Freeridge – Season 1 Episode 2 “Cake” Recap & Review

Who Will Break the News?

The group tries to figure out a plan to deal with the cursed box as episode 2 of Freeridge. Demi suggests approaching a bruja who’s famous on TikTok but Gloria dismisses it. Gloria then claims she has too much on her plate already and tells them to get some sleep and work on a plan. Later, she and Ines realise that their dad, Javier, doesn’t actually know that he has cancer yet.

In the morning, the girls try to help Javier out with every little thing to his confusion. They end up leaving it to Tonio to give him the news though.

On the way to school, Demi complains to Cam about how Gloria should be looking to her for her expertise in ghosts and spirits. Just then, Andre turns up and Cam pretends to take a phone call and leave. Andre talks to Demi about Cam’s emotional walls. He also mentions there was someone before Andre who left Cam scarred and unable to trust. Demi is shocked since she doesn’t know who that person is.

In the cafeteria, Demi says she must self-advocate if she wants Gloria to empower her. She makes a comment about trust to Cam but he doesn’t notice. When Gloria and Ines arrive they are discussing who should tell Javier about his cancer. The conversation gets mixed up and Demi tries to take leadership while the sisters think she’s talking about being the one to break the news to their dad. After they leave, Demi tells Cam they need to find more information.

They find an obituary for a Marisol Martinez. A mention of her many ‘lovers’ makes Demi hint at what she doesn’t know about Cam. He admits there’s a lot she doesn’t know but maybe she doesn’t need to. When Gloria calls and doesn’t react much to the news about the obituary, Demi tells her they are going to the woman’s house.

At home, Gloria is surprised to find another man in their house. It’s Rusty, a student from their school who Tonio has hired to do odd jobs. Once, while Gloria was close to breaking the bent arm hang record in school, he threw a volleyball that ended up knocking her down.

Outside the woman’s house, Demi and Cam confront the couple, Ruben and Geny. They tell her that the old woman was Ruben’s mother, Marisol.

Back home, Gloria is telling Tonio that Rusty is not caring enough to be the one to tell their father. Ines is more concerned with the idea of dating him. Demi arrives at that moment and confronts Gloria, insisting that she take leadership. Gloria is more than happy to let her do so. Demi suggests a leave out ceremony to return the box to the ghost, along with the curse. She calls Cam and tells him to get the box, only to realise that she was supposed to keep it with herself.

Demi makes the group engage in a pre-leave out ceremony so she has time to find the box. Just as Cam is about to reveal something about his past as part of the ceremony, Javier comes home and the group scatters.

Gloria tries giving her father the bad news but gets up to get a glass of water. She finds Tonio, Rusty and Ines in the kitchen with a cake for Javier. Gloria ends up getting emotional, saying they lost sight of the fact that he’s sick. Rusty talk about the cruel irony of the situation and how he’s sorry for Gloria and all the worry on her shoulders. She admits that she’s overwhelmed. Javier ends up overhearing the conversation.

While eating the cake, Javier tells them he’s known about it for a month. The cancer is slow growing and not aggressive which means he’s probably going to be okay.

Demi is about to send her friends an email about losing the box when Gloria calls and tells her the cancer is not lethal. Nevertheless, she appreciates everything Demi did. Cam comes over and they end up talking about his secrets. Cam says that while Demi shares everything about her, he is not the same person. There are some things he’s not comfortable sharing. She confesses she sometimes feels sensitive and jealous about others knowing Cam better than she does. He assures her that she knows him best but allows her one question when she tears up. She asks who was the person that scarred him in the past. He says it was her.

Gloria is relieved and goes to bed but before she can fall asleep, clouds thunder overhead and she sees a message on her window: “I want my box bitch”.

The Episode Review

Episode 2 doesn’t expand on the curse a lot more but it definitely shines a stronger light on these characters. Cam’s more of a dark horse than was apparent, Demi feels the need to be acknowledged, and Gloria’s sense of responsibility clearly crosses over into a need for control and precision. But what’s even nicer to watch is how it all plays out and it’s not always what you expect.

Cam is comfortable enough to set a boundary with Demi about what she knows and what she doesn’t. It was really wholesome to see them talk about how he doesn’t have to be the same as her. Fingers crossed this relationship stays as healthy as it is. You’d think Gloria and Demi would have a flare in this episode, instead Gloria is genuinely happy to see Demi take control.

If there’s one thing that stands out, it’s Gloria and Ines’s dad. Surrounded by people with quirks and oddities, he seems a bit too normal and therefore, one-dimensional. But time will surely tell us more about him.