Dear Edward (Season 1), Episode 4: For years, FX’s The Leftovers cemented its position as arguably the most potent grief drama. It touched upon the theme of loss, pain, and all the nuanced emotions related to grief with the utmost sensitivity. Many attempts have been made to present similar narratives in which characters struggle with such dark feelings. Dear Edward is one such show and is streaming on Apple TV+.
Based on Ann Napolitano’s novel, this show depicts the lives of people following a devastating plane crash. However, unlike the Justin Theroux show, The Leftovers, it relies heavily on sentimentality, which becomes an obstacle to taking it seriously. There are profound moments here and there, and then there is an unnecessary amount of mushiness that reduces its impact. However, if you are interested in what happens in the fourth episode, here’s a spoiler-filled recap.
Dear Edward (Season 1), Episode 4 Recap:
Episode 4: Chrysalis
The first three episodes of Dear Edward gave us an understanding of its characters’ lives and an insight into their lives after the tragedy. Now the fourth episode, titled ‘Chrysalis,’ shows them adjusting to their new sets of realizations. Edward (Colin O’Brian) must attend a regular school instead of being homeschooled now that he lives with his aunt Lacey (Taylor Schilling).
On his first school day, Edward struggles to make eye contact with other students and anxiously walks through the corridor. After the plane crash, he also has to confront his new reality and be a ‘miracle boy.’ While Shay (Eva Ariel Binder) tries to support him in the kindest possible way, ultimately, it is his journey out of personal fears.
Meanwhile, Dee Dee (Connie Britton) still stays at Charle’s (Ted Koch) condo, which she had never mentioned to her. While busy on a call regarding its sale, she meets with young T (Ash Spencer), who walks in as if it is their home. Upon learning about their friendly bond with Charles, Dee Dee asks them whether Charles is romantically involved with Evan (Christian Conn). Since the moment she saw their photo together, she had been conflicted with these thoughts about his sexuality.
However, since she does not get a clear answer about it from them, she goes to the organization Charles was volunteering for. Over there, she meets Noelle (Hannah Jane McMurray), who she had disrespected before. Dee Dee now approaches her with an apologetic tone and expects a clear answer about her late husband’s sexuality. But Noelle sees it as none of her concern to discern who Charles is. However, she agrees that he adored Evan.
Lacey (Taylor Shilling) sees a box of letters for Edward that John (Cater Hudson) has compiled. She sees the most recent card and asks where he got it from. Since the person left too quickly before he could reach out, he could not know who it was. Meanwhile, on the election front, Adriana (Anna Uzele) is all geared up to step in her grandmother’s shoes with her new secretary’s appointment. She sees Kojo (Idris Debrand) and Becks (Khloe Bruno) at Adriana’s place, and she asks her about it. Despite understanding that Adriana is doing it with charitable intentions, she advises her to care about how the media will perceive their relationship.
Meanwhile, Steve (Ivan Shaw) shows up to speak about his late brother in the grief counseling group. Seeing him, Amanda (Brittany S Hall) flips out and asks him to leave immediately and never come back. There is evident resentment due to Steve’s neglect toward his brother’s well-being for several years. Amanda later confronts him about it. He apologizes for his mistakes and wishes to get a chance from her to make amends. Amanda scolds his too-little-too-late efforts and makes him leave. Linda sees it from a distance and applauds her bravery.
Besides his new school, Edward also has trouble facing people outside, including Lacey. While she hopes he is brave to face the world, he is still in his cocoon since seeing Lacey reminds him of his late mother. To battle his personal fear, he decides to follow the lesson that his brother, Jordan (Maxwell Jenkins), taught him – his classmates won’t care if he’s smart but only if he’s cool. So, he decides to wear an orange padded jacket, which he thinks makes him look cool. He feels euphoric seeing other students nodding at him. But later, Shay gives him a reality check. He is not cool, so he shouldn’t pretend, either.
Back at Adriana’s place, Kojo tries to teach Becks their cultural ways of dealing with a lost person. Since Becks has grown up mostly in the US, she is not aware of the tradition of decorating the caskets. Kojo takes her on an imaginative journey that can help her connect with the roots while paying her respect to her mother.
While Kojo keeps thinking of moving out and not being a burden on Adriana, she keeps finding ways to make him stay. There is a romantic tension between them, but neither of them acts on it. Meanwhile, she gets in touch with Reverend Eric, her old friend, and asks for a favor. She asks him for his church to host the funeral of Becks’s mother, where they will have many guests. He accepts doing this favor for her. While walking her out, they rekindle their old spark and end up kissing each other.
Meanwhile, Edward decides to enter his class wearing that heavy jacket, even if that means him sweating bullets. Other students see that and laugh at him. The teacher shuts them up but still tells Edward to take it off for health concerns. Shay defends him wearing it since he has already had enough (implying if the jacket comforts him at the moment, let him wear it). But her defense leads her to get suspended while Edward starts running out of sheer anxiety and a fear of shame.
Meanwhile, in California, Dee Dee gets to meet Evan. He opens up about his intimate relationship with Charles and how they helped each other work out their emotional struggles. He apologizes for being a homewrecker, even if it wasn’t intentional. However, Dee Dee cannot handle the pressure of this revelation and takes it out in a reckless manner.
On the other hand, Shay goes up to meet Lacey and speaks about Edward out of genuine concern. Since he hasn’t responded to her, she requests Lacey to tell him to do so. Lacey smiles, considering her adorable concern for anxious Edward. Then she goes up to him and tries to make him open up about his fear. She notes that if that school is not working out for him, he is not pressured to attend it. He, however, keeps making attempts to be braver and tells her not to worry about him. With a memory of his mother from her childhood, the aunt and nephew connect with each other in a tender, emotional moment.
Dear Edward (Season 1), Episode 4 Ending Explained:
After her nervous breakdown, Dee Dee decides to meet T with the hope of making things right. She loses her condescending tone and speaks more freely. As a gesture, she also offers a Rolex watch to them. She calls it her parting gift. With this, she gets to head on her journey of peace of mind.
Meanwhile, in New York, Kojo and Becks organize the funeral with Adriana. After saying a soulful goodbye to Akua, they relish the festivities that are a part of their cultural norm. During that time, Kojo sees Adriana dancing with Eric, which sparks a bit of jealousy in him.
On the other hand, Steve goes to meet Amanda yet again with the hope of his apology getting accepted. Since his brother was an addict, Steve couldn’t stay on amicable terms with him. After his heartfelt confession of regret, Amanda accepts his apology.
Edward, meanwhile, is trying to move past the loss of his family members. While they become emotionally closer, Edward decides to shed his chrysalis and give his cool orange jacket to Shay since she is the coolest person he can think of.
>>Previous Episodes
Dear Edward (Season 1) Episodes 4 Links: IMDb, Wikipedia
Dear Edward (Season 1) Episodes 4 Cast: Colin O’Brien, Connie Britton, Anna Uzele, Taylor Schilling, Amy Forsyth, Idris Debrand
Where to watch Dear Edward
