The Changeling Part 5 is the fifth chapter of an American horror fantasy television series created by Kelly Marcel and directed by Melina Matsoukas based on the novel of the same name by Victor LaValle for Apple TV+. (Wikipedia)
S P O I L E R S
Entitled “This Woman’s Work”, The Changeling Part 5 continues Apollo’s quest to find his wife Emma on the hidden island that William Wheeler told him about. Apollo discovers that Wheeler is not really who he claims to be and Cal trusts Apollo enough to show him around the island, which is populated by women (and children) in a similar dilemma as Emma – that her baby is a changeling. Simple enough but once again more questions surface.
The Changeling Part 5 raises more difficulties plot-wise as it digs deeper into the mystery box trope by revealing nothing significant. We are given flashbacks of Emma regarding her fractured relationship with baby Brian, but we already knew all about that already. So what was the point? That time spent could have been better used with more information concerning baby Brian, Wheeler, Cal and the supernatural aspects hinted at throughout.
So… we are left to theorise that maybe Wheeler is a fairy, and that status is somehow linked to the nude photograph of Emma taken in Brazil, which ended up in a gallery which Wheeler saw (again, where is not clear). How is that related to baby Brian being a changeling? Was he taken and replaced by the Wheeler fairy? Did Emma destroy the changeling? Wheeler’s wife Gretta accuses him of murdering their daughter – physically or spiritually is unclear again.
In the final analysis, The Changeling Part 5 is a narrative mess and fails to answer any questions whatsoever. In the absence of clarity, it is impossible to engage with the story. Things need to improve and fast!
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