As a seasoned reader with a keen eye for narrative intricacies, I find myself utterly captivated by this poignant tale. The characters, though flawed and complex, are strikingly real, each grappling with their own demons in ways that resonate deeply.
Right from the start, there’s been a loop in the timelines of the story titled “Disclaimer“. The first episode commences with a young couple on a night train to Venice, yet the boy never returns home from that journey. He sends postcards detailing his experiences, but his parents will never receive the complete account of the sights he saw and the people he encountered. There are photographs their son took, but his mother conceals them from her husband. She’ll reconstruct her son’s final days on her own, writing down her interpretation of what transpired and storing it in a drawer where no one else can read it.
After a decade has passed since her demise, however, her husband eventually discovers the collection of photographs. By then, he was bereft of a son, a spouse, employment, and a sense of purpose. He subsequently comes across a book – a narrative his wife had devised to complement the images her son had captured. These photos depicted Italian landscapes, his girlfriend, and an elderly woman in minimal attire. The story within the book commences with a boy and his girlfriend on a train to Venice; regrettably, the boy, who the father will later learn, did not return home from that journey. The father unfortunately confuses this narrative for actual events.
It’s not really surprising that Jonathan’s narrative, with its sepia tones, mirrors the plot of “The Perfect Stranger“. In fact, the clues have been subtly hinted at throughout the story, gradually building up to the revelation. Characters like Jonathan and Catherine appear inconsistent, displaying traits that are sometimes confident and cocky, and other times vulnerable and naive. The twist, however, lies in the impact of explicitly acknowledging the fictional nature of the story line, as Robert forcefully closes the book in the cafe, which leaves us questioning the authenticity of the remaining story lines.
In Nancy’s novel, the divide between the imaginary world and the present reality seems blurred. For instance, when Robert confronts Catherine about her son nearly drowning while she was asleep, she doesn’t dispute it. Is it possible that Nancy inadvertently revealed the truth? Could there be a photograph showing Catherine sleeping on the beach that we haven’t seen yet? Or could it be that Catherine is unreliable herself? After 20 years of secrecy and silence, can she trust her own memories? The first part of Disclaimer made us question what was real. Now, we’re questioning if anything is genuine. Perhaps there is no “real” – it’s all just a mix of perspectives, memories as fragile as fictional tales written on paper. We were cautioned from the start: Be wary of narratives and forms.
Let’s wrap up the narrative about Jonathan, as narrated by Nancy and enjoyed by others. In the beginning of this episode, Jonathan and Catherine are found in an intimate moment, a moment that is awkward and graphic, made even more uncomfortable when you consider it was written by their mother. Catherine informs him she will be returning to London in two days; Jonathan decides to postpone his trip to Rome for an additional 24 hours, preferring to spend that time with her instead. This newfound confident Jonathan is different from the one we saw in episode three – a transformation perhaps driven by sexual experiences. Later, he takes Catherine’s photo in their hotel suite and on the beach.
Yes, Nancy envisions it exactly like that. Jonathan focuses intently on his girlfriend sunbathing a short distance away, blankets spread out. Social norms dictate they act as if they’re strangers. Nancy’s character, Catherine, is fluent in Italian and has an alluring yet dangerous aura. To avoid suspicion, she entrusts her young son Nicky to a stranger so she can charm Jonathan in the changing rooms. Simultaneously, Nicky is enjoying himself in the small boat he requested that day, imagining he’s sailing vast oceans with his toy captain, following Chekhov’s dinghy metaphor.
Despite his youth and vulnerability, Nancy’s boyfriend Jonathan feels deeply for Catherine, vowing his affection. However, Catherine, who is callous and unkind, often treats him poorly. Upon their return to the beach, they argue. Jonathan either takes a stroll or goes swimming, while Catherine decides to rest beside Nicholas, who thankfully remains unharmed despite her negligence. Yet, their time together may be running out. The lifeguards are preoccupied with addressing a wounded boy’s foot, as previously foretold.
As soon as Catherine wakes up, Nicky and their small boat are quite distant from the shore. In a rush, she dashes towards the tumultuous sea, crying out for aid. It’s Jonathan who promptly responds to her distress, being so in tune with her feelings. Despite being a proficient swimmer, Nicholas refuses Jonathan’s assistance in Nancy’s retelling. Eventually, other men join the rescue effort. Nicholas is successfully saved while the others make it back to the shore unharmed. However, it takes a moment for someone to notice that Jonathan is still battling against the rough waves. By the time lifeguards arrive, it’s already too late; they can only recover his body instead of rescuing him.
