This story, which takes place in 2008, runs concurrently in Unbelievable with the investigation by the two detectives in 2011. They are in Colorado; Marie is in Washington. The framing of the Netflix series is masterful, contrasting Marie’s treatment by two male detectives with the way the subsequent rape victims are treated by two female detectives.

By the time we get to episode eight, Marie’s rapist has been caught. This is where the story would end, if Unbelievable was CSI: New York or Criminal Minds. But Unbelievable is not your average police procedural, and thus episode eight begins with the original detective in Marie’s case learning from Rasmussen that the rape victim he labelled an attention-seeker liar was telling the truth the whole time.

The last episode of Unbelievable is a study in catharsis. In this episode, we get to see Marie learn that her rapist has been caught. We get to see her sue the city and receive $150,000 in compensation. We get to see her finally sit for her driver’s license and, for the first time in the series, smile a real smile when she passes. We get to see Marie pack her things into her car and start down the path of her new life.

Why the finale of Unbelievable is the most important episode of television this year