Do we know what happened to Farleigh in Saltburn?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the ending of Saltburn.

Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn is a wild ride from start to finish, making us feel way more than we were prepared for at the start of the journey. Ranging from amusement, envy, and entertainment to wild discomfort, this movie has it all.

At the end of the day, though, no matter how predictable some viewers may have found the storyline, Saltburn still manages to spark curiosity. And no, I’m not talking about that initial curiosity that drives you to watch a piece of media; the one that led to you watch Saltburn and see what the fuss was all about. I’m talking about the question mark left in your brain after the film is over.

Granted, the ending is neatly wrapped up, with flashbacks to essential scenes presented to its audience so that no doubt is left about who did what and why. We get to learn what happened to Felix, to Venetia, and what Oliver’s only goal was. However, one particular door is left open — Farleigh. Are we sure that we know how Oliver got him out of the picture, or is there more to the story?

What happened to Farleigh at the end of Saltburn?

As an outsider in the eyes of his own family members, Farleigh Start wasn’t the biggest threat to Oliver’s plan. Perhaps because of that, Farleigh was discarded much more easily than other chess pieces, when the protagonist framed him for Felix’s death. With just a few words, and the implication that Farleigh was responsible for Felix’s apparent overdose, Sir James wasted little time in sending him away from Saltburn, banning him from ever returning.

As it turns out, that was the best thing that could’ve happened to Farleigh, as he likely would’ve ended up dead otherwise. But who’s to say that he truly escaped this terrible fate? Farleigh doesn’t tend to stay away for too long, as established earlier in the film when Oliver framed him for stealing. The cousin was sent away then, too, only to return in time for Oliver’s birthday party. That said, stealing and being the cause of someone’s death are two vastly different things to be accused of, and Sir James was more likely to forgive one over the other.

Thus, maybe the protagonist did successfully get rid of Farleigh the second time, but we have no way of knowing for sure. Did Farleigh return to Saltburn at some point, only to be murdered by Oliver? Your guess is as good as mine. But did Oliver need to go that far to inherit the estate? Unlikely. Lady Elspeth didn’t seem to have a problem trusting him over Farleigh. I wonder why.

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