Echoes of the Past – Season 1 Episode 5 Recap & Review

Episode 5

Episode 5 of Echoes of the Past begins with a flashback to Sawsan pushing Nadia to get an abortion. Nadia knows she is cheating on Yassin and threatens to tell everyone if she doesn’t stop with the abortion offer. Sawsan is furious and young Layla spots them.

At present, Ali tells Sawsan that he wants to leave home and she suggests that he should make Yassin pay as well. He wonders if they were ever in love and she claims they were, but it ended. She only stayed for her children. 

Meanwhile, Layla and Yehia drive to the beach house. He reveals that Nadia was uncomfortable and didn’t want to go on the trip but he forced her since he was dating Mona. 

They reach the coast and question a guide on the pretext of scuba diving. The guide reveals that it is difficult to cut a hole in the hose of the oxygen tank. And if it happens, the diver should instantly use the extra tank on the boat to normalise oxygen levels. A flashback shows the gang searching for the boat after bringing Nadia above the water.

At present, Layla and Yehia head to the beach house. Yehia recalls Mona showing him her insect collection. She used to dissect them and was glad he didn’t judge her for it. He finds the box and spies a blade. 

As for Layla, some of her memories return including Sawsan and Nadia’s fight. She had tried to run but fell and scraped her knee. Back then Yehia had helped her. At present, she falls because of the memory and Yehia once again helps her. They almost kiss before he takes her to the car.

As they leave, the caretaker spots them. He doesn’t recognise Layla and informs Yassin. The hitman, Khaled convinces him to ask an officer contact to find out the identity of the girl with Yassin to use her as collateral.

On the way, Layla asks Mona about Nadia and Sawsan who claims they had a good relationship. Next, Yehia calls Fatla who gives him the silent treatment. Maldini feels bad and tells Fatla they should help as Khaled will otherwise kill Yehia.

Layla and Yehia reach the officer’s barricade and are asked to show their papers. Layla doesn’t have her ID card and the cops pull them aside. But she simply calls Ali who gets the officer to let them go.

The officer tells Yassin that Ali’s contact bypassed him. Annoyed, Yassin tells Khaled to find another way to stop Yehia. Turns out, Maldini is indeed a double agent as he tells Khaled that he has convinced Fatla to meet with Yehia. Once the meeting is set, Khaled will ambush Yehia.

Meanwhile, Ali steals Michael for his new business. Sawsan warns him to keep it a secret from Yassin till everything is in place. 

Layla and Yehia reach home. She wonders about 18-year-old Yehia and tries to kiss him. However, he changes the topic and sends her away. She is passing by her mother when she remembers Sawsan crying when Nadia died. Confused, Layla confronts her. She needs to know the truth to understand the pain she feels.

At this Sawsan, breaks down and begs her to stop. Nadia’s death reminds her of misery because she had to stay with Yassin for Layla’s sake. Layla was traumatised on seeing Nadia’s corpse and was hospitalised for a year. However, Layla claims it is too late for her to stop.

As for Yehia, he texts the anonymous messenger and asks how Mona is involved. The Anon responds that he is looking in the wrong place. Yehia is not convinced as he believes her blade could have been used to tamper with the hose. At the end of Echoes of the Past Episode 5, Mona returns to Egypt.

The Episode Review

Echoes of the Past Episode 5 elaborates a couple more subplots along with Nadia’s mysterious death. There is Ali trying to double-cross his father and start his own business. The anonymous messenger somehow knows everything but only speaks in riddles. Khaled controls Maldini while Layla falls for Yehia. However, we do hope the Netflix show doesn’t run with the romantic angle. Yehia literally knew Layla as a child and saw her like a little sister.

Even though she is well into her 20s now, it feels weird if they get together. And it even seems unnecessary as the whole point of the team-up is for Yehia to avenge his family and for Layla to piece back her memory. But we wouldn’t mind a femme fatale sort of situation with Mona if she turns out to be the whole mastermind behind everything.