Summary
Episode 4 shows how karma can catch up to you and how it’s easy to be reeled into corruption in a corporate setting — however, it doesn’t land well as much it should with its exorcism spin and biblical endings.
This recap of Hulu’s Monsterland season 1, episode 4, “New York, New York” contains significant spoilers.
We recapped all of the anthology series — check out the archive.
The opening
Mr Hammond chases a woman into a taxi in the middle of the city. She tells Mr Hammond that she will not sign the NDA as she wants to control the narrative as that is the last thing she had left. Mr Hammond says he doesn’t want her to sign an NDA, he just wanted to say goodbye. The woman gives the man a book which is from an activist and says goodbye to him.
Episode 4 opens up and it reeks of corporate corruption and a willingness to cover