The Crowded Room: Season 1/ Episode 3 – Recap and Review (with Spoilers)
As episode 3 catches us up to what led to the shooting of episode 1, a twist is added, which more so confuses things than makes them more interesting.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Plot Recap
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That’s A Bit Much To Be Someone’s Knight In Shining Armor – Ariana, Danny, Angelo, Jonny
After a lovely breakfast which has Ariana open up to Danny, he decides to be her knight in shining armor and get a gun. Why? He wants her to feel safe and supported, so the man who raped her can never do so again. But where can a kid like Danny get a gun? Angelo.
Jonny still deals with Angelo as his supplier for weed, and being that Angelo is seedy, they both figure he has a gun, but rather than just take the money and give a gun, he wants head – from Danny. It isn’t clear why he wants this, beyond potentially being on the GBQ+ spectrum, but that is part of the deal, and originally, Danny negotiates it down to a hand job.
Strangely though, this couldn’t happen at Angelo’s apartment. Instead, he wants it to happen on the pier, and he tries to force Danny to go from a handjob to head like he wanted, but then Jonny swoops in, breaks Angelo’s nose with a 2×4, and Danny and him run, with the gun in hand. This leads to Ariana not wanting the gun, making this all seem like a waste.
For One Day, Danny’s Dream Came To Life – Danny, Annabelle
It isn’t clear if Annabelle is bored, genuinely interested, or somewhere in between when it comes to Danny. But, she is still a pretty girl, he is a guy, so while she is inconsistent, Danny is happy when she is around. Plus, she knows how to make him feel good between getting him into flying a kite, talking with him, and kissing him. She even compliments his art and encourages him to go to college.
Danny Facing Consequences – Danny, Yitzhak, Ariana, Angelo, Annabelle, Marlin
However, Angelo showing up to Yitzhak’s rooming house ends the stupor Danny got to be in. He destroys this little cocoon Annabelle and Danny were finally creating that could allow some semblance of a relationship, and once Yitzhak is forced to be involved and learn the full story? He kicks out both Danny and Ariana.
He relents, eventually, and lets Ariana stay, but Danny has to stay out. Which leads to what feels like a fast-forward to the shooting that caused this need to recount past events, and it being pushed Ariana’s rapist may have been Marlin.
Review
Highlights
Seeing Annabelle and Danny Happy
While it was short-lived, seeing Danny and Annabelle happy was nice. Danny often walks around like “Chicken Little,” so to see him not worried, relaxed, feeling appreciated, liked, and maybe some form of loved was a welcomed change of pace.
On The Fence
Rya’s Investigation
I need this to pick up speed. Her questions, and her persona, don’t add much. She feels like an unnecessary narrator or a moderator who asks bad or lazy questions. And honestly, the jumping from past to Danny being interrogated doesn’t add anything to the show.
General Information
This section Includes information about the Director, Writer, and Cast.
| More From The Series | |
| Previous Episode: Season 1/ Episode 2 “Sanctuary” | Next Episode: Season 1/ Episode 4 |
| Release Date (Apple TV+) | June 9, 2023 |
| Director(s) | Brady Corbet |
| Writer(s) | Akiva Goldsman |
| Previously Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Ariana | Sasha Lane |
| Danny | Tom Holland |
| Angelo | Stephen Barrington |
| Jonny | Levon Hawke |
| Yitzhak | Lior Raz |
| Annabelle | Emma Laird |
| Rya | Amanda Seyfried |
| Marlin | Will Chase |
FAQs
Why Is The Episode Called “Murder?”
It isn’t 100% clear since Danny isn’t the confirmed murder of anyone, and no one gets killed. The only thing that may have died is any chance of Annabelle and Danny being together.
