Ripley: here's what happens to Freddie Miles in Netflix remake of the Talented Mr Ripley

Ripley is the new Netflix series starring Andrew Scott as the tactful conman, Tom Ripley. Featuring eight episodes and set in 1960s New York, it follows Sherlock and Fleabag star Scott, as he plays the young grifter who is hired by a wealthy man to convince his unruly son to come home from Italy.

The story is based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith which last graced our screens in the BAFTA award-winning movie in 1999, The Talented Mr Ripley, which starred Jude Law, Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Now, Netflix have had a go at telling the sordid tale, which follows Ripley as he descends from conman to murderer. Only Freddie Miles played by Eliot Sumner (The Gentlemen), is brave enough to confront Ripley, leaving one question that’s got everyone talking - what happens to Freddie, and will they be able to stop Ripley before it’s too late? Here’s everything you need to know about what happens to Freddie Miles in Netflix’s Ripley.

Beware spoilers for Netflix’s Ripley below

What is Ripley about?

The plot synopsis of Ripley from Netflix reads: “Tom Ripley, a grifter scraping by in early 1960s New York, is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his vagabond son to return home. Tom's acceptance of the job is the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder. The limited series drama is based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling Tom Ripley novels.”

What happens to Freddie Miles in Ripley?

Freddie Miles has never trusted Tom Ripley from the moment they first met in Naples. A close friend of Richard “Dickie” Greenleaf, the son that Ripley has been tasked with bringing home, there is a tension between the two as Freddie often talks down to Tom and deliberately doesn’t invite him to events, including a Christmas celebration in the Italian Alps.

Things start to get heated in episode five when Freddie goes to Rome to visit Dickie only to find that Tom is living in the apartment under his name. Despite Tom trying to deflect that Dickie is at a coffee shop (when in reality he is very dead), Freddie isn’t buying it. He goes to the shop to see if he can find Dickie, but when he leaves empty handed a chance encounter with the apartment landlady makes him realise that Tom has been pretending to be Dickie to live a luxurious life in Rome.

Freddie is furious about the deception, so foolishly confronts Tom in the apartment and threatens he will be back with the police, this proves to be a fatal mistake as on the way out Tom attacks him with a glass ashtray beating him to death. He disposes of Freddie’s body in Freddie’s car which he abandons on the road to the Claudio Aqueduct.

Will there be a Ripley season 2?

Netflix have not yet revealed if Ripley will return for a second season. The eight-episode limited series is based on the first of five books about New York grifter Tom Ripley written by Patricia Highsmith, so there is plenty more material for Netflix to get their teeth sunk into if they decide to continue on with the story.

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.