Apple TV+’s Before started slowly, but with each episode, the psychological thriller series is gaining momentum. The show tells the story of a child psychologist, Eli, played by Billy Crystal, reeling from the recent death of his wife Lynn, played by Judith Light.
After almost getting retired, Eli takes up the case of a troubled child, Noah, played by Jacobi Jupe, who is deemed aggressive and erratic. As the two continue their sessions, things between reality and imagination start to blur, and Eli realizes Noah may somehow be connected to his past.
The third episode of Before, The Liar, released on November 1, 2024, is filled with twists and turns. It delves into what transpired on the day of Lynn’s death, while Eli gets increasingly involved in Noah's case.
What happens to Lynn in Before?
In Before Episode 3, Eli finally talks about the day his wife Lynn died. He reveals that she had been fighting cancer but seemed to feel okay that day. Eli leaves her at home alone to go to the pool and get her favorite food, egg drop soup.
When he gets back, he finds her dead in the bathtub, and it looks like she has taken her own life. Lynn’s sudden death leaves Eli feeling deeply guilty for not being there with her, which causes him to have nightmares about pools and drowning.
However, the show hints that Eli may not remember everything clearly. By the end of the episode, Eli imagines himself choking Lynn. This raises questions about whether she actually committed suicide, or if Eli has something to do with her death. Eli’s therapist thinks he is holding back the full story, but he can't fully confront his feelings or guilt.
Noah continues to have creepy visions in Before Episode 3
Noah is still dealing with trauma and continues to have creepy visions. When Eli asks him to think back to his earliest memory, Noah starts to see ice forming all over his hospital room. His lips turn blue, making it look like he is actually feeling cold.
Things take a turn for the worse when Noah is found in his bed with water in his lungs, almost as if he had been drowning. This leaves everyone confused about if some supernatural force is taking over the child as there is no water source to drown him.
Doctors think he might have tried to harm himself, and put him on watch. But there is no clear explanation for how the water got into his lungs. Later, during a family dinner, Eli’s granddaughter, Sophie, notices a drawing Noah made.
She points out that in the drawing, Noah is fighting an ‘evil thing’ around a person’s neck. Realizing this might mean something bigger, Eli rushes back to the hospital to check on Noah, who keeps having frightening visions.
Eli gets more involved in Noah’s case in Before Episode 3
Another highlight of the episode is Eli finding himself increasingly drawn to Noah’s case. As the two spend more time together, Noah begins to project his emotions to the psychologist, blaming him for things that happened in the past.
Eli also begins to relate to Noah’s pain deeply as he is dealing with his own guilt over Lynn’s death. His therapist warns him that he might be too emotionally involved in the case, which could make it harder for him to help Noah effectively.
As Eli dives deeper into Noah’s trauma, he realizes Noah might be suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder, a condition where a person’s mind creates different identities as a way to cope with severe trauma. He starts to think that Noah's different personalities might be causing strange visions and physical changes.
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New episodes of Before are released on Apple TV+ on Fridays.
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