The area saw confirmed owl attacks, a slurry of them during that time. In each case, the owl would attack the person from behind them, i.e., on the back of their heads. The barred owls are known to be aggressive and territorial when mating. It goes to Kathleen’s head when she’s outside, attacks her, and in a bid to fight it off, she struggles. It flies away, unharmed. But Kathleen is disoriented. She leaves a trail of blood as she walks back inside – drops on the floor and smudges on the door handles. She decides to get linen from the closet above but stumbles as she ascends the stairs.
Mike loses his second appeal and Rudolf explains that they do not have any more legal avenues. This is the end of the case and he informs Mike’s family. They gather to greet their father, together with Sophie. Despite the attempts to cheer him up and make the instant atmosphere positive, Mike stubbornly asks them to stop visiting them in an indirect way. The Petersons weren’t really a tight-knit group and the frictions that we see during the trial in the house were also quite evident even when Kathleen was alive. ..
Claire accompanies Mike and Kathleen to Candace’s house for the Thanksgiving holiday, surprising everyone as only Claire shows up. Mike’s children don’t come home for the holiday, but they meet up with Clay and Todd instead. The two men have a history of hatred towards each other, which is shown in their interactions at Candace’s house. ..
Margaret unexpectedly visits Blair and her husband in San Francisco. It is just a glimpse into the dysfunctional family’s fractured relationships, but also into some of the sweet moments that made their time together memorable. The broken kids all had issues that kept them at a distance not just from each other, but also from themselves. Margaret’s visit turns out to be the one that spills the secrets of the past that begrudge her. At one time, Patty surrendered the sisters’ custody to Blair but Mike took them back. When Martha’s behavioral issues started, he wanted to send her to Blair and keep Margaret. ..
Sophie meanwhile is obsessed with Larry’s theory and believes it. She begins to play it out and research it along with Larry and Jean sends a crew to document it. The two keep finding little clues that were unseen and fit the theory. They dig deeper and look at the evidence again. And actually, their theory does find credible support in it. Sophie takes the evidence and new details to Dr. Radisch, who is surprisingly welcoming about it. She agrees to reexamine the body with these details in mind, except it is already buried. It would have to be exhumed. But first, a third reenactment. Sophie calls Caitlin with the theory. She instantly refuses and asks her to never call again
In the episode “Mike’s Alford plea in 2017”, Mike refuses to accept that he killed Kathleen. He says that a lie cannot set him free.
The Episode Review
Jean dismissed the owl theory back when they made the documentary. Just a small portion was dedicated to accommodating it. But HBO’s ‘The Staircase’ seems to have made a different, and frankly, a better choice for exploring its very credible, evidence-backed authenticity. ..
Larry, who was a complete spectator until now, springs into action, and how! The peculiar lawyer, played by the affable Joel Miller from ‘Brooklyn 99’, is a refreshing addition to the present ensemble. Juliet Binoche had substantially more screen time in this episode and her effect is clear.
The shift in narrative tone and voice is a gradual one, but it was spot on in this episode. ..
The perfect mix of factual and fiction was used in the documentary series “The Jinx” to create a Dramatic Touch that bodes well for the show. More of this going ahead, please.
