Did Keith Die? Did Ron Yuan Leave Grosse Pointe Garden Society?

For the most part, ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society‘ has been centered on the mysterious murder of a Grosse Pointe resident during an annual gala hosted at the town’s garden club. The series primarily delves into the drama through the eyes of four characters – struggling teacher Alice, real estate agent Catherine, single dad and aspiring mechanic Brett, and novelist Birdie. As we uncover the disparate issues within their life, we edge closer to the truth and discover how they get involved in a scandalous murder on the night of the gala. The identity of the victim in question is kept hidden throughout as we are presented with numerous potential candidates across the different episodes. However, in episode 11, it all comes crashing down as we learn that the victim is none other than Keith, Alice’s father-in-law. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Keith’s Murder is the Result of a Revenge Prank Gone Too Far

At the end of episode 11, Alice discovers that her dog Molly was seemingly killed by Patty. After DNA testing a bullet round from Patty’s belongings, Alice surmises that her mother-in-law murdered her dog and dragged it to the park to make it seem like the actions of someone cold-blooded. To that end, Alice becomes determined to pay back Patty’s actions by taking away what she values the most – the special Grosse Pointe quilt she bought at the gala auction. The group encourages her plan by stealing the quilt and threatening to destroy it in the garden shredder. Keith stumbles upon the site and tries to take the quilt away from them. In the ensuing chaos, he loses his balance while trying to yank the quilt out of the machine, impaling himself with the spiked garden tools behind him.

Keith’s murder confirms the identity of the murder victim, whose death kickstarts the whole story into gear. With each episode, we have been presented by people who might have potentially been the victim, such as Connor, Gary, and Misty. Valid motivations are provided for each candidate. For instance, Gary’s unfaithfulness and infidelity become a central motivating factor for Catherine, Connor’s decision to spy and ruin Brett’s life shows his ugly side, and Misty’s stubborn attitude in keeping Birdie and Ford separate showcases the lengths she is prepared to go to achieve her goals. Thus, each of these characters is neck-deep in resentment and could have been the victim. However, the real victim, Keith, is far from the central drama and fairly innocent in everything that happens.

In some ways, Keith’s death is the result of his wife’s constant tampering with Alice and Doug’s relationship. Desperate to have a grandchild, Patty stooped to all manner of manipulative tactics to ensure that her son and Alice grew close to one another with the express purpose of having a child. However, it causes rifts to develop at different points in the story between Alice, Doug, and Patty. Meanwhile, Keith was left with the responsibility of smoothing things over once others had already done the damage. As such, his death will likely haunt the group and, in particular, Alice because it was her decision to punish Patty that resulted in an innocent man’s death. Thus, while the group is not direct murderers themselves, their actions cost someone their life.

Ron Yuan Could Be Parting With Grosse Pointe Garden Society After Keith’s Death

Keith’s murder at the end of episode 11 could be the last of Ron Yuan’s presence in ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society,’ especially if we consider the comments made by showrunners Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs about the major death. In an interview with Screen Rant, they said, “We knew before we did the show because we love the idea that there are all of these “villains” in the pilot… And Keith just doesn’t. And we like the idea that sometimes life just works that way.” Bans explained that the character’s passing would have tangible effects on the story moving forward, particularly in the context of Alice’s relationship with Patty and Doug. The aspiring writer is likely to be racked by massive amounts of guilt. However, things might worsen if they learn the truth from her.

Krebs stated that the choice to kill Keith was made before the show came to fruition. The decision was seeded in many discussions surrounding the ethical and moral implications of the act and how it would impact the main characters moving forward. “If it’s someone who deserved it too much, it kind of lets our characters off the hook. It lets their conscience off the hook. The moral quandary of it—it alleviates all of that. And so we wanted this to be something that weighed on them and carries forward into the future,” he said. Additionally, the revelation that the death happened as a result of an accident makes it all the more tragic because there was no intent on the part of anyone involved. Instead, it happens because of the decisions taken by the characters from the beginning and how everything comes together at that precise moment.