upon their return to the get together, Tory delivers a heartfelt speech about how Nathan and Ava rescued her from her stepmother’s clutches and took her in when she was simply ten years outdated.
Based on a True Story (Season 1) Ending Explained:
Why doesn’t Matt assist Ava and Nathan get rid of Ruby’s physique?
As the get together involves an finish, Matt provides Ava and Nathan shoe covers, suggesting that they go forward and dispose off Ruby’s physique on their very own. He doesn’t assist them as a result of he desires them to really feel equally accountable for Ruby’s dying.
The two of them transport the physique to Nathan’s membership, the place they resolve to put it within the ditch that the authorities had beforehand dug up in the course of the tennis court docket.
Nathan is aware of that the membership will probably be empty at this hour and that the CCTV cameras aren’t useful, guaranteeing that they’ve the place to themselves. Since the membership plan to cowl the complete space with cement the subsequent day, Nathan digs a shallow gap and buries the physique there. The two of them additionally briefly focus on their nerves about having a child earlier than leaving the court docket and returning to wash the newly bought Malibu home.
In the ultimate moments of “Based on a True Story” Season 1, it’s revealed that Matt and Tory have been secretly having an affair, and Nathan and Ava are utterly unaware of it.
Whether Tory is aware of that Matt is the serial killer stays unsure, leaving issues open-ended and leaving viewers eagerly anticipating future twists and sinister developments.
Additionally, when Ava and Nathan are bonding whereas cleansing the blood from the ground of their Malibu home, Simon unexpectedly seems on the doorstep, probably having traced Ruby’s telephone, and questions them about whose blood they’re cleansing.
Read More: Has ‘Based on a True Story’ been renewed for Season 2? Here’s what we all know!
Based on a True Story (Season 1) Trailer
Based on a True Story (Season 1) Show Links – IMDb, Wikipedia
Based on a True Story (Season 1) Show Cast – Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, Tom Bateman, Priscilla Quintana, Liana Liberto
Where to observe Based on a True Story
