‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ Season 1 Ending Explained

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Spiderwick Chronicles.

The big picture

• In 'The Spiderwick Chronicles', the Grace family moves to the Spiderwick estate in Henson, Michigan to discover a hidden world of magical creatures.
• Each brother plays a crucial role in the fight against the ogre Mulgarath, showing growth and self-discovery.
• Mulgarath deceives the family, leading to a heartbreaking event that sets the stage for new challenges in the future.

from Roku The Spiderwick Chronicles is based on the beloved series of children's fantasy books written by Holly Black i Tony DiTerlizzi. Despite being completed, the series was canceled on Disney+, but was later picked up by Roku for its US debut. The Roku Channel original adapts the book franchise into a more concise plot-driven narrative with fantasy elements mixed in with the characters' mental health along their journey. The show follows the Grace family as they move into their mother Helen's home (Joy Bryant) ancestral home in Henson, Michigan, the Spiderwick estate. Like the Grace Jared brothers (Lyon Daniels), Simon (Noah Cottrell), and Mallory (Mychala Lee) settle into their new home, face many supernatural creatures as they try to stop the ogre Mulgarath (Christian Slater). The season focuses on the Grace family finding the pages of their ancestor, Arthur Spiderwick (Albert Jones) field guide, who was hidden by her great-aunt Lucinda (Charlayne Woodard). As the brothers discover more of the unseen world, they learn more about themselves.

The Grace family ventures into the unseen world in 'The Spiderwick Chronicles'

As Jared initially finds and explores more about the supernatural world, he realizes it he needs the trust of his family and himself. One of the reasons for the Grace family moving to Henson was attributed to Helen seeking help with Jared's behavior and mental health. Unfortunately, as Jared and the rest of his family witness the magical creatures around them, they are reluctant to trust him. For most of the season, Simon and Mallory do not support Jared's claims about supernatural creatures and lead Helen to believe that he is lying. Jared's great-aunt Lucinda is one of the family members who trusts him the most when she gives Jared the mission to find the pages of Spiderwick's field guide to stop Mulgarath, and a portable vision stone that allows the its user see the true form of magical creatures. Jared's fearsome approach to the supernatural world and its creatures it comes from self-loathing and ostracization he has heard from most of his family, except for his brother Simon.

Simon finds the resolve he needs to trust himself despite the opinions of others. The series presents Simon as the antithesis of Jared, or the “good” twin, someone who is good at school, nice, and loyal. Soon after seeing evidence of the supernatural, he seeks the good of creatures, as shown by negotiating with the boggart Thimbletack (Jack Dylan Grazer) and befriending the fetch Calliope (Alyvia Alyn Lind). After Simon learns that Jared is likely to die soon, Simon works more closely with Mulgarath, much to his family's dismay, to help Jared avoid this premonition. Although Simon uncharacteristically rebels against his family, he knows that these choices can lead to a future where his family stays together, despite his sister's initial goal of leaving her family as soon as possible possible

Mallory's tenuous relationship with her siblings reveals her motivations behind fencing, and witnessing the unseen world gives her the perspective to reflect on her intentions. As Mallory transitions from moving to Henson, she struggles to make friends and continues to pursue her interest in fencing for global scholarship opportunities. While spending time practicing fencing with Valentina (Aria Mia Loberti) and befriending Bree (Mellany Barros), learns of Valentina's fairy origins and her goal training humans who can use the vorpal sword to kill Mulgarath. Mallory realizes that her drive to succeed at fencing was a way to outdo her brothers, as she tells Valentina that one of Jared's outbursts prevented her parents from being present during one of the their fencing matches. After acquiring the Vorpal Sword, Bree is the only human with “pure intent” or selfless intent, to use it. However, Mallory's self-reflection and newfound friendship are what she needs to take on Mulgarath and her family.

The Graces unite against Mulgarath in the season finale of “The Spiderwick Chronicles.”

In the season finale, the Grace family comes together after being more divided than ever. After acquiring the Vorpal Sword, Jared is placed under Mulgarath's care at the Meskwaki Psychiatric Hospital, while the ogre takes the form of Dr. Dorian Bauer, Jared's therapist. Mulgarath picks up Spiderwick's field guide page on dragons and launches his plan to take over and consume Henson. Mallory and Thimbletack break out Jared and reunite with Simon, Bree, and Hatcher (Hunter Dillon) to stop Mulgarath. Simon finds a cure for the sleeping sickness that has taken over the town.

The Grace brothers plan to save their mother and kill Mulgarath with the vorpal sword. Jared is captured and, with Helena's help, makes a tea that allows them to be invisible long enough to evade Mulgarath. Meanwhile, Simon convinces Calliope to help him contact the sprites, so they can help cure everyone in town of the sleeping sickness. Mallory and Bree are overwhelmed when they fight Mulgarath, so Jared, Helen, and Thimbletack summon a troll to help them stop the ogre After the city is healed, and Mulgarath seemingly defeated, one of his dragons hatches.

Mulgarath's latest malicious manipulation against the graces

Jared wants to kill the dragon, while the rest of the family is hesitant to kill the childlike creature. Jared and his family reconcile about how their views have often been ignored and this has resulted Jared hates himself and considers himself unworthy. Mallory disproves this for Jared when she briefly possesses the vorpal sword, which only works for people who have selfless intent. Mulgarath, in the form of Jared, tricks the family with his knowledge of Jared into not being their therapist and tricks them into believing that the iron does not harm him as it does all magical creatures. The family believes Mulgarath's deception and Mallory stabs the real Jared with the vorpal sword, causing him to disappear. Jared wakes up in a dreamlike forest where meet Arthur Spiderwick.

The season ends with Mulgarath finding another way to ingratiate himself with the Grace family in order to fulfill his murderous agenda. Mulgarath, taking Jared's form and now having access to a hatched dragon, has found yet another way to continue taking pages from Spiderwick's field guide and potentially go back on his plan to consume Henson's people and take over the world. Jared can now talk to another member of his family, Arthur Spiderwick, who can entrust him with a new mission, give him new insights into the wizarding world, and another perspective on how to stop Mulgarath.

The Spiderwick Chronicles is available to stream on The Roku Channel in the US

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