Creator: Joss Whedon
Director: Zetna Fuentes
Starring: Laura Donnelly, Ann Skelly, Tom Riley, Denis O’Hare, Amy Manson, Olivia Williams and Claudia Black
It’s time to go over The Nevers Season 1 Episode 6, which just aired on HBO Max. WARNING: There are SPOILERS in this review.
The Nevers Season 1 Episode 6 is all about Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and her true origin story; for the past five episodes, we have been given hints that Amalia is not who she says she is: her face isn’t her face, mentions of a mission and the turned have a higher purpose. Being split into four chapters makes this episode easy to understand and follow what is happening.
Now we start episode five in the future! I did think I was watching the wrong show at one point as it just wasn’t making sense why we were suddenly transported to the future considering we have been in the 1800s for the past five episodes. This episode gives us a lot in just an hour answers are finally answered but more questions are raised!
WHO IS THE REAL AMALIA TRUE? IT IS FINALLY ALL EXPLAINED In The Nevers Season 1 Episode 6!
Credit: HBO Max
Read more: The Nevers Season 1 Episode 4 Spoiler Review
Chapter 1 named ‘Stripe’ (Claudia Black) sees in us in the future meeting a woman known by her military title as Stripe because names are sacred and shouldn’t be revealed. Stripe has been a good soldier, isn’t very highly ranked but she has gone through a lot. She has very strong PTSD and comes from Southwest Canada; that is all we really learn about her. However, the person we know as Amalia True has been Stripe within her body this entire time. Thus, Amalia is human because I was starting to think that maybe she was an Galanthi too.
Chapter 2 to 4 are all in Victorian England and we see how Molly became Amalia True/Stripe. We get to meet Molly an excellent baker who has eyes on a certain gentleman, Varnum (Lee Armstrong). Unfortunately, Molly loses her job and pressured to marry Thomas True (Daniel Hoffmann-Gill), a quite horrible man who even mocks her for having two miscarriages. Molly is miserable once her husband dies as she has no one and seen as bad luck due to being ‘barren’; we now understand why she jumped into the Thamas. We really are made to feel sorry for Molly as she is such a sweet-hearted woman who is just doing what society asks of her and believes it is all God’s plan.
DONNELLY’S BEST EPISODE YET AND WE GET TO SEE AMALIA AND MALADIE’S BACKSTORY
Once Molly jumps into the Thames that’s when Stripe’s soul is transported into Molly’s body and when others became touched. From then on, we can’t be certain how much of Molly is left within her but Amalia is sent to the asylum where she meets Sarah/Maladie (Amy Manson). We are given hints of a backstory between Amalia and Maladie and we finally saw it played out and what really happened. What was uncomfortable to see was Dr Hague (Denis O’Hare) making an appearance to Amalia and Maladie in the asylum asking about their turns. It makes us question what did Dr Hague do to Maladie as Amalia basically left her to protect herself.
We see clearly the distinction between sweet Molly and the tough but traumatised Amalia/Stripe. The accents are spot on and the acting is just perfect. This is Laura Donnelly’s best episode yet. Her final monologue with the Galanthi in chapter 4 is heartbreaking to watch but is performed perfectly. We really get to have an understanding what this character has gone through and what she is trying to deal with, which happens to be a lot. Amalia/Stripe is baring her soul to the Galanthi, she shows us her anxiety, fear and trauma running through her body. She doesn’t feel like she should be here and even alive so has just been seeking answers yet nothing is really clear.
WHO ARE THE GALANTHI AND WHAT DO THEY WANT?
Credit: HBO Max
Read more: The Nevers Season 1 Episode 1 Spoiler Review
We were only given a name to our mysterious creature in this previous episode, however, in this episode, we get to learn who the Galanthi are. The Galanthi are intergalactic helpers who come through portals to help humanity. From those portals the Galanthi deposit spores to improve certain individuals and assist scientist with water purification and renewable energy. At one point there were around 20 Galanthi but now there is only one left, the one that we have been seeing underneath Victorian London in that orb. These creatures are to look like a mixture of an elephant, octopus and a t-rex yet they are playful and kind beasts who really just want the best for humanity. However, this raises the question of why these creatures want to help so much.
From this information we can guess that the last Galanthi choose to send Stripe back to Victorian London in an attempt to save humanity early on, so the future she comes from doesn’t happen. It is still unclear what the Galanthi wants from Amalia and why only certain people are chosen to be better.
THE NEVERS IS TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING
The Nevers is now much more complicated and complex show, yet I think it has a message that we should be listening to. We believed this show was showing how society responded to others that didn’t fit their norms but really this show is showing us what could happen if we don’t change. The Galanthi and their scientist friends had a plan to go back in time to give humanity a fresh start to change and avoid this future. If we don’t change, if we don’t accept others and look after the world then the Earth could look like it did in Chapter 1 – a toxic atmosphere and humanity almost extinct.
The Nevers underlying theme is change and is trying to tell us we need to change. Now with so much emphasis on climate change, pollution, equal rights etc. What this show is trying to tell us isn’t something new but it is trying to tell us in a different format. A running theme throughout these episodes has been hope. Is this show trying to tell us to have hope for a better world and making us question what we can do to build a better world?
A LOT OF ANSWERS GIVEN BUT MANY MYSTERIOUS STILL WAITING TO BE UNCOVERED IN PART 2
Credit: HBO Max
Read more: The Nevers Season 1 Episode 3 Spoiler Review
My favourite moment of this episode is the vision of Myrtle (Viola Prettejohn) speaking English telling Amalia “Did you think you were the only one who hitched a ride? Oh, Amalia. This is a long time from that little cave. This, I will need you to forget”. So many questions are still racing through my mind about that one vision. Like who is speaking through Myrtle and who else could have been transported back like Stripe was, but also what cave are they talking about. Also, if the Galanthi can make Amalia forget what else could have they made her forget?
We end this episode and this first half of the season finally knowing who Amalia True is but some parts of her past are still missing, however, what isn’t clear is what will happen next. The last Galanthi wants humanity to do better but what is Amalia supposed to do. Amalia figures out something with her brief encounter with the Galanthi but we just don’t know what. I like the suggestion that Augie (Tom Riley) has a bigger role to play as I feel like there is more to this character than a man who is in his sister’s shadow. There is a lot of mystery still left to uncover which means we have more to learn. There is now excitement at what could happen in the second part of this season which of yet doesn’t have a release date.
What did you make of The Nevers Season 1 Episode 6?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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