High Seas season 3, episode 3 recap – “Groundswell”

By Jonathon Wilson
Published: August 8, 2020 (Last updated: last month)
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High Seas season 3, episode 3 recap - "Groundswell"
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Summary

“Groundswell” develops both the overarching mystery and some character subplots, building to a classic cliffhanger ending.

This recap of High Seas season 3, episode 3, “Groundswell”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.

Check out our spoiler-free season review.

Check out all our episode recaps.


With the mystery suitably hotting up now, “Groundswell” finds Eva investigating Viktor’s room and discovering that he’s not Katona after all – newspaper articles say he’s a Bulgarian violinist. But there’s something off about him nonetheless; when his partner arrives, she reveals that she’s still legally married to another man and that she and Viktor were sleeping in separate cabins.

With Fabio’s permission, Eva approaches the captain with news of Viktor’s disappearance, as elsewhere Fernando notices a scar on “Carolina’s” shoulder.

In all this, Eva herself is emerging the prime suspect, purely by proximity. Her and Hector, whose absence is questioned once Viktor’s body is discovered in the ship’s hull, and Natalia finds him snooping through documents in her cabin. He insists he’s just concerned about the captain’s competence and well-being, and he shares a telling exchange with Valera on his way out.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise in “Groundswell” that it was Ayala and Carmen who killed Viktor; the former was torturing him to determine whether he was Katona, which we know he wasn’t. He’s blasé about Viktor’s death to Carmen, writing it off as simply collateral damage. But the legacy of an experienced torturer is left on Viktor’s body, which is a clue for the characters, if not the audience.

After a close call at the infirmary and a last-minute tip-off by Carolina, Eva and Fabio make it back to his cabin, where the latter wisely hides a telegram from Carolina and which they look over once the nosey sister has left. Deciphering its codes and clues, Fabio determines that Untermann has already been apprehended but that the virus is still aboard, as “Groundswell” treats up to a close-up of a green vial being secured in a suitcase.

With parts of the captain’s cabin having been apparently set alight by a candle, Natalia tells him to take some responsibility and discusses with Fernando his confusion. Pedro starts to show some concerns over Eva, while Victoria is handed off the lighter from the real Carolina, which she passes on to Dimas. Varela’s interest in Hector also burgeons, as the First Officer continues to plot a coup.

High Seas season 3, episode 3 also gives a big tip-off about Ayala, whose voice Chantal recognizes from her time in the camps, but when this information is passed on to Fabio he’s distracted by seeing Dimas with Steve’s lighter. When pressed, he reveals that Diana had it originally; Fabio asks to borrow it. It has a camera hidden inside.

As Fabio races off to get the camera’s pictures developed, Eva breaks into Diana’s room but is interrupted by Carmen – her hackles are raised, though. “Carolina”, after Eva has gone, suggests that the photographs could be of Katona, so Ayala and Carmen sneak into the dark room as Fabio is developing them and knock him out. “Groundswell” pulls away before we get to see who’s in the pictures, in a classic cliffhanger.

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