All the fanfare Black Cake has received since it first launched on Hulu in the US, including a spot on our best Black shows to watch right now list, is more than deserving; and, the Black Cake season 1 ending certainly lives up to the hype of the previous episodes.
The show's finale not only answers the biggest question of the show thus far — who murdered Covey's first husband — but the season finale also highlights what may be in store for her three children in the future.
So just what happened and what can show fans look forward to next? Well, here's what we know (warning, SPOILERS ahead).
What happened to Bunny?
In the previous seven episodes of the season, nothing was mentioned about Bunny (Lashay Anderson) as an adult. Viewers only experienced her during her teenage years with Covey. The last time the best friends interacted, Bunny was telling Covey to run away to London in the wake of Little Man's (Anthony Mark Barrow) death. Then, once Covey was in the train crash and later assumed the identity of Eleanor, word reached back to Jamaica that Covey died.
Fast forward to the Black Cake finale, and as Byron (Ashley Thomas), Benny (Adrienne Warren) and Mabel (Sonita Henry) cut into the last black cake their mother ever made, they find a jar with a picture of a young Covey, Bunny and Gibbs (Ahmed Elhaj). After Benny does a quick search on the internet, she discovers that Bunny grew up to be a world-renowned swimmer. In fact, she became the first Black woman to swim the English Channel, the Strait of Magellan in Chile and along the Siberian Coast.
Later, Byron and Benny introduce themselves to an author at a book signing, and it turns out to be the adult Bunny (CCH Pounder). Covey's children show her the picture they found in the jar and Bunny becomes floored knowing Covey didn't die in the train wreck. Bunny actually grows to be angry that Covey never reached out to her in the decades after she left Jamaica. This anger subsides when Bunny hosts a Nine-Night ceremony at Covey's home with the children to release burdens and mourn/celebrate Covey.
Who killed Little Man?
The question of who murdered Little Man has been an on our mind since the very beginning. While context clues have led fans to point fingers at several suspects over the season, the murderer is finally revealed in the Black Cake finale. It turns out, Bunny, with an assist from Pearl (Faith Alabi), poisoned him.
On the day of the nuptials, Bunny runs into Pearl in the kitchen of the wedding space venue. Pearl, is handling manchineel fruit, which is very toxic when ingested, and Pearl's secret weapon to free Covey of Little Man.
Covey's godmother tells Bunny that Little Man booked the honeymoon suite for after the wedding reception. When he and Covey go up to the room, Pearl would send a nightcap for Little Man. She imagines he'll drink the beverage laced with the manchineel fruit, fall asleep and never wake up. At that point, Pearl plans to escort Covey out of the hotel before anyone catches wind of Little Man's death; she's already packed Covey a bag and set her up with a place to stay in London in preparation for this scenario.
Bunny isn't thrilled hearing the scheme and takes matters into her own hands. At the reception, she sneaks off and goes into the kitchen and finds some of the poison, then she secretly places some in a glass of champagne. When no one is looking, she takes that glass and swaps it out for Little Man's glass sitting on the newlyweds' reception table. Little Man eventually picks up the deadly glass of champagne and the rest is history.
One point to note is Covey never knew for sure who killed Little Man.
What happens to Covey's children?
Here’s a brief rundown of what happened to Mabel, Benny and Covey by the finale's end:
Mabel
Mabel leaves her newfound siblings with a lot to consider. For starters, she is left contemplating telling her son the real reason for her sudden departure from London. He doesn't know his mother found out that she's adopted. Additionally, Mabel has to weigh telling her son the truth about his father, her deceased husband. Viewers don't learn much about what mysteries lie surrounding Mabel's husband, but they do find out that Mabel was apparently not welcomed by his family at his funeral.
On top of all of this, Mabel starts to play the recording Covey left especially for her, and in it, Covey offers the identity of Mabel's birth father. The eldest of Covey's children ends the season with a lot of loose ends.
Byron
While at the second funeral for his mother, Byron sees Lynette (Rebecca Naomi Jones), who shares she's pregnant with his child. Although he's thrilled to hear the news, she's not certain she wants to keep the baby, leaving the pair at odds. So is Byron preparing for parenthood?
Then in a final Byron scene, he sits with Covey's attorney Charles (Glynn Turman) in front of a camera. Charles asks, "Dr. Bennett, tell me about the first time you experienced racial discrimination at the institute." It would appear that Byron is preparing to sue his former employer.
Benny
For much of the season, Benny has been on a journey of self-discovery. That looks to continue in the future. She decides to just create again, this time without influence from other people on her work. Her first step in this endeavor is cueing up social media and performing a song for her followers.
Will there be a Black Cake season 2?
Given how the initial run of Black Cake ended, fans can only hope a season 2 is to come. Unfortunately, at the time of publication, there was no official word given as to whether or not Black Cake has been renewed. We at least know that Black Cake director, Natalia Leite, would be happy to return to direct a few episodes.
All episodes of Black Cake are now streaming on Hulu in the US. Look for episodes on Disney Plus in the UK.
