Amazon Prime Video’s The Girlfriend premiered on Sept. 10, immediately gaining traction as one of the streamer’s biggest fall thrillers. The series is based on Michelle Frances’s 2017 bestselling novel. It stars Robin Wright, Olivia Cooke and Laurie Davidson. Wright not only headlines as Laura Sanderson (a protective and suspicious mother), but she also directed episodes and executive-produced the show.

Meanwhile, Cooke plays Cherry, Laura’s son’s new girlfriend whose presence destabilizes the former’s carefully controlled world. Laurie Davidson stars as Daniel, the son torn between his mother and the woman he loves. The series combines some interesting themes like class tension, manipulation and a bit of grief. These elements have struck a chord with audiences who are seeking a soap-style drama with psychological suspense. Here’s everything to know about The Girlfriend on Prime Video.

Is ‘The Girlfriend’ a limited series?

The Girlfriend is a six-episode limited series on Prime Video, adapted from Michelle Frances’ 2017 novel. However, creators haven’t completely ruled out continuing in some form. Producers Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish told Tech Radar exclusively, “We decided – and this wasn’t our original thing – that we’d love to do a second season if Amazon wanted to.” While there is a definite ending to the current six episodes, the door remains ajar for more – possibly as an anthology or a reimagining of the story. That said, no second season has been officially confirmed.

‘The Girlfriend’ episode one: Laura and Cherry’s drama begins to brew

As SoapCentral describes, the opening episode of the series introduces Laura Sanderson, who is an accomplished and wealthy art gallery owner based in London, still grieving the loss of her daughter Rose. Her son Daniel is her pride and joy, but Laura is immediately uneasy when he introduces his new girlfriend Cherry. The latter comes from a working class background and strives to make a good impression. Despite Cherry’s efforts, the tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Ultimately, half-truths and a (borderline manipulative) eagerness to please are what have Laura hesitant to accept Daniel’s girlfriend.

For example, she tries to impress Laura by dressing beyond her means and also claiming to attend a prestigious school (St. Florian’s), but Laura notices the inconsistencies. Meanwhile, Cherry feels judged and scrutinized by Laura and is simply trying to adapt to a world that isn’t hers. The Girlfriend does an incredible job of presenting both Laura’s suspicions and Cherry’s vulnerability. This keeps viewers unsure of whose version of events to really believe, which amplifies the psychological side of the story. The episode ends with a relatively darker turn. Cherry carries out a kind of prank revenge involving her ex-boyfriend at a wedding, which unveils her capacity for vengeance. 

‘The Girlfriend’ episode two: Cherry’s messy web of lies unravels

Episode two builds on the pre-established tension, but follows the characters out of London, per Time. It shifts to a family holiday in Málaga, Spain, where Laura’s distrust of Cherry deepens. Cherry displays anxiety about fitting in, so her accent and social awkwardness are emphasized. Plus, Cherry is caught in several different lies, primarily due to misstatements and the omission of details. During awkward meals and social encounters, the class divisions become pretty apparent. For example, during this episode, Laura notices visible price tags on Cherry’s swimsuit, which she claimed to have owned for a while. And to make matters more awkward, in one scene, Laura rescues Cherry from the ocean even though she claimed she was a strong swimmer. So her lies continue to make the situation worse and all this leaves Cherry feeling like an outsider. Yet Daniel stays oblivious to it all. 

‘The Girlfriend’ episode three: Daniel is tired of Laura’s control

As The Girlfriend continues, audiences see Laura’s suspicion grow as she digs into Cherry’s past. Daniel’s mom goes so far as to directly contact Nicholas, Cherry’s ex-boyfriend, who warns her about Cherry’s behavior. He describes her as “obsessive” and “manipulative,” claiming she stalked him during their time together. However, Cherry claims that the allegations are exaggerated and misrepresent her.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Laura and Daniel becomes more strained since he accuses her of trying to control every aspect of his life. He even states that Rose’s death became an excuse for her to do so. At the same time, Cherry’s ex’s wedding continues to loom as evidence to Laura of her capacity for drama. After Laura and Cherry get into a heated argument, Cherry cuts herself with glass then claims Laura attacked her. This obviously further drives a wedge between them and escalates the situation.  

‘The Girlfriend’ episode four: Does Daniel die?

During a mountain climbing adventure in Málaga, an incident occurs. Daniel suffers a serious injury after a horrific fall. It leaves him unconscious and on life support, but Laura uses the crisis to worsen the relationship between Cherry and Daniel. Although Cherry is desperate to be by her partner’s side in such traumatizing circumstances, Laura takes control of the situation. In a cruel move, she blocks Cherry from seeing Daniel and then tells her that Daniel has died. Cherry’s reaction to this news is, of course, one of devastation as she spirals.

