‘Devil in Ohio’ Ending Explained: What Did Mae Wish by The Tree?

Welcome to the Ending Explained for Devil in Ohio, a new limited series that you can now watch on Netflix. The show runs for about eight episodes and tells the story of Suzanne, a medical psychologist who gets involved in the dealings of a satanic cult when one of its members, a young teen named, Mae, escapes from its grasp. The limited series is based on the novel of the same name, written by Daria Polatin.
The series is a mix of both a supernatural thriller and a teen drama. The story mixes both of these ingredients into a show that is rather inconsistent. For those who came looking for a horror fix, the series will leave them disappointed. Especially when they come to realize that the show is more focused on creating a teen drama between Mae and Suzanne’s daughters than focusing on the cult and its multiple connections in government and other places.
The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Devil in Ohio. Read at your own risk.
What Happened To The Cult At The End Of The Show?
In the last episode, after attending the school prom, Mae gets captured by the cult once again, and this time they are ready to run with the ritual. Mae will be sacrificed to Lord Lucifer, and after that, the cult will receive plenty of benefits in the real world. Malachi, Mae’s father, will take control of the ritual personally. The members of the cult have been losing faith in the institution recently, and Malachi cannot stand and watch as the cult vanishes in front of his eyes.
Suzanne, of course, is right there behind Mae. Once she realizes that he has been captured, she grabs her car and goes to the cult’s headquarters to save her. Mae’s mother talks with her about how she will bless all of them with her sacrifice and how she should be proud of herself. Mae’s brother is also quite anxious and wants to see his sister dead as soon as possible. He will inherit leadership of the cult once his father passes away.
Suzanne dresses in the cult’s garb and then gets into a skirmish with another member of the cult. Without noticing, they have started a fire and the church quickly begins to burn. The church fire stops the ritual. Malachi goes to help and leaves Mae with her mother. Suzanne appears and confronts Mae’s mother. In the end, Mae chooses to go with Suzanne. She says that there is a big world out there and that she wants to live.
Mae’s mother falls from the platform, dying, and then Mae’s brother appears. Mae considers him a traitor. He was supposed to protect her, but he doesn’t really care for her. Mae ends up defending Suzanne from her brother, killing him by striking his head with a shovel. Malachi is trapped in the church’s fire and Mae is allowed to escape with Suzanne, her chosen mother, from the cult and leave in peace.
What Did Mae Wish By The Tree?
We see the aftermath of the collapse of the cult. Many members escape from the headquarters, and they have not been seen for a while. However, they are expected to be alive. We see how Suzanne’s daughters are finally getting a bit of normality back in their lives. The school continues in the same way as always, but now the relationship between the older sisters seems to be healthier than before. They talk in the hallways and smile at each other.
Thanksgiving Day arrives, and we see Peter and his daughters ready to have a meal. Before eating, he confesses that the past year has been quite difficult, but he is happy that her daughter is there with her. Just before cutting the turkey, the door rings. We see that Peter and the girls are not at home, but living in the apartment complex where Peter is a custodian. When he opens the door, we see Suzanne waiting for him with something she cooked for the girls.
Why are Peter and Suzanne separated? The answer comes in the form of Mae, who is waiting in the car. Peter and the girls don’t anything to do with Mae. They see the young girl as evil. On the other hand, Suzanne wants to help Mae establish herself after what happened with the cult. Peter doesn’t care, and he doesn’t want his daughters near Mae. They say goodbye to each other and Suzanne confesses she still loves Peter.
Back at home, Mae and Suzanne get ready to have their Thanksgiving dinner. It all looks delicious, and the two of them seem satisfied with their creations. The phone rings and Suzanne answers it. It is Alex, who delivers some dark news to Suzanne. It seems that at the end of the last episode, Mae herself staged her kidnapping, and also she drove herself to the cult’s compound. Mae knew that Suzanne would go after her to save her. Suzanne sits down, scared of Mae, who is getting ready to eat her dinner.
The episode ends, going back to Mae’s tree, which we saw in the first few episodes. We saw her asking for something from Lucifer. There on the tree, we see a picture of both Mae and Suzanne together. Mae asked for a new mother, one that cared about her, and Lucifer delivered.