The Crowded Room Episode 8: The first few episodes of ‘The Crowded Room’ followed an investigative thriller approach. It showed different people Danny met along the way before the shooting incident at the Rockefeller Centre. With the last two episodes, the Apple TV+ series has started delving into Danny’s mental state and how his different personalities enabled him to act in certain ways.
Rya continued trying to get Danny out of conviction. But Danny’s other personalities kept telling him to act against Rya since she wanted him to get treated in a hospital. Jack thought it would end their existing relationship with Danny. Since Yitzhak opposed this, Jack shot him. However, after his conversation with Ariana, Danny finally decides to face the truth. He meets Rya and tells her that there are voices in his head.
*Spoilers Ahead*
The Crowded Room Episode 8 “Reunion” Recap:
Marlin’s Alibi
‘Reunion’ takes a step further in exploring Danny’s (Tom Holland) mind. We see Officer Matty Dunne (Thomas Sadoski) go meet Marlin (Wil Chase) to assess his current situation. He notices a wound on Marlin’s arm and asks him about it. Marlin says a kid stabbed him with a knife. Matty says it looks too superficial as a knife wound. Once he reveals he is a cop, Marlin goes silent.
Later on, Matty calls Stan Camisa (Christopher Abbott) to share his deductions. He calls Candy’s (Emmy Rossum) alibi false, who said that Marlin was with him that day. Matty believes that Danny was telling the truth that his stepfather was there at the Rockefeller Centre. He considers the scar on Marlin’s arm a result of a bullet just missing him, shot by Danny.
Danny’s Truth
Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried) keeps trying to make Danny reflect upon his truth. She asks him when Yitzhak (Lior Raz) came into his mindscape. He recalls Yitzhak saving him from the bullies. Rya notes how it was he, not Yitzhak, who fought against those bullies. So, Danny slowly starts to acknowledge that whatever Yitzhak, Ariana, or any other of his saviors said or did was actually said or done by him.
Rya keeps up with her pursuit to get Danny out of prison. Stan is not as optimistic about the verdict since multiple personality condition was not recognized by the medical community at the time. He rather bets on showing how Danny has no history of violence to prove his innocence. Stan thinks it would reduce the offense of Danny and, thus, the severity of his punishment. Rya is concerned that Danny’s personality will not help him since he does not match the physical attributes. Still, Stan remains focused on getting Danny’s possible sentence reduced.
Back at home, Marlin asks Candy whether someone spoke with her about Danny. He insinuates that what happened to Danny was equally her fault as a co-parent. In the prison, a cellmate asks Danny about getting his money back from Jack. Unlike before, Danny knows the distinction between him and Jack.
While speaking with Rya, Danny says that Ariana is the ‘keeper of his loneliness.’ He recalls having sex as Ariana. Rya says Ariana helped Danny resolve his difficult feelings. She suggests a method to reintegrate his different personalities into a whole. For that, she hopes for a shorter sentence to get the treatment ongoing at the earliest. Meanwhile, Stan manages to summon Marlin to testify in the case of Danny for giving false testimony.
Meanwhile, while speaking with Rya, Danny says that Yitzhak made him feel more confident. Since his Yitzhak alter-ego threatened to shoot Angelo (who broke into the ghost house), Annabelle left him. He now realizes that she was afraid of him for having seen him menacing Yitzhak in person. While Danny tries to share his realizations regarding other personalities, he keeps getting instigated by his cellmates. But now, no other personality arrives to save him.
Jerome & Ari’s Relationship
Jerome (Elijah Jones) comes to meet Danny in the prison. He had fallen for the Ariana alter-ego of Danny. Now he feels heartbroken that Ari does not recognize him. After this awkward initial encounter, Jerome comes to meet Danny as Danny. He reveals how he could easily click with Ari. He notes his struggle of trying to fit in as a gay, black man. Besides, he also tells Danny to embrace the fact that he has the confidence that Ari often exhibited in being unabashedly herself. Their interaction ends with a bright smile on Danny’s face.
After a while, Rya meets Danny to share her new realizations. She says that the alternate personalities who were there to protect him ended up hurting him. Rya then takes him through his time in London and how he brought Jack into the picture. She deduces that Jack is an alternative to his biological father, who gave him the love that he often craved. While Yitzhak sent him away after the shooting, Jack sent him back to reclaim his life after what he had done. She compassionately explains the emotional logic behind not making him feel anything besides normal.
The Crowded Room Episode 8 “Reunion” Ending, Explained:
Jonny & Mike
Rya continues helping Danny untangle his mental chaos. Danny also realizes how Jonny (Levon Hawke) and Mike (Sam Vartholomeos) came into the picture. Other people could not realize the nuanced differences between these different personalities. Danny realizes that Mike provided the social skills he lacked. While Danny recalls the parts of his life he experienced as Jonny, he does not wish to share the traumatic incidents.
Rya still finds it helpful that Danny can now distinguish these aspects for himself. She tells him how all of these alter-egos are trying to save him. It denotes a message that Danny has been trying to save himself. Before leaving, she gives him a jacket for him to wear at the trial. Soon after, Jerome comes to meet Danny, probably for the last time. He hands over a locket to provide him with reassurance.
Marlin’s Threat
On the other hand, Marlin makes matters difficult for Stan and Rya. After receiving the court date, Marlin meets DDA Patricia Richards (Carmen Ejogo) to speak about the case. It results in Stan receiving a letter that agitates him. Rya meets him to learn that Marlin went to the prosecution and said that he was trying to protect his stepson. Marlin also mentioned Danny’s past shootings. Stan worries that it would result in a death sentence for Danny.
Back in the prison, Danny’s alter-egos start creeping into his mind. He intentionally hurts his arm to go to the medical professional. While the person examines his condition, Danny steals a binder clip. He returns to the cell to realize he has pain in his arm and the clip in his pocket. In the end, he says, ‘Just in case.’
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