Long Bright River season 1 ending explained: Who is behind all the murders?
Long Bright River season 1, the first installment of the crime drama series featuring Amanda Seyfried, was released on Peacock on March 13, 2025. All eight episodes were available on the same day, allowing viewers to binge-watch the series in one sitting.
The plot of Long Bright River season 1 chronicled a series of murders, particularly within the s*x worker community, being investigated by Amanda Seyfried's character, Mickey Fitzpatrick. While Mickey faced numerous challenges throughout the investigation, the show's conclusion resolved one of the pressing questions: "Who is truly behind all the killings?"
Season 1 of Long Bright River concluded with the revelation that the individual responsible for the murders of all the s*x workers was Eddie Lafferty, one of Mickey's recent work partners. It became clear that Eddie frequently interacted with s*x workers and behaved immorally towards them. When they threatened him with consequences, he went on a killing spree, aided by drugs.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Long Bright River season 1. Readers' discretion is advised.
Eddie Lafferty was behind all the murders in Long Bright River season 1
Long Bright River season 1 focuses entirely on Mickey as she uncovers the person or people behind the rampant drug-related incidents and the suspicious deaths of s*x workers in and around Kensington.
When Mickey first joined the case with Truman Dawes (Nicholas Pinnock), who was returning from medical leave, her primary step was to rule out the theory that the deaths were linked to opioids. With Truman's help and significant support from her estranged sister, Kacey, she succeeded in doing so.
Kacey, who has struggled with substance abuse in the past, revealed to Mickey upon their reunion that the murderer was one of Mickey's former partners. Although Mickey's first suspect was Simon, the father of her child, she later considered Truman as a potential suspect. However, upon further investigation, she learned that the guilty party was neither of them but Eddie Lafferty, one of Mickey's recent colleagues at work.
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Eddie was killed in Long Bright River season 1
After learning that Eddie Lafferty was one of the main culprits behind the opioid epidemic in Kensington and the rising rate of s*x worker deaths, Mickey confronted him at an abandoned church. In distress, Lafferty confessed that he hadn’t intended for any of this to happen and that things had spiraled beyond his control.
He also revealed why he got involved in the crime, sharing that he felt alone. Lafferty mentioned that he had interacted with some of the s*x workers, but they had betrayed him. He disclosed that when they threatened to report him to his superiors, he felt he had no choice but to act.
At that moment, Mickey attempted to shoot Eddie. But before she could pull the trigger, Kacey and some others whose lives had been affected by Eddie's actions rushed in and fired at him. In the end, Eddie was severely injured and on the brink of death. Mickey used her gun to deliver the final bullet while naming Paula, one of his recent victims.
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Mickey and Kacey's bond was reformed by the end of Long Bright River season 1
In addition to exploring the rising crime rates among sex workers in Kensington, Long Bright River season 1 also focused on relationships. One of the central relationships highlighted in the show was between Mickey and Kacey, who were estranged sisters. As the show disclosed, Kacey had a drug addiction that ultimately led to their estrangement.
Kacey lived with her father, Gee, of whom Mickey was unaware because she believed he was dead. Through the investigation, Mickey reconnected with Kacey, who was no longer using drugs.
Ultimately, when Mickey discovers that Eddie is responsible for the murders of s*x workers, she owes her progress to Kacey. She also realizes that Kacey has made significant improvements since they last saw each other and reconciles with her once and for all.
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All episodes of Long Bright River season 1 can be streamed on Peacock.