In episode four, we continue to follow Nancy as she reaches her conclusion. Unbeknownst to Stephen and perhaps even Nancy herself, she has been delving into ‘The Perfect Stranger’ since the grieving couple returned from Italy. Stephen discovers his wife staging a drowning scenario in an attempt to confirm if her son’s passing was as peaceful as she had been led to believe. Leaving her job behind, Nancy spends her days immersed in Jonathan’s room, using Kylie Minogue posters on the walls as inspiration for ‘The Perfect Stranger’. The photographs taken by Jonathan before his trip to Europe become the foundation for the novel’s intense intimacy. Nancy recognizes a spark of talent in these images, envisioning her son as more self-assured behind the camera lens than at the restaurant table.
In essence, Nancy discovers unguarded images of his mother that Jonathan took without her awareness; these moments included relaxing in the garden and tidying up dinner. These pictures sparked Jonathan’s curiosity about his mother and revealed aspects of her life to him. As time passes, Nancy becomes deeply connected to Jonathan and eventually decides to spend the rest of her life with him. She settles into Jonathan’s room and remains there for many years. Stephen provides her meals but does not perform additional household chores such as cleaning or making the bed. Later in life, Nancy is diagnosed with cancer and ultimately passes away in her son’s room, surrounded by memories that filled her like the endless expanse of the sea.
The book has been completed, its creator has passed away. Both the main character and the person who inspired him are no more. So, where do we go from here? In contemporary times, Robert finds himself in a café, where Nancy’s writing stirs something within him. Is this the influence of her vivid storytelling, or is it someone else’s imagination? It seems like fiction indeed. A female narrator with omniscient knowledge reveals Robert’s thoughts, which are predominantly intense jealousy as a man. Robert is tormented by what Nicholas might have witnessed or not seen of the affair, and what he may have grasped or deduced as a child. (These concerns echo throughout the faded timeline as well.)
In the end, Robert and Catherine make their way to work, where they engage in actions and conversations that seem more fitting for a sitcom than real life. They exchange humorous dialogues. At one point, Robert tells his team, who are trying to save the reputation of a questionable charity they oversee, “If things go south, it’s better to be incompetent than shady.” His colleagues remain expressionless. Upon entering a meeting, Robert is seen with his shirt not tucked in, as his secretary retrieves an Alka-Seltzer for him. The tablet starts bubbling in his water glass. (Is it common to consume Alka-Seltzer like this?).
Simultaneously, in a different office building across London, Catherine ponders over her marriage, longing to preserve it. The narrative guides us through her thought process, which seems to circle around the same ideas without significantly changing. She comes to the conclusion that reaching out to Stephen was ill-advised. If Stephen merely sought her acknowledgment, he wouldn’t have forwarded those inappropriate photos to Robert. Instead of blaming herself for the affair or Jonathan’s demise, she lays guilt on herself for not preventing the current situation. She believes she should have been more open and less reserved. She feels she has surrendered control over the story unfolding.
In a turn of events, it’s Robert – disheartened from being an unacknowledged character in “The Perfect Stranger” – who is now crafting a more substantial role for himself. He strategically evicts Catherine from their shared home in the presence of their son, yet with calculated subtlety. He even goes so far as to prepare her luggage and passport. He hints to Nick that there’s an urgent story demanding Catherine’s immediate attention. The implication is stark: Comply with my demands or our child will be exposed to the truth. Notably, the narrative voice shifts back to the second person, which seems unusual for one reflecting on their own circumstances. “I wished he were dead,” Catherine confides to “Husband” as she steps into the taxi he’s prearranged for her departure.
That same melancholy expression was mirrored on young Catherine’s face at the beach on that grim day. As she stared out at the sea, Nicky trembling in her embrace, she wished no one would notice Jonathan struggling and battling in the far-off waters. Overpowered by a wave larger than him, he was thrown about repeatedly, tossed hither and thither, seemingly taunted before being dragged under for good.
Poor Jonathan never stood a chance (at least if you ask Nancy).
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2024-10-23 00:54