Eric Ending Explained: What Happens To Edgar Anderson In The Netflix Series (2024)

Warning: Major SPOILERS ahead for Eric episodes 1-6 on Netflix.

Benedict Cumberbatch's new Netflix series, Eric, revolves around the disappearance of a nine-year-old boy — and its ending reveals what becomes of Edgar Anderson (Ivan Morris Howe). Edgar goes missing at the beginning of Eric's first episode, leaving his parents desperate to find him. While Cassie Anderson (Gaby Hoffmann) pursues ordinary avenues, like missing-persons posters and rewards, Vincent (Cumberbatch) believes the puppet his son designed will help bring him home. Cumberbatch's lead grows increasingly unstable as Eric continues, but he isn't totally wrong about this approach.

While the Andersons grapple with the trauma of losing their son, Detective Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III) takes on the case. Edgar's disappearance isn't the only investigation weighing on Ledroit, either. The Andersons' missing child pushes the detective to return to another, older missing-persons case — this one focused on a 14-year-old Black boy named Marlon Rochelle. Eric's ending sees Ledroit piecing together what happened to Marlon, even if it means defying the wishes of his superiors at the NYPD. Eric's cast and crew bring both mysteries together in a way that makes sense and feels bittersweet.

What Happens To Edgar Anderson In Netflix's Eric

Edgar Runs Away & Returns Home At The End Of The Series

Eric reveals where Edgar is within the first few episodes, though the audience is privy to this knowledge while his parents and Detective Ledroit remain in the dark. After fighting with Vincent the morning of his disappearance, Edgar decides to follow an unhoused man named Yuusuf Egbe (Bamar Kane) into the subway tunnels. Edgar trails Yuusuf because he's impressed by his graffiti and interested in learning more about the older man. Judging by the map Edgar draws in his neighbor's apartment, approaching Yuusuf is something the boy plans on doing for a while.

When Yuusuf catches Edgar following him around, he drags the boy into his area of the underground homeless colony. Yuusuf grapples with what to do with the boy, with his friend Raya (Alexis Molnar) suggesting they sell him to a known pedophile at a club called The Lux. Yuusuf is opposed to that, though, and he develops a bond with Edgar and a desire to protect him. However, returning him to his parents could get Yuusuf in trouble, even though Edgar is the one who sought him out.

Yuusuf still almost brings Edgar home in exchange for Cassie's monetary reward, but the NYPD releasing his image prevents him from following through. And after the subway colony is raided by the NYPD at the ending of Eric, he tasks Raya with escaping through the tunnels with Edgar. Unfortunately, the two slip while climbing through the underground passage. Raya ends up drowning, but Edgar is fortunate enough to get to a grate. After making it back to the surface, he eventually reunites with his parents, marking a surprisingly happy ending for the Anderson family.

Detective Ledroit Discovers The Truth About Marlon's Disappearance

The Andersons may get a happy reunion at the ending of Edgar, but Marlon Rochelle's mother, Cecile (Adepero Oduye), isn't so fortunate. Edgar's and Marlon's disappearances turn out to be unrelated, but Detective Ledroit manages to solve the latter case despite interference from higher-ups at the NYPD. As it turns out, the other cops have good reasons to keep Marlon's case unsolved. A security tape from The Lux on June 12 shows Marlon being exploited at The Lux, engaging in sexual activities with Deputy Mayor Costello (Jeff Hephner).

Those activities are interrupted when NYPD cops physically assault Marlon on camera, eventually beating him to death in the alley behind The Lux. Detective Nokes is the one who kills Marlon, and Ledroit arrests and exposes the other NYPD officer. He also discovers the Hudson Sanitation Plant helped get rid of the body, implicating them in Marlon's death. Although Captain Cripp (David Denman) warns Ledroit that he's putting a target on himself, the detective stays true to himself and his self-proclaimed rage.

The end of Eric sees the men involved in Marlon's death arrested and publicly outed, though TJ — The Lux employee who got rid of the footage and was involved with the club's ongoing underage sex ring — skips town before arrests start happening. Cecile gets the devastating closure of knowing what happened to her son, but she and Ledroit are still searching for his body when the limited series comes to a close. Cecile also gives a poignant speech about the need to "do better" during one of the last scenes of Eric. It ties into the overall themes of the Netflix series well.

How Vincent Convinces Edgar To Come Home At The Ending Of Eric

Benedict Cumberbatch's Character Brings The Series Full Circle

Edgar doesn't immediately go home after the raid on the subway tunnels, and it's mostly thanks to Vincent that he reunites with his parents. Vincent's actions bring the story full circle in Eric episode 6, as Edgar's father makes a public apology dressed as the very puppet his son designed. In this way, Eric actually does bring Edgar and Vincent back together. The pair is able to reconcile their relationship using their shared interest in creating characters. And even Vincent's suggestion that Edgar race him home connects back to the beginning of the story — though Vincent finally lets him win.

This goes back to Vincent's conversation with George Lovett (Clarke Peters) after his son goes missing. George tells Vincent that he's just like his own father: never able to let the boy win. The fact that Vincent does so at the end of the Netflix series shows his willingness to accept his flaws and change. And while it's too late to fix his marriage, he seems to be addressing his addiction and mending his relationship with his son by the time Eric's credits roll.

The True Meaning Of Eric's Ending Explained

The Movie Is All About Pushing For Change & Doing Better

The emphasis on Vincent's willingness to change at the end of Eric is no coincidence. In fact, it fits in well with the Leo Tolstoy line he and his son quote at the beginning of the film: "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." Vincent repeats this during his plea for Edgar to come home, and it encapsulates the overall themes of Eric well. For Vincent, changing himself means repairing his relationships and addressing the toxic parts of himself. Going to rehab, apologizing to his family, and confronting his father are all steps in this direction.

Of course, the speech given by Cecile echoes Vincent's Tolstoy quote. By asking society to "do better," she's also demanding change. Cecile spends much of Eric lamenting how little attention her son's disappearance has gotten, likely because he's Black. Marlon's murder is covered up and ignored, and the only way to prevent such tragedies from happening is for individuals to make changes to their behavior. Detective Ledroit is proof of this, as his willingness to accept his anger and go against the grain is what finally gets justice for Marlon.

And Ledroit's character arc embodies Eric's Tolstoy quote best of all. Ledroit changes himself at the end of the film, and he also demonstrates how doing so can spark societal change — as Tolstoy puts it, "changing the world." It takes courage to push back against his corrupt police department, but Ledroit knows it's the right thing to do. He likely prevents similar tragedies from occurring, and it all goes back to his personal journey. Through Vincent's and Ledroit's storylines, Eric encourages viewers to take the first step towards change and doing better, even if its impact seems small at first.

Eric (2024)

TV-MA

Drama

Thriller

A gripping psychological drama set in the turbulent 1980s New York City, following Vincent, a talented puppeteer whose life is shattered by the mysterious disappearance of his son, Edgar. As Vincent spirals into a world of despair and obsession, he channels his anguish into his puppet, Eric. Eric becomes more than a mere creation, serving as a conduit for Vincent’s pain and a guide through the shadows of his troubled mind. As Vincent delves deeper into the city’s underbelly in search of his son, the line between reality and delusion blurs, uncovering dark secrets and testing his grip on sanity

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch , Gaby Hoffman , Jeff Hephner , McKinley Belcher III , Amy Louise Pemberton , Donald Sage Mackay , Erika Soto , John Doman

Release Date

May 30, 2024

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Main Genre

Drama

Creator(s)

Abi Morgan