The Crowded Room Episode 9: After exploring Danny Sullivan’s emotional state for weeks, ‘The Crowded Room’ has finally reached its penultimate episode. Until now, the show made an attempt to build a sympathetic arc for Danny, whose actions had more to do with his troublesome past. The previous episode showed Danny finally confronting the truth about his condition and trying to get the alters under his control.
Now, the ninth episode, titled ‘Family,’ explores the familial conflicts that resulted in Danny’s psychological issues. Besides, it also delves into disagreements between Rya and Stan, with Danny’s trial being around the corner. Amidst all of this, Danny struggles to sort through his past.
*Spoilers Ahead*
The Crowded Room Episode 9 “Family” Recap:
Predator Marlin’s Manipulation
As the title suggests, ‘The Crowded Room’ episode 9 focuses on Danny Sullivan’s (Tom Holland) family and how it became the cause of his troublesome situation. Stan (Christopher Abbott) persistently tries to reach Candy (Emmy Rossum) on call, but she refuses to respond in any way. When she gets a call back home, Marlin (Will Chase) assumes that she is having an affair. He picks up the call but hears nothing from the other side.
Since Marlin understands how to manipulate Candy, he tells her not to answer any call until the trial is over. Basically, he tries to hide his sinister acts by keeping Candy under his control. When Marlin goes out, Candy secretively takes out newspaper clippings about Danny’s situation and starts sobbing. It is clear that she cares deeply about her son but finds it difficult to take action because of the monster she ended up marrying.
Danny’s Trial
Danny finally gets all suited up for his court trial. Once the feds bring him to a courtroom, Stan adjusts his coat to make him look like an upstanding citizen. He knows that the jury’s decisions are often based on how they perceive an individual. After the jury arrives, DDA Patricia Richards (Carmen Ejogo) makes a case from the prosecution’s side. She notes that the evidence against Danny is strong and irrefutable. She mocks the defense counsel’s argument about MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) and says no such thing exists according to the medical community. Ms. Richards makes the jury believe that criminals can use this disorder to not receive any punishment.
Right after, Stan walks up to the jury. He notes how he was just as in denial about the existence of this condition as anyone else until he opened his mind to different possibilities. He requests they also look at the situation with an open mind. Stan notes how Danny’s alters came to life due to some disturbing things that happened in his past. He states that Danny’s alters helped him survive the emotional burden of sexual abuse and pleads not to get imprisoned but to help him get into a hospital.
Despite making his case, Stan remains worried about proving that Danny suffered sexual abuse. Danny did not technically tell Rya (Amanda Seyfried) that he was abused, so she cannot testify. While Stan hoped Candy would help with her testimony, she refuses to respond to his calls despite the subpoena. So, he finds it difficult to make a case to save Danny.
Later, Marlin arrives in the courtroom and portrays himself as a kind-hearted soul. He makes the jury believe that Danny is someone who could not be saved. Marlin says Danny does questionable things just because ‘he is Danny.’ Without any shame, he even goes on to say that he tried to protect Danny and loved him like his own son. The prosecution uses this lie to make their case stronger. Back home, he fails to prove the said emotional connection to Candy. When Marlin falls asleep, Danny calls home to speak with Candy. He almost breaks down while saying that whatever happened is his mistake. Hearing her son cry, Candy finally decides to attend the trial.
The Testimonies
Candy walks in to hear Angelo (Stephen Barrington) testify against Danny. Angelo says that Danny never seemed normal during the time they knew each other. Later, Annabelle (Emma Laird) speaks about how different Danny seemed while he was violent towards Angelo. He was unlike the shy, quiet, and sweet Danny she was used to being around. Annabelle notes that he did not seem like the same person. Then, Ms. Richards tries to prove Danny’s history of violence besides the time he tried to shoot Angelo.
Outside the courtroom, Rya meets Candy and offers her a chance to meet Danny in person. Candy refuses to meet Danny in that state and refuses to indulge in any further dialogue with Rya. Meanwhile, because of Candy’s refusal to testify, Stan finds it hard to have faith in his side of the case. Rya keeps making a case about the presence of Danny’s alters and how it was his way to seek help to avoid pain. She recalls what Jack Lamb said to Danny ‘Fear of the pain is worse than the pain ever was.’ She believes Candy did not end her bad relationship with Marlin because she was worried about what would happen if she does so. The fear of getting hurt another way seemed worse than the pain she was familiar with. She feared losing what she had.
Rya’s Research
During the next day of trial, Jerome (Elijah Jones) says how Danny is not Ariana that he knows. He explains how Danny and Ariana both seem like completely different people. Ms. Richards calls Danny’s alter a lie by speaking with Danny. Outside, Stan meets Candy and tries to convince her again to take the stand to speak for Danny. She takes it as an accusation against her. In the courtroom, Rya explains how the mind of a person with MPD works. Ms. Richards keeps trying to debunk what she considers to be only a theory. She also tries to make Rya seem non-credible by stating another motive for this research – her grant money. Her arguments try to prove that Rya purposefully made Danny say the things he did. Since Danny never told her that he was sexually abused, Rya cannot make a concrete statement.
The Crowded Room Episode 9 “Family” Ending Explained:
Rya’s Testimony
After the trial, Candy follows Rya to a nearby bar. She accuses Rya of using her son for her professional gain. Despite Candy’s assumptions, Rya notes that she never considered Candy is to be blamed. She tells the story of her patient, Anna, who was sexually abused by different men when she was just 19 years old. She notes a terrible phenomenon of how the victims of abuse survive only to be abused again. Rya points out how it is not a matter of luck or something in the victim’s control. It is rather the result of abusers or predators who are skilled at picking up on cues to manipulate their victims to fall prey to them.
While Candy gets emotional hearing that, she cannot muster the courage to speak against Marlin. ‘Guilt or grief, which one can you bear?’ Rya asks her. It makes her decide to leave her life behind and go for the trial. She packs a few suitcases with her stuff and drives to the court, intent on helping her son. Right in the elevator, Marlin catches up to her. He manipulates her again into seeing a horrible future if she speaks against him. As a result of that, Candy takes the stand and lies about her son’s situation.
Candy says that Danny was not sexually abused, despite Stan’s repeated questioning. While she walks out of the courtroom, Danny hopelessly looks at her. In the end, we see Candy reunited with Marlin at home, which shows the predator’s ability to make victims question their reality. After this heartbreaking end to the second-last episode, let us see how ‘The Crowded Room’ wraps up its narrative in the series finale.
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