The Stranger: Season 1 Episode 5 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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The reason why The Stranger blackmails people is revealed, alongside why Martin didn’t want his home destroyed – beyond the memories.

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Directed By		Hannah Quinn
Written By		Charlotte Coben
Aired (Netflix)		1/30/2020
Introduced This Episode
Bob	Clinton Blake
Leila Katz	Kim Vithana

Episode Recap

The Investigation Continues: Johanna, Dante, Adam, Vicky, Bob, Katz

With Corinne connected to her best friend’s murder, it is only natural that Adam is questioned, but with him having so little to give beyond a simple row, and mention of The Stranger, while useful he isn’t an ace in the hole. The same goes when speaking with Vicky, who notes Corinne being a bit weird as of late, and surely not her usual self.

And then things take a turn. Mostly in Johanna’s line of question which goes from Corinne and her recent actions, like emptying the football team’s money, despite her salary and Adam being a law firm partner. For, instead, Johanna is interested about Dante and his relationship with Corinne. For there are ideas that maybe he caught something and she attacked him.

The verdict? Well, despite what his parents think, multiple people make Dante out to be weird, especially Bob,  and the idea is further pushed that Dante made people feel uneasy. Which will surely help some people if the case becomes a murder investigation.

Oh, and before we move on, we learn Katz hid Adam’s missing person’s report. Which is worth noting since, with him covering his tracks with Heidi, who is to say he didn’t interrogate Corinne then kill her as well?

Best Friend V. Crush: Mike, Thomas, Daisy, Leila, Olivia

The accusation that Mike exposed nudes of Daisy’s little sister is confronted and dispelled thanks to a multitude of evidence showing Mike was more focused on dealing with digestive issues. Leading to the question of, who told Daisy that Mike sent the pictures? The answer? Olivia. From what we’re told, she has a crush on Mike, after one kind gesture, and with her being sick all the time, it seems that one bit of kindness was all it took.

However, why is she sick is the question which follows, and after meeting Olivia’s mother Leila, there is a need to wonder if, like in “The Act,” she might be poisoning her daughter. For with Mike hellbound on confronting Olivia, despite what Thomas and Daisy think, they have a stakeout and see Olivia dump a bag in a neighbor’s trash. Thus exposing multitudes of poisons and other things which are strange to get rid of in someone else’s bin.

Why We Do This: Ingrid, The Stranger

The goal of Ingrid and The Stranger? A beach bar. Yeah, they are blackmailing people and blowing up lives to own a beach bar. However, according to Ingrid, they have long made enough to have their place but it seems The Stranger is really getting into exposing people’s secrets. And even with getting roughed up by a guy for taking things too far, she still doesn’t want to stop. Like an addict, she claims just a few more will be done, but Ingrid is beginning to believe she may never stop.

An Unexpected Secret Revealed: Doug, Ingrid, Adam, Martin, Edgar

Thanks to Martin, who loses his home, we learn Ingrid has a detective agency and goes by the name Gabrielle Dunbar. Which is how she likely gathered most of the information she has on people. Now, as for why these specific people were chosen? That remains a mystery. What is made clear, however, is that Heidi’s murder freaks out Ingrid and The Stranger so they may finally be ready to close up shop.

But, with Adam on their tail, Ingrid nearly is caught, on her own, and confronted. Luckily for her, however, between her driving skills and Doug’s car being used, Adam is forced to slow down and loses her tail.

Yet, believe it or not, that might be the least exciting part of Adam’s day. Why? Well, likely due to, as Martin’s house is torn down, after Edgar gives him one last chance and gets told off for doing so, a body tumbles out of the wreckage. Thus likely shutting down the project for a murder investigation.

Review/ Commentary

Highlights

Johanna’s Investigation

From digging into Corinne’s relationships, her stealing money from the football team, to Dante, the deeper Johanna goes the more exciting it is to theorize how she’ll react to the truth. Be it Katz killing her best friend, discovering what happened to Dante and how he is the tie that binds so many actions, alongside this murder Martin might be involved in that, with the way this show is, may tie into everything else going on.

Whose Body Is That?

With that said, whose body is that? Martin’s ex-wife? As of now, that is the only thing that would make sense since Martin interacts with so few people. Much less, of the people he has spoken of that we haven’t met, his wife is the only one. Plus, killing her, and not moving the body, would be one hell of a reason to have a dead body in his home.

On The Fence

The Stranger’s Reason Behind Blackmailing People

A DANG BEACH BAR?! These people, perhaps twice the age of Ingrid and The Stranger, are having their lives destroyed for a beach bar you and I both know will go out of business within a year? You have to be kidding me. It is stuff like that which makes you think, when it comes to mysteries, “Maybe I’m better off not knowing the motive.” For if it is something as silly as a beach bar, while it reminds you The Stranger isn’t as cool as she may seem, and certainly not complex, being reminded she is likely some young 20 something reliant on her talented roommate, perhaps girlfriend, kills the mystique.

The Weird Lives of Dante & Olivia

Between Dante’s obsession with Corinne and Olivia possibly setting up Mike, never mind the need to question if she is really sick or her mom is poisoning her, like Ella, there is a need to ask if more is going to be done or is this it? Because, while these storylines are by no means the most attention-grabbing, they raise enough of an eyebrow to want follow up information.

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