SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers from “Libertá,” the finale of “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,” now streaming on Hulu.
“The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” wraps up Amanda Knox’s story with an unlikely reunion between Knox (Grace Van Patten) and her prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini (Francesco Acquaroli).
The eight-episode drama has chronicled the true tale of the American college student who was wrongfully convicted of murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Italy in 2007. The series revisits the case, retelling the story from Knox’s perspective as she experiences the injustice throughout her 20s and up to the present day.
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After being acquitted by an Italian court, some might expect Knox’s story to end there. However, the saga continues with Knox meeting in person with her prosecutor years later — which is how the series begins in Episode 1.
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Their reunion may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with Knox’s real-life story. However, in her most recent book, “Free: My Search For Meaning,” Knox shared how she has since formed a friendship with Mignini and returned to Perugia, Italy, to meet him face to face.
The finale fast-forwards to an older Amanda in her 30s, now a mother and wife, who continues to grapple with the players involved in her imprisonment, particularly her prosecutor. In an effort to understand why Mignini was convinced she was guilty, she starts communicating with him.
The pair reconnect by sending each other letters, which ultimately leads to Knox risking it all by returning to Italy to confront him. Speaking with her prosecutor, the conversation shows an emotionally charged Knox in tears as she pushes for an ounce of clarity about Mignini’s involvement in her case. Despite him not apologizing for the role he played in her incarceration, she is able to forgive him.
Below, Patten spoke with Variety about the shocking finale, working with Knox on set, “Tell Me Lies” Season 3 and more.
The moment Amanda reunited with her prosecutor was interesting to see unfold, and it will be especially surprising for viewers unfamiliar with her story. Since Knox co-wrote the episode, what type of conversations did you have with Amanda about how to portray that particular scene?
I understood Amanda the most after she told me that it was the moment when she fully took the reins of her own life and regained control of a situation that she had never had control of. I hope that when the audience watches it, they understand her a little bit more too. Amanda helped write that, which was super vital to getting the specifics of the scene and the tone right. It’s the only information in this show that will be a surprise to the audience. A lot of the other facts you can look up and are right there, but this is kind of new information to the public, which I hope makes people think about the whole situation.
Watching your character confront Giuliano and attempt to profess her innocence once again was intense. What was it like for you emotionally to film that scene?
I felt fearful in a lot of ways, but very eager to tell that part of the story. It was this contrasting mix of pressure learning all that Italian for it and getting the correct emotions across. But once we were in it, Francesco Acquaroli is so powerful and present as an actor that it just felt like it flowed in the right way. We shot that one scene in two or three days. It was a monster that we all knew to tackle at the end of the shoot. But when it was over, we were all happy and relieved that we did it in a way that felt authentic and truthful to Amanda’s story.
What was the energy like on set while filming that specific scene?
Amanda was on set. I didn’t know how I would feel about that, in terms of my own insecurities, but she comforted me so much. I knew how available she was to answer any question at any moment, which made me feel safe to to to go for it because I knew that I could ask her anything. It was intense. This is the most pivotal moment in this woman’s life, and we were bringing it to life in front of her eyes. It was a very emotional couple of days and shoot in general.
You had to learn Italian for this role, but during the confrontation between Amanda and Giuliano, the dialogue starts in Italian but switches to English. What was the creative decision of shifting between both languages in that specific scene?
There were a lot of discussions about this and how language could be used as an artistic tool. I was relieved because it was originally all in Italian. It was 25 pages. I was very relieved that it was going back and forth. The director of Episodes 7 and 8 had this cool idea to have that shot going in a circle, transitioning from Italian to English and then back. In a moment where Giuliano gets vulnerable, he goes back to Italian. It was a smart way to transition the languages and use them as a creative, artistic tool to tell more of the story.
Was it challenging to switch between the languages throughout filming?
Yes, it was everyday homework. Every night, I’d come home and I’d practice. I wanted to be as comfortable with the language as possible so that I could have the freedom to improvise, or if other actors speaking Italian were going off their lines, I would know what they were saying. It required studying Italian every day, which I’ve never had to do for a role.
What discussions were you having with Amanda to reach that emotional depth around her desire to reunite with Giuliano?
A very important discussion I had with her was differentiating Amanda in the different time periods before the tragedy happened, while she was in prison, when she had to readapt to normal life and then present day. I had her walk me through the differences in those phases of her life, and how I could portray those on screen so that the audience can understand her in all of these different moments.
Amanda’s ability to show empathy for Giuliano even as he resists saying what he knew to be true was striking. Knowing this is based on real events, did Amanda’s compassion surprise you when you first read the script?
I am so inspired by her compassion and empathy for the people who are sources of the most traumatic part of her life. We can all learn from that. Her ability to forgive is so powerful, and I think it’s the reason she’s been able to live a peaceful life after what happened. She’s been able to have a family and live a life that isn’t filled with resentment and anger, which would be so easy to do after experiencing something like that. I love that this scene in Episode 8 shows the idea of Amanda thinking she was going to hear him say, “I’m sorry,” or have him understand her.
The most powerful thing is that Amanda just understood him. She saw him, and that gave her closure. Sometimes it takes understanding the person as opposed to the person understanding you, especially if they’re not able to do that. It took her understanding him as a man to help her move on.
Your character also returns to Italy, hiding under a blanket, which was a moment foreshadowed in the very beginning. What was your interpretation of Amanda risking it all to go back?
I’m so thankful that she was able to get closure out of that trip. The idea of putting herself and family in danger was a risk. But the fact that it worked out and she got something out of it is really beautiful. That was the first scene we shot. It set the tone for the tensions that followed her through the whole series.
We have to talk about that final scene with the confessional box. It opened the door for more of this story to be told. What did you think of that scene?
I’m obsessed with that ending. It is so rare for an ending to not just wrap everything up in a bow and give people this concrete finish. It’s going to make people think, and I love that. I got chills every time I read it. It says so much without saying too much. I haven’t heard anything about more of this story being told. It’s told up until what happened recently. It did its purpose, which is to help Amanda reclaim her story. That was all it was meant to do.
I want to shift gears a bit. “Tell Me Lies” Season 3 has wrapped filming. What can you tease about Lucy’s journey ahead?
Nowhere good. Over two seasons, we have realized that she doesn’t tend to make the best decisions. She’s created a very tangled web for herself that you kind of get to see play out in the third season.
What feels different about this season that you’re excited for fans to experience?
It delves deep into the other characters a lot. There are a lot of relationships that you’ll follow and characters that you haven’t gotten to know on a deep level. You’ll get to understand them more.
This interview has been edited and condensed.