The shocking cliffhanger ending of Peacock's Stephanie Hsu's Ruby Yao discovering that Brandon, her ex-boyfriend from college, has died. After going to the funeral, she leaves with Jeffrey, her other ex-boyfriend and Brandon's best friend. After a fight, Jeffrey gets out of the Uber and is immediately hit by a car.
While this could be one big coincidence, Ruby and her true crime-obsessed best friend AJ quickly discover that all her previous sexual partners are dying in the order that she slept with them. The two set out to discover the cause, warn Ruby's exes, and prevent as many deaths as possible. At the same time, Ruby tries to figure out her place in a love triangle with her ex who won't die and her idyllic client. This leads to a shocking ending that sends an important message about trauma while setting up Laid season 2.
What’s Causing Ruby’s Exes To Die In Laid Season 1
The Death Of Ruby's Exes Isn't Connected To The Hex
The big mystery throughout Laid season 1 is what’s causing all of Ruby’s exes to die. Ruby, AJ, and Richie cycle through theories, suggesting everything from a stalker to a sexually transmitted illness. Unfortunately, every one of their theories comes up short. A stalker can’t cause someone to get cancer, and a sexually transmitted illness can’t cause someone to get a foul ball to the temple. They think they have finally solved the mystery when AJ finds a video of Brad itting to placing a hex on Ruby for spurning him.
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After pressure, Brad helps them find the woman who actually cast the hex, and she gives them instructions on how to transfer it to someone else. They transfer it onto the upstairs neighbor, who annoys AJ and Ruby. However, Peacock’s Laid diverts from the Australian show of the same name by making the hex a red herring. Co-showrunner Nahnatchka Khan told Variety that they intentionally leaned into the curse and hex theories, dropping the bomb at the end of the season that the deaths are rooted in “intergenerational trauma.”
Even though they haven’t spoken in 15 years, Ruby’s father shows up at their apartment, revealing that he previously experienced what happened to Ruby. He wants to help her with the situation. Unfortunately, other than Khan’s statement, no details are available about what specifically is causing all of her sexual partners to die. The writers leave that information for Laid season 2, which hasn’t been confirmed as of January 1, 2025. Luckily, Peacock doesn’t cancel shows after one season nearly as frequently as other streaming sites, offering hope that Ruby’s story will continue.
Who Ruby Chooses Between Isaac And Richie
Ruby Idealizes Isaac Throughout Laid Season 1
Though Ruby starts out single in the Peacock original show, she quickly finds herself at the center of a love triangle between her jaded ex-boyfriend Richie and her sweet party-planning client Isaac. Even though she has feelings for Isaac, she realizes that she cannot sleep with him because he’ll die. The pair are also mismatched in that she recognizes that she’s messy while she views him as kind and thoughtful. On the other hand, she can have as much sex as she wants with Richie because he’s her “sex loophole.” She also sees her ex as equally flawed and neurotic, making them complementary.
Ultimately, Ruby’s decision doesn’t come down to who is right for her. Both men connect with her in different ways, bringing out unique sides of her personality. There’s no wrong choice. Instead, it comes down to picking between idealization and reality. Most of Laid shows Ruby longing for this “perfect” man, Isaac, failing to see that he’s flawed in his own ways. She also actively ignores the fact that her ex sees the ugly parts of her personality but accepts them. In the end, Ruby picks Isaac to pursue a romance with, despite her complicated feelings towards Richie.
Did Ruby’s Dad Cause Her Mom’s Death?
Ruby's Mom Probably Died Because Of The Same Thing Killing Ruby's Exes
Throughout Laid, Ruby struggles to cope with her mother’s death and her father’s abandonment immediately afterward. She barely acknowledges the losses, skirting around the topic in therapy and with her loved ones. However, the cliffhanger ending of Laid season 1 will force Ruby to confront her past in a way she hasn’t before. Ruby’s dad reveals that he went through the same thing his daughter is experiencing. The story-altering revelation could breed even more resentment between Ruby and her father.
