'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?

Spoiler alert! The following story contains major details about the ending of “No Good Deed."

A few years ago, writer-producer Liz Feldman got a taste of the cutthroat real-estate market.

She and her wife, musician Rachael Cantu, toured more than 50 properties before finding their dream home.

“It was competitive; I found myself wanting to do anything I could to get this house,” Feldman recalls. “I ended up writing a letter to the owners, and maybe slightly exaggerating the truth of our story to pull on their heartstrings. And it worked!”

The experience became a jumping-off point for “No Good Deed,” an eight-episode dark Netflix comedy (now streaming) following three rival couples jousting for a palatial Los Angeles abode being sold by a former concert pianist, Lydia Morgan (Lisa Kudrow), and her husband, Paul (Ray Romano). The couple is grieving the loss of their teenage son, Jacob (Wyatt Aubrey), who died three years earlier, and they believe that moving will give them a fresh start.

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But like Feldman’s other Netflix show, “Dead to Me,” it’s a breakneck roller coaster of shocking twists and revelations. Let’s unpack how it all wrapped up:

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Who killed Jacob in ‘No Good Deed?’

Through flashbacks, we learn that Jacob was acting out by stealing from neighbors’ houses. One night, he flew through his front door wearing a ski mask; thinking it was an intruder, his sister, Emily (Chloe East), grabbed a gun and accidentally shot him.

But in the finale, we learn that it wasn’t Emily’s bullet that killed him: Jacob had just been across the street with Margo (Linda Cardellini), a grifter who’s unhappily married to former soap star JD (Luke Wilson). When Jacob threatened to tell JD about his relationship with Margo, she chased him back to his home and shot him on his front porch.

“I didn’t always intend on Margo being the linchpin,” says Feldman, who also worked with Cardellini on “Dead to Me.” “But as we kept developing her character and really leaning into her sociopathy, we felt this desire to give the Morgan family some version of a happy ending. It was an interesting way to absolve them somewhat from the death of their son.”

Margo, meanwhile, got badly burned in a fire while lounging in her bathtub, and was eventually arrested for her many crimes. Her searing fate was teased back in Episode 1, when Lydia told Paul that she'd rather burn down their house than sell it to someone like Margo. "It felt deserved," Feldman says. "It felt like her destiny."

Who ultimately got Paul and Lydia’s house?

In addition to Margo and JD, there are two other couples interested in buying the Morgans’ home: lawyer Leslie (Abbi Jacobson) and her wife, Sarah (Poppy Liu), who’s desperately trying to become pregnant; and newlyweds Dennis (O-T Fagbenle) and Carla (Teyonah Parris), who clash over his overbearing mom (Anna Maria Horsford).

According to California real-estate law, homeowners don’t have to disclose a death in the house after three years. But thanks to Leslie’s legal prowess, Sarah discovers Jacob’s murder and convinces Carla to rescind her offer on the home so they can buy it themselves.

“We wanted to reward the couple who really knew the truth about the house: the darkness and the memories, and yet they’re still willing to buy it,” Feldman says. “It was a healing moment for the house. Also, it’s important to show that same-sex couples have the same aspirations as anyone. We just want to protect and provide for our families.”

Initially, Feldman had another plan entirely: In the first episode, “Saturday Night Live” alum Vanessa Bayer makes a brief cameo during an open house at the Morgans with her partner.

“She’s one of the first people you meet in the show, and I thought it would be very L.A. to end the season with that vapid, bougie couple getting this house,” Feldman says. “But then you really start to invest in these other characters, and it made more sense to give it to Leslie and Sarah.”

How does ‘No Good Deed’ end?

In the season’s final scene, Lydia returns to the piano to play a show with Emily, her once-estranged daughter who is also a musician. As Paul watches from the audience, the lamp at his table starts to flicker. Earlier in the series, Lydia says that Jacob communicates with her through his bedroom light. Although Paul was once dubious, he now takes this as a sign that Jacob is still with him, and he says hello to the lamp.

“We wanted to give Paul a full-circle moment that demonstrates how far he’s come in his grief,” Feldman says. The idea of the glimmering light was also inspired by her real life: “When we moved into our house, there was a light that kept flashing. Multiple electricians came in and nobody could fix it – and then I realized maybe it doesn’t need to be fixed.”

Will there be a ‘No Good Deed’ Season 2?

Although the Morgans’ house was ultimately sold, there are plenty of other avenues to explore should “No Good Deed” continue. Could the series follow a whole new cast of potential buyers in a different city? Might comedian Matt Rogers return as the sneering real-estate agent Greg?

“I won’t say anything except that Matt Rogers is brilliant,” Feldman teases. “I would work with him again in a heartbeat. What initially drew me to this premise was that it felt like it really had legs. There are numerous real-estate markets, and buying your dream house is everybody’s aspiration. It’s wide open to tell some intriguing and heartfelt stories.”

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