The haunting premiere of Episode 3 casts a long, dark shadow that's impossible to shake. "The Changeling" lives up to its reputation as a horror narrative that sends shivers down our spines and leaves us rattled. Emma, armed with the chains bestowed upon her by "Cal," binds and brutalizes Apollo until he's a bloody mess, struggling to see through his battered eyelids as he pleads for mercy for Brian's life.
Emerging from the bedroom like a woman possessed, Emma glides through the living room in a trance, ignoring Apollo's cries for help. With bare hands, she lifts the boiling kettle from the stove, feeling the metal sear through her bones yet remaining utterly unaffected. Before retreating back into the room, she strikes Apollo across the face with a sledgehammer, knocking him unconscious. She continues into the room, muttering under her breath, "It's not a baby," before slamming the door shut behind her.
Two months later, a battered and bruised Apollo is freed from prison. The wounds on his face may have healed, but the scars left behind are everlasting. Having spent three months in captivity, we're eager to uncover the reason behind his ordeal. The chilling revelation that unfolds in the subsequent scenes is nothing short of horrifying: Emma has committed the unthinkable — she has taken the life of innocent baby Brian.
The notion of such a heinous act sends a chilling shiver down our spines. But the bigger question looms: what possessed her to commit such a monstrous deed? Fabio, the superintendent of the building, expresses heartfelt sorrow over the tragedy. Unable to revisit the crime scene due to his blackout, Apollo recounts the harrowing tale at a meeting for a group called The Survivors. Emma remains at large, a fugitive from justice.
Determined to track her down, Apollo visits the library with a shotgun after his release from intensive care. It was this reckless act, firing a gun in a public library, that led to his arrest once again.
Patrice and his companion, Dana, extended a warm invitation to Apollo for dinner at their abode, expressing their heartfelt gratitude for his presence at Brian's funeral and for their supportive embrace during this difficult time. As Patrice handed Apollo the first edition of the novel, he issued a stern warning against suicidal contemplations, promising to personally relay the buyer's offer for the tome.
That evening, Apollo stealthily made his way back to his former apartment, now a crime scene cordoned off by police tape. His heart raced as he entered, startled by the kettle's unexpected boil, but relief washed over him when he discovered it was only Lillian, who had also tidied up the place following the traumatic event.
Apollo ventured into the room where Brian's baby crib once stood, making tender gestures as if cradling and rocking Brian in his arms. Lillian entered, her keen insight revealing Apollo's guilt-ridden and regretful demeanor, a sentiment she understood intimately due to her own past with Arthur. When Apollo confided in her about his recurring nightmares involving his father, Lillian felt compelled to confess a long-held secret that could alter their future trajectory. She unveiled that Brian had not deserted them; rather, it was she who had divorced him. The nightmares Apollo endured were actually fragmented memories of Brian's attempts to forcibly take him away. Apollo was incensed, feeling betrayed by his mother. If Brian had desired a part in his life, why had Lillian denied him that chance? Overwhelmed by the perception that his inadequacies as a father stemmed from Brian's absence, Apollo sought solace at the church, intending to secure a priest's signature on his parole form. Instead, he was urged to attend a session of The Survivors.
Initially, Apollo opened up about his profound grief over losing his infant son. However, the session was abruptly interrupted by a stranger whose demeanor and words eerily mirrored Emma's, eliciting a terrified glance from Apollo. Her repetition of Emma's chilling phrase, "It's not a baby," sparked Apollo's curiosity. The revelation of her source—The Wise Ones—left him convinced that this woman, struggling to accept Cal's words, was poised to harm her own child. Panicked, Apollo fled the session, with William Wheeler, the buyer for Harper's book, trailing behind him.
William led Apollo to a café to calm his nerves and delve deeper into their conversation. While glancing at his phone, William inadvertently played a video from the church session, and this time, Apollo listened intently. Intrigued by the mention of "Wise Ones," William explained it was a quote from a book, one filled with tales of witches, which began to piece together the puzzle for Apollo. The final scenes depicted a woman in Brazil, hinting at her potential involvement in Emma's fate.
