The season finale of Teacup is here, and it feels like the show flew by. The Peacock sci-fi-horror series from showrunner Ian McCulloch and executive producer James Wan introduced us to a tight-knit group of family and friends, exposed them to an otherworldly nightmare, and then in a two-part finale, set up all the places the story might go next.

So, let's take a closer look at how things all ended in Teacup Season 1, and even hear from McCulloch himself on how big this story might get if the show ever potentially returns for a second season of episodes.

What happens at the end of Teacup Season 1?

By the finale, the group of survivors at the Chenoweth farm are very aware of two things: They're trapped on the farm with an evil alien entity known only as Assassin, and they can leave if they're only able to get enough of the mysterious multi-colored liquid produced by alien means. The problem, of course, is that any of one of them could be Assassin, so while Ruben (Chaske Spencer), McNab (Rob Morgan), and Donald (Boris McGiver) head out to find the liquid, everyone else is focused on isolating and protecting Arlo (Caleb Dolden), who's harboring the benevolent alien known as Harbinger.

But Assassin is clever. It knows that Meryl (Emilie Bierre) is the only one allowed to be closer to Arlo, and that Nicholas (Luciano Leroux) is guarding both Chenoweth kids. In the body of Nicholas's mother Valeria (Diany Rodriguez), Assassin lures Nicholas outside and possesses him, leaving Valeria to die horribly just outside the blue line.  With that done, it's just a matter of using Nicholas to lure Meryl outside, and use her to get to Arlo.

McNab (Rob Morgan) appears on Teacup Season 1 Episode 4 -- "In the Heart of the Country". Photo: Mark Hill/PEACOCK

But Arlo is smarter than Assassin gives him credit for, and the boy actually sees the alien pass from Nicholas to Meryl's body. He rushes to warn his parents, who realize the only thing they can do is take Harbinger's advice and try to remove Assassin by drowning, then reviving Meryl. It's an emotional struggle, but Maggie (Yvonne Strahovski) and James (Scott Speedman) manage to keep their daughter underwater long enough to kill her for a few moments. After a heartbreaking beat in which it seems that Meryl might not recover, Maggie is able to save her daughter's life, but at terrible cost. Moments later, we learn that Assassin is inside James, who fights the alien presence off with everything he's got, but can't hold it back for long.

Ruben, McNab, and Donald return with the liquid they've salvaged from the mysterious alien tree at the neighboring farm, setting up an escape plan, but before that can happen, the family has to stop James. Arlo and Harbinger suggest trapping him like Maggie trapped a wasp under a teacup at the beginning of the series, and they manage to lure James toward the family's old chest freezer in the barn. Maggie pushes him inside, and the group weighs the lid down with feed bags. Meryl begs her mother to stop, knowing James will suffocate in the small space, but Maggie assures her that it's the only way to save them all, and James ultimately dies, having sacrificed himself for his family.

With Assassin dealt with, the group uses the liquid to cross the blue line -- except Ellen (Kathy Baker), who stays behind to look after the farm animals -- and sets off first for the local fire station, where they hope to find more help. What they find instead is a road block by two people who claim to be McNab's associates from his internet forums for those interested in the visitors, but they've barely started talking when a car speeds up and kills them both. Inside this car are McNab's old associate, Hayden (whose face we never see) and a mysterious woman (Alice Kremelberg), who tells them all that McNab's old friends are now assassins. The sleeper assassins McNab warned about, it seems, are waking up, and the only way forward is to stick with these new potential allies.

Meryl Chenoweth (Emilie Bierre) and Arlo Chenoweth (Caleb Dolden) appear on Teacup Season 1 Episode 4 -- "In the Heart of the Country". Photo: Mark Hill/PEACOCK

What's Next for Teacup?

It's a heck of a cliffhanger, and it leaves many questions. Are Hayden and his friend actually allies, or more enemies in disguise? How many Assassins are now awake and aware? How big is the "Invasion" McNab and Harbinger (inside Arlo's body) have promised? Will the group ever make it to the mysterious machine that Harbinger promises will help them fight? These are all questions we simply don't have answers to yet, which means they'd be perfect fodder for a second season if the show eventually returns. 

So, how big is this story? How far will Teacup go if it gets to keep going? Here's what McCulloch told SYFY WIRE about the scope of the overall narrative.

"I don't have a number of seasons or episodes in mind," McCulloch said. "I think what will reveal itself is where this story wants to go and where we start to feel like we're getting towards the end, I think it'll become very, very clear because it's not the kind of story that can go on [forever]. This is very much a story that has a beginning, it will have a middle, it will have an end. I don't know exactly what that is, but I think if you look at the season and you look at the tone and you look at the characters, I think that kind of tells you what kind of story it'll be. It's not going to be a nihilistic, 'in the end the planet blows up and we're all dead' story. There is hope. It's a dark show, but as you can see in the first season, it's only dark to a point. There's not people like Claire or Valeria blowing up every episode. It's sparing. And that has to do with the kind of story that we're telling."

Teacup is now streaming on Peacock.