Looking for Alaska Recap: You Were Only A Kid

This recap of Hulu Series Looking for Alaska Season 1 Episode 5, “I’ll Show You That It Won’t Shoot” contains significant spoilers. You can read the recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.

With the crew purposefully ignoring Alaska (Kristine Froseth), they are now faced with the inevitable pressure of who breaks first. It’s evident with the body language that deep down they want to forgive her for being a “rat”, but no-one has the guts to raise it. Episode 5, “I’ll Show You That It Won’t Shoot” sees the crew coming back together in a time of need, with a morbidly depressing ending.

But first, the somewhat feeble Miles, who is pathetic at times. He decides to suddenly become macho and demand that Lara goes to the Winter Dance with him. He’s suddenly realised that maybe putting Alaska on a pedestal is not the right thing for his fragile mindset, and pursuing a Romanian girl is the way forward. Logic? Yes, but his initial approach was off the mark — she rejects him.

The Weekday Warriors take a prank too far and flood Alaska’s house; when she wakes up her favorite books are drenched — the crew decide this is the breaking point; it’s time to forgive the “rat” and reunite for revenge.

Miles decides he is not part of the revenge, despite flagrantly being in love with Alaska still — he’s trying to prove to The Colonel that he is not drawn to Alaska. He romantically asks Lara to the dance again, and she says yes.

But… the revenge involves the dance, so Miles coincidentally has to be part of the prank and serve as the “look-out”. Lara immediately assumes that Miles is part of an elaborate prank as he’s terrible at acting covert. He finally dances with her, and as he’s about to kiss her, he notices the prank going south with The Eagle lurking around and alerts Takumi. They manage to pull off the prank by way of distraction; the prank involved hacking social media accounts, posting statuses, making fake University applications and committing fraud with a novel essay. Miles and Takumi set off fireworks to divert The Eagle’s attention, but a swan also attacks Miles.

The Colonel sees the fireworks as a win/win as it scared off Longwell who was about to have sex with his ex-girlfriend, Sara.

Romantic tensions grow after, with Alaska helping Miles with the medication after been attacked by a swan. You can tell Alaska is bothered about Lara, who earlier told Alaska that she could tell Miles and her like each other. Lara and Alaska’s eyes are playing a competition.

To celebrate the prank, Alaska suggests they play a game called “best day/worst day”, with the rules as the title suggests. They all explain their best and worst day, but at the end of the game, Alaska describes the time she was a child, and she saw her mother having a seizure on the floor — she believed that when her mother stopped shaking, she was no longer in pain, but then soon realized she was dead. Alaska’s father accused her of killing her mother by not ringing an ambulance, and that guilt has stuck with her since. It explains a lot about the quirky yet destructive character. It also explains why she snitched on Marya — as she was afraid of losing what she had at the Creek.

After Alaska tells the story, she walks off, and the ever-predictable Miles walks off to comfort her. Alaska is happy that despite Miles knowing everything, he still has not walked away and he responds with, “you are my friend”. Can this man do anything, right? Alaska immediately walks off.

Looking for Alaska Season 1 Episode 5, “I’ll Show You That It Won’t Shoot” ends with the crew all sleeping outside in some barn — Miles joins Lara and asks if he can kiss her, which she accepts, while Alaska listens, during her lowest point so far in the story.

Notable Points

• The Colonel tries to quit cigarettes.
• Sara is with Longwell now.
• Alaska spends time with Dr. Hyde.
• The Eagle goes to the dance for the first time in years. Bridget wonders why.

You can read the recap of the sixth episode by clicking these words.