The previous episode of The Clearing revealed a series of mysteries surrounding Amy, also known as Freya, and her family history. We were introduced to Maxine, Freya’s daughter, who was abandoned by her mother when she was very young. Amy’s decision to escape the cult she was part of ended up aiding the police in their investigation of the cult. However, capturing Adrienne, the cult leader, proved to be difficult for investigator Joe Saad because she had managed to go into hiding. The police did find the children and arrested supervisor Henrik and his wife for their involvement in kidnapping those children. Tamsin, another member of the cult, managed to escape and avoid capture by the police, resulting in the dissolution of the cult. Despite the cult disbanding, Adrienne continued to secretly expand her influence with the help of one of her followers, Anton.Â
The Clearing Episode 4 provided much-needed clarity on several aspects. It revealed why Freya maintained contact with Adrienne and took care of her. Additionally, it became apparent that Sarah had never returned home.Â
Spoilers Ahead
Was Christine Amy’s Biological Mother?
In episode 4 of The Clearing, the true identity of Amy’s mother, Christine, was revealed. Christine was the child counselor who examined the children rescued from Adrienne’s cult, the Kindred. With the help of investigator Saad, Christine arranged for those children to be placed in an adoption center and subsequently adopted by interested families. However, Amy and Anton, who were considered siblings, were not chosen by any family, prompting Saad to consider taking Amy with him. Unfortunately, Saad’s wife objected to the idea, leading Amy to return to the adoption center. In a turn of events, Christine volunteered to care for Amy and became her adoptive mother. Amy’s biological mother was revealed to be Adrienne, the leader of the Kindred, which was the only reason why Freya was still taking care of Adrienne. Though Adrienne claimed that she was the mother of all the children in Kindred, Saad’s investigation indicated that the children were mostly taken from teenage single mothers without any proper documentation. Nevertheless, Dr. Latham confirmed that these children were foundlings rather than legitimate offsprings. Although Saad was able to apprehend Henrik and his wife, Hannah, and arrange an interrogation with Dr. Latham, Adrienne remained elusive. She denied any responsibility and went to Paris, refusing to return to Amy and Anton, whom she referred to as her own children. Realizing that Adrienne would never return to care for them, Amy decided to move on.
Amy’s diary had already revealed that Henrik was responsible for kidnapping Sarah. Henrik was arrested for the kidnapping, but in reality, he was innocent in this matter. He provided an alibi claiming that Tamsin, who was also revealed to be Dr. Latham’s ex-wife, had orchestrated the kidnapping. However, Tamsin managed to evade capture, leaving Henrik without any useful evidence to support his alibi. Desperate for help, Henrik contacted Adrienne, but she maliciously advised him to confess to the kidnapping, claiming he had acted out of a desire to raise a child and later realized his mistake and sent Sarah back home. Henrik initially followed her advice, hoping to find a way to avoid punishment. But as it became apparent that Sarah had never returned home, Saad concluded that Henrik had been lying and that something terrible must have happened to the little girl. Henrik was detained and sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and withholding crucial information.
Why Did Amy Identify Henrik As The Kidnapper In Her Diary?
Anton remained optimistic that his mother, Adrienne, would return, while Amy had already come to the realization that her mother had always been a negative influence. Curious about why Amy had written in her diary that Henrik was the kidnapper, Anton questioned her. Amy explained that Adrienne had instructed her to do so. While Anton understood the reasoning behind the lie, Amy felt uncomfortable with it as she was also implicated in the kidnapping, and fabricating Henrik’s involvement meant protecting herself and her brother. The truth about Amy being Anton’s sister remained uncertain as having grown up together in the Kindred, they all considered each other siblings. However, Amy never felt entirely safe or at ease around Anton. As she grew older, she chose not to introduce her son, Billy, to his uncle Anton. One day, an unannounced visit from a grown-up Anton at Amy’s house, now known as Freya, prompted her to distance herself and her son from him, subtly indicating that she wanted him to leave. But Anton was stubborn and had a malicious demeanor. He was certainly an unreliable and evil guy who chose to stay at Freya’s place only to make her more uncomfortable.
A television news station aired footage of a suspect in the kidnapping of eight-year-old Carrie Anderson. Freya noticed that the suspect wore a jacket similar to the one Anton had. This observation led Freya to another shocking discovery—Anton was driving a van similar to the one associated with the kidnapping of Carrie. Wasting no time, Freya approached Joe and urged him to interrogate Anton to uncover Carrie’s whereabouts. However, Joe was skeptical and did not believe that Anton could commit such a heinous crime. Only Freya knew that Anton had been driving the van when Sarah was abducted, but Joe remained unaware of this information. And that’s the reason why Henrik continued to serve his prison sentence, falsely accused of being the perpetrator behind Sarah’s kidnapping.
Where Was Carrie Anderson?
Contrary to Freya’s stance, Anton remained committed to his mother Adrienne’s sinister business of child abduction, which he continued to carry out. Recognizing that Freya had become aware of his involvement in the kidnapping of Carrie, Anton took action to dispel any further suspicions. He released Carrie, ensuring her freedom. The following day, Saad contacted Officer Garrison to provide him with information regarding Anton. To Joe’s surprise, Garrison revealed that Carrie had been found alive and well by the lakeside of Elidon. However, since Saad had been discharged from the force, he could only share this news with Freya and offer her some comfort, emphasizing that it was positive that the child had been found alive.
Nevertheless, Freya couldn’t take a breather until the detectives interrogated Carrie and unveiled the truth about her captivity. Realizing that the young girl might not willingly reveal anything due to pressure from her kidnappers, Freya took it upon herself to uncover the truth. She visited the location where the Kindred once operated, meticulously searching the entire area, including the secret passage where Sarah had been held captive. Meanwhile, in a separate covert location, Adrienne conversed with her disciples, manipulating them while Anton was in the process of bringing their child to join their group.
Who Was Billy’s Father? Why Did Max Ditch Freya?
In the fourth episode, a significant revelation occurred as it was disclosed that Freya’s ex-husband, Wayne, was Billy’s father. Concerned for her son’s safety after Anton’s unexpected visit, Freya became fearful that Anton might harm her child. Consequently, she decided that the safest place for Billy would be with his father, Wayne. Simultaneously, Freya grappled with guilt over abandoning her motherly responsibilities towards her daughter, Max. To make amends, she reached out to Max via text message, inviting her to meet at a cafe. But Anton happened to notice the text as well. The following day, Anton met with Max and recounted an exaggerated version of the events from the past, emphasizing how Freya had left Max in the car, nearly causing her to suffocate and die. Anton aimed to instill fear and resentment towards Freya in Max’s mind. Consequently, on the day of the planned meeting at the cafe, Max didn’t show up. Freya concluded that Max had not forgiven her for the past and still harbored grudges toward her.
Final Words
The Clearing continues to unravel its mysteries in a progressively darker manner, captivating our attention and leaving us hungry for more. The narrative’s frequent time jumps may add to the complexity, but they also enhance the suspense. While the story gradually provides answers, it also raises new questions about Freya’s motives for continuing to care for Adrienne, despite her knowledge of her mother’s involvement in the child abduction. This aspect may be seen as a character flaw in Freya, as she attempts to maintain her composure, possibly due to the belief that Adrienne could be her biological mother. Alternatively, Freya may be secretly searching for clues about Sarah’s fate and leveraging her proximity to Adrienne. The forthcoming episodes promise to shed light on Freya’s future and provide further insight into her motivations.