One of the central questions of the show at this point is, Does Daniel die? And the big twist is that Daniel is not dead despite Laura’s lies, as Elle reports. In fact, he survives the grave accident but is eventually taken off the ventilator. This dishonesty marks an important turning point in the narrative. Laura’s willingness to reshape reality to control both Cherry and Daniel fractures trust irrevocably. As a result, Cherry justifiably endures an emotional rollercoaster because Laura is trying to undermine her. Laura’s lie is not just protective, but highly manipulative, painting both of the women in a similar villainous light. With Cherry in the throws of grief and betrayal, Laura thinks she’s won. But at the same time, Daniel begins to doubt whether his mother’s motives with him are pure and starts to see her as someone who crosses dangerous lines.  

‘The Girlfriend’ episode five: Laura’s castle begins to crumble

Episode five of The Girlfriend turns the tables considerably. Cherry is now more aware of Laura’s interference with Daniel and decides to fight back more aggressively, exposing how his mother lied about his death. This forces Daniel to re-examine how much of his mother’s behavior he’s allowed to go unchecked and impact his relationship with Cherry.

Laura’s personal life is also being challenged. Her husband, Howard, becomes increasingly distant, causing suspicion and resentment to build. As actor Waleed Zuaiter shared with TechRadar, “The most challenging scene is broken up between episodes five and six. That’s where the fighting gets really serious. For both Robin and I, we could relate to similar feelings and the depth of that passion with somebody that you’ve loved for years.”

Much of Howard’s frustration comes from Laura’s inability to simply let Daniel live his life. At the same time, Cherry certainly isn’t blameless. She even stages some moments to deflect blame and paints herself as a victim to others, including to Daniel’s father. Laura’s gallery, her standing in her community and emotional stability all start to show cracks around this time.

‘The Girlfriend’ ending explained: The twist you don’t see coming

The finale of The Girlfriend brings all the tensions to a head. Laura, desperate to prove Cherry’s duplicity to Daniel, visits Cherry’s mother, Tracey. She also records her warning that Cherry is manipulative and dangerous when people won’t give her what she wants as proof for Daniel. At the same time, Laura’s marriage to Howard collapses further as he confronts his wife about her growing obsession with destabilizing the relationship between Daniel and Cherry. 

As Entertainment Weekly reports, before all the action pops off, Cherry finds Daniel lethargic and drugged, which clouds his judgment. Then Laura and Cherry physically fight each other by the pool. But Daniel resurfaces during the struggle and, in all the chaos, finds his mother trying to drown Cherry. To save his girlfriend, he holds Laura under the water so she can get away, but just as Cherry prompts him to stop, they realize that her body is limp. 

In the end, Daniel accidentally kills his mother before audiences get a glimpse of the future. Daniel and Cherry are married, expecting a child and living in what seems to be Laura’s home. However, in a huge last-minute twist, Daniel finds Laura’s phone and listens to Tracey’s recording. He then realizes Cherry’s true nature. The ending of The Girlfriend is overall quite ambiguous, with love and betrayal at the forefront and manipulation and doubt lurking in the foreground. 

‘The Girlfriend’ review: Should you watch Prime Video’s new thriller?

The Girlfriend is an interesting watch and really throws viewers for a loop, as Rotten Tomatoes notes. It leans into the psychological tension and sense of unreliable narrators. Robin Wright convincingly plays a mother whose loss has made her both protective and possessive. Olivia Cooke’s Cherry is equally strong, and each episode reveals another side to her character.

Ultimately, Laurie Davidson’s Daniel is caught not just between two people he loves, but two people who have very different versions of love, honesty and loyalty. Narratively, the dual perspective format forces audiences to question what they believe and to weigh evidence against each of the characters. 

On the other hand, some episodes stretch the limits of how much suspicion can build up before things unravel. For example, Cherry’s lies pile up in ways that feel much more plot-driven than character-driven. Even Laura’s willingness to lie about Daniel’s death is quite brutal, which might feel unrealistic or extreme for viewers. With the ambiguous and powerful ending, things may feel incomplete. But all in all, the series is a compelling and often disturbing thriller that succeeds in being binge-worthy due to the twists and turns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who plays Cherry in The Girlfriend?

Olivia Cooke plays Cherry, Laura’s son Daniel’s new girlfriend, in the series. 

How many episodes of The Girlfriend are on Prime? 

There are six episodes available on Prime, so the series is a great binge-watch option.