If you are on a true crime binging streak, then Anatomy of a Scandal was probably a title within your Easter long weekend watch list. The new Netflix series questions whether parliamentary minister James Whitehouse (Rupert Friend) is or isn’t guilty of raping his colleague and former lover, Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott). Although the two had a relationship prior to the sexual assault allegation, the show draws viewers in when the politician’s past becomes a constant target of doubt and mistrust by his wife Sophie Whitehouse (Sienna Miller). With numerous details coming to light through flashbacks from James’ college years, the court case seems like a déjà vu when comparing it to another incident involving him.

Given that the ending to the series was left in the open, here is a breakdown of what happened prior to the verdict and the meaning behind that little sneak peek in to another trial.

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the Netflix series, Anatomy of a Scandal.

The Libertines

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Image via Netflix

Before the affair turned into rape, James Whitehouse was already involved in some questionable scenarios during his “glory days” at Oxford. Actively involved in a frat group called Libertines, he was always spotted alongside his white and privileged friends at a party. It was all fun and games when a young Sophie came into the mix and the two ignited their relationship. Yet, things had a dramatic shift once one of the Libertines injected heroine and jumped off a bridge. Afraid of the repercussions, James and Tom Southern (who later becomes the MP for the Conservative party) were quick to disappear with all the evidence. A tearful James even asks Sophie late at night to be his alibi in case his future at Oxford were to be at risk.

Unaware of all the events that took place that night, little does she know that her then boyfriend had sexually assaulted her colleague, Holly Berry. After that happened, Holly refused to give Sophie any explanation for leaving Oxford and the two never spoke again for years. That is until the trial.

Kate Woodcroft’s Real Identity

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Image via Netflix

Fast-forward to the court case, Kate Woodcroft (Michelle Dockery) was intentional in proving that James was guilty. Although there wasn’t much to corroborate Olivia’s claims against him given that they were in an extramarital relationship for months, the prosecutor tried her best to confront the former parliamentary minister despite her own anxiety during the trial. Viewers later find out that the reason why Kate was so eager to work on this case was because she is in fact Holly Berry, the same Oxford student that James raped in the past. Since she opted to go by her middle name and use her former husband’s surname after leaving university as well as limited her contact links with people from Oxford, Kate wants to keep the incident far from the public eye for the sake of her own career. She even agreed to not utilize the claim that she filed as Holly years back, which could be additional evidence to support Olivia’s version of the story.

Although both James and Sophie didn’t recognize her at first, they eventually suspect that Kate is Holly throughout the trial. Yet, it is only Sophie who actually investigates the matter and unveils the truth about Holly’s escape from Oxford. After she is almost sure that Kate and Holly are the same person, James reveals to his wife that he had slept with Holly in the day of the campus murder. Despite him avoiding the term rape when describing what happened, Sophie is heartbroken that he could ever do something like that and ask for her help minutes later. This only leads her to be even more convinced about Kate’s identity.

RELATED: Sienna Miller & Rupert Friend on 'Anatomy of a Scandal,' What Drew Them to the Project, and Their Reactions to the Twist

The Verdict

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Image via Netflix

When it came down to the jury’s decision, James Whitehouse was considered innocent of the allegations against him. Even though all his supporters were celebrating the news, his wife didn’t feel cheerful at all. As the couple arrive home and odds seem to be on their side again, Sophie questions James if he did utter the phrase Olivia shared in her testimony. Now that they aren’t in the court setting anymore, he admits to saying “don’t be such a prick-tease” in the elevator as a joke but decided to lie under oath to save himself from a potential loss. At that point, Sophie understands that her husband was guilty all along, and she is pretty much done with being by his side.

To confirm her suspicions about Kate, Sophie reaches out to an old classmate named Allison. The former colleague accidentally reveals the truth. After becoming aware of it all, Sophie packs her bags and decides to get a divorce from James. She later meets with a desolate Kate, who says that James raped her back when they were in Oxford. Clearly hopeless about moving on with her career after losing the case, it is like a breath of fresh air when Sophie casually mentions that there is more to incriminate him assuring that the evidence that she has could lead to a greater trial. She even says “Merry Christmas, Holly Berry” to Kate, assuring her that justice will be met this time around.

A New Trial

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Image via Netflix

Although the rape allegation wasn’t enough to put James behind bars, his involvement alongside the current MP of the Conservative Party in a murder investigation could be even harder to plead his innocence. At the end of the series, we see James and Tom (Geoffrey Streatfeild) heading to court, practically confirming that the case at hand is regarding the death of one of the Libertines at Oxford. After all, the former parliamentary minister did tell his wife that he and Tom disappeared with the evidence that would appoint them to the crime scene.

When viewers see Kate smile as she fills the prosecutor role once again, it is clear that she is now going to finally avenge James after the traumatizing experience he put her and Olivia through. Despite not featuring verdict, the ending alludes to a not so promising conclusion to James and Tom.