Episode 5 of Harlan Coben’s Shelter sees Rachel help Mickey track down Octoface, and the truth about Ema’s family comes into full view. The episode is streaming on Prime Video.
Recap
Mickey scraps with Octoface until Rachel shoots him in the back and he runs away. Mickey and Rachel rush to the pool house to find Ashley missing once again.
The next morning, Ema and Spoon sneak into Mickey’s room to discuss everything that happened and what each of them has found out. They also notice that Mrs. Friedman was Dylan and Brad’s little league coach when Dylan went missing.
Spoon goes to talk to Mrs. Friedman about Dylan while Shira gets an invitation from Hannah to see something. Hannah signed a lease on a new restaurant space on impulse and is very excited about it.
Angelica Wyatt oversees preparations for the musical as Whitney and Ema bond while Whitney does Ema’s make-up. Mickey attends basketball tryouts but it ends in a huge fight after Troy elbows Mickey in the face.
Ema gives Mickey her shirt to deal with the blood coming out of his nose and Mickey notices the butterfly tattoo on her back. Hannah and Shira are having a nice chat when both of them are called into school because of the fight.
Hannah supports Mickey and tells Troy to apologize for starting it all. Spoon gets the key to the hospital where Dr. Kent is going to be, but Mickey wants to find out why Ema hid the tattoo from them.
They follow her after school and end up at a mansion. Ema realizes that she’s being followed and admits that she actually lives there before they find out that her mother is Angelica Wyatt.
Mickey brings up the tattoo and she tells them what Agent told her. When Mickey hears the word Abeona, he says that it was the name of the charity that his parents worked for so they decide to look into Agent further.
While Spoon keeps Agent distracted by asking for a tattoo, Mickey sneaks into the back office and finds a photo catalog that has a picture of Octoface and Brad together.
Mickey visits Rachel and asks for her help tracking down the number plate for Octoface’s car which he got from the photo. She’s reluctant because she’ll have to approach Troy for it and things between them aren’t great at the moment.
She eventually agrees to do it for Ashley. Hannah and Ken have a big argument because Hannah is frustrated with her life. This has an effect on Troy and he isn’t too happy that Rachel is asking for a favor.
She tells him that she’s only helping Mickey find Ashley so he agrees to help her. Ema meets Whitney and tells her the truth about who her mother is. They admit to liking each other and share a kiss.
Mickey and Spoon visit Brad’s grave and talk about dealing with the loss. Spoon and Ema go to the hospital later that night but find Dr. Kent being taken away by some men.
Rachel and Mickey follow Octoface to a club where Rachel sees the two men who tried to kidnap Ashley initially. Hannah goes to Shira’s place to feel better after her argument.
Mrs. Friedman is putting up flyers for a memorial for Dylan and is secretly being followed by his father. Whitney tells Buck who Ema’s mother is and he is thrilled by that information.
Review
- The scene between Whitney and Ema in the make-up chair is magnificent. The dual focus and the framing of Ema’s face are technically so impressive and add some intensity to the scene.
- Troy’s character gets some development in this episode and upgrades him from a typical bully to someone with room for improvement. Brian Altemus plays the role quite well.
- The fact the primary characters are still teenagers and not immune to teen drama is prevalent and makes the series more interesting because it doesn’t try to ignore that aspect of their lives.
Harlan Coben’s Shelter season 1 episode 5
Director:
Deborah Kampmeier
Date Created:
2023-08-01 05:30
Also Read: Shelter season 1 episode 4 recap & review: Phantom Threads
