In almost every interview regarding Disclaimer, Alfonso Cuaron has mentioned that he considers the whole thing a very long movie rather than a TV show. He has admitted that film is the only medium he knows, and he has treated this story in that vein. And watching Disclaimer does make you realize what the master director really means. Last week, the show introduced us to the central mystery – the death of Jonathan Brigstocke in Italy – and all the key components associated with it. We did not find any answer, as we were not supposed to. But in many ways, the two episode premiere felt like the first act of a movie where you got to know ‘what’ happened. Quite naturally, episode 3 and 4, which have dropped this week, is where you witness the ‘how’ and ‘why’ around the ‘what’. This is a very fitting second act to Cuaron’s big movie, which basically indicates that the remaining three episodes over the next three weeks (unless Apple TV+ changes the schedule and brings it all at once) is going to be the final act. For now, we’re gonna take a closer look into what we saw this week.
Spoilers Ahead
What happened in Italy?
We already know Catherine and Jonathan did have an intense romantic relationship back in Italy, and this week’s episode basically lets us know how that really happened. Being a good Samaritan, Jonathan drops Catherine and Nicholas off at their hotel. Just as he’s about to leave, Catherine invites him over for a drink at the hotel bar. Jonathan agrees, and very soon, the two of them are having a conversation about his celebrity fantasy in what should be considered the most erotic scene of the year without an iota of actual sex. That, of course, leads to Jonathan and Catherine ending up in her hotel room, and you are graced with an incredibly shot erotic scene between the two. He’s understandably shy and a bit skeptical about Nicholas, but she assures him it’s quite alright (and she was mostly right after all). Not to mention, the Catherine that we see inside the hotel room is clearly something that has eluded Robert his entire life. It’s undeniable that what Catherine felt for Jonathan is the kind of thing you probably feel once in a lifetime.
Once fully comfortable with this young stranger she has just met, Catherine doesn’t mind being Jonathan’s muse – as he enthusiastically takes up the camera. Yes, we finally get to see how the photographs (that shattered Robert, and also Nancy, I suppose) were taken. No wonder Robert couldn’t recognize Catherine in the photos. She never brought out that side of her in front of him, most likely because he was (sort of) vanilla and not what Catherine would have liked in bed.
What’s up with Robert?
This week’s proceedings actually kick off with Robert, exactly from the point we were left at last week. Following his big confrontation with Catherine, Robert storms off and drives away. He spends the night in his car, wallowing in his heartache and getting stupidly drunk. Realizing he’s in no condition to drive, he takes the bus the next morning. I’m not sure how logical it is to look at random people and imagine how peaceful their lives must be, but that’s exactly what he does. Well, given his state of mind, we can’t exactly expect logical things. Catherine does call him and leaves him so many texts, but Robert continues to ignore his wife. He can’t control himself from reading the book though , and even getting turned on by his wife’s version in it. Would it be an exaggeration to say Robert does have a kind of dormant kink inside him where the idea of his spouse participating in erotic activities with another man actually gets him off? Probably not, given how he reacts. However, Catherine has still lied to him and he can’t absolutely forgive her – especially for not telling anything about the freak accident that almost took Nicholas’ life two decades ago.
Continuing to sulk, Robert finally reaches work to attend a meeting. Expectedly, he fails to pay any attention where his subordinates discuss some charity (this might become important eventually, but doesn’t seem to be that relevant for the time being). But being the boss, he does have the privilege to just go through the motion without saying much. Not that people don’t notice that something is off with Robert thanks to his lack of interest and pencil-breaking (quite uncharacteristic), but they choose to keep their mouth shut about it. To be honest, this is a good thing because saddling Robert with people questioning his behavior at his job would have been too much for this already loaded narrative.
What is Stephen up to?
If there’s anyone who’s having a good time in Disclaimer, then that has to be Stephen Brigstocke. Well, given what life has served that man—that is probably not the right thing to say. What I mean is his plan of making Catherine’s life a living hell (for the time being) is very much in motion. Justin takes him to a bookstore, where the owner, Claire, lets him know how much she loved reading the book and also how the fictional woman in it totally deserved her fate. Later, Catherine visits the same store and leaves in a rush, all flustered and agitated, after seeing ‘The Perfect Stranger’ being prominently displayed on the stand.
Speaking of Catherine, she has now figured out where the book comes from. It’s only logical that instead of waiting for something to happen, she makes a move. However, I don’t think it’s wise to give a call to Stephen and leave a congratulatory message on the answering machine regarding the book being a fantastic work of fiction. But that’s exactly what she does, and it agitates Stephen, understandably. Does that have anything to do with him meeting Justin and asking him to help with creating a Facebook page for a fictional teenager, who just happens to be a character from his next book? Most certainly it is. Stephen is not writing another book for sure, and everything he’s doing at the moment is to teach Catherine Ravenscroft a lesson. We still don’t know what exactly happens to the book version of Catherine other than her dying by the way, so it remains to be seen whether or not Stephen does that to her.
What Happened to Nancy after Jonathan’s Death?
We go back into the past again. On a bright and beautiful day, life appears to be pretty much perfect for the Brigstocke family. Stephen is seen barbequing in the backyard while Nancy is reading a book, sitting pretty, under the sun. That’s not at all the kind of day when you deserve to receive the news of your only son’s tragic death, but that’s exactly what happens with the poor couple. A bunch of police officers suddenly appear on their doorstep to break the sad news of Jonathan’s passing. They confirm that he was vacationing in Italy and request Stephen and Nancy to travel there in order to identify the body.
With little to no hope (of Jonathan surviving), Stephen and Nancy reach Italy. They’re taken to the morgue to identify the body, and it’s unmistakably Jonathan. Stephen is shell-shocked, but Nancy is completely devastated. She wants to know how her son really died. The English consulate tells them that Jonathan drowned while trying to save a child. This makes Nancy suspicious because Jonathan just happened to be a good swimmer. Another striking thing is a strange scar on Jonathan’s hand that looks like ‘X’. According to the police, that happened during the accident, which is quite hard to believe for us. I should also mention that there’s a similar looking ‘X’ mark at the bus window in which Robert travels (in the present timeline). Maybe I’m reading too much into it but does the ‘X’ mean something in this tale? We’ll find out in due time, hopefully.
Nancy and Stephen also get to know about the presence of this blonde woman (you know who) on the scene, whose kid Jonathan saved. Strangely enough, the woman has refused to identify Jonathan and already left Italy. While Nancy wants to have a word with her, Stephen reminds her that the woman has the right to refuse.
After returning to England, Nancy seems hellbent on not letting her son go. She keeps going through his stuff, discovers the photos of her that Jonathan clicked and (probably) that leads to her developing the film he had from Italy and discovering the scandalous photos. We don’t see that happening, though. What we see is actually worse – Nancy submerging herself in pain, suffering from cancer and tragically dying in the end while holding onto her dear son’s memories. Stephen can’t do anything but bear it all, and is helpless. He’s a man who has lost his son and now he fails to save his wife as well. At this point, his need for revenge seems completely justified.
How Did Jonathan Die?
Certainly the biggest reveal this week, the entirety of Jonathan’s accident is shown to us and there’s no doubt that the Brigstocke boy died because he tried to save Nicholas. But the most important thing here is what happened a few hours before the death. Following their explosive night at the hotel room, we find Jonathan and Catherine (along with Nicholas) at the beach, basking under the sun. They are, of course, pretending to not know each other – but it’s really hard for them to wait for the night. So Catherine asks a tourist to look after her son and goes to the toilet. Jonathan follows and you know what happens after. But then Jonathan breaks the news that he has bought the tickets and he’s coming to London to be with her. Clearly, he is very much in love with her already, but she isn’t. For Catherine, this is nothing but an escapade, which Jonathan fails to see. It’s understandable given he’s only nineteen and she’s a decade older than him. Catherine is not so stupid as to give up her cushy life with Robert to be with a boy she met while vacationing in Italy. On the other hand, Jonathan is a dreamer with a long life ahead, that has just started for him (how ironic). Catherine does try to make him realize that it’s not gonna happen, but he doesn’t want to listen. She puts it on hold for the time being and rests on the beach. Asking Nicholas to not go anywhere, she falls asleep. When she wakes up, she receives the biggest scare of her life – Nicholas out in the sea, far away from Catherine, alone and scared for his life. Catherine doesn’t waste any time to rush into it. But she can’t go that far, as she doesn’t know how to swim (I’m assuming; even if she can, the tides are way too much). Thankfully, Jonathan is there who runs into it without a second thought and reaches Nicholas in time. By then, several others from the beach had taken the water to help out. Fortunately for Nicholas, he was already in an inflatable boat that saved him from drowning in the guest place. With Jonathan quickly taking the ropes and handing it over to another helpful stranger, Nick is brought back to safety in no time. But in the middle of all the chaos, everyone sort of forgets about Jonathan who’s still out there and doesn’t have any life support. He screams for help but nobody is there to look. Except Catherine who keeps staring at him, but doesn’t do anything. We know why she does that though, but it is quite unforgivable. Jonathan is noticed by other people, but by the time he’s brought back to the beach, it’s too late already.
What will happen to Catherine?
Back in the present, Robert comes to the conclusion that Nicholas has been doomed because of his mother’s affair with the stranger – and he should now look after his son. Unlike last time, when he went to Nick’s flat just to find out about the man his wife had the fling with, his concerns for Nicholas seem genuine enough.
Just like her husband, Catherine also has a difficult day at work. Upon returning home, she finds out Robert and Nicholas are having a good time together. Before she even says anything, Robert breaks the (fake) news of Catherine having to go leave for some secret work thing. He has even packed her suitcase and booked a cab for her, being the ‘good husband’ he is. This has to be Robert’s way of punishing Catherine, by throwing her out of the house and since Nicholas is here, Catherine can’t do anything about it either. She does try to talk to Robert one last time, but he’s adamant and doesn’t want to listen to her lies anymore. Catherine also admits that she wanted Jonathan dead (for obvious reason). Does that change anything for Robert, though? Guess we’ll find out in the upcoming weeks.