Warning: This article contains spoilers for Disney+’s Pauline

Disney+’s German series Pauline includes an ending packed with plot twists that continue up until the very last moment. The controversial Disney+ show Pauline follows the 19-year-old titular character who is working for a scholarship to med school, going up against her obnoxious nemesis Britta. To blow off steam, she hooks up with a random young man named Lukas, who just so happens to be the Devil’s son. Despite using contraceptives, Pauline accidentally becomes pregnant. Pauline starts experiencing strange powers induced by her demonic pregnancy, which are as entertaining to watch as they are terrifying.

Upon learning about its devilish origins, Pauline’s efforts to terminate the pregnancy become more complicated, as the fetus can use its powers to kill the doctors and nurses. She must turn to supernatural means if she hopes to get an abortion. Soon, she and Lukas must also hide from the demons and Lilith, who believe the future baby will be the antichrist. This culminates in an ending that’s fast-paced and packed with questions that perfectly set up a possible Pauline season 2.

Does Pauline Finally Terminate Her Pregnancy In Pauline Season 1’s Ending?

Pauline Attempts To Get An Abortion In Multiple Ways Throughout Pauline Season 1

Throughout the entirety of Pauline season 1, the eponymous character seeks out an abortion. Unfortunately, she doesn’t succeed with this goal despite many attempts. When Pauline tries to get one through medical means, the fetus slaughters the nurses and doctors. Next, she turns to Lilith, who lies about wanting to kill the fetus.

After realizing Lilith’s deception, Pauline asks the angels for help getting an abortion. Eira – the angel leader – explicitly agrees to kill the fetus so that Pauline can continue living her life and pursuing med school. However, Eira plans to sacrifice both Pauline and her potential baby in a forced birth ritual for nefarious reasons.

When Pauline realizes she’s out of options, she agrees to give birth and give the baby to Lilith rather than terminate the pregnancy. However, the titular main character only agrees to this with strict rules in place. When Lilith reneges on the terms of the agreement, Pauline uses her powers to temporarily take down the leader of Hell. Unfortunately, this leaves Pauline with the baby despite her not wanting to be a mother. At the very end of the season, the teen’s water breaks, sending her into labor and setting up a storyline for Pauline season 2.

What Happened To Lilith At The End Of Pauline Season 1

Lilith Didn’t Die Despite Pauline’s Best Efforts

After Pauline murders the newly revived Samuel in Disney+’s Pauline, Lilith tries to kill her in retaliation. However, as she’s about to die, Pauline is visited by a vision of her father that helps her gain the strength to survive the attack. The teenager grabs onto Lilith and disintegrates her body. Though Pauline believes Lilith is dead at this point, the demon leader’s spirit is shown taking over Britta’s body at the end of the adult Disney+ TV show.

Earlier in the Pauline season 1 finale, it’s revealed that Britta has the same marks on the back of her neck as the titular teen, pointing to the possibility of her being either part demon or part angel. In either case, though, if Britta is supernatural, her body should support Lilith’s magical abilities. This gives Lilith a chance to continue her reign of terror. Britta also has a newly established friendship with the eponymous main character, putting Lilith in a great position to have access to the baby in Pauline season 2.

Eira’s Secret Plan For Pauline’s Baby Explained

Eira’s Secret Plan Shows Angels Aren’t Necessarily Morally Good

Throughout Pauline season 1, Eira presents herself as the pinnacle of morality. However, Pauline discovers during what’s supposed to be an abortion ceremony that Eira had a secret plan all along. Because Pauline’s future baby is part angel and part demon, the leader of the angels believes that she can harvest it to defeat the demons, forcing the world into complete order with zero free will.

Eira’s lack of morality and compassion really shows when she asks Pauline during the ceremony if she’s ready to sacrifice her life for the cause. This happens after the ritual is already in motion. The question points to Eira’s knowledge that the teenager will not live through the forced birth/sacrifice ceremony. Still, Eira chooses to put the life of a young woman at risk without her consent in order to achieve her own goals, displaying the same selfishness found in Lilith.

What Pauline’s Dad’s Backstory Means For Season 1’s Ending

Pauline’s Dad Has An Important Role In Pauline’s Character Arc

One of the biggest mysteries throughout Pauline season 1 is how a demon could impregnate a human. Lukas doesn’t seem to believe it is possible at first and fears what the future child could become. However, toward the end of the season, Pauline learns that she isn’t human on her dad’s side. Lukas and Eira reveal that her father – Jason – was actually an angel, making her half-angel and half-human. This leads Pauline to trust Eira more than Lukas. Unfortunately, the trust related to her late father leads to a much more tragic betrayal during the sacrifice ceremony.

