Untamed (2025), a six-episode Netflix miniseries created by Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, has captivated audiences with its gripping murder mystery set against the breathtaking backdrop of Yosemite National Park. Starring Eric Bana as Kyle Turner, a haunted National Parks Service agent, the series weaves a complex narrative of grief, betrayal, and hidden truths, culminating in a finale packed with shocking twists. The story begins with the death of a young woman, initially thought to be a suicide, but soon revealed as something far more sinister. As Turner and his partner, rookie ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), unravel the mystery, they uncover dark secrets tied to the park and Turner’s own past. This article dissects the jaw-dropping twists in Untamed’s finale, exploring their narrative impact, character implications, and the mixed reception they’ve garnered, while analyzing how they elevate the series’ themes of loss, justice, and redemption.

The Setup: A Tangled Web of Grief and Investigation

Untamed opens with a harrowing scene: two climbers scaling El Capitan in Yosemite are nearly pulled to their deaths when a young woman’s body, entangled in their ropes, plummets from above. Initially presumed a suicide, the discovery of a bullet in her leg suggests murder, launching Special Agent Kyle Turner into a relentless investigation. Turner, still reeling from the murder of his son Caleb five years earlier, is a broken man, grappling with alcoholism and a fractured marriage to his ex-wife, Jill Bodwin (Rosemarie DeWitt). His investigation, aided by Naya Vasquez, a former L.A. cop with her own troubled past, uncovers a web of secrets involving a drug trafficking ring, a shady park ranger, and long-buried personal betrayals.

The series is as much a character study as it is a mystery, with Yosemite’s vast wilderness serving as both a stunning backdrop and a metaphor for the untamed emotions of its characters. Turner’s grief over Caleb’s death, caused by a predator named Sean Sanderson, drives his relentless pursuit of justice, while Vasquez’s struggles with an abusive ex-partner and her role as a single mother add emotional depth. Supporting characters, including Chief Park Ranger Paul Souter (Sam Neill) and Wildlife Management Officer Shane Maguire (Wilson Bethel), enrich the narrative, setting the stage for the finale’s cascade of revelations.

Twist 1: Jill’s Secret Deal and the Truth About Caleb’s Killer

One of the most shocking twists in Untamed’s finale revolves around Jill Bodwin’s confession to her new husband, Scott (Josh Randall). Throughout the series, viewers are led to believe that Turner’s descent into alcoholism and his inability to cope with Caleb’s death destroyed their marriage. However, the finale reveals that Jill was the catalyst for their separation. After Shane Maguire, the park’s reclusive wildlife officer, captured footage of Sean Sanderson killing Caleb on a trail camera, he approached Turner and Jill with an offer of revenge. Turner, committed to justice “by the book,” refused, insisting on absolute certainty before pursuing an arrest. Jill, consumed by grief and unwilling to endure a trial, secretly paid Shane to blackmail and kill Sanderson.

This revelation, delivered by Rosemarie DeWitt with raw pathos, reframes Jill’s character from a passive victim of Turner’s self-destruction to a mother driven to extreme measures for justice. Her decision to act without Turner’s knowledge shattered their marriage, as she concealed the truth for years. The twist is a gut-punch, highlighting the moral complexity of grief and vengeance. DeWitt’s matter-of-fact delivery, as noted by Time, underscores the confrontational nature of her choice, posing a question to the audience: would you, as a parent, make the same decision? Critics, however, argue that the twist’s late introduction leaves little time to explore its emotional impact, shortchanging Jill’s character arc.

Twist 2: Shane Maguire’s Role and His Demise

Shane Maguire emerges as a key figure in the investigation, initially suspected of Lucy Cook’s (the Jane Doe) murder due to his involvement in a drug trafficking ring operating through Yosemite’s old mining tunnels. Turner’s discovery of a video on Lucy’s phone, unlocked using formaldehyde to dupe facial recognition, shows Shane abusing her, fueling suspicions that he killed her to cover his tracks. This leads to a tense confrontation in the finale, where Shane hunts an injured Turner through the woods, nearly killing him. Naya Vasquez intervenes just in time, shooting Shane dead to save Turner’s life.

However, the narrative pivots again: Shane did not kill Lucy. While he was a drug runner and an abuser, the true circumstances of Lucy’s death lie elsewhere. This twist, while dramatic, has drawn criticism for its moral ambiguity. Pajiba notes that Shane’s death, based on flimsy evidence and Turner’s gut instinct, is never fully addressed, undermining the series’ exploration of justice. Shane’s elimination of Sanderson, Caleb’s killer, adds further complexity, as he inadvertently did Turner a favor. The lack of resolution around Shane’s wrongful death as Lucy’s murderer feels like a missed opportunity to delve into the show’s themes of redemption and accountability.

Twist 3: Paul Souter’s Shocking Confession and Suicide

The most divisive twist reveals Chief Park Ranger Paul Souter, Turner’s mentor and father figure, as Lucy Cook’s biological father and the indirect cause of her death. Lucy, born out of wedlock to Paul and Maggie Cook, was sent to a foster family in Nevada under the name Grace McCray to protect Paul’s reputation. When Lucy, now a runaway living in a squatter camp, discovered Paul was her father, she began extorting him, threatening to expose their connection. During a confrontation, Paul shot her in the leg—claiming it was accidental—to scare her off. Wounded and in pain, Lucy fled and threw herself off El Capitan, her death ruled a suicide. Paul, unable to face the consequences, confesses to Turner and then takes his own life by shooting himself and falling into a river.

This revelation, delivered in the final episode, stunned viewers but sparked debate. The Review Geek called it “infuriating,” criticizing Paul’s cowardice and the lack of accountability for his actions, particularly given his stoic presence during Lucy’s autopsy. The twist recontextualizes Paul’s paternal role toward Turner, revealing his hypocrisy in prioritizing his own family’s reputation over Lucy’s well-being. However, Time argues that Paul’s suicide overshadows Turner’s arc, robbing the protagonist of a fully realized catharsis. The pivot to Paul’s complicity feels rushed, with Roger Ebert noting that the finale’s “thick and murky” plotting becomes “mush” with one twist too many.

Thematic Impact: Grief, Justice, and Closure

The twists in Untamed’s finale amplify its core themes of grief, justice, and the search for closure. Turner’s investigation into Lucy’s death parallels his unresolved pain over Caleb’s murder, with each twist forcing him to confront his past. Jill’s secret deal underscores the destructive power of grief-driven vengeance, while Shane’s demise highlights the dangers of snap judgments in the pursuit of justice. Paul’s confession and suicide expose the consequences of buried secrets, emphasizing that even those closest to us can harbor devastating truths.

The finale’s resolution sees Turner finding closure, leaving Yosemite with his horse and Caleb’s toy cars gifted to Naya’s son, Gael. This act symbolizes his readiness to move on, as noted by Forbes, which compares Untamed to The Killing and Wind River for its tight, character-driven mystery. However, the rushed pacing and convoluted twists dilute the emotional payoff, with ScreenRant criticizing the series for lacking tension and failing to develop its characters beyond plot-driven motivations.

Reception: A Mixed Bag of Praise and Criticism

Untamed debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s English TV List, drawing 24.6 million viewers from July 14-20, 2025, reflecting its broad appeal. Critics praise its stunning cinematography, with The Guardian calling the Yosemite setting “lovely to look at,” and Bana’s “riveting” performance as a grieving agent. However, the finale’s twists have divided audiences. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 62/100 score on Metacritic, indicating mixed reviews, with some lauding the “gripping” slow burn and others decrying the “implausible” and “unsatisfying” conclusion. IndieWire gave a C-, arguing that the series leans too heavily on tired murder-mystery tropes, while The Review Geek hailed it as a “worthwhile” binge for its acting and visuals.

Fans on platforms like IMDb express enthusiasm for the series’ emotional depth and scenery, with one viewer noting, “I cried more than once,” but others lament the “deus ex machina” moments, such as Lucy’s phone being overlooked by police, and the lack of closure for subplots. The twists, while shocking, are criticized for feeling contrived, with Pajiba arguing that the narrative “short-circuits its own moral complexity” by glossing over Shane’s wrongful death.

Conclusion: A Flawed but Compelling Mystery

Untamed’s finale delivers a series of high-stakes twists that reframe its characters and themes, from Jill’s secret vengeance to Shane’s misjudged guilt and Paul’s devastating confession. These revelations deepen the exploration of grief and justice but are marred by rushed pacing and convoluted plotting, leaving some viewers unsatisfied. Eric Bana’s soulful performance and Yosemite’s breathtaking visuals elevate the series, making it a compelling, if flawed, addition to Netflix’s mystery catalog. While the twists keep viewers on edge, their execution highlights the challenge of balancing narrative ambition with emotional coherence. For fans of slow-burn thrillers like True Detective or Yellowstone, Untamed offers a gripping ride, but its finale’s complexities may leave audiences both stunned and wanting more resolution.