HOLLYWOOD—WOW, that was the only word I could utter after watching the series finale of the HBO limited series “Sharp Objects” starring Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson. After watching the first episode, I was eager to cheat and look online for spoilers related to the book to find out how things would end. However, I am so glad I didn’t because the episode ‘Milk’ was absolutely riveting to watch. Gosh, how in the hell does Amy Adams not have an Oscar already? This woman is a fantastic actress and she controlled this episode with such poise, riveting scenes and raw emotion that it is haunting.

If you watched the previous episode, we got the first shock with the revelation that Adora (Clarkson) was diagnosed with Munchausen Syndrome and was responsible for the death of Camille’s sister Marian. That threw me for the biggest loop because I thought for the longest time Camille may have played a role in her sister’s demise, but not so. It was perfect Adora; this woman wanted to bond with her children so desperately that she was willing to poison them to make them think they were ill and they were not. It’s twisted and crazy, but even more frustrating was the fact that her husband Alan (Henry Czerny) had to have an idea of what Adora was up to, yet he did nothing to stop it.

The episode kicked off in a grim manner, and I swear I was hoping that Camille would just explode with anger and confront her mother about poisoning Marian and resulting in her death. However, that was not the case. I was under the impression that Camille was secretly working in her head some sort of way to protect her sister Amma (Eliza Scanlen), who she discovered was also being poisoned. Camille drank the poisoned milk and later found herself terribly ill. It gave her the opportunity to warn Amma to get out and get help ASAP, but little sis did not heed Camille’s advice as we learned later in the episode.

It was like a complete 360 just transpired in the relationship between Camille and Adora; these two have been at odds all season long, but as soon as Camille feel ‘ill,’ Adora was right there to portray the caring mother. She was doing precisely what she did to Marian, and bonding with the daughter where she had great tension with for years. As a viewer, I seriously thought, man Camille is about to meet her maker and its courtesy of her own mother, who doesn’t even realize what she is doing is wrong! The acting between Adams, Clarkson and Scanlen was so enthralling I didn’t even care about finding the Wind Gap killer. I mean authorities arrested a culprit, but we all knew that person was not the true killer; he was nothing more than a red herring.

I could not fathom why Camille was continuing to take her mother’s ‘medicine’ knowing that it might ultimately lead to her demise. I thought Amma was going to warn Richard (Chris Messina), who stopped by the home, but was not invited into the residence by Alan. Camille desperately attempted to get Richard’s attention to no success. She’s a goner, but out of the blue, sirens are heard and red and blue colors are seen. Camille is rescued in the nick of time from Adora who had been poisoning her with pet poisons. Adora is sent to prison for the murders in Wind Gap, but all is not as you think.

So all seems good, Amma is now living with Camille, things are happy-go-lucky, but the literal final 2 minutes of the series threw me for a biggest loop in TV bombshell’s that I can recall in years. Why? As Camille explored Amma’s dollhouse, she found a floor made of human teeth. The look on her face as she spots Amma in the doorway is stunning. Amma’s response, “Don’t tell mama” and cut to credits. As a viewer, it’s the perfect ending/twist, but at the same time it leaves you desperately wanting more. Like how in the hell could they cap off the entire season with that game-changing moment!

It’s because a major revelation for the viewer was that Amma was the killer. She killed those two girls and during the mid-credits we see glimpses of Amma committing the crimes and an even bigger surprise: she is culpable for the murder of her new best friend in Camille’s town. So it’s apparent a second season of this series without a doubt could be warranted for “Sharp Objects,” similar to “Big Little Lies.” The fact that as a reporter Camille was not able to piece this mystery together until it was too late is absolutely stunning, not to mention Amma was simply knocking off anyone who got too close to her mother, or in the latest murder, her sister. Amma likes the attention and if you’re getting more attention than her you should be terrified.

“Sharp Objects” is like the “Big Little Lies” of 2018, with one caveat; I was so enthralled in this series that its ending has thrown me for the biggest loop to date. I never saw that twist coming from a million miles away, that is a testament to great storytelling. Well done.