Harlan Coben’s Shelter – Season 1 Episode 6 “Candy’s Room” Recap & Review

Candy’s Room

In episode 6 of Harlan Coben’s Shelter, Mickey heads back home after a fruitless undercover mission. Hannah spends the night with Shira, and now she has to avoid Mickey who unexpectedly shows up at the house. Shira gets so fed up with Mickey’s secrecy that she forbids any further sleepovers. Fortunately, Shira’s secret connection remains hidden from the teenager.

Mickey, frustrated by his inability to locate Ashley and learn more about his biological father, resolves to have Brad’s remains excavated. He has to find out if his father is actually gone for good. Shira approaches Hannah in an effort to legally uncover Brad’s remains. We understand that Shira is just as curious as Mickey and has her own set of doubts.

After realizing that Octoface is a dead end and that they still have no clue exactly what to do regarding Dr. Kent, the three teenagers get back together. They decide to go to the memorial service for Dylan in the hopes that the abductor will show up there.

During the morning announcement at school, Buck reveals Ema’s family secret: her mom is the famous actress Angelica Wyatt. Seeing this as a window, Spoon smacks Buck across the face. Following this, Ema grows so upset that she leaves.

After slapping Buck, Spoon has been put on immediate suspension. Meanwhile, Ema and Whitney have a fight over the betrayal. According to Whitney, Buck was pressuring her because he knew she had paid for her initial 500,000 Instagram followers. The price he put on his silence was dirt on Ema. The reason Whitney betrayed Ema becomes apparent immediately. After Whitney concludes her justification, Ema orders her to stay away from her.

Ken approaches Shira before the memorial service. In light of the divorce request from Hannah, he needs Shira to communicate with Hannah. Shira flat-out refuses to be part of it. This strange interaction is not hidden from Troy.

Later, Mrs. Friedman delivers a lengthy speech. Mickey notices a mysterious figure lurking at the church’s backside. Mrs. Friedman and Billy get into an argument shortly after that as they leave the memorial. She then learns the terrible truth about what happened to Dylan. Meanwhile, Mickey has a conversation with Dr. Kent, Dylan’s physician and he is informed about Dylan’s traumatic background.

It’s a lively memorial, with Mickey later spotting Luther and then losing him. Sunglasses Man and Mickey then have a conversation. He has deduced that Sunglasses Man is actually Dylan Shakes. Mickey has finally connected the links after learning the truth regarding Dylan as the odd man’s constant reliance on sunglasses turns out to have a purpose.

Dylan, now an adult, shares his harrowing tale. Dylan’s dad poked his eye with a stubby cigarette. He got himself to the property that belonged to Bat Lady as a means to escape the abuse. With Brad’s assistance, Bat Lady rescued him. We learn that they banded together and saved many more kids as the collective Abeona.

Mickey, encouraged by this new information, decides to continue his probe. To try to find Ashley once more, he enters the filthy nightclub. However, the bouncers notice Mickey right away and begin the chase. However, a dancer named Candy helps Mickey get to safety.

Candy informs Mickey that she and Ashley used to work together within the club and that she is close to Ashley. We learn that Ashley has been locked up and is waiting to be sold again. Following this, Candy leads Mickey into the trap-filled dungeon and he is captured. He is duped into thinking he’s been rescued by another woman before being thrown into the back seat of a van.

Meanwhile, Spoon and Ema talk it out following Ema’s rough day. On the other hand, Shira also talks to Hannah. They talk about Hannah’s separation and she finally admits to Shira that she has feelings for her.

Bat Lady and Mrs. Friedman meet up during the final moments of the episode. Bat Lady finally comes clean about saving Dylan’s life. Mrs. Friedman and Dylan eventually come across each other again. It’s a touching moment and the two of them hug it out. Meanwhile, Mickey is taken to a deserted beach at night. He battles the attackers and gets away by using the sand-in-the-eye tactic.

The Episode Review

Many of us previously realized that Dylan Shakes is in fact alive and has escaped his abusive father, but hearing it confirmed in episode 6 of Harlan Coben’s Shelter is wonderful. The emotional reconnection between Dylan and Mrs. Friedman is a pleasant surprise.

It’s great to finally have an unambiguous resolution for the mystery surrounding Dylan Shakes in the current instalment and to see parts of the puzzle falling together for a few of the others as well.

After spending most of the time by himself, Mickey finds himself in a scary situation, one that requires him to run for his life in the face of new facts regarding Abeola and everything that his dad has been part of.

The ridiculous names given to the characters serve as a recurring joke throughout the series. In fact, one of our main characters in the first episode gives himself the moniker Spoon, joining the ranks of Bat Lady, Sunglasses Man, and Octoface. The identity of Sunglasses Man is revealed during this episode as well.

As a whole, this is an underwhelming episode. Having said that, Spoon provides plenty of comedic gold, and the bond between the main characters continues to have its ups and downs. Despite this, the Amazon show is held back by incoherent storylines, sloppy writing, and ridiculously predictable dramatic twists.