Saint X Season 1 Episode 1 Ending Explained, Recap, and Review
by Ushapriyanga
Updated Apr 26, 2023
Saint X
Saint X is a new psychological drama TV series based on Alexis Schaitkin's novel of the same name, which is set to premiere on Hulu on April 26, 2023. The show has been given an eight-episode order by Hulu and is being produced by Anonymous Content, DreamCrew Entertainment, and ABC Signature, with Leila Gerstein serving as the developer and executive producer.
Other executive producers include Schaitkin, Dee Rees, Stephen Williams, David Levine, Zack Hayden, Aubrey "Drake" Graham, Adel "Future" Nur, Jason Shrier, and Steve Pearlman. The first three episodes will be available immediately upon release, with the rest debuting on a weekly basis.
Saint X Season 1 Episode 1 Ending Explained
Emily shares the horrifying incident with Sunita, who reveals that Alison was raped and murdered by Gogo and Edwin. However, Emily clarifies that only Gogo knows the truth about what happened.
As a result of this encounter, Emily becomes distant and confrontational towards her boyfriend, as it triggers memories of her past trauma. She later apologizes to Josh and then calls her cellphone.
In the concluding scene of the premiere, Emily requests to meet Gogo at a restaurant in the city the next day to retrieve her phone. Her well-planned scheme has succeeded.
Saint X Season 1 Episode 1 Recap
Alison Thomas and her family visit Saint X island for a vacation before she starts college. Their trip appears to be going well until Alison disappears on the last day, and her fate remains a mystery for the next twenty years. Emily, Alison's sister, becomes fixated on uncovering the truth after meeting Clive Richardson.
During their stay at the resort, Clive, a reserved man with a son to support, was one of the young employees. He, along with his childhood friend Edwin, was suspected of Alison's murder. Flashbacks show that Edwin and Alison flirted with each other, which Clive disapproved of and warned Alison to avoid Edwin. Alison also showed interest in Tyler, another vacationer who was going to college.
Alison's lifeless body was discovered in Faraway Cay, a waterfall in the middle of the forest, a few days after her disappearance. However, the circumstances surrounding her death remained a mystery. In the present day, Emily resolves to solve the mystery by reaching out to Clive, despite her friend's warnings about becoming obsessed with no guarantee of finding answers. She resorts to stalking Clive to achieve her goal.
Who is Emily Thomas In Saint X?
Emily is reminded of distressing recollections when she comes face to face with Gogo, and it is later revealed that she is Alison's younger sister, Claire. Alison was the one who passed away during the family's Caribbean vacation many years ago.
Emily purposely leaves her phone behind in the taxi, intending to get in touch with Gogo at a later time. She is determined to face the man and have a confrontation with him.
Saint X Season 1 Episode 1 Review
A successful mystery series requires strong character development to keep the audience invested until the end when the truth is finally revealed. In the Hulu adaptation of Alexis Schaitkin's novel "Saint X," the emotional depth of the characters is spread thin across two timelines, which ultimately dilutes the impact of the story.
Despite some standout episodes that delve deeper into the characters' lives and their struggle with loss, "Saint X" fails to cut as deep as it should by focusing too much on the past instead of exploring the potential of its future narrative.
The central character, Emily, played by Alycia Debnam-Carey, is dealing with the tragic loss of her sister Alison (West Duchovny) while on vacation in the Caribbean with their family when Emily was a child.
The exact details of Alison's death are withheld from the audience, leaving Emily with unanswered questions that continue to haunt her. While the murder mystery plot may seem ordinary, "Saint X" differentiates itself by criticizing the true crime industry's exploitation of tragedy and exploring how the case affects those caught up in it. However, this promising concept is not fully realized.
In one of her therapy sessions, Emily is asked if her new residence in a Caribbean neighborhood is causing her distress due to her belief that someone on staff at the resort where her sister died may have been involved in her death. This question is based on the assumption that people of similar descent may trigger her in some way, and the series seems to be skeptical of this implication.
As Emily deceives Clive about her true identity to extract information from him, she becomes closer to him after learning about his struggles. Despite the series' self-awareness of narrative tropes, its biggest flaw is filtering much of the story through a character discovering the humanity of someone they had previously written off.
Saint X attempts to steer clear of this issue, but ultimately falls into its trappings. Although the series is hyper-aware of narrative tropes, it lacks the visual striking sequences and care that a film like Nanny possesses. Both works play with elements of horror, but Nanny executes it better.
The show's use of colorless visuals to differentiate between timelines often results in dull scenes. This, coupled with clumsy dialogue and unoriginal plot points reminiscent of the true-crime shows it satirizes, weakens the overall impact of Saint X.
The series shines in its more character-driven episodes, such as the fourth one, where we learn more about Clive and his life. While the series attempts to avoid narrowly defining the characters' arcs, it ultimately falls short in achieving this goal. The biggest missed opportunity lies in this framing, rather than the intentionally anticlimactic ending.
While there are some moments of complexity that are well-executed, the show's reliance on conventional tropes holds it back from being truly exceptional. Saint X had the potential to be much more, but unfortunately, it couldn't overcome its familiar flaws.
Saint X Season 1 Episode 1 Ending Explained-FAQs
"Saint X" is a Hulu series adapted from the novel of the same name by Alexis Schaitkin.
The series follows the story of a suspected murder through two timelines: the lead-up to the event and the aftermath many years later.
Alycia Debnam-Carey plays the troubled Emily, and West Duchovny plays her sister Alison. The cast also includes other actors such as Laurence Fox and Carlacia Grant.
Yes, the series revolves around a suspected murder.
The decision to watch "Saint X" ultimately depends on personal preference. While the series has some compelling aspects, it falls short in other areas.