Warning: this article contains spoilers for Dear Child
Netflix is almost certainly the best content creator when it comes to non-English language shows and films, and with the German series Dear Child they’ve added yet another brilliant series from the land of lederhosen and currywurst to their catalogue. In fact, it’s proving so popular with audiences that it’s even received a pretty high RT score of 86% as of the time of this article being published, as well as tons of praise on social media.
Like the unbelievable Dark, this thriller series (based on a novel by the author Romy Hausman) involves a missing child, and has fast gained fans all over the world for its mesmerizing plot and addictive nature. If you’ve been gripped by the show but want a bit more clarification about what happened at the end, specifically with regards to the character Lena (or Lenas, to be more precise), then read ahead to discover what happened to Lena in Netflix’s Dear Child.
What is Dear Child about?
The series begins with the discovery of a severely injured woman and an unhurt child in a forest in Germany. It appears they’ve been the victims of a hit and run, but as police begin to investigate the crime, they realize there’s a lot more to these mysterious people than previously thought.
Utilizing a mixture of flashbacks and modern day scenes, we soon discover that the woman and child are linked to a missing persons cold case from over a decade prior. We learn that the woman, referred to as Lena for most of the series, is actually called Jasmin, and was kidnapped, only to find herself locked in a tiny, windowless apartment in the heart of a Brothers Grimm-like forest. Jasmin is forced to live under her captor’s rules, which includes looking after his young children, becoming a mother figure for them, as well as being referred to as Lena instead of Jasmin. Although she attempts to escape, in the maze of the woods surrounding her prison she realizes hiding from her captor is almost impossible.
The show continues to switch between Lena’s horrific experiences and the present day police investigation, until a climactic ending where secrets are revealed in an explosive manner. And, as it transpires, Lena isn’t the only Lena to have been captured by her tormentor.
Who is Lena in Dear Child?
Lena is the central character in Dear Child, and is played by Kim Riedle. However, there is also another “Lena,” Lena Beck (played by Jeanne Goursaud), a pregnant young woman who the villain (named Lars, played by Christian Beermann) first kidnaps. She gives birth to the child she was pregnant with while in captivity, but Lars continues to sexually assault her, eventually fathering another child with her. As the series goes on we learn that Lena Beck died while giving birth to a third child thanks to an illness, with the infant succumbing to the same infection. As the series reaches its climax, we discover that the killer has been replacing the first “Lena” with other women who appear similar to her, and Jasmin is the last in a long line of victimized (and now deceased) people.
What happened to Lena in Netflix’s Dear Child?
The real Lena, Lena Beck, dies after giving birth to a third child, and a second baby that was fathered by her captor Lars. The baby also dies from the same infection that killed their mother.
Jasmin, in the throes of some serious PTSD and other mental issues, decides to continue as Lena and heads back to her captor — or so it seems. However, as the series reaches a climax, she uses a hidden shard of glass to murder Lars. With his final breaths, he admits that the original Lena is buried in his “garden,” and her body is returned to her parents’ care. Jasmin begins living alone again, attempting to get back to a normal life. The other “Lenas” are all buried in a mass grave, near where Jasmin was discovered after being run over.
Will there be another season of Dear Child?
The show was envisioned as a six-part mini-series, has a wrapped up ending, and is based on a novel, so it is unlikely that there will be a second season of Dear Child. However, given its success, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the ghoulish execs at Netflix attempt to suck every last bit of profit out of this IP as much as they can.