Nine Perfect Strangers Recap: The Hills Are Alive

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I let out my first genuine gasp of the season when it was revealed at the end of this week’s episode, marking the halfway point of our stay in Bavaria. It wasn’t entirely unexpected that David is Tatiana’s father – after all, a passionate kiss and a long-hidden necklace are pretty clear signs of a troubled past romance. But I was taken aback when Masha mentioned she plans to introduce them. After all, Tatiana appears in Masha’s hallucinations, so it’s hard to imagine they have ever met. The Marconis shared visions of their deceased son and brother, Zach, at Tranquillum House, but their drug dosage was specifically tailored for that purpose, considering their long history together. We don’t know much about the specific drug blend David is taking, and he doesn’t seem to be as affected as the others – he tells Peter he only feels a bit dizzy at the edges. However, we do know that David has never met Tatiana before. In fact, it seems he may not even be aware of her existence. It remains unclear how their shared hallucination will play out.

Could Masha’s secretive project with Silicon Valley potentially relate to the enigmatic device she’s been working on? As the guests enjoy their morning meal, Martin re-watches Masha’s presentation about her invention from the “disruption conference.” When he inquires about using the device for protocol purposes, Masha merely mentions that it requires further testing. However, this explanation seems insufficient; it’s hard to imagine that adhering to testing regulations is the only reason preventing Masha from introducing the device to her guests. Masha tends to act freely and at her own discretion. Helena suspects Masha intends to punish David, but she maintains that she’s merely seeking “accountability.” As the central figure in the world of Nine Perfect Strangers, Masha is the only character with the authority to delve into her past. Through her influence, others explore their histories, but she alone can act on what has transpired before. For a personal and secretive motive, she appears eager for her deceased daughter to meet her long-lost father, whom she hasn’t seen in 20 years.

In this scenario, David appears to be completely oblivious. When Masha encounters him in the hallway before breakfast, he doubts her intentions: it seems she only guided him to Zauberwald, expecting him to invest in the struggling clinic. His team had informed him that Zauberwald is a privately owned institution, funded by a rapidly depleting family trust, which has recently accumulated significant debt due to renovations for Masha’s residency. Masha responds to his comment about her motivations with, “It nearly makes me feel sorry for you that you can’t foresee the challenge coming your way.” Almost, but not quite. David is so self-assured about managing this situation that he later informs Peter that he will be departing the next day. This news disappoints Peter, who had found the courage to tell Imogen they should spend less time together and more with their families, the purpose of the retreat for both of them. Predictably, Imogen takes this poorly and behaves childishly for the remainder of the day.

It’s revealed that the source of David’s wealth is an “empire in media and satellite technology.” This means my assumptions about which wealthy villain he represents were incorrect. Instead, it appears he resembles Rupert Murdoch or Logan Roy, whose network Brian despises due to their constant airing of his regrettable outburst video. Even when they meet for breakfast, David doesn’t recognize Brian. However, David does remember Sister Agnes – they had crossed paths at a field hospital in Kosovo back in 1998. But she feigns ignorance of who he is.

In this moment, I’d like to draw attention to a unique bond that has emerged as the standout aspect of this season for me. The duo comprising Brian and Agnes, whom Brian later nicknames Aggy, are an unusual yet captivating couple. Both have endured solitude (fame; confinement in a nunnery) and have come to rely on powers beyond themselves (Jesse the puppet; God), making them less arrogant than many others at Zauberwald. Their friendship is especially intriguing because it’s not rooted in their past experiences but in their current circumstances. (I would feel similarly about Peter and Imogen, but it’s challenging to support Imogen.) After sharing breakfast from their thermoses, they spend time together outside, enjoying the cloud formations and finding beauty in them. Despite feeling anger toward David, Brian feels compelled to confess this emotion to Agnes, but she encourages him to exercise patience—it’s still only day four.

In this scene, Agnes and Brian play significant roles by offering Wolfie advice about relationships. At breakfast, they subtly express their concern that Agnes’ overzealous affection might be pushing Tina away. The story begins with a dream that Tina describes as “very direct symbolism,” where she is struggling to play a song on the piano, but her music reading skills fail and the piano seems to attack her, causing bleeding from everywhere. She wakes up to find a damp cloth on her forehead, placed by Wolfie out of concern because she thought Tina was unwell.

From the very beginning of the show, it’s been clear that Tina was once a gifted piano prodigy who abandoned playing, causing Wolfie great sadness. Now, due to the traumatic experiences she endured as a pianist, even a simple sight of string instruments can make her feel dizzy. This episode hints that we will delve deeper into the reasons behind Tina’s departure from music. What factors led to her decision to abandon her life’s primary passion?

