‘The Body’s miraculous ending, explained

Did somebody order a miracle?

Well, in the Season 1 finale of Netflix’s The Body, that’s exactly what you get. That’s because, after seven episodes spent in a deep coma following the Halloween party from hell, St. Mark’s Catholic High School student Grace (Sofia Wylie) finally wakes up. When she does, she has one bombshell to drop: “I’m God.”

Those two words fan the flames of the religious fervor that’s been building around Grace and her supposed miracles, and the season ends with a horde of people laying hands on her while she smiles up at her ceiling. But what is the truth behind Grace’s miraculous recovery, and what will happen now that she’s awake? Let’s dive in.

Are Grace’s miracles in The Body real?

Throughout The Body, the series has constantly asked viewers whether they’re skeptics or true believers. Did Grace fall into a coma because of a bad reaction to ecstasy, or did the St. Mark’s Lions dance team truly sacrifice her soul to the Devil to secure a win at Regionals? Has Grace been performing saintly miracles, or have all the strange goings-on in her community merely been coincidences (or something darker)?

The Body has threaded the needle skillfully enough that you could make arguments for both sides. Yes, Grace’s blood tests came back clean, suggesting some unknown, perhaps even supernatural, reason for her coma. Yet in the finale, we find out that the doctors never tested her for ecstasy, as it’s not part of the standard blood panel, meaning those clean blood tests are missing a huge part of the story.

And yes, Maddie’s (Shirley Chen) and Catherine’s (Louisa Krause) recoveries both seem like miracles. But could Maddie’s ankle not have been completely healed after all, as she claimed? One of the Lions recalls seeing her limp before the Star Quality competition, although that in itself could have been a false memory. Elsewhere, Catherine’s improved condition could have come as a result of a lack of methamphetamine use after her stay in the hospital and her daughter Lisbeth (Geena Meszaros) getting rid of her stashes at home. Coach Shauna’s (Gabby Windey) baby’s premature birth and total convalescence is similarly miraculous, with even doctors saying the child should have died. But did Grace really come to Shauna in labor to save her baby, or was the baby’s survival a happy accident or a miracle of science?

Everything involving the visions is hearsay as well, aside from the frightening warnings Anya (Kristina Bogic) receives. Are people in and around St. Mark’s truly experiencing these visitations, or are they, like Elise (Sara Boustany) and some other members of the Lions, making them up? More importantly, if the visitations are real, are they actually holy in nature? Or are they hellish byproducts of the Lions’ playful sacrifice of Grace to the Devil?

Why does Grace wake up at the end of The Body?

Sofia Wylie in “The Body.”
Credit: Netflix

However you view these prior happenings will impact how you view Grace’s waking. Maybe she’s just loopy after a prolonged coma, and “I’m God” is her muddled brain repeating what she’s heard from people around her. Maybe she truly is a manifestation of God, as much of St. Mark’s Church believes, and all the miracles are totally real. Or maybe she’s possessed by the Devil, as Catherine is convinced, and she’s chosen now as a moment to wake up and begin bringing about the end of days.

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The clearest clue to supernatural involvement in Grace’s waking comes down to the specific timing of it. It happens right after Anya arrives at Grace’s house and confesses her wrongdoings to Father Franklin (Nnamdi Asomugha), telling him, “I’m so sorry that I traded my soul, and I just want it back.”

As Anya utters those words, Grace’s eyes flutter open in her bedroom. That sequence of events could be a coincidence, as could so many of The Body‘s plot points. But it could also point to an otherworldly trade. In finally confessing and asking for her soul back, Anya may have released whatever supernatural hold is currently on Grace and been saved from her own guilt. Of course, that comes with its own set of complications: What may be asked of her in return for being “saved”? And who’s asking? Is God truly inhabiting Grace, as she claims, or has the Devil been lurking within her this whole time, even managing to survive Father Franklin’s exorcism?

What’s the deal with the moth at the end of The Body?

Sofia Wylie in “The Body.”
Credit: Netflix

Another element of Grace’s miraculous waking is the presence of a moth, which flies down from her ceiling light to rest on her forehead moments before Grace opens her eyes. A small pink moth drawing features in the corners of the finale’s opening title cards, so it’s clearly of some significance. But what?

Like butterflies, moths are often symbols of transformation. Transformation does track with Grace in the finale, as she transforms back to her conscious state. She may also have transformed into a saint or a Satanic agent — could the moth clue us into which?

On the one hand, moths are nocturnal creatures, suggesting darkness, and therefore a transformation of a more devilish bent. But at the same time, moths are attracted to light. Could the moth have left the literal light on Grace’s ceiling and flown towards the metaphorical light emanating from her now-saintly being?

As with most things in The Body, the answer is ambiguous and up for interpretation. The show is designed to keep you guessing and questioning the evidence before you. Is Grace’s smile at the end innocent, or devious? Will you be taken in by her, or will you be wary of false prophets?

What will happen next in The Body?

Kristina Bogic and Sara Boustany in “The Body.”
Credit: Netflix

If The Body gets a second season, there are so many paths to explore. Obviously, there’s the impact of Grace’s return, and the examination of whether she’s possessed by the Devil or anointed by God. There’s also the fallout from Anya’s confession, which impacts her relationships with Elise and Steven (Orlando Norman). And of course, there’s the Lions’ path to Nationals, which I’m sure will go just as smoothly as their path to Regionals.

But perhaps most fascinating of all is what will happen after Lisbeth tells the Lions that she personally resurrected Grace. Will her attempt to raise her status with the team set up a battle of miracles between her and Grace? Or will she be cast aside now that Grace has returned? There’s a lot of potential for more high drama going forward, drama that’s juicier than even the Lions’ most stylish Juicy Couture.

Will there be The Body Season 2?

As of now, Netflix has yet to renew The Body for a second season.

The Body is now streaming on Netflix.