Blood Sacrifice Ending Explained: Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm and created and written by George Kay. Netflix Swedish crime thriller Blodsoffer stars Jakob Oftebro as Thomas Berg, Peter Andersson as Alfred Berg, Irina Björklund as Rebecca Björklund, Henrik Norlén as Max Abrahamsson, Alexander Abdallah as John-Jo Persson, Electra Hallman as Natalie Eklund, Alva Peedu Järmén as Bonnie Berg, Jakob Fahlstedt as Viktor Falk, and Lisette T. Pagler as Charlotte Berg, Magnus Krepper as Peter Johansson, alongside others.
Blood Sacrifice Ending Explained
Who Was the 112 Killer and Why Did He Target Police Officers?
The culprit in the series of murders was Peter Johansson, a former policeman who had been on a break from the police force for a while. His murderous streak was well calculated. Two years before the events in the series took place, Peter and his colleague Hugo Brankovic were called through the 112 emergency number at 1:15 AM. Soon after their arrival at the apartment, Hugo became a victim of abuse by a madman who attacked him.
Peter asked for help through the police radio but did not receive it due to the disastrous delay in his appeal being heard. The dispatcher informed him that it would take another 20 minutes until the nearest police car could arrive, but Hugo was already dead. Making the situation even worse were the events that took place after. Peter tried to convince others that he had called for help, only to discover that the record had been tampered with and that there was no record of his having done so.
That made Peter look like a coward who did nothing when his partner was dying. He quit being a policeman but was unable to forget the death of Hugo, and the feeling of revenge against the system which let Hugo down developed in him. Using recordings of people’s voices from previous victims, he used to call 112 pretending to be in danger; knowing that policemen would react to the call automatically, he was waiting for them to come in order to attack and kill them. His ultimate target was Alfred Berg, whom he mistakenly believed was responsible for what happened to Hugo.
What Was Midwinter’s Sacrifice, and Why Did Peter Use It as the Model for His Murders?
The way that the victims were placed was not just about creating the illusion of some kind of ritual. By placing the bodies like this, Peter was mimicking the pictures in Carl Larsson’s painting called ‘Midwinter Sacrifice’ (‘Midvinterblot’), which depicted a sacrifice ceremony associated with King Domalde. King Domalde was portrayed in the painting as someone ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of his people and surrounded by mourners of his. It was very significant for Peter’s twisted perception of what had happened to Hugo.
Peter perceived the painting through his personal anger at the police. The police were now the flawed institution that needed to be purged, and Peter was the one who was supposed to purge them, sacrificing their lives in the process. He thus positioned himself in the role of the purifier, with the slain police officers joining his twisted version of the painting. They were placed in a way that made them seem like the mourners, and the decapitated heads were shown close to his property, resembling the skull images from the painting by Larsson. It was also personal, since Midwinter Sacrifice was the favourite painting of Hugo, and his wife was aware of that.
What Happened to Max Abrahamsson?
Max Abrahamsson is murdered in the course of investigating Peter Johansson. As Max gets more doubtful about the case, he starts trusting his intuition even before the rest of the investigation catches up. Max ends up following his leads straight to the house of Peter Johansson and finds the individual he thinks is involved in the murders. However, by choosing to go to Peter’s house, Max ends up putting himself right into the line of fire of the serial killer, and Peter murders him.
Max dies before the end of Blood Sacrifice, but the findings of his investigation play a vital role in solving the mystery. What he discovered is an important part of the puzzle that eventually allows Thomas and the other police to identify the 112 Killer. This way, his death becomes another piece of evidence that finally uncovers Peter. It is because Max trusted his gut feeling that it cost him his life, and yet helped find out the truth about Peter.
Who Was Actually Responsible for Hugo Brankovic’s Death?
In the ending of Blood Sacrifice, we get to know that Lucas Lind, and not Alfred Berg, is the individual who was primarily responsible for the situation that resulted in Hugo Brankovic’s murder. This is because he was a radio operator at the police station that fateful night. While Peter was struggling outside the building, he sought backup from Lucas Lind through the police radio but received no response. He was very tired and could not handle the situation with the urgency needed, but rather told him that the closest team would take 20 minutes to arrive.
To make matters even more complicated, Lucas then compounded his error by trying to hide it. Instead of being honest about the fact that he had not answered Peter’s cries for help, Lucas, taking advantage of his high status, did away with all proof of any kind of contact that he had had with him. Consequently, Peter found himself in a position where it seemed that he had not cried out for help and had not done anything to try to save his partner. Peter devoted the rest of his life to blaming the wrong person, Alfred, who had been in touch with Lucas on the very day of Hugo’s death.
Was Thomas Able to Save Alfred?
Yes, Thomas does save Alfred at the end of Blood Sacrifice, despite the fact that the latter gets badly hurt. Peter abducts Alfred and makes him serve as bait since he is aware that Thomas will be coming to look for his father. The idea behind such a move is to lure Thomas to the place where Hugo was murdered and make him take part in the final act of revenge. It even results in Peter shooting at Alfred and severely wounding him. Nevertheless, Alfred survives in order to help his son. He makes Peter concentrate on himself so that Thomas could enter the building unnoticed.
It only makes their struggle more deadly when Peter and Thomas engage in battle on the balcony of the same building where Hugo died many years ago. Peter and Thomas both fall from the balcony, yet they are both alive. The same holds true for Alfred, who was taken to the hospital and is recovering from his wounds. Hence, the ending did not mean the planned sacrifice of Alfred and Thomas by Peter. It meant the survival of both father and son, in addition to healing the rift between them.
Does Peter Die at the End of Blood Sacrifice?
No, Peter Johansson doesn’t die. In the finale of Blood Sacrifice, Peter and Thomas fight on the balcony, but they both fall down. For a split second, Peter’s fate looks uncertain due to the fall; however, the show proves later that he is alive. As Thomas is recuperating in the hospital, he hears from the news broadcast that Peter is alive and has been captured for his crimes.
Peter’s survival, too, is in tune with the larger theme of the ending. The premise of Peter’s revenge hinged on the fact that someone needed to take responsibility for the death of Hugo; however, over the years, Peter took revenge against the police for Hugo’s death, despite the fact that the cause of Hugo’s death had been Lucas and not any of the other police officers. Now, as the reality of the situation is known to the public, Peter remains alive and now has to confront the legal and moral consequences of all the murders that he committed.
