You've probably spent the last few hours staring at your screen, wondering if you missed a subtle clue in the background of a shot or if the writers just pulled a fast one on you. It's the question that defines the entire experience of the show: who killed the president in paradise? Honestly, the answer is both simpler and way more messed up than most of the wild fan theories floating around Reddit would have you believe.
If you haven't finished the series, stop reading. Seriously. Go back and watch it because we are diving deep into spoilers immediately.
The mystery isn't just about a name. It’s about the collapse of a specific kind of digital idealism. In the world of Death and Other Details—the show that actually gave us this convoluted "President in Paradise" mystery—the death of President Varra wasn't just some random political assassination. It was a calculated move in a much larger game of chess played by Viktor Collier. Or, as we eventually find out, the person pretending to be him.
The Shocking Reveal: Who Actually Did It?
The person who killed the president in paradise is Hilde Eriksen, who is eventually revealed to be none other than Imogene’s mother, Kira Scott.
Wait. Let that sink in.
The very person everyone thought was a victim from the beginning turned out to be the mastermind behind the entire bloodbath on the Varuna. It wasn't just a "whodunnit" for the sake of a body count. It was a decades-long revenge plot. Kira didn't just survive the car bombing that supposedly killed her years ago; she reinvented herself to dismantle the Colliers from the inside out.
She wasn't working alone, though. Kira had been operating as Viktor Collier for years, building an empire of blackmail and leverage. When President Varra became an obstacle—or rather, a necessary sacrifice to move her plan forward—she didn't hesitate.
It’s kinda brilliant and totally horrifying at the same time.
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Kira used her position as the Interpol agent on the ship to manipulate the entire investigation. Think about it. If you’re the one "investigating" the murder, it’s pretty easy to make sure the breadcrumbs lead exactly where you want them to. She wasn't just solving a crime; she was stage-managing a tragedy.
Why the President Had to Die
Why Varra? He was the President of a small island nation, but in the context of the show's power dynamics, he was a symbol of the Colliers' corrupt reach. The "Paradise" in the title refers to the luxury and isolation of the elite. To Kira/Hilde, the President was just another gear in the machine that destroyed her life.
His death served a few purposes:
- It created immediate chaos on the ship.
- It forced the Colliers into a defensive position where they would start making mistakes.
- It drew Rufus Cotesworth back into the game, which was part of Kira’s twisted desire to see if her daughter’s mentor was actually as smart as everyone said.
The President's murder was the "inciting incident" of the cruise, but the real target was always the Collier family legacy. Kira wanted them to lose everything before they died. She wanted them to feel the same helplessness she felt when she was forced to "die" and leave her daughter behind.
The Controversy Over the Ending
A lot of people hated this reveal. You’ll find endless threads online calling it a "cheap twist" or arguing that it made no sense for a mother to put her daughter through that kind of trauma.
And they have a point.
The logic is a bit stretchy. How does one person stay hidden for that long while amassing that much power? How does Imogene not recognize her own mother, even with some reconstructive surgery and a tight bun?
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But that’s the genre. Death and Other Details is a maximalist murder mystery. It’s not trying to be The Wire. It’s trying to be Agatha Christie on acid. If you can accept the premise that a woman would fake her own death and spend twenty years planning a high-seas execution spree, then the reveal of who killed the president in paradise actually hits pretty hard.
It turns the show from a standard mystery into a dark psychological study of what happens when justice becomes an obsession. Kira Scott didn't just want the Colliers to pay; she became the very thing she was fighting against.
The Logistics of the Murder
Let’s talk about the actual mechanics for a second. Kira, disguised as Hilde, used the layout of the ship to her advantage.
- The Access: As an official on the ship, she had keys to everything.
- The Timing: She knew exactly when the President would be vulnerable.
- The Weaponry: She had access to poisons and tools that wouldn't immediately scream "Interpol Agent."
She basically played a game of "Among Us" in real life and won... at least for a while. The President was poisoned, a method that is quiet, efficient, and allows the killer to be nowhere near the body when the clock runs out. It was a professional hit disguised as part of a larger conspiracy.
What This Means for Future Rewatches
If you go back and watch the first few episodes again, knowing that Hilde is Kira, the show changes completely.
Every time Hilde looks at Imogene, it’s not just an investigator looking at a witness. It’s a mother looking at the daughter she abandoned. Every "clue" she points out is actually a breadcrumb she’s laying down to lead Imogene to the "truth" she wants her to see.
It’s honestly pretty chilling.
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The president's death was the first domino. It was the signal to the rest of the world that the "Paradise" built by the Colliers was rotting from the inside.
The Takeaway for Mystery Fans
If you're looking for more shows that pull off this kind of "hidden in plain sight" killer, you've got plenty of options, but few are as audacious as this one. The President wasn't just a victim of a political coup; he was a victim of a ghost.
The "who" is Kira Scott.
The "why" is revenge.
The "how" is a masterclass in manipulation.
What to Watch Next
If you’ve finished the series and you’re still craving that specific blend of high-fashion and high-stakes murder, check out:
- Knives Out and Glass Onion (obviously)
- The White Lotus (for the "rich people suffering in paradise" vibe)
- Poker Face (for a more grounded "case of the week" feel)
- Only Murders in the Building (if you need something a little less dark after that Kira reveal)
The biggest lesson from the President's death in the show? In a world of billionaires and secret islands, the person you should fear the most isn't the one holding the gun—it's the one holding the clipboard.
Practical Steps for Your Next Mystery Binge:
- Pay attention to the "Innocent Professional": In modern mysteries, the person with the most boring job (the detective, the lawyer, the doctor) is often the one with the biggest secret.
- Track the "Dead" Characters: If a death happened off-screen or years before the show starts, there is a 90% chance that person is actually alive and seeking revenge.
- Look at the Shoes: Costume designers often leave clues in footwear or accessories that don't change even when a character is in disguise.
Kira Scott thought she was the hero of her own story. But by the time she finished with the President and the Colliers, she had become the villain of Imogene's. That’s the real tragedy of the Paradise murders.