This episode belongs to star Emma Corrin, who portrays "hacker" and amateur sleuth Darby, and to one of her excellent co-stars, Brazilian actress Alice Braga (niece of fellow actresses Sonia and Maria Braga). I put "hacker" in quotation marks because that aspect of the show is never entirely convincing. But there are still plenty of things to recommend this interesting show. And these 2 illustrate an interesting dynamic throughout. After sneaking out of the building in a blizzard to investigate a clue, their commandeered Volvo skids/rolls off the Icelandic road, and they both survive the crash, albeit with worrisome injuries. At the end of the episode, the audience learns something new about the precocious young son of Andy (Clive Owen's character) and Lee (series co-creator and actress Brit Marling's character). I give this installment an extra star for interest!
A Murder at the End of the World (TV Mini Series)
Chapter 4: Family Secrets (2023)
User Reviews
Review this title9 Reviews
Episode 4
bobcobb3012 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I am still hooked on the show and intrigued by how it is all going to play out, but this one came very close to jumping the shark. It didn't quite there, but it was on the boundary of it.
We did not need super technology suits and the idea of the two of them venturing so far out into the cold and unknown to try and track down the source of the message did not seem probable.
Darby's behavior is irrational throughout. I get that that is part of her character, she gets overly invested, but she has to fear for her own life just a little bit, right? So, going out there with the potential killer seems foolish.
We did not need super technology suits and the idea of the two of them venturing so far out into the cold and unknown to try and track down the source of the message did not seem probable.
Darby's behavior is irrational throughout. I get that that is part of her character, she gets overly invested, but she has to fear for her own life just a little bit, right? So, going out there with the potential killer seems foolish.
What's next?
chapethan28 November 2023
For fans who experienced the exponential pacing of The OA, they will finally bask in the glory that is the pay-off of episode 4.
Absolutely incredible. It seems a lot of the reviews written after watching the first two episodes of the series aren't acclimated, or dislike, the style of pacing that the writers use in this show. This episode finally picks up the pace where the prior three episodes were lagging behind. Fan theories and foreshadowing galore, this episode left me wondering what was next, who was next, and who would survive.
Marling and Batmanglij love to hand the underlying plot of their fictions behind the eyes of the enjoyer. Allowing them to build their own fiction and watch it unfold in front of them.
Absolutely incredible. It seems a lot of the reviews written after watching the first two episodes of the series aren't acclimated, or dislike, the style of pacing that the writers use in this show. This episode finally picks up the pace where the prior three episodes were lagging behind. Fan theories and foreshadowing galore, this episode left me wondering what was next, who was next, and who would survive.
Marling and Batmanglij love to hand the underlying plot of their fictions behind the eyes of the enjoyer. Allowing them to build their own fiction and watch it unfold in front of them.
Sneezing from bright lights is pretty common
MoLetalis24 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Halfway through this series now. Love the interchange between different genres, especially the flashbacks to the murder investigation of Bill and Darly. Some scenes are a bit too futuristic, like the one with the ant-like robots and the thin suits that protect people from literally anything.. I mean, even Batman doesn't have a suit like that. There is some clever writing throughout the show, especially near the end of every episode. Unfortunately, the sneeze-cliffhanger didn't do it for me. Simply because 1 in 4 people has ACHOO, so it's really not that uncommon and therefore should not be highlighted as such. Especially in a show that throws in one scientific fact after another, it's feels rather cringy that this is the clue into the next episode.
Technical Foo-pah
BobBarkersUrn30 November 2023
Alright. The first 3 episodes were...tolerable. This one? Unfortunately not. The show runners need to hire on technical writers and give them latitude to improve scenes and plot mechanisms.
The entire car scene and 'trapped in a space suit' bit was terrible, with the flaming cherry shaped turd being the low budget CGI of attempting to drill the helmet.
The entire car scene, along with essentially every other line of dialogue her character is given, creates a pure image of Sian being the dumbest astronaut to have ever walked the moon.
Among other things, a Volvo with snow tires (spiked) having traction issues of any kind in the given environment is entirely operator error. To top it off, it's a miracle Volvo gave a vehicle over to be crashed, considering it somehow completely failed to demonstrate airbag deployment in a multiple roll.
The fix? They said they were trapped in the hotel by an avalanche. Okay, so then have a small one sweep the car off the road instead. Easy.
The moderately good upswing of writing was the sneeze. More of that, even if a high-school junior could have more eloquently done the exiting dialogue, of which there was no need.
The entire car scene and 'trapped in a space suit' bit was terrible, with the flaming cherry shaped turd being the low budget CGI of attempting to drill the helmet.
The entire car scene, along with essentially every other line of dialogue her character is given, creates a pure image of Sian being the dumbest astronaut to have ever walked the moon.
