Anatomy of a Scandal viewers saw Kate Woodcroft’s big twist coming

Michelle Dockery as Kate in Anatomy of a Scandal
(Image credit: Netflix)

Anatomy of a Scandal held its biggest twist until episode four as Kate Woodcroft’s past was revealed. Spoilers ahead!

Netflix drama Anatomy of a Scandal is the latest thriller from Big Little Lies and The Undoing creator David E. Kelley. The series, based on the book of the same name by Sarah Vaughan, is a six-part drama about a scandal at the heart of the British political system.

The story kicks off with Conservative MP James Whitehouse’s (Rupert Friend) affair with a researcher in his office about to make front page news in the British papers. However, things quickly become more complicated as James is accused of sexual assault by Olivia Lytton (Naomi Scott).

His wife Sophie Whitehouse (Sienna Miller) stands by him throughout as lawyer Kate Woodhouse (Michelle Dockery) is tasked with holding him to account in a court of law. However, just over halfway through the series, it emerges that Kate is more closely connected to the case than originally thought.

Anatomy of a Scandal: Holly Berry

(Image credit: Netflix)

Is Kate Holly in Anatomy of a Scandal?

At the end of episode four, we learn that Kate is actually called Holly Berry. We first met Holly back in episode one in the flashback sequences from the Whitehouse’s time at Oxford. She was Sophie’s tutorial partner who left at the end of her first year after being raped by a classmate – who turns out to be James.

So how can this be? Kate explains all in a heart-to-heart with Sophie in the show’s final episode. She reveals that following her exit from the university, she had traveled to Australia where she married and divorced someone whose last name was Woodcroft. She kept this as her last name before changing her first name to Kate. After finishing her degree in Liverpool, she quickly became a rising star in the legal world and that’s how the Whitehouse case landed on her desk.

The big twist may have been a shock to some, but plenty of fans have taken to social media to admit they thought it was "predictable". One wrote: "Watching #AnatomyOfAScandal and 'Holly Berry' and who she was, was very predictable early on!"

Another added: "Yup! I was right, Holly Berry is the mastermind behind the scandal. Good show but the end could have been better. #AnatomyOfAScandal." While a third shared: "I totally called who Holly Berry was in #AnatomyOfAScandal. And yes, I’d like a cookie."

Others liked the twist, pointing out it was a good layer to the story. Reacting to the reveal, one fan wrote: "Not Holly Berry! I knew there was a twist! I thought it would have been the girl the PM groped that night. #AnatomyOfAScandal."

Another added: "Yes Holly Berry, GET HIM! This time he can’t get away with it." A third viewer wrote: "Holly Berry and Olivia Lytton never got their justice but, I hope Kate Woodcroft sends that sex offender to jail."

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Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.