Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Disclaimer episode 6.Disclaimerepisode 6 ends with one of the show’s biggest cliffhangers yet, as things begin to come to a head between Catherine Revenscroft (Cate Blanchett) and Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline). The truth aboutwhat happened between Catherine and Jonathan (Louis Partridge) inDisclaimerhas not yet been fully revealed, but the sixth and penultimate episode does start twisting the narrative away from the events depicted in the bookThe Perfect Stranger, and perhaps towards reality.
Throughout the episode, flashbacks to Italy inDisclaimer’s past timelineare now narrated by Blanchett herself, allowing Catherine to tell her side of the story: thatshe and Jonathan did not have an affair, but rather that he was creepy, and seemingly stalking her. It’s part of a complicated episode that ratchets up the tension, including Stephen’s plan to murder Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee), and ends with a confrontation, finally, between the two leads ofDisclaimer’s cast… but it takes a dark twist.
Stephen Drugged Catherine - Is He Going To Kill Her?
Is This Stephen’s Ultimate Revenge Plan?
During their face off at his home,Stephen crushes up some sleeping pills and puts them into Catherine’s tea. He was given the pills earlier at the hospital, asking the nurse for something to help him sleep after he was “attacked” by Catherine. Quite whether this was his exact plan for them is unclear, but he obviously knew they’d come in handy in some way, be that for Catherine or as part of his attempts to kill Nicholas.
Unfortunately, Catherine does drink the tea, meaning that when Disclaimer episode 7 picks up, she’ll either be on the verge of unconsciousness, or already there.
Unfortunately, Catherinedoesdrink the tea, meaning that whenDisclaimerepisode 7 picks up, she’ll either be on the verge of unconsciousness, or already there.The question then becomes what Stephen will do, and is he going to shift his revenge mission to simply killing her? While that is somewhat plausible, it does feel unlikely - and not just because Blanchett’s character dying in the finale seems like an odd, ill-fitting way to end the story.
What’s Up With The Cat & The Fox In Disclaimer? Real Meaning & Theories Explained
Two distinct animals, a cat & a fox, repeatedly appear in Disclaimer, representing the two sides of a conflict that is rooted in revenge and deceit.
Stephen is focused on hurting Catherine, not murdering her. He wants to kill everything in her life: her career, her marriage, her son; to take it all away, like he (and his wife, Nancy, before him) believe she did by seducing Jonathan and then letting him die.He wants Catherine to feel the pain he and Nancy felt, which likely means that the sleeping pills are a means to knock her out and stop her from interfering a second time in his real goal: Nicholas.
Will Stephen Go Through With His Promise To Kill Nicholas?
He’s Tried Once, And Seems Intent On Doing So Again
Stephen tried and failed to kill Nicholas inDisclaimerepisode 6, but things are set up for him to try and do it again.Robert Ravenscroft (Sacha Baron Cohen) has already invited him to return to visit Nicholas once more, and that may be exactly what he intends to do now that he has drugged Catherine.
Stephen’s idea of revenge on Catherine is built around this: a son for a son.
Nicholas is a living reminder of what Stephen lost. He is, quite literally, alive because of Jonathan’s death. Stephen’s idea of revenge on Catherine is built around this: a son for a son. So, it does seem as though he will attempt to kill Nicholas a second time. What’s less likely is that he will succeed.
Apple’s Disclaimer With Cate Blanchett Brings Back One Of The Best Parts Of An Oscar-Winning, $723M Sci-Fi
Apple’s Disclaimer series reunites the Oscar-winning duo of Alfonso Cuarón and Emmanuel Lubezki, longtime collaborators and even longer friends.
If Nicholas were to die inDisclaimer, then the show has had two perfect opportunities to do it. It could’ve had him die from the drug overdose, or had Stephen kill him in the hospital before Catherine intervened. After all that, it would be a strange storytelling choice to actually have him killed off still.It seems rather more likely that Stephen either won’t be able to go through with it, or he’ll be apprehended as the truth finally comes to light.
What’s The Truth About Jonathan That Catherine Is Going To Reveal?
Disclaimer Is One Step Closer To Showing What Actually Happened
Disclaimerepisode 6’s ending may see Catherine drugged by Stephen, but the point of her going there was all about the truth. Even Stephen himself seems to hint atThe Perfect Strangernot being entirely accurate, as he says Nancy, like all good writers, blended"fragments of reality"to find the greater truth. Since he knows that she wasn’t present for much of the story as told, it seems on some level he’s aware it’s partly fictionalized, even if he can’t bring himself to face up to it.
Who The Narrator Is In Disclaimer & What The Narration Really Means
The narration in Disclaimer purposefully shifts perspectives to shed light on Jonathan’s death, moving from Catherine to his late father and more.
Catherine plans on forcing him to face up to it. She’s already started giving hints of what actually happened, with her narration explaining that the beach photos were taken without her consent, and were actually just her adjusting her bikini. And while she and Jonathan were in the bar together, it was nothing more than a glance; he was seemingly taking a keen interest, and though she admitted to being excited, she was also unnerved.
It appears as though theApple TV+ showis setting up a dark reveal for its finale, where Catherine gets to tell her version of events in full. That could be Jonathan stalking her, but it could also go further, and there are definitely signs she was assaulted by him. It’s more a question at this point of whether she gets to tell her truth, since she has been drugged, and if so, whether it comes in time to save Nicholas, and if anyone believes her.
The point ofDisclaimerthus far has been about unreliable narration and how stories shift based upon perspective, and how the truth can be warped to match the reality someone wants to see.
The point ofDisclaimerthus far has been about unreliable narration and how stories shift based upon perspective, and how the truth can be warped to match the reality someone wants to see. With that, a more ambiguous ending isn’t out of the equation, although given the potential severity of it, hopefully there will be a stronger resolution.
The seventh and final episode ofDisclaimerwill release on Friday, November 8, on Apple TV+.
Disclaimer
Cast
Told in seven chapters, “Disclaimer” is based on the novel of the same name by Renée Knight. Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett) built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys both her own life and her relationships with her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their son Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
