Episode 3 of The Watcher kicks off with Theodora and Dean delving into a pool of potential suspects, pondering who could possibly be the elusive "Watcher." Mo and Mitch are swiftly dismissed as candidates. As the private investigator dives deeper, she uncovers compelling evidence against Andrew, who had previously accused his son's principal of being a pedophile. The accusation was swiftly dismissed, as Caleb had never attended the alleged trip. Additionally, she clears Mo and Mitch, citing her own experience as a cancer patient, noting that wreaking havoc isn't a top priority. But Theodora wonders, why would someone opt for such a drastic method? Why not simply take pills? She speculates that perhaps neither of them wanted to leave it to chance, not wanting one of them to survive and live with regret.
Jasper, on the other hand, has lived a routine life with his family. After school, he spent almost 23 years bagging groceries at the supermarket, until suddenly, in November 1995, he stopped. His family's payments to the Avalon Behaviour Heath Centre began, continuing for nearly a decade. Jasper stopped speaking for a while. What was the catalyst that month?
Karen and Nora unwind at the club, where Karen reminisces about her failed marriage with Rick, citing the lack of intimacy as its demise. She warns Nora not to repeat the same mistake, emphasizing that it's the kiss of death for marriages. Nora confides in Karen about her domestic troubles, like Dean's changing attitude towards Ellie and his short fuse. Karen jumps to the conclusion that Dean is having an affair, her opinions often blurted out without much thought. She persists in urging Nora and the family to move out, even taking her to a newer home in the area, devoid of any haunting history.
As renovation work progresses, Dean returns home from work and heads straight to Ellie's room. She quickly hides Dakota in the closet and deals with Dean at the door. Once Dean descends, he's introduced to John, who initially strikes him as odd but introduces himself as the building inspector. He assures Dean that everything in the house is in order and proceeds to make himself a sandwich. However, as they sit down for a chat, the conversation takes a bizarre turn. John starts spewing about the "Fourth Turn," or Kaliyuga as it's known in India, referring to a time when a crisis will plunge the world into chaos, heralding a rebellion or war. He even brings up Ellie's relationship with Dakota and shares how his own daughter was labeled as "the school whore" and how his family dealt with it, a traumatic experience for all. John mentions he'll be back after a few days when the renovation is complete but adds that he'll never see Dean again, leaving Dean thoroughly bewildered. He exits, leaving Dean with directions to a nearby Lutheran Church, advising him to take his family there. Deeply unsettled, Dean informs the contractor that he doesn't want to deal with John again. The contractor reveals that there's no inspector named John, further perplexing Dean. Nora arrives at the house, heeding Karen's advice to prioritize intimacy. She attempts to reconnect with Dean, but her mood is dampened when he abruptly leaves. Disheartened, she once again takes the kids to a motel, hoping to escape the turmoil until the renovations are complete.
As Dean sat in his office, the phone rang, and Theodora's voice filled the air with a mysterious urgency. She claimed to have stumbled upon a cache of unseen documents that unravel the cryptic history of the house. And so, the story of John Graff, a man whose path had crossed Dean's earlier that day, came to light.
John Graff was a man of distinction. A retired military officer, a devout Christian, and later an accountant, he led a seemingly ordinary life in the city. But fate had other plans. One day, he was robbed, and with his mother Gladys' inheritance, he purchased a house in the serene suburbs—657 Boulevard. His son, Dale, was a stellar student and athlete, the pride of his life. Patricia, however, was a rebellious teenager, and his wife Helen seemed distant and indifferent.
When John lost his job, he chose to conceal it from his family. He withdrew small sums from Gladys' savings daily, maintaining the illusion of financial stability. One day, upon returning from the bank, he found a letter from "The Watcher," revealing his deception and Patricia's affair. The letters continued, and on Halloween, John witnessed Patricia's teacher dancing closely with her, confirming the rumors of their relationship.
Desperate, Dean sought reassurance from Theodora, fearing that he might be succumbing to John's fate. Was he becoming like John? Theodora's response was stark: John had lived a lie, not the house. "Greed is your sin and impatience mine," read another letter from The Watcher, which swayed John's already fragile sanity. In a fit of madness, he slaughtered his entire family and vanished, leaving their bodies to decompose for fourteen days, accompanied by the same haunting melody that now filled Dean's ears.
Jasper stumbled upon the gruesome scene, and the police discovered bottles filled with the family's blood in the basement. John Graff was never seen again. Dean inquired about John's church and revealed his earlier encounter. Patricia's teacher was also found dead, but the method of his demise differed. The family returned to the house, and Nora breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the nightmare had ended. But another letter from The Watcher arrived, sending Nora into a panic as they watched from the window, leaving the house shrouded in an even deeper mystery.