Jason’s task of protecting the portal to Hell also contributes to Pauline’s ending. Lukas’ brother, Samuel, killed Jason while trying to bring more demons through the portal, tipping the balance towards the side of chaos. The knowledge that Samuel killed Jason leads Pauline to agree to give up the baby if Lilith agrees not to touch the portal or revive Samuel. When coming to see them in the Pauline season 1 finale, the teen also equips herself with the demon-killing dagger so she can take Samuel down if they break the deal and resurrect him.

Is Eira Really Dead At The End Of Pauline Season 1?

Eira’s Death Might Have Been A Fakeout

In Pauline season 1, episode 5, “Trust,” Pauline defeats Eira during the forced birth ceremony after learning about the angels’ secret plan. However, two moments in the final episode point to the fact that Eira could still be alive despite appearing to die onscreen. Firstly, Lilith doesn’t believe that Eira is dead because Lilith and Eira are meant to be eternal beings. Considering Lilith has a better understanding of the theology and cosmos within Pauline, it’s likely there is some truth to the statement that Eira can’t be killed.

Secondly, when Pauline thinks she’s killed Lilith, the demon leader’s spirit is shown floating away and entering the body of Britta. If Lilith takes on another body instead of dying, it stands to reason that Eira might have done the same thing. Ultimately, this possibility can be addressed and explored further if Disney+ gives Pauline a second season.

Why Pauline Could Keep Her Powers After Giving Birth

Pauline Isn’t A Normal Human With A Demonic Pregnancy

The characters in Disney+’s Pauline make many assumptions about the main teenager’s pregnancy, relying on centuries-old legends to guide them. They act throughout the series as if Pauline’s powers come from the fetus, but this is never overtly confirmed. While Pauline’s powers don’t manifest until after she gets pregnant, the ending of Pauline season 1 hints that they might come from an innate place, rather than being tied to the future baby. Pauline discovers that she isn’t a normal human, but a human-angel hybrid whose very existence perplexed Eira.

Eira believed it was impossible for a human and angel to conceive, so she did tests on Pauline when she was a child. While Eira didn’t find anything dangerously magical about Pauline when testing her as a child, it’s possible her angel side laid dormant until the hormonal changes of pregnancy activated her genetic abilities. This is hinted further at by the fact that she can control her powers when she has memories of her father. If this ends up being true, Pauline would have abilities even after giving birth in Pauline season 2

How Pauline Season 1’s Ending Sets Up Season 2

Pauline Season 1 Leaves Many Storylines And Questions Open-Ended

Though Pauline season 1 brings the plot to a decent stopping point, the show sets up multiple possible storylines for a possible Pauline season 2. In the final moments of the show, Tammo gives Lukas the ring that signifies power, telling him that he will have to lead Hell with Lilith gone. Pauline goes into labor, raising questions about whether the couple will keep the demon-angel-human hybrid baby or lock it away, as Lukas suggests.

The titular character also has a scholarship to study medicine at the end of Pauline season 1. It’s unclear whether she will still go to England for her education or not. If she does follow through on her plan to attend med school, this could mean a change of location for Pauline season 2. There’s also the matter of Lilith’s spirit possessing Britta, who became Pauline’s friend right before the climax of the finale. The leader of Hell will undoubtedly try to take the baby from Pauline and Lukas in order to get her power back.

Lastly, because Jason’s true past isn’t revealed until the end of Pauline season 1, the second season will need to provide more context as to his relationship with Pauline’s mom. Based on her reaction to the painting, it’s unclear whether Pauline’s mom actually remembers anything about angels or if she knew about Jason when they got together. If the show gets canceled, the audience can fill in the blanks; however, the show deserves a second season to explore all these stories.

Pauline’s Twist On Christian Theology, Explained

The Theological System In The World Of Pauline Is A Twist On Christianity

Though Pauline is advertised as a story related to the Devil’s son, the Disney+ show quickly establishes itself as something separate from the Christian religion, with Lukas even comparing the Bible to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books. In Pauline, the universe functions on two principles – chaos and order. The creatures called demons in Christianity are supernatural beings that promote chaos under the leadership of Lilith – the equivalent of the Devil. Lukas reveals that most of the priests in the Catholic Church are actually demons, like Tammo, which seems like commentary on priests who secretly violate the values they promote.

On the other side of the balance, angels are supernatural beings who want to bring order to the world by removing free will. Rather than God ruling over the angels, they follow the orders of a being named Eira. Their cult-like group dresses in all white and demands strict adherence to their rules, as shown in the conversations between Eira and Britta. However, they actually are just as morally dubious as the demons. As Tammo reveals, the entire idea of “good” and “evil” was constructed by the angels to divide people.

Both sides seek to wipe the other out in Pauline despite telling the titular character that they want balance in the world. The demons and angels can both jump into the heads of others and manipulate their thoughts and emotions. The German Disney+ show depicts Pauline and Lukas doing this many times. Eira also controls Pauline’s thoughts and emotions before the forced birth ceremony. The ultimate message in Pauline’s theology is that neither side is motivated by what’s right, because black-and-white constructs like right and wrong minimize the world’s moral complexity.