However, the Prime Video series makes plenty of changes to the source material, and these lead to one particularly ambiguous moment right at the height of the iconic prom scene. In a Zoom interview, Polygon asked Flanagan to clarify exactly what's happening in that sequence, and his answer reveals a fascinating idea at the heart of the entire show. Spoilers ahead for the ending of Carrie season 1.
Early on in Carrie, we're introduced to Emaline (Thalia Dudek), a high school loner who befriends Carrie (Summer Howell) and helps her hone her psychic abilities. It later becomes clear that nobody but Carrie can see Emaline, and we eventually learn that's because Emaline is using her own powers to astral project from far away. But despite not physically being at prom, Emaline still plays a major role.
After Carrie is crowned prom queen and then doused in pig's blood as the crowd of students laugh and film it on their smartphones, she unleashes her terrifying powers on them. First, she explodes their phones with a psychic blast in response to the sea of cameras pointed at her. Then, she accidentally kills her prom date, Tommy Ross (Joel Oulette), while trying to attack the people responsible for the prank as they flee from the catwalk above.
At this point, Carrie seems to hesitate. Has she already done enough, or should she go even further? Emaline then appears behind Carrie onstage and offers to take over.
She seemingly gains control of Carrie's body and unleashes bloody mayhem on the entire school — students and faculty alike. Later, Carrie chases down her tormentor Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton) and Chris' boyfriend, Billy Nolan (Arthur Conti) and murders them; in that moment, Emaline is nowhere to be seen. None of us believed the Carrie White we created would consciously choose to kill Principal Grayle.
So the question is: Who really killed all those people? Was it Carrie, Emaline, or both of them together? "It's important to me that there were certain things Carrie White needed to be 100% solely responsible for," Flanagan tells Polygon.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
