Summary
The Woods season 1, episode 2, “Lies” is an intriguing follow up to the pilot as the events of what happened that night unravel.
This recap of Netflix series The Woods season 1, episode 2, “Lies” contains significant spoilers.
Access the recaps of all episodes.
How does The Woods season 1, episode 2, “Lies” open?
Episode 2 opens up with an older Laura reading one of her student’s essays that is oddly similar to her experiences at the camp. We see the moment in the woods when younger Laura has sex with Pawel and he asks her to run after they hear screaming. Laura finds her father and she’s in shock. In the present day, at the University, Laura asks Olo to find out who wrote that essay despite the heavy literature meaning to be anonymous.
Drop the case
Pawel is shown a paragraph from an article in relation to Klaudia Broniarek — the girl accusing Bartosz Marancz and Emil Dunaj-Szafranski of rape; in another case, Klaudia was a witness and testified she didn’t know a man but rented a place from him during her freshman year — “She lied under oath”. Pawel is asked to back out of the rape case as there is no evidence.
Pawel looks at a video from a party and notices Klaudia is dancing for someone; he also notes she is not dressing provocatively. Inspector Jork then rings him and they meet up. Jork asks Pawel if Za Modrym Stawem Hotel rings any bells — he says Marek Kowalski lived there and his room was cleaned out before they could get there. Pawel insists it is Artur. The Woods season 1, episode 2, “Lies” continues to unearth this conspiracy.
Ming Li
Pawel asks to see Ming Li at a restaurant and he asks about Marek as she was meeting him a lot. Ming Li says Marek was handsome and respected her. Pawel leaves her his card. Ming Li asks Pawel if he killed Marek.
A dead body is found
In the past, Pawel realizes his sister Kamila isn’t in her bed and goes searching for her. He meets Laura and checks up on her after their night was ruined. Laura states it was a person screaming, not an animal. The parents reveal that Kamila, Monika, Daniel, and Artur are missing so a search party is implemented. Pawel finds an object on the ground and picks it up and then he sees a dead naked body in the distance — it is Monika. The camp is in shock. Investigators arrive to look into the homicide and disappearances on the camp. Pawel tells them that a girl was screaming in the woods. Pawel and his parents argue. Tensions heighten as the father asks the mother where she was the night before and calls her a sl*t. The Woods season 1, episode 2, “Lies” sees the true nature of what happened that night unveil.
He followed me
Laura is interviewed and is asked where she went with Pawel and then after the screaming, she claims Pawet followed her, which sounds like a lie as Pawel clearly asked her to run away.
Approaching the author
In the present day, Laura reads out the extremely familiar essay to her students, attempting to seek who wrote it. Olo reveals that Sylwia Nowakowska is the author. She meets Sylwia about her essay despite it meaning to be anonymous and asks her who dictated the story to her. After a bit of pressing, she says, “I wrote that it was my uncle but it was Adam. Adam did it to me! My brother”. Laura apologizes, realizing that the story was a true account by Sylwia of when she was sexually abused.
An affair
Back in the past, Pawel is traumatized by the events in the past. Someone has graffitied “Poland is for Polish people only”. Laura and her father David Goldsztajn are receiving abuse for being Jewish. Pawel tells Laura that his mother and her father are having an affair and she scoffs at the idea — they both discuss their theories on the disappearances and murder.
The tattoo
In the present day, Pawel is shown at a screenshot regarding the rape case — a tattoo above her arse. Klaudia explains the tattoo was temporary and for Janek. She explains that she was a virgin and they knew it — Pawel states the tattoo doesn’t work in her favor. Klaudia insists she has told him everything. It doesn’t really explain why the tattoo is relevant and the story is not in favor of rape victims at all, basing it on whether she was “asking for it”.
Meeting the parents
Inspector Jork meets Artur’s parents and says that the body they have just found was a murdered man with a fake identity — it is their son Artur. The parents are in shock and go to see the dead body. The mother says the man is not Artur. Pawel arrives and tells them to look at the scar on his arm. The mother says the scar is on the wrong arm and insists the man is not Artur before walking off.
How does The Woods season 1, episode 2, “Lies” open?
In the past, Daniel’s dead body is found. In the present, Laura is drinking and seems off and her partner Leon is concerned about her. Laura uses the internet to search Pawel — the past is burning in her mind. Pawel looks through old photos again and sees that the scar was on the left arm of Artur. In the end, Laura rings Pawel. The Woods season 1, episode 2, “Lies” is an intriguing follow up to the pilot as the events of what happened that night unravel.
Additional notes
- Pawel reveals that his wife has brain cancer.
- There is a lot of anger aimed at David Goldsztajn, High School Principal by the parents.
