Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Who Is Erin Carter?
The Big Picture
- Who is Erin Carter? raises questions about Erin’s real identity, leaving room for speculation and the possibility of exploring her mysterious past in future seasons.
- The series hints at hidden details about Erin’s past that were not covered in Season 1, suggesting that there are loose ends and unanswered questions to be resolved.
- The return of Armstrong in the climax suggests that Erin’s life will continue to be filled with trouble and uncertainty, leaving the door open for a potentially exciting Season 2.
Netflix’s Who is Erin Carter? follows Snabba Cash star Evin Ahmad undergoing a perpetual struggle to keep the secrets of her past life in the past. To what extent she manages to succeed is a question kept guarded until the very last of this seven-episode thriller, with compelling performances and surprising twists. Its protagonist’s real identity remains at the center of all mysteries the series invests in from the get-go. Unraveling each layer of Erin’s true past, Who is Erin Carter? follows the titular character as she goes to hell and beyond in an attempt to keep her past a secret from her partner and her daughter. It can be confirmed that Erin fails to prevent her past from catching up. But on a happy note, Erin gets to still be with her family, contrary to what she expected. While Season 1 ties together most of the storylines, it leaves a fair share of questions that could potentially be answered in a second season.
A flashback into Erin’s life reveals that once she was a trainee officer at the police academy with a promising future. Although Erin was abandoned by both her parents at a young age, resulting in an early life at various foster homes, it didn’t stop her from reaching her full potential. However, one unfortunate punch directed towards her colleague changed her life forever. Erin wasn’t destined to be a cop but an offer from DI Jim Armstrong from Centralized Intelligence and Operations seemed like an opportunity for Erin to get back in the system. This pivotal event in Erin’s life forced her to take up the identity of Kate Jones to fulfill a mission, one that would become life-changing. For the mission, Erin got in touch with Margot (Ana Ularu), a member of a heist gang run by Thomas Ramsey (Ian Burfield). Tasked with infiltrating the gang and finding the identity of the mastermind behind Ramsey’s next heist, Erin aka Kate Jones meets Lena (Denise Gough) and her young daughter, Harper (Indica Watson). Her interaction with the mother and daughter and the consequent turn of events, which eventually forced Erin to escape to Barcelona with Harper, give the background to Erin’s identity struggle.
Erin Carter’s Background Remains Shrouded in Mystery
By the climax of the series, to some extent, it’s established that Kate Jones was only an alias taken up by Erin in order to fulfill her mission. Her real identity was the one she was currently donning in her life with her husband Jordi (Sean Teale) and daughter Harper. But Who is Erin Carter? ends on such a note in Season 1 that it does leave a few questions about her real identity. In the last scene, when asked about her real name, Erin establishes that she would ditch her identity as Kate Jones and stick to her life as Erin Carter. But Season 1 of Erin Carter leaves ample space to speculate that there could be more to Erin’s backstory that may be left out for another season given the scope of events already covered in the first one.
Primarily, Erin’s childhood is shrouded in mystery. After being abandoned by her parents, Erin is said to have lived her life in foster homes, but before her time at the training academy, not much is revealed about her life. The details of her life regarding her journey from foster homes to the police academy have not been laid out. Moreover, when Jim Armstrong (Jamie Bamber) approaches Erin, it already seems like he knows something about her that apparently no one else does — something that’s hinted at even later, near the end. It does not seem a mere coincidence that Armstrong approached Erin to not let her precious talent be wasted. As stated by Armstrong himself, he knows that Erin has a great potential to attract trouble. This could be a likely hint at a piece of Erin’s past that was not covered in Season 1. Clearly, there are some loose ends left by the first season when it comes to cementing the answer to the question, “Who is Erin Carter?”
From the start, Armstrong’s real intentions seemed suspicious. Clearly, he never intended to pull out Erin from the mission she was sent on. Although it seems that Armstrong’s only preoccupation remains the identity of Ramsey’s bankroller, it could very well be possible that Armstrong’s interest in the case was rooted in his own motives. The reason he chose Erin for the mission appears to be Erin’s strong set of skill set, but it feels like Armstrong knew that Erin wouldn’t give up on the chance. Possibly, it may be true, but the generally mysterious nature of Armstrong’s character leads one to believe otherwise.
Is Lena Really Dead?
Another key detail of Who is Erin Carter?’s Season 1 is hidden in the way Lena’s death is never really shown, and it remains a possibility that she could very well have survived the blast. Near the end of an action-packed Episode 7, Lena chooses to make the sacrifice knowing that she will not be able to give Harper the life and family she deserves. Moreover, she has already seen that Harper may not be able to accept her as her mom. Choosing to distract Daniel Lang’s (Douglas Henshall) armed men, Lena resorts to creating an explosion that possibly killed her (at least from the distance she was at). However, it’s not impossible that she may have survived, resulting in a possible surprise appearance in the future. Lena’s return may be possible, however, she may not have a lot to contribute when it comes to dictating the events.
Coming to characters who can contribute a lot albeit after death, Daniel Lang, the antagonist of Season 1, could be the top choice for the spot. Primarily, it is hinted that Daniel works for some dangerous people — something Daniel claims himself in his interaction with Erin at the school. Daniel’s death is expected to leave ripples across the system he was a part of. Moreover, it seems odd that an important cog in the crime-churning machine is taken down and no one bats an eye. More trouble may just be around the corner for Erin knowing her fondness to attract trouble (as Jim would say).
Armstrong Brings More Trouble to Erin’s Life
Finally, Armstrong’s return in the climax also hints strongly that Erin’s life isn’t going to be normal. In the final scene, Armstrong makes an unexpected appearance in front of Erin while she is enjoying a long-due vacation with her family. Armstrong suggests that all vacations must come to an end, and Erin’s vacation has lasted since her escape from Barcelona. Is it that Daniel Lang’s death has prompted Armstrong’s return to Erin’s life or does Armstrong have bigger motives to accomplish through Erin? In fact, Armstrong’s appearance also hints that Erin’s story may have more details unknown to her family, details that would force Erin to play by Armstrong’s rules. Also, if Armstrong were to force Erin’s hand, he could easily place Erin behind bars for her involvement in the Harwich gold heist. Importantly, one cannot even really establish that Armstrong was operating in the interest of his agency. But conclusively, Armstrong’s reappearance in Erin’s life leaves the series’ ending open-ended, resulting in a very strong possibility of Season 2.
Season 1 of Who is Erin Carter? leaves a good amount of storylines to explore in Season 2. Additionally, with enough mystery around the life of the protagonist played by Ahmad, Who is Erin Carter? has ample room to play around and build the story. Considering that Erin’s secrets are out, at least partially, it can be said that her life is changed forever after the events of the first season. Her family and her best friend know about her action-packed past life. While this may make things easier for Erin momentarily, it could also bring a new set of problems, complications, and dangers to Erin’s way — all of which can be explored in Season 2.
