In the finale of The Changeling, Apollo, Cal, and Cal’s people attempt to escape the island when a monstrous creature attacks. The episode is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Episode 8 recap: Battle of the Island
Apollo recognizes William as Kinder Garten, the social media user who had been posting about Brian on Brian’s page. William says that he is not alone. There are 10,000 others like him, and they are all called Kinder Garten.
William killed his own daughter. Furthermore, he has called in cavalry. A creature has arrived on the island. Apollo runs to warn Cal, only to find no one at the settlements.
The settlements are attacked. Apollo finds Gretta’s dead body. Before he can lose any hope, Cal shows up. Some of her people have survived, and they can still escape the place.
Cal guides everyone to a secret escape route, keeping them away from the creature. It turns out that they all have to climb down a mountain using a rope. Everyone starts climbing down one by one.
Apollo takes responsibility of a little girl. Apollo and Cal are the last to climb down when the creature comes nearer. While Cal’s people successfully catch the little girl, Cal and Apollo fall from a height.
Fortunately, both Apollo and Cal survive. The creature goes back, and Cal deduces that the creature thinks they are trapped by the waters, so it is going to destroy the settlements.
What the creature doesn’t know is that Cal has her own boats. Everyone is boarded and sent away, except for Cal and Apollo. Cal says Apollo has a different path.
The Changeling ending explained in detail:
Why does Cal stay?
Cal tells Apollo about how Emma glowed when she left the island to look for her baby. Cal gives Apollo a creek boat. However, she plans to stay.
Apollo is reminded of the myth of Calisto, who gets to spend eternity up in the sky with her child. Cal claims that she is tired and wants to see her little boy again.
Apollo, on the other hand, is told to go look for Emma in the forest, which is in New York City. William and the creature appear and start attacking Cal’s people, who are far away in the waters.
While Apollo rows away too, Cal decides to face William and the creature head-on.
What happens to Cal & William?
Cal and William fight each other on the top of the mountain. It’s Cal who manages to take William down and stab him. Before dying, William says that the creature will get to Cal.
The creature comes close to Cal, who jumps from the mountaintop and kills herself. Apollo sees the stars in the sky aligning after watching Cal die.
What happens to Emma & Apollo?
While Apollo reaches the city, Emma finds herself at Forest Hills, looking for Brian, who, according to Apollo’s favorite book, is the fairies’ favorite meal.
Emma comes across a carousel. Emma’s eyes shine as blue as she says she is coming for her baby, even though the book says the fairies won’t give it back.
William is shown contacting the Kinder Garten. Apollo opens his baby’s grave to find it crying. It bites Apollo’s finger. Someone is seen walking into a cave where a creature lives. The creature senses the person and opens its eye.
Review
- The Changeling‘s finale delivers an action-packed episode that is less detailed but keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The show may not accomplish its goals, but this episode does accomplish its own. Take Cal’s death as an example.
- What the finale fails to offer is everything the show built itself upon or hyped the viewers for. They never get to see why Emma is glowing or if she finds the baby or not. The show continues to keep the viewers hanging. There is a creature present that is never shown either.
- In the final few moments where a viewer is expecting a fitting end, they are left with scenes with no answers; they are all glimpses that suggest a second season, leaving no concrete end to the first season.
The Changeling season 1 episode 8
Director:
Solvan ‘Slick’ Naim
Date Created:
2023-10-13 12:30
Also Read: The Changeling season 1 episode 7 recap & review: Stormy Weather
