The Caretaker
Episode 3 of Night Sky begins with Franklin figuring out what these gold coins are. According to the trader in town, they appear to be Spanish doubloons but it’s unclear exactly where they’ve been minted. When Franklin returns home, he does so with a bag of clothes for Jude. He refuses to give him any of Michael’s gear though, as the memories are still far too raw. In the midst of all this, Jude starts to see flickers of his old life and what led him to the York’s, including some sort of scuffle with a guy. Meanwhile, Toni and Stella continue to entertain this stranger, who looms alongside them in the wilderness. Apparently he’s working with someone called Epi, and Toni is “next in line.” Another story we’re following in this show involves Denise, who’s given a big business opportunity from her superior, Mark. There’s a new research group being set up and although it’s a massive time investment, it would also pay much better too. This would also means she has to do double the amount of work, given her internship. Denise is unsure what to do, as the stress of it all threatens to consume her. Byron comes under fire for forging signatures on his campaign. We saw him do this last episode and this time he receives a complaint lodged against him because of it. Franklin heads out with Jude for some “male bonding” on Irene’s orders. After a few games of chess, Franklin believes that he’s a con artist and gives him $5000, driving him out to the bus station and letting him leave. Before he boards the bus though, Franklin has second thoughts, and begrudgingly lets him return. Back at the house, Irene uncovers a strange trinket tucked away in Jude’s belongings. This orb appears to disintegrate matter, and as she puts it on the coffee table, the whole table disappears. Denise heads over to visit her grandparents, where she meets Jude for the first time. The couple claim he’s there as a caretaker. Denise is understandably suspicious though. She doesn’t stay though, as Irene suggests she head home and not stay the night. Denise instead stays with a friend, determined to find out the truth about who Jude is. That night, Jude speaks to Irene alone and how he believes he’s there for a reason. He’s actually there to find his father, Gabriel. If you’ll remember, this is the same name from the polaroid we saw before, and he wants Irene’s help. Franklin finds the bloodied knife in the bathroom. As he turns on the sink tap, he notices the fragments of that strange trinket from before gurgling up to the surface. Unfortunately the water washes it away before he can examine it properly. Byron, after having been called out for his meddling earlier in the chapter, ends up sneaking around and heading into the York shed basement. As the episode closes out, we cut back to Stella and Toni. Stella leads her daughter behind the chapel to that familiar doorway we saw beforehand. Only, hers is a little different. The strange control panel outside happens to be a way of controlling their destination. After punching some buttons, they head inside together and are transported to New York City.
The Episode Review
While the main storyline is certainly intriguing and seeing what this doorway is and how it ties into everything anchors the characters to a fixed point, everything is so. slow. I’m all for a slow burn but did we really need 20 minutes of riding around, doing errands, eating breakfast and playing a game of chess? It adds absolutely nothing to the narrative and wastes time in what could have ben a punchier episode. However, the final 10 minutes hint that we’re about to embark on something far more deep and exciting, leaving the door wide open for the rest of the series. Let’s just hope Night Sky doesn’t meander too much on the way there.
