NETFLIX’S Clickbait drew viewers into the underbelly of the internet as it explores the dark side of going viral online.
The drama miniseries tells the story of Nick Brewer who is kidnapped in episode one under the threat of execution if a video starring him reaches 5 million views. Here’s his fate explained (warning: with full spoilers)…
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Who killed Nick Brewer?
In episode one of the Netflix miniseries, Nick Brewer’s kidnappers apparently make good on their promise.
Once the video reaches 5 million hits, Nick is found dead.
After his death, the series shifts its’ focus to administrative assistant Dawn, who is using Nick’s photos to catfish women online.
However, Dawn’s online fun is rumbled by her husband, who is understandably unhappy that her wife is using a fake profile to chat to attractive women online.
Dawn agrees to close the profile – but the drama doesn’t end there.
One of her online conquests, Emma, tragically commits suicide after losing touch with her virtual love.
Then Nick himself gets kidnapped and murdered, with Nick’s son Kai quickly realizing that catfish Dawn is most likely involved in his father’s death.
Kai heads to Dawn’s house to confront her, but she talks him around and eventually offers to drive him home – before ambushing Kai and trying to murder him!
In a flashback sequence, we learn that Nick was actually murdered by Dawn’s husband Ed after he showed up at their house to confront Dawn for stealing his information.
Enraged, Ed didn’t take too kindly to Nick’s visit and bludgeoned him to death.
Now confronted by Nick’s son, Ed holds Kai awhile at gunpoint before he turns his gun on the cops – who quickly mow Ed down.
Although Kai escapes and Dawn is (physically) unharmed, the widow is shown to muse over her actions, alone and unhappy.
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What is Netflix’s Clickbait about?
It’s pretty difficult to find a moral in a story so full of crazy twists and big reveals, but viewers think the ending is supposed to push the message that it’s best to be yourself – even in the wild-west that is the internet.
After all, Dawn’s desire to be thought of as attractive (even by internet strangers) ultimately leads to the deaths of two innocent people and her bloodthirsty husband.
But the miniseries also points the finger at the viewers, asking if we can really hurt people based on how we behave online – and what videos we can’t resist clicking on.