Sofia Carson as Alex in ‘The Life List.’. Photo:

Nicole Rivelli/Netflix© 2024.

Netflix’s The Life List tells the story of grief, love and self-discovery — and ends with some bittersweet reveals.

In the wake of her mother Elizabeth’s (Connie Britton) death, Alex (Sofia Carson) and her brothers were each left with a few surprise inheritances. While Julian (Federico Rodriguez) was left with Elizabeth’s Loeb edition of Plato’s works and Lucas (Dario Ladani Sanchez) and his wife were given her Tamayo painting, Sophia was essentially fired from her mother’s company Rose Cosmetics and told she would receive her inheritance at a later date.

The catch: in order to gain access to the mystery inheritance, she first had to complete a check list by the end of the year. But, it wasn’t a list crafted by her mother. Rather, it was one Alex herself created as a teenager.

Elizabeth’s lawyer and estate planner Brad (Kyle Allen) gave Alex a series of DVDs that Elizabeth pre-recorded for her daughter when she learned her illness was terminal. In the first DVD, Elizabeth explained that she worried Alex had given up on her aspirations and dreams and had “run away” from who she really is, challenging her to fulfill her teenage wishes, including becoming a “great teacher,” doing stand-up comedy, reading Moby Dick and finding true love.

So, did Alex check all of the items off the list and receive her mystery inheritance? Here’s everything to know about The Life List ending.

Warning: The Life List spoilers ahead!

Sofia Carson as Alex in ‘The Life List.’. Nicole Rivelli/Netflix© 2024.

Throughout Alex’s journey to complete the list, she uncovered family secrets and faced some personal challenges of her own, including discovering she had been lied to her entire life about her biological father and an intense breakup with her fairly new boyfriend Garrett (Sebastian de Souza).

Simultaneously, Alex grew closer to Brad as he served as a big support system during her quest and helped her complete the items on the list (including driving her to Vermont to chase down her newly discovered biological father!). Though the two shared a steamy hotel moment in which their flirtatious tension came to a head, it was followed by a fight in which she told him the previous night was “a mistake.”

After months of chasing her teenage dreams, Alex nearly completed the list by the end of the year (yes, she even managed to play a one-on-one game of basketball with a Knicks player!). But when time ran out, one item remained: find true love.

When she met with one of the firm’s lawyers, she asked if there was a “consolation prize” for nearly completing the list. To her surprise, he handed over an envelope that detailed what she had inherited, explaining that Elizabeth “didn’t think it was fair” to expect her to “find true love with a clicking tock.”

Connie Britton as Elizabeth in ‘The Life List.’. Nicole Rivelli/Netflix© 2024.

So, what was in the envelope? The final DVD Elizabeth left for her daughter and a letter that informed Alex she’d be inheriting their childhood home. Additionally, Alex was left a small trust to help cover taxes and maintenance, and was given the option to rent out the home if she wasn’t ready to move in.

In the final video tape, Elizabeth congratulated Alex on completing the list and promised not to give her anymore ultimatums. She also admitted to never having really figured out true love herself but left Alex with a final piece of wisdom: “True love is worth fighting for.”

Jordi Mollà as Johnny in ‘The Life List.’. Netflix© 2024.

During a dinner with her dad Samuel (José Zúñiga), Alex learned that her mother had an affair before she was born, and that her biological father is actually a musician named Johnny Alvarez (Jordi Mollà).

Determined to connect with him, Brad helped Alex track him down and she soon learned that he was living in Vermont, still a musician but under a different name.

Garrett was going to drive her to find him, until their unfortunately timed breakup, which left her desperate for help the night before the planned trip. Brad and his girlfriend Nina (Maria Jung) then stepped in to save the day and drive her to Vermont. That is, until Nina picked up on their flirtatious tension, leading them to break up and for her to fly back home.

Alex then came face-to-face with her biological father at a local bar where he was performing, and the two shared an emotional conversation in which they toasted to Elizabeth’s memory. She also asked him if he was ever curious about her, to which Johnny admitted that he once parked his car in front of Alex’s childhood home and nearly approached her before he saw her seemingly happy with Samuel.

The conversation ended when Johnny was told it was time for his next set, but they agreed to meet the following morning at Alex’s hotel to talk more. However, he never showed, leaving Alex crushed, although not entirely surprised.

Sofia Carson as Alex and Kyle Allen as Brad in ‘The Life List.’. Nicole Rivelli/Netflix© 2024.

Motivated by her mother’s final piece of recorded advice, Alex asked her friend Zoe to remind her of the “four true love questions”: Is he kind? Can I tell him everything in my heart? Does he help me become the best version of myself? Can I imagine him as the father of my children?

After realizing Brad checked off all of those list items, she came to terms with her feelings for him. With learning to drive checked off her list, she hopped in the car and headed to Brad’s home to apologize. After she recklessly crashed into his parked car, Alex confessed her love for him, expressed that she wants them to be “a lot more” than friends and read aloud the four true love questions (except that last one!).

The two shared a romantic kiss in the middle of the street outside of his home. In the finale scene of the movie, Alex and Brad shared a midnight kiss on New Year’s Eve in her newly inherited home before one of her brothers toasted to their whirlwind year.