Apple TV+’s new thriller series “Disclaimer” is captivating viewers with its complex web of secrets, lies, and devastating losses. The show, which follows the intertwining stories of Stephen Brigstocke and Catherine Ravenscroft, is a masterful exploration of the consequences of our actions and the power of the past to haunt the present.
The latest episodes of “Disclaimer” delve deeper into the tragic events that led to the death of Stephen and Nancy Brigstocke’s son, Jonathan. As the story bounces between timelines, we witness the raw, emotional fallout of their loss, as well as the sordid details of Jonathan’s final days.
“Destiny doesn’t knock on any door,” Stephen narrates, reflecting on the surreal experience of learning of their son’s drowning while going about their casual lives. “Destiny doesn’t ask permission. It crashes in without calling.” The scenes of Stephen and Nancy traveling to Italy to identify Jonathan’s body are utterly devastating, with Lesley Manville’s performance as the grieving mother particularly gut-wrenching.
Back home, Nancy’s grief consumes her, leading her to make a harrowing attempt to drown herself in the bathtub, not out of a desire to die but to understand the final moments of her son’s life. “The police had told her he most likely passed out before he died and felt no pain,” the narration states. “But is that true?”
Interwoven with the Brigstockes’ tragedy is the story of Jonathan’s final days, as he becomes entangled in a passionate affair with Catherine Ravenscroft, a wealthy documentary filmmaker played by Cate Blanchett. The scenes depicting their steamy, increasingly obsessive relationship are as mesmerizing as they are unsettling, with the stark contrast between Catherine’s confident seduction and Jonathan’s nervous fumbling underscoring the power imbalance at play.
“Catherine is extremely flirtatious, telling him she is jealous of his freedom,” the narrator describes. “He tells her he has a crush on Kylie Minogue, and she, in exquisite and seductive detail, asks him what he would do to Kylie. Jonathan is on the verge of experiencing a sexual climax.
Yet, as the story progresses, Catherine’s actions become increasingly disturbing, as she seemingly abandons her young son, Nicholas, to engage in her tryst with Jonathan and then fails to alert anyone when she realizes he may be drowning. The haunting question lingers: did Catherine’s negligence, or even her willful inaction, lead to Jonathan’s tragic end?
“Catherine comes across as utterly horrific in these scenes,” the narrator notes. “She shows no concern for her child, exploits Jonathan for her own sexual pleasure, and then seemingly allows him to drown because, once dead, he no longer poses a threat to her.”
But as with so much of “Disclaimer,” the truth remains elusive. Are we witnessing the unfolding of actual events, or are we seeing the distorted perspective of Nancy Brigstocke, whose grief has informed the narrative in her book, “The Perfect Stranger”? The show’s use of unreliable narrators and shifting points of view keeps viewers constantly questioning the reliability of what they’re seeing.
“Is this portrayal of Catherine accurate?” The narrator wonders. “Or is this all just from Nancy’s book, which Robert is reading? Are we seeing Nancy’s version of how she thinks the events leading to her son’s death unfolded?”
As the story continues to unfold, the web of deceit and betrayal only grows more complex. In the present day, Catherine tries to placate Stephen by acknowledging his wife’s book as “an exquisite work of fiction,” while Robert takes matters into his own hands, kicking Catherine out of the house and hinting at a deeper truth about her relationship with Jonathan.
“Robert is basically kicking Catherine out of the house,” the narrator explains. “‘This is about integrity, right? My parents said you had absolutely none of it, but I chose you over them,’ he tells her. As they continue to argue, Catherine confesses that she wants Jonathan to die. Could the portrayal of Catherine and Jonathan’s relationship be accurate?
With its captivating performances, masterful cinematography, and intricate, non-linear storytelling, “Disclaimer” continues to captivate and confound in equal measure. As the series barrels towards its conclusion, the question remains: whose version of events will ultimately prevail, and at what cost?