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to discover the truth. The string instruments had been brought for an informal “play session” that evening. With all the guests assembled in the grand ballroom, a place steeped in history where renowned musicians and composers once performed, Masha bursts in with wild excitement. She playfully covers Martin’s eyes before approaching him, and then reveals to the guests that their psychedelics had been specifically designed to eliminate their reservations. In a whirlwind, she dashes around the room, pounding on the piano, using an odd vocal tone. She even singles out Martin by accusing him of making a mistake during the field trip, but she shrugs it off, reminding everyone that mistakes are part of life. Her eyes flit about in a manner reminiscent of a panicked Nicole Kidman in a horror film. Clearly, Masha is losing control. Tina attempts to leave, but Masha prevents her from doing so, leaving everyone to watch as she approaches the piano.

In a somewhat frenzied state, Wolfie takes up her violin next to Tina, causing Tina to become startled and flee. Martin leads the remaining guests, including Wolfie, into a dance party while Masha locates Tina outside. The moment we’ve been anticipating arrives: We will uncover the mystery behind Tina’s piano-playing past! However, all we discover is that Tina harbors resentment towards Wolfie as she perceives her as similar to her mother. “I’m fucking my mom,” Tina laments, marking the second instance in this episode where a character is accused of having intimate relations with their parent. Quite unsettling! Back in the ballroom, Agnes and Brian attempt to prompt Wolfie to express her true feelings towards Tina. Their relationship appears to revolve solely around Tina’s needs and wants. The question arises: What about Wolfie and her desires? Through flashbacks, we find out that Wolfie moved to New York on a violin sponsorship, which unexpectedly ended, but little is revealed about her journey thereafter. Essentially, she seems to only exist in relation to Tina. “Jesus Christ, woman, get your act together,” Agnes urges.

It’s time for Wolfie to step outside and address her girlfriend, Tina. We’re on the edge of our seats, eager to discover what transpired. Did they collaborate in a band? Was Wolfie responsible for managing Tina’s career? What was the decisive factor that led to Tina’s actions? Was it a single incident or a series of events? Instead, we are bombarded with stereotypes about child prodigies: Tina yearned for a normal childhood, dreaming of prom, graduation, and other typical activities. She questions whether Wolfie can love her, regardless of her piano skills. This seems peculiar, as it appears she doesn’t even care for Wolfie. At least, Wolfie is forthright: She acknowledges that she can’t cherish the Tina who plays Minecraft and lazes about, compared to the Tina who creates captivating music. King Princess attempts to breathe authenticity into the dialogue, but her efforts fall short in developing a fully-realized character, leaving us with an underdeveloped portrait.

Later in the night, Tina sits with Imogen in an unoccupied ballroom, the two women sharing confidences with each other. Imogen had found her way there following a chance encounter with Matteo outside who hinted that Victoria was upstairs. Earlier during the evening, Imogen had questioned why her mother often brought someone else along when they were supposed to have time together. Victoria had promised an overdue mother-daughter sleepover that night. However, upon reaching her room, Imogen finds Victoria in a state of drunken stupor on the couch. It seems we’ll learn more about these characters and perhaps uncover some details about Victoria’s secretive plans for the retreat next week, as well as possibly hear a few more words from Matteo.

Und So Weiter

Over breakfast, I shared my findings in linguistic psychology with David and Peter. My research explores how language can impact the body similarly to a physical attack, which might explain my emotional response to Brian’s outburst, but doesn’t quite clarify why I feel so at ease using harsh, offensive language like “you’re a coward who desires your father.” I confided in David that NYU allowed us considerable freedom, but it seems I haven’t fully grasped how my own anger is reflected in the very area of study I spearhead. As a cinephile, I appreciate intricate characters, but this character feels more puzzling than complex…She holds within herself many facets, I suppose…?

• Update on Victoria taking the drugs: still no dice.

Was it just me, or did Brian’s affectionate embrace of his hallucinated puppet, Jesse, after conversing with Agnes seem a bit unusual to you? Jesse himself seemed taken aback, exclaiming, “Wow, these drugs are something else!” Definitely an odd moment!

It was really kind of Martin to visit Agnes to express his gratitude for her ear last week when he talked about Masha in the prison cell. Long live justice for Martin! He’s such a kind and delicate soul who truly deserves more than what Masha has been plotting against him.

Regarding Martin and Masha, later in the ballroom that night, Peter shares with David his wish for Masha to lead the evening’s event because he considers her authentic, unlike Martin. David simply responds, “I’ve heard as much,” suggesting Peter may not be aware of David’s past with Masha. It seems Masha might have a plan to clarify this to Peter.

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2025-06-04 11:55