Among other things, a Volvo with snow tires (spiked) having traction issues of any kind in the given environment is entirely operator error. To top it off, it's a miracle Volvo gave a vehicle over to be crashed, considering it somehow completely failed to demonstrate airbag deployment in a multiple roll.
The fix? They said they were trapped in the hotel by an avalanche. Okay, so then have a small one sweep the car off the road instead. Easy.
The moderately good upswing of writing was the sneeze. More of that, even if a high-school junior could have more eloquently done the exiting dialogue, of which there was no need.
Frustratingly dumb
Pegasus-1016 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Although some of the flashbacks are interesting, the whole motel scene was just padding and had no real point.
The truly idiotic aspect of this episode was Sian and Darby venturing out to, what, find the place Rohan was signaling to? And especially frustrating was Sian driving at breakneck speed in a snowstorm on a road barely visible and covered with ice (and possibly without seat belts on) which of course resulted in the expected crash -- always an annoying trope in shows where drivers look more at their passenger than the road and then wind up in a ditch. This series started out ok, but has gone down hill in every episode.
The truly idiotic aspect of this episode was Sian and Darby venturing out to, what, find the place Rohan was signaling to? And especially frustrating was Sian driving at breakneck speed in a snowstorm on a road barely visible and covered with ice (and possibly without seat belts on) which of course resulted in the expected crash -- always an annoying trope in shows where drivers look more at their passenger than the road and then wind up in a ditch. This series started out ok, but has gone down hill in every episode.
Chapter 4: Family Secrets
Prismark1015 February 2024
After Rohan's sudden death. The guests apart from Andy are taken to an underground safe room six stories down. They speculate what could had caused Rohan's heart attack. He had a pacemaker which could had been hacked.
Afterwards the guests are allowed back to their guest rooms but they must stay there during a snowstorm.
Only Sian and Darby go outside to investigate where the signal might be coming from that could had affected the pacemaker. They go out in a car during the snowstorm with an extreme climate suit on and crash.
The episode started out interestingly enough. There was a lot of bickering and paranoia.
Even Darby while out with Sian gets suspicious. However Sian driving fast during a snowstorm led to predictable results. The flashback was nauseatingly dull. It just went on and on.
The bit with the stuck helmet was laughably silly.
Afterwards the guests are allowed back to their guest rooms but they must stay there during a snowstorm.
Only Sian and Darby go outside to investigate where the signal might be coming from that could had affected the pacemaker. They go out in a car during the snowstorm with an extreme climate suit on and crash.
The episode started out interestingly enough. There was a lot of bickering and paranoia.
Even Darby while out with Sian gets suspicious. However Sian driving fast during a snowstorm led to predictable results. The flashback was nauseatingly dull. It just went on and on.
The bit with the stuck helmet was laughably silly.
That big reveal at the end - not a reveal at all!
ratka7930 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This was so predictable! I knew the reveal from the 1st episode.
Other reviewers pointed this from the very beginning and sure, here it is...who was shocked? Nobody.
Also, apart from that, nothing happens in this episode, it's just a filler.
I kept watching because when I start, I tend to finish even though I don't have any high praise for this.
Pretentious, artificial, superficial and who dun it? I can tell you that as well. I mean, it is so glaringly obvious but sure, let's pretend that it is not. I can also bet that somebody who died hasn't died at all - this is how these things usually turn up. If so, not only is this poor, rehashed writing, it's also pretty badly done at that.
Other reviewers pointed this from the very beginning and sure, here it is...who was shocked? Nobody.
Also, apart from that, nothing happens in this episode, it's just a filler.
I kept watching because when I start, I tend to finish even though I don't have any high praise for this.
Pretentious, artificial, superficial and who dun it? I can tell you that as well. I mean, it is so glaringly obvious but sure, let's pretend that it is not. I can also bet that somebody who died hasn't died at all - this is how these things usually turn up. If so, not only is this poor, rehashed writing, it's also pretty badly done at that.
Mixed bag
crypticoutsider28 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I liked the vi or emacs line (emacs here since that's what school used). The snowmobiling in a snowstorm seemed like poor judgment and just an excuse for them to get more of Andy's background into the main character. As others have mentioned hate the driving trope. I'm sure it has a dozen side airbags.
The helmet was just laughable. If you keep the drill steady (that's where drill presses shine) that is powerful enough to drill through heavy gauge steel. Have her lie on her back and close her eyes and mouth. Kneel over her and use one knee as guide and two hands. Drill over mouth. Ez in 15 seconds.
The helmet was just laughable. If you keep the drill steady (that's where drill presses shine) that is powerful enough to drill through heavy gauge steel. Have her lie on her back and close her eyes and mouth. Kneel over her and use one knee as guide and two hands. Drill over mouth. Ez in 15 seconds.
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