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The probability seems high that whatever genetic factor caused Ruby’s boyfriend to die also killed her mother. If true, it’s easy to understand why Ruby’s dad would leave after her death. He would feel immense guilt over the deaths, just like Ruby has throughout Laid season 1. Unfortunately, because Ruby sees the world egocentrically, she could blame her father for taking her mom away instead of empathizing with him. Viewers will have to wait until season 2 of Laid to find out what truly happened, though.
How Ruby Repairs Her Friendship With AJ
Ruby Sets Up A Suprise Dinner For AJ
While sex and romance are central to Laid, the platonic love between Ruby and AJ is probably the most important relationship in the series. Unfortunately, Ruby makes a massive mistake early in the series by having sex with AJ’s ex-boyfriend right after they break up. Rather than itting her mistake, she hides what happened, worsening the pain that AJ feels when she learns about the betrayal. Unfortunately, Ruby continually justifies her actions to herself by saying that they were broken up.
The grand gesture is supposed to get the two back together, with Ruby accepting that she would probably still lose her friend.
Ultimately, it takes Aubrey – Ruby’s one who got away – pointing out that Ruby needs AJ for her to reflect on what led her to the poor decision. Then, AJ points out that she’s trying to fix the problem by transferring the hex for selfish reasons. These two moments combined resonate enough with Ruby to help her change. Rather than making the apology about her need for forgiveness, she tries to repair the damage that she caused between AJ and Zack.
Ruby sets up a dinner between AJ and Amanda Knox (her idol), giving Zack the credit for everything. The grand gesture is supposed to get the two back together, with Ruby accepting that she would probably still lose her friend. It’s the most selfless thing she’s done. However, AJ recognizes that only Ruby knows her well enough to set up that surprise. Even when they talk about the dinner, Ruby doesn’t want to take credit. This gesture and the aftermath finally bring the two best friends back together.
The Sex Loophole In Laid Season 1 Explained
Unlike Ruby's Other Exes, Richie Doesn't Die
Though Ruby warns Richie that he’s going to die, whatever’s causing the deaths skips over him, leading to Ruby labeling him the “sex loophole.” Laid season 1 doesn’t explain how or why this happens, but it doesn’t change the importance of Richie holding that title. Because of her mom’s death and her father’s abandonment, Ruby behaves in relationships as if they will end at any given time. Rather than letting them run their course, Ruby keeps her partners at arms' length and cuts them off rather than letting them hurt her.
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However, Richie being the “sex loophole” gives her one person outside of AJ that she’s certain won’t die or leave her. Their situation inextricably links Ruby and Richie, and they find solace in one another as they navigate the uncertainty. Ultimately, she needs him to grow as a person. Without the consistency and stability of Richie, she might not have gotten to a point where she could truly reflect on her past relationships. The loss of every person she’d had sex with would have propelled her further into her insecurity and self-sabotaging ways.
The True Meaning Of Laid Season 1’s Ending (& How It Sets Up Season 2)
Laid Season 1 Explores The Long-Term Impact Of Trauma
The end of Laid season 1 might feel shocking, but it fits perfectly within the show's themes. The dark comedy TV show explores the impact of past trauma and relationships through gallows humor. Rather than emotionally losing her loved ones, Ruby is forced to physically lose every person she ever engaged with sexually, including a few people she deeply loved.
By forcing her to confront her past, Laid makes it clear that Ruby – and, by extension, the audience – cannot move forward in life without facing her traumas. Ruby’s family loss impacted every one of her relationships, and every previous romance influenced the next. This created a web of emotional baggage that Ruby couldn’t escape. Luckily, there’s hope going into Laid season 2. If Laid season 1 is about processing old wounds, the second season will hopefully show Ruby building a new foundation of emotional vulnerability and self-awareness as she finds a way to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma and death.
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