Sharp Objects wanted its finale to avoid being too explanatory and too expository

Entertainment Weekly

Creator Marti Nixon says "we were trying to honor the emotion of reading the book," but the ending "was something we all struggled with." Author Gillian Flynn adds: "It was a really tricky balance because what feels correct in the book doesn’t always have the same balance on the screen — you can explain more on the page and get away with it." Asked how people who didn't read the book would have a different view of the ending, Noxon says: "I think that anything is up for grabs, but to me it just came down to the emotional truth of this story, which is that for these women — Amma, Adora, and Camille — you can change your reaction to the past, but you can’t change the past."

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• On the post-credits ending, Flynn notes that with DVRs "you have an opportunity to go back and look for it a second time"
• Patricia Clarkson on playing Adora Crellin: "The depth and breadth of this character in eight parts, the exploration, and the complicated persona and the façade—and the crumbling of the façade—was very demanding"