What do those black ribbons mean in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”?

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

The big picture

• Black ribbons symbolize mourning and the silent victims in
  A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
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• Black ribbons have a deeper meaning as they symbolize calamity holidays and adolescent depravity.
• The disturbing final scene with the black ribbons in the forest hints at a suffering never seen before in the series.

With a long list of suspects, plenty of twists and turns, and six intrigue-filled episodes, Netflix scored a real mystery hit with its recent release of A Good Girl’s Guide to MurderBased on the Agatha Jackson novel of the same name and adapted for television by the creator of the series Cogan Poppythe show follows Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi, an amateur detective intent on solving a local murder case as a project for her upcoming college applications. While Myers sinks his teeth into a character far darker than his role in WednesdayPip’s search sees her quickly chasing clues across her hometown of Little Kilton, studying everything from old social media posts to hotel guest books, to uncover the truth of what really happened. Yet despite all of Pip’s evidence, the most disturbing image in the entire series is the use of black ribbons.

Shown hanging from the trees of nearby Little Kilton Forest and moved by a threatening breeze in the first episode of the series, Black ribbons can be seen in the background of various scenes while Pip investigates the disappearance of Andie Bell (India Lillie Davies) In A Good Girl’s Guide to MurderWorking with the brother of the boy who allegedly confessed to Andie’s murder before committing suicide, Ravi Singh (Zain Iqbal), the two are on the case, with their quest to clear the Singh family name spiraling into a cycle of lies that soon calls into question even Pip’s closest relationships. As Myers’ character discovers that not even his closest family and friends can be trusted, however, the black tapes appear more frequently, leaving fans to ponder the meaning of the strange tapes in one of Netflix’s best new series.

Black ribbons are a common symbol of mourning in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”

While the mystery of Pip has many complex layers to unravel, sometimes the simplest answer is the most accurate. In a broad sense, Black is a color commonly associated with death and mourningwhile ribbons are usually used as symbols of awareness, such as Breast Cancer Awareness campaigners using pink ribbons to spread support for those seeking a cure. In the week of commemoration following Princess Diana’s death, US Open tennis players even wore black ribbons out of respect for the royal tragedy, alluding to Britain’s history with recognisable symbols of grief. Thus, in A Good Girl’s Guide to MurderIt makes sense that Little Kilton’s most menacing strips of fabric represent the series’ central tragedy.

Appearing on screen during the most disturbing scenes of Pip’s early investigations, the tapes’ discreet presence in the series establishes the sense of loss lurking on the edges of Little Kiltonthe same sense of persistent unease that drives Pip’s English teacher, Mr. Ward (Matthew Bayton) to urge her to drop the case. Yet, just as A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder‘S trailer proves that Pip isn’t the type of character to leave everything untouched and just look for more black ribbons as the show progresses. As symbols of remembrance, however, the strips of cloth fail to honor Andie’s passing. In fact, given that many are found deep in the forest, the cloth could represent Little Kilton’s way of banishing Andie’s memory from their daily lives if it weren’t for the more colorful shrine to Andie in the center of town.

Black ribbons have a darker meaning in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”

As Little Kilton’s painted memorial demonstrates how the town has chosen to honor the girl’s memory in a happier way, it’s clear that the show’s black ribbons aren’t just about grief over Andie’s death. Fortunately, the larger implications of the fabric are revealed once Myers’s stand-out character delves into the disappearance at the center of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder‘S adaptation. Far from being a decorative form of mourning, the ribbons are also shown marking the locations of secret Calamity parties thrown by Pip’s more boisterous classmates, establishing the disturbing scenes as signs of the dark side of teenage life in addition to their lugubrious connotations.

Unfortunately, the extra meaning this association adds to the tapes is even darker than their original symbolism. Instead of representing a broader sense of grief at the heart of Andie’s disappearance, the tapes become represent a predatory culture based on fear when placed in the depraved context of Calamity. Offering Emma Myers a greater challenge than her British accent, the actress’s good-girl persona is put to the test when she explores Calamity in episode 3, subsequently experiencing first-hand the threat of assault and dangerous drugs. And while Pip manages to escape his night of debauchery thanks to the intervention of a bystander, the consequences of Calamity’s teenage cruelty play a crucial role in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder tragic ending.

Black ribbons also symbolize silent victims in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder”

After meeting Andie’s sister, Becca (Carla Woodcock), at the Little Kilton memorial service early in the series, Pip is horrified to discover that Becca herself was attacked at a previous Calamity party by Little Kilton’s resident rich boy, Max Hastings (Henry Ashton). With Mr. Ward already exposed as the man behind Ravi’s brother’s death, the shock of this revelation is immediately followed by Becca’s confession that she was the one who killed Andie, ultimately revealing herself as TV’s newest killer because her sister was the one who sold Max the Rohypnol he used to attack her in the first place. As a result, Becca’s anger becomes the face of Calamity’s cruel side, and as the series’ black ribbons serve as markers for dangerous parties, the stripes also suggest the countless women victims of people like Max Hastings.

As Pip points out in the series finale, it’s unclear exactly how many former classmates the Prince of Little Kilton has assaulted, as his previous investigation showed that Max had been regularly dosed with date rape drugs by Andie throughout high school. With two more books in Jackson’s series to adapt, it’s possible that the show’s popularity could eventually help Pip make good on his promise to bring Max’s crimes to light, but until then, audiences will have to keep themselves entertained with Netflix’s new releases. Pip may have solved the cold case in this storyline, but the show’s final, disturbing shot of countless black ribbons in the forest reminds audiences that There are still many suffering and invisible characters to explore In A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is available for streaming on Netflix in the United States

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