Red Rose – Season 1 Episode 5 “Lockdown” Recap & Review

Lockdown

Jaya frenetically approaches the group after receiving Jacob’s call at the end of Red Rose episode 5. She does not use speech but a sign to tell everyone to switch off their phones so that their thoughts are contained within the room. Instead of smartphones, Jaya hands them all regular bar phones and also proceeds to disconnect the router. She tells them about Jacob’s message to Wren “that will end her life.” Jaya’s plan forward will see them try to make sense of how the app operates using Jacob’s ocean of code lines, recovered from the computer that Jacob’s father gave them.

Antony also reveals that the timer that was running on their phones was supposed to expire at midnight. Rachel and Simon’s relationship runs into trouble after the latter’s fistfight with Rick. Wren professes to stay away from the internet, a plan that Ashley seems to agree with. Right now, the group needs to remain united and draw strength from each other. They do fun things like going to the mall and shopping for stuff to get a sense of normalcy back into their lives. While Jaya is working on the codes, she hears strange noises outside her house.

The Dickheads have to walk back to Taz’s house after a GPS malfunction in the cab they took. There is tension in the house as Jaya asks them to board all the windows in the house. Noah and Taz have a scuffle and Wren gets a knife wound on her finger. The group toasts their dear friend Roche when they have dinner. Ashley and Taz seem to be getting closer and Antony even teases them about it. The door rings twice; first, they get two Elders who are a waste of time; and second, they get a mob of people with Becky Fox, who proclaim there is a party at his house.

The group understands it is a trick being played by Red Rose to get them to exit the house, as the mob relentlessly take over. Jaya is locked inside the room with Wren, while the others stand guard outside. Jaya claims that Jacob’s code was not used to threaten her as the lines do not match with her phone. Antony learns from Becky about the message posted from Taz’s phone. He is not able to get the people out of the house.

Ashley lies to the Jenna twins as she says Wren has gone back home. When Taz orders everyone to get out, they repeatedly mock him. A stranger tries to rile up the crowd by breaking bottles of glass on the door and Antony sees this intentional attempt to create debauchery. The big break for the group comes when Taz and Ashley combine to emotionally blackmail the crowd by holding a photo of Taz and his father to get them to leave.

While Rachel and Shelly discuss their kids, Rick approaches the former. Rachel asks him to stay away from Wren. But Shelley tells him that she is at Taz’s house. It is then that we learn a huge secret from Wren’s past: Rick is actually Wren’s father! Patrick jumps out from the crowd when he sees Wren exiting the room. He confesses that he loved Roche and wants to discuss her.

Wren calls him a liar but he is persistent and even shows her a message he sent before to her. Wren rushes out when the lights go off and Roche appears on the big screen that everyone watches. Simon takes her to “the tea room” and she informs Jaya that she is going to see Rachel at Smith Hills. While everyone searches for Wren, Jaya informs them that she is gone. Also, the code on her phone has changed after going through Wren’s text message.

There is panic among the group when Rachel pulls up with Rick to the house. Jaya mentions Smith Hills and the couple drives off in a hurry. Noah decides to make a run toward the location.  Wren gets a shocker when she does not find Rachel at the pub and Jaya reveals to her that Simon is Red Rose.

Wren now must fend him off until the police get there, whom she informs the next second. Simon is in close pursuit and eventually catches up to her. Wren pleads with him to stop and not kill her. But quite shockingly, he himself falls off the roof. When Noah gets there, Wren and he embrace to finally see this thing over. At a distance place, we see a man watching this entire incident on his computer screen. He confesses to a woman that he will come to bed after finishing up a Simon Says game.

The Episode Review

The Dickheads stood by Wren in this episode and that is exactly what the show needed. As much as it is about finding out the secrets of Red Rose, the show is also about friendship and togetherness. There was an extended display of affection among the group members and it felt quite good. For some reason, Simon does not seem like a final answer to the above question.

The characterizations to paint him as a possible puppeteer were decent but did not incite enough confidence to call him Red Rose for sure. Simon seemed too hesitant and unwilling. Whoever is behind this is taking great joy in torturing these teens. Simon is not that person.

Jacob’s code lines hold the grave truth about what transpired in the past. And for some daunting urgency, they will also shape the future. Jaya and co need to be smart with how they approach it and navigate Wren’s path to the truth.