The Dropout ending explained: What happens to Elizabeth?

Hulu's brilliant new series, The Dropout, came to an end with Elizabeth Holmes' (played by Amanda Seyfried) fall from grace in the latest episode, titled 'Lizzy'. Despite the great build-up and the slow unwinding of the truth about the over-ambitious entrepreneur, the ending is not exactly what viewers expected.

The finale picked up from the end of the seventh episode, where the very destructive article was published in the Wall Street journal. This episode primarily focuses on the members jumping ship and trying to save face at a time when the company is destined for damnation.

However, the ending is not exactly the fall of Elizabeth, and it is a fascinating alternative to similar stories that have been seen in popular media over time.

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The Dropout ending: Denial and delusion

The final episode begins in an already panic-stricken environment with most of the closest associates jumping ship and Elizabeth getting into a fierce fight with Sunny Balwani (Naveen Andrews), as they try to blame each other. The Wall Street Journal's article succeeded in its mission, and now the two top members are left fending for themselves.

Despite the situation, Elizabeth seems to have no real regrets about her fraudulent methods. She barely shows any signs of having a conscience. Her stubbornness almost reaches a peak of absurdity in this episode. The Dropout does a good job explaining the mentality of Elizabeth by looking back at an incident in her college and her mother's subsequent reaction to it.

With that, Elizabeth's mind works differently as she dissociates actions and consequences. This goes on till the very end. She even goes to Linda (Michaela Watkins) for help, who is not their attorney anymore. Linda finally points out to Elizabeth that she has hurt people.

Elizabeth loses her sense of reality at this point, screaming and defending herself, before finally running out the door. She runs out of the building and into the road screaming. This breakdown indicates the fall of Elizabeth, as it is impossible for her to actually feel any remorse. A moment later, she calmly gets into an Uber. This is the end of the show.

This rather anti-climatic ending is a perfect testimony to the kind of real-life cases where there is rarely any real punishment for criminals like Elizabeth. As it is inspired by a real case that is still in its trial phase, the show cannot depict a definite ending.

However, The Dropout leaves the doors open for a new season if the case of Elizabeth Holmes and her company proceeds any further. The finale of The Dropout is now streaming on Hulu.