Who Is the Mysterious and Creepy Gardener in 'Red Rose' on Netflix? (SPOILERS)
Published Feb. 22 2023, 10:11 p.m. ET
Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for the horror series Red Rose on Netflix.
Life might be a lot different now in the digital era compared to eons ago when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and MySpace didn't exist, but one factor of life remains the same — humanity has a dark side, and with the right tools, that darkness can turn deadly. It's a theme explored in the BBC Three series Red Rose.
The series, which is now available to stream in the U.S. (thanks to Netflix), centers around a group of British teens who find themselves entangled with a deadly app called the Red Rose.
Like any good horror story, there's a mysterious figure directly responsible for all the terror. In Red Rose, it's the Gardener. So, we know what you're thinking. Who is the Gardener anyway? Is it one of the teens themselves? Here's what we know.
Who is the Gardener in 'Red Rose'? (SPOILERS)
It would be easy to assume that the Gardener in Red Rose is actually one of the friends that the story introduces us to from the start, a la Dan Humphrey from Gossip Girl (with much deadlier consequences).
However, the Gardener's true identity is far more frightening. It's just a normal (well, not normal, but you get what we mean) adult woman who wanted to see how far the teens would go with the app's influence.
Oftentimes when a murderer is unveiled, the victims want to know the motive behind their actions. Why was this woman terrorizing the teens of Bolton?
Better yet, why did the Gardener decide to help Jaya (Ashna Rabheru) and the others in the Red Rose Season 1 finale? Jaya asks this, and the Gardener replies, simply, "Why not?"
Jaya, still under the impression that one of the other men that was holding Wren's dad hostage was the real Gardener, is shocked by the woman's admission after she confidently tells her that the Gardener is dead.
The real Gardener responds, chillingly, with, "Is she?" The Gardener shows no remorse for her actions, nor for the horrible deaths of Jaya's friends. She almost seems amused by the whole thing, and walks off with a grin plastered on her face.
Wait, will the Gardener return in 'Red Rose' Season 2?
The ending of Red Rose Season 1 made it clear that the real Gardener got away with her crimes scot-free. To make matters worse, while things finally appear to be looking up for the Bolton teens, hell is just beginning for another group of innocent teens with lots of dreams in Tokyo.
After the group of friends in Tokyo talk about what they want to do with their lives, one of the friends downloads the Red Rose app. Although BBC Three hasn't renewed Red Rose yet for another season, the ending of Red Rose Season 1 makes it clear that the Gardener is still very much alive, and ready to wreak havoc elsewhere.
You can stream Red Rose Season 1 on Netflix now.