The Clearing episode 5, is all about Adrienne, aka Maitreya’s transformation from an ordinary woman to her self-proclaimed enlightened stage as Maitreya. Aida was raised by her father, as her mother struggled with severe mental instability, displaying signs of profound madness. One day, outside the church, she set herself on fire, terrifying those nearby, but Aida remained indifferent, with a little smile lingering on her lips. This smile served as evidence that her mother had passed on her darkness to Aida, who seemingly took pleasure in it.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Aida Become Adrienne?
As Aida grew up, she lived in a small town with her husband. Her husband longed for a family, desiring children deeply, but unbeknownst to him, Aida was taking birth control pills. Aida, a silent and stagnant woman, rarely displayed her emotions. Despite living in the early seventies in a small town, she did not place her husband’s desires above her own. Her reluctance to make sacrifices or conform to the perfect wife archetype during that time may have been considered a psychological condition. An example of this could be seen at the home of a local psychiatrist, Dr. Ari Herzog, where Aida worked as a housekeeper. Ari treated women who complained about their unhappy marriages, primarily concerning their domineering husbands. Mariam also experienced a similar predicament with her own husband, yet they both maintained the façade of a blissful married life in public.
Aida herself remained taciturn, only speaking when the time was right. When she received a slight increase in her salary, she kept the extra money hidden instead of sharing it with her husband. Eventually, her husband discovered the strips of contraceptive pills and the hidden funds, leaving him shattered and losing hope for their family. He accused Aida of having a lifeless soul, reminding her of the miscarriages she had endured without shedding a single tear. Even in the face of her husband’s scolding, Aida did not shed a tear. However, later that night, she received the tragic news of her husband’s passing. Despite being left alone, her soul did not ache, as she had attained freedom and a strange sense of power, allowing her to shape her own future. Often, when she looked at a picture of Christ, she felt a sensation of divine power within herself. One day, she made the decision to no longer look at the picture and contemplated becoming a divine spirit herself.
One day at Ari’s, when she laid her hands on an ampule of diazepam from Dr. Ari’s drawer, Aida became certain that the psychiatrist himself was suffering from depression caused by daily strife in his household. Seizing the opportunity, she confronted Ari. Though Ari wanted to take a chance on Aida, she didn’t allow him to. Instead, she gazed into his eyes and coldly pointed out the psychological turmoil Ari was experiencing. Stunned by Aida’s potential for intuitive psychoanalysis, Ari offered her money and encouraged her to pursue her own path.
For the last time, Aida visited her mother, who had been confined to a psychiatric asylum for years. During her visit, she saw her mother in a new light. She realized that her mother had never actually been ill, but it was society that had labeled her as such simply because she was a woman with opinions. Perhaps her mother had never desired to have a child in her life either, but patriarchal society had pressured her to become a mother. However, the weight of maternal responsibilities became too burdensome, gradually leading to her loss of mental balance. Nevertheless, her mother felt no shame for what had become of her. Instead, she urged her daughter not to be a woman subservient to men but to make her own mark, rise to power, and rule. Inspired by her mother’s words, Aida returned home, shattered the portrait of Christ, and decided to embark on a new path in her life with fresh aspirations, adopting the new name Adrienne Beaufort.
How Did Adrienne Win Latham’s Trust?
Adrienne traveled to America and met with Dr. Latham. Latham revealed his plans to travel to India with his wife, Tamsin. However, Adrienne, sensing a foreboding outcome, forbade him from doing so, as she had a premonition that Tamsin would fall ill during their visit. To Dr. Latham’s astonishment, this prediction came true when Tamsin contracted malaria while in India. This incident further cemented Latham’s trust in Adrienne, considering her a seer of sorts. Meanwhile, Adrienne established her own yoga studio, where she not only taught women various exercises but also assisted them in resolving personal issues such as unwanted pregnancies. During this period, she worked diligently to reinforce the foundation of trust she had built among those around her. Seeking assistance regarding hallucinogenic drugs, she visited Dr. Ari’s clinic and obtained them. Bringing the drugs to Latham’s residence under the pretense of conducting a spiritual experiment, Adrienne administered them to Latham. In a hyper-hallucinatory state, Latham began perceiving Adrienne as a divine being who alleviated all his pain. Overwhelmed with curiosity about her true identity, Latham asked Adrienne to reveal herself, to which she proclaimed that she was the enlightened one, Maitreya.
Who Were Amy’s Biological Parents?
In her yoga studio, Adrienne captivated one of her followers named Hannah, a young woman who was pregnant and unsure of her next steps. However, it was Hannah’s boyfriend, Henrik, who became even more entranced and fascinated by Adrienne, now known as Maitreya. Adrienne extended an invitation to all her followers, including Hannah and Henrik, to gather at Latham’s house. Coincidentally, Dr. Herzog and his wife were also invited to the gathering. Upon seeing Aida, a self-proclaimed guru, Mariam confronted Adrienne, accusing her of fraudulence. She pointed out that all the spiritual discussions and teachings were mere illusions, and the men present were drawn to Adrienne’s external charm and beauty rather than genuine followers. Manipulating and blackmailing Ari, Adrienne schemed to remove his wife from the picture.
Adrienne skillfully manipulated both Latham and Tamsin, recognizing the deep rift between them and understanding their need for space. Instead of attempting to reunite them, she encouraged their separation, and to her delight, both Latham and Tamsin, enchanted by Adrienne’s influence, willingly parted ways. In gratitude for her assistance, they offered Adrienne their house to live in, fulfilling her desires. However, Adrienne’s evil soul wasn’t purified by the spiritual exercises she practiced. She initiated the Kindred, inspiring her followers to believe that within the Kindred, orphans and foundlings would find spiritual guidance and parental figures. Unbeknownst to her followers, Adrienne had ulterior motives. Hannah, one of her followers, began to question the authenticity of Adrienne’s teachings and attempted to reach out to Mariam for help. Under Adrienne’s influence, Dr. Ari admitted his wife to an asylum, falsely declaring her mentally ill. With no obstacles in her path, Adrienne pursued her plans with the assistance of the midwife, Tamsin, engaging in illegal adoptions.
In the climax of The Clearing Episode 5, Hannah and Henrik became parents, but Henrik’s house became the central location for the Kindred, and the couple was forced to surrender their child to Adrienne, who became their adoptive mother. The episode concluded with Hannah going upstairs to put one of the newborns in a cradle while her own daughter Amy, who knew Adrienne as her mother, longed for affection. However, Adrienne ignored Amy’s presence and departed in a car. Hannah, unable to claim Amy as her own daughter, sternly instructed her to return to bed. The episode ended with the revelation that Amy’s biological parents were none other than Hannah and Henrik, meaning that Amy had unknowingly caused her own father’s arrest. In the subsequent episodes, we can anticipate that Amy will embark on a journey to uncover the truth about her parents and the ongoing activities of the Kindred.
