To be honest, for the longest time, I thought Ian Harding and Ezra were the same person (I mean, Ian did play Ezra), in that he’d be exactly like his character in real life. But then I grew up, and now, many years later, I see him in his full potential in a role that isn’t at all Ezra-esque, which I love. Ripple is a show about fate, and though at first it seems like a Hallmark TV show with a low budget, thanks to them not actually shooting in New York, it doesn’t matter, because it gets to you pretty soon. The show connects the lives of a bunch of people living in New York, who all convene in the Lumi West, a bar owned by Nate, a young man whose marriage has just (kind of) ended. He’s also struggling to keep the bar alive because of financial issues, the same ones that led to his wanting a divorce from his very financially irresponsible wife. Everything begins when Aria, a young musician who is trying really hard to get pregnant, drops a rock out of her window, which lands straight on Nate’s head. This is what leads him to find out about his lung cancer. Will he be okay? And what does the ending of the show imply?
Spoiler Alert
What Happens to John and Aria?
John and Aria are a young couple who clearly married very early. In the final episode, Aria can’t help but point out that it doesn’t make sense. John proposed to her only one month into knowing her, and she feels almost as if he doesn’t want her to succeed at all. But the truth is, John’s seen what anxiety can do to Aria, and he worries it’ll eat her up further when she goes on tour. She’s also decided to drop therapy for a while, but instead of being supportive about it, which would’ve been the right move for the time being, John decides to tell Aria it’s not a good idea to stop. This is what starts their big fight. To make matters worse, he doesn’t show up at her amazing performance at the Lumi, something he really should not have done, because it makes it seem like he’s not interested in supporting her. Sure, she does still need help, but John should’ve been around to help her instead of dismissing her wanting to change. However, in the final moments of Aria and John’s plotline in the show, Aria is about to go off on tour when all of this frustration comes bubbling out of her, and she walks out being upset. But then, she realizes her mistake and tries to walk back in when she overhears John saying he’s “done with her” and that the last few months have been horrible. He’s not talking about Aria here but Desi. However, Aria doesn’t wait to confront him because she has no idea about Desi, which leaves her thinking her marriage is over for good.
But Ripple’s ending, Aria decides to listen to Tara’s playlist for her, and this is the big connection for her, where she remembers the tattoo on a man’s wrist in a picture with his mother. The album art of the song she’s listening to has the same tattoo on display. Did Aria just find her father? Yes, most likely, but we’ll have to wait till season 2 to find out more about it. I do hope John finds a way to make it up to Aria and Aria finds it in her heart to forgive him. He also has to tell her the truth about Desi.
What Is Ellis Up To Now?
To be fair, Ellis is a part of this “Ripple” not because she’s connected to any of these other characters through one single incident, but because of the Lumi itself. I guess you can call it the epicenter of this whole “Ripple” thing. All wayward souls are led here, and Ellis is already there to help them. But what about them, you might ask? Well, they decided to stay back in New York because that’s where they belong. At first, it might seem like a difficult situation, but thanks to things working out for the Lumi, they’re now free to pursue photography, and Nate’s a great boss too. More importantly, they finally get that bonus, which leads them to buy a camera for themselves, which eventually leads Victor, a journalist working for the New York magazine, to ask them to send their portfolio to him. How exciting! I suppose it goes to say, when you really wait, and you eventually do that thing for yourself, you’ll get rewarded for it. Also, if Ellis had left New York, this would’ve never happened. Maybe they won’t be bartending anymore next season (that would make me sad).
What Does Walter Decide To Do?
When Walter’s wife, Brenda, passed, he thought he’d lost everything. And while there was a heavy weight on his chest, he still decided to go to the Lumi, where he got to try her favorite wine and make new friends. Soon, Walter became a regular at the Lumi, where he made real friends, and he started genuinely working on getting better. Sometimes all you need is to step away from regular life to be able to grieve properly. Walter soon became besties with Nate, and the Lumi West became his regular spot. He then met Kris, Ellis, Aria, and Tara, all through just existing in this space. But finally, Walter makes a decision for himself; he chooses to ask Nate to help him financially because of how important the bar is to him. He offers to become an investor, but in a leap of fate, Nate asks Walter to become his business partner, because Walter loves the bar even more than Nate does. Walter gladly accepts, but to be a business partner, he’s got to know a little bit about drinks, no? This is when the old sommelier recommends a 10-day wine tasting retreat, and he doesn’t even have to take a flight; he can take a train. Walter, though hesitant, finally decides to take it up, growing out of his grief a little more. Finally letting go of Brenda (she’ll always be a beautiful memory). His leaving the city symbolizes the final step of moving on.
Where Is Nate Now?
In Ripple’s ending, Nate is heading to Houston for the trial because Finn didn’t make it, and her spot opened up for him. The thing that he can’t understand is why he made it, and she didn’t. This is, unfortunately, how life works, and there’s really no way of knowing who’ll make it and who won’t. Finn was a beautiful friend Nate and Kris made while he was getting chemo. But this gets him thinking about his whole life, especially his relationships, I suppose. Nate finally decides he doesn’t want to take Kris along to see him possibly die. I do think he’ll come back for her, though, and it’s quite a shame, especially because Kris was willing to leave everything behind for him. I guess watching her dad die and not reconnecting with him out of stubbornness made her realize how short life truly is, and how you must make something out of every opportunity. But unfortunately, the timing is all wrong. However, in the final moments of the show, Kris receives her pot, the same one she gave to Nate at the beginning of the show, the thing that connected them. This is not goodbye; it’s just a pause, and they’ll probably end up together eventually. At the same time, Nate’s wife seems to have finally moved on as well, which means he’s genuinely free now. The show ends on a positive note that everyone’s journey is just beginning, and they’ll all intertwine yet again. Their intertwining paths are what lead to all of them growing as people and gaining something special out of connections. Ultimately, everyone will go where they’re meant to go.
Will There Be A Season 2?
While nothing is confirmed yet, the sweet messaging of Ripple could lead to a season 2 renewal. Additionally, the ending of the show, leaving us hoping for more, is a good sign that the show runners are expecting to do more with these characters. I think the whole thing with the woman who found Walter on the dating app before he instantly deleted it might be a starting point for something? She did show up again for the Black Santa. But we’ll see.
