{"id":44498,"date":"2024-01-25T15:42:44","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T14:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1980037"},"modified":"2024-01-25T16:22:48","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T15:22:48","slug":"the-favourite-ending-explained-what-happens-to-sarah-and-abigail","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/the-favourite-ending-explained-what-happens-to-sarah-and-abigail\/","title":{"rendered":"The Favourite ending explained: What happens to Sarah and Abigail?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The film follows a fierce rivalry between two women in the eighteenth century, but how does it play out? <\/p>

By Molly Moss\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 25 January 2024 at 14:42 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Poor Things, which has landed in cinemas<\/a>, marks the latest collaboration between Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, with the latter also set to star in the filmmaker\u2019s upcoming project, Kind of Kindness.<\/span><\/p>\n

But their creative partnership actually began back in 2018: with a battle between two women to win the affections of Queen Anne of Great Britain in Lanthimos\u2019s film, The Favourite<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The wacky take on the period drama stars Olivia Colman as Queen Anne and is loosely based on the Queen\u2019s real-life relationships with her closest friend Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), the Duchess of Marlborough, and new servant Abigail Masham (Emma Stone).<\/span><\/p>\n

After Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, it soon becomes clear that she has no intention of remaining a scullery maid, and a fierce rivalry between the two women ensues.<\/span><\/p>\n

But how does it play out?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Favourite might seem more straightforward in narrative terms than its predecessors, which include The Lobster and Dogtooth, but Lanthimos complicates things with the final shot of the movie.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So what does that final shot of the film mean? And what happens to Sarah and Abigail? Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of The Favourite.<\/span><\/p>

The Favourite ending explained: What happens to Sarah Churchill and is she banished?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"The\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Sarah Weisz and Olivia Colman in The Favourite.<\/span><\/figcaption> Disney<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Abigail wastes little time in scheming after she arrives at court and\u00a0<\/span>poisons Sarah\u2019s tea. <\/span>This leads Sarah to ride off into the woods and pass out, where she\u2019s taken in by the madam of a brothel.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Sarah returns to court, she tries to persuade Anne to send Abigail away and even threatens to reveal her correspondence with Anne, which would, in turn, expose their sexual relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

But this soon backfires, with Anne removing Sarah from the palace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Abigail, meanwhile, has wedded a colonel as a way of ascending from maid to lady and managed to ingratiate herself with Queen Anne \u2013 and even make her way into her bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a crucial scene, Sarah warns Anne that Abigail can\u2019t be trusted \u2013\u00a0unlike herself \u2013 but<\/span> Anne refuses to listen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon enough, Sarah\u2019s predictions come true and, when <\/span>Sarah sends an apology letter to Anne, Abigail intercepts it and destroys the letter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Abigail then tells Anne that she has discovered Sarah was embezzling money and, although Anne isn\u2019t fooled\u00a0<\/span>by Abigail, she believes she has been forsaken by Sarah and uses Abigail\u2019s lie as\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>an excuse to exile Sarah and her husband.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What happens to Abigail in The Favourite?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Emma\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Emma Stone in The Favourite.<\/span><\/figcaption> Searchlight Pictures\/ YouTube.<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

And so, with Sarah out of the picture, Abigail has emerged victorious, but was it worth it?<\/span><\/p>\n

The ending of the film suggests not.<\/p>\n

When Anne sees Abigail cruelly stepping on one of her rabbits, she orders her over and demands that Abigail massage her leg, which she proceeds to do, albeit reluctantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, as Anne tugs on Abigail\u2019s hair, the image warps and their faces are superimposed over each other,\u00a0<\/span>before the rabbit cage is also added to the collage<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does the ending of The Favourite mean?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This final shot underlines Abigail and Anne\u2019s bleak fates, suggesting they\u2019re both trapped there now and stuck with one another.<\/p>\n

Abigail might think she\u2019s won but, like Anne\u2019s rabbits, she\u2019s just another of the Queen\u2019s toys \u2013 caged and powerless.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anne, meanwhile, knows Abigail is a liar and is only keeping her there to make Sarah, who she believes has forsaken her, jealous. <\/span>And so, really, neither party has won.<\/span><\/p>