‘The Thing About Pam’ is a crime drama series that tells a scintillating true story of a shocking crime set in a small town. Based on Dateline NBC’s true-crime podcast of the same name, it follows Pam Hupp (Renée Zellweger), a sweet-natured local businesswoman. She finds herself at the center of a conspiracy following the death of her best friend, Betsy.
In the first episode of the series, viewers learn about Betsy’s personal life and the mysterious circumstances of her death. The episode ends with the police circling a prime suspect, but leaving some key questions unanswered. If you’re looking for clarification on the same, here’s everything you need to know about the ending of “The Thing About Pam.” SPOILERS FORWARD!
The Thing About Pam Episode 1 Recap
The series premiere of ‘The Thing About Pam’ is titled ‘She’s a Good Friend’. It begins with a meeting with Pam Hupp, a real estate agent from Troy, Missouri. Betsy lives with her husband, Mark, and children, Travis and Sarah. She is best friends with Betsy Faria, her neighbor/colleague who has cancer and is undergoing treatment. The scene then shifts to December 27, 2011. Betsy is with her mother, spending time with her two daughters, her husband, Russ, and mother, Janet.
Pam calls Betsy and insists that Betsy return home. She reminds Betsy of her health and offers to drive her home. Meanwhile, Russ spends the evening with his friends playing some board games. Pam arrives at Janet’s and picks up Betsy. They go to their neighborhood together. Before dropping off Betsy, Pam calls her husband and establishes an alibi for herself. Although Pam and Betsy decide to spend some time together and watch a movie, Betsy never calls Pam. Pam is concerned and calls Janet.
Later in the evening, Russ finishes his game and returns home after a bite to eat. He finds Betsy dead and is devastated. She has multiple stab wounds and her wrists are severed. Russ calls 911, but his disturbing reaction to death before his eyes leaves the wrong impression on the police. Captain Mike Lang and Detective McCarrick lead the investigation of the case. Despite the impression of suicide, the duo is convinced that foul play is behind the crime. The multiple stab wounds indicate that the murder was a crime of passion. They suspect Russ is the killer. After speaking with Pam, their suspicion of Russ grows and the police arrest Russ on charges of murdering his own wife.
The Thing About Pam Episode 1 Ends: How Did Betsy Die? Did Russ kill her?
The first episode establishes the circumstances of Betsy’s death, which are not only shocking but also very mysterious. For example, Pam’s activities are suspicious from the start. Her excessive attention to Betsy and her meddling in Betsy’s personal life indicate that Pam may not be the friend she imagines herself to be to Betsy and others. Therefore, when the police arrive to talk to Pam, it’s no surprise that she doesn’t hold back to reveal details about Betsy’s personal life.
According to Pam, Bety and Russ, the marriage was not particularly good. Pam’s words imply that Russ is responsible for their bad marriage and Pam’s volatile mental state. However, we know this is not true from Pam’s conversation with Betsy. Although the couple had issues in the past, Betsy was happy with the efforts Russ made. That’s why it’s surprising to see Pam’s testimony pile up against Russ. Pam also claims that she barely knew Russ.
On the other hand, Russ fondly thinks of Pam and considers her Betsy’s confidant. Russ’ testimony allows the police to rule out Pam as a suspect. Instead, the police suspect him of being the killer, based on forensic evidence and Russ’ 911 call. Pam paints Russ as a temperamental man, and his marital problems with Betsy predispose him to commit a crime of passion. Therefore, all the evidence to date points to Russ as the culprit.
In the final moments of the episode, Lincoln County Prosecutor Leah Askey arrives at the police station. She receives information about Betsy’s murder and learns of Russ’ possible involvement in the crime. So it’s clear that Russ will be taking legal action, and the truth about his role in Betsy’s death will be revealed soon. However, the ending also hints that the police are making a serious mistake by overlooking Pam as a potential suspect.
Read more: Where was the thing about Pam filmed?
