Summary
“Don’t Give Up” is an opener that is slightly predictable in some ways but it understands what is at stake for the characters making it compelling viewing.
This recap of Netflix series The Rain season 3, episode 1, “Don’t Give Up” contains important spoilers.
We comprehensively covered the season — check out the archive.
The opening of The Rain season 3, episode 1, “Don’t Give Up”
It begins with the past; it’s absolute chaos as a quarantine alert is sounded — this is beyond the wall. In the present day, Rasmus wakes up from a bad dream and says, “Sarah”. He’s at Apollon and he asks Sten if they have found his sister. What a good, firm opener to begin the final season.
Heading to the wall
Meanwhile, his sister Simone is with Martin; the pair are closer than ever it seems but with a growing inevitability hanging over them. Martin asks Simone about the other side of the wall and ponders whether Simone should go over it. The group is camped outside of it; Simon reassures Fie there will be a future for her child and the group continues hiking. Martin insists to Simone that she shouldn’t go beyond the wall. Simone calms him down and shows him a tracker necklace that Kira gave her. Apollon is waiting for Simone; they are ready for her beyond the wall. Episode 1, “Don’t Give Up”, intensifies the stakes rather quickly.
Simone makes it to the other side
As Fie and Simone head through the tunnels, they are blocked off from each other as a security system triggers. Fie tells Simone to go alone. Fie is then caught by Apollon and Simone makes it to the other side. She reaches a house and hears an emergency message on repeat and realizes there’s no paradise, the entire place has been contaminated; the wall hasn’t stopped the virus. This a twist that we all expected but one that is important because of what it means to the character — she’s devastated. This nightmare never ends.
Simone confronts the guards that arrested Fie and they tell her that her brother is trying to find her. Martin and the others track Simone and Fie and realize they have been caught.
Finally seeing Rasmus
As Fie and Simone reach Apollon, they are separated because Fie is pregnant and they have another area for pregnant women. Simone finally sees Rasmus. She apologizes but Rasmus asks her not to because she doesn’t need to be afraid anymore. Simone explains that the virus will be spread everywhere soon. Rasmus nods and states the old world is dying and a new world will be formed; he believes the virus is no longer a threat and the virus will save them all — he hypothesizes that this is the cure. Simone thinks he’s talking absolute insanity and Rasmus gets angry. Afterward, Sten tells Rasmus that he needs to make his sister understand. We clearly have a driving plot for the final season and it’s a compelling one as the characters need to find out Rasmus’s intentions.
Getting inside Apollon
To infiltrate Apollon, Kira pretends she has captured Martin and Patrick so they can get inside. Martin realizes Kira plans to kill Sten.
The virus will save her
The Rain season 3, episode 1 shows the true extent of Sten and Rasmus’s plans.
Simone is shown around the facility and arrives at a room full of tents with people inside. A girl called Mathilde names herself patient 24 — she says they all have a disease in this room and the virus will save them. Mathilde leaves her tent and tells Simone that her brother is a hero. This scene demonstrates the influence Rasmus has had outside the usual bubble of characters. It’s almost become a cult.
Showing his true colors
Patrick and Martin find Fie and fight everyone to save her. She reveals the baby scan on the screen which keeps a moment of clarity — newborns often provided momentary peace in film & TV and this is a good example of that. Simone walks in and introduces Mathilde to Rasmus, stating that he’s going to save her. Mathilde wonders why Rasmus is locked up and Simone states that he’s locked himself up on purpose. Rasmus leaves the glass cage and Simone asks him to cure her with a coy voice.
Simone tells Rasmus that this isn’t the cure and that she’s leaving. He gets angry and reveals his true self. Simone flees and Apollon is alerted.
Escaping
Patrick and Martin hear the alerts but Fie decides to stay behind. As Patrick runs away, he’s caught but Fie tells Apollon that he’s the father and merely trying to protect her.
The ending of The Rain season 3, episode 1, “Don’t Give Up“
Simone is caught but Kira saves her and tells her to keep on running. However, she is caught again as she makes it outside. Rasmus approaches his sister and asks why she is trying to escape. Simone climbs over bridge railings that are over a waterfall leading into a river as Rasmus tries encouraging her to agree to his intentions. Simone jumps off the bridge into the waterfall below — Kira and Martin see her fall in the distance and presume she’s dead.
Everyone is emotional at the prospect of Simone being dead. After an emotional sleep, Rasmus spends time with Sarah in bed looking upset. We presume the whole Sarah aspect will be explained in the next episodes. Episode 1 is an opener that is slightly predictable in some ways but it understands what is at stake for the characters making it compelling viewing.
Additional points
- Simone tells Jean not to beat up himself over Lea’s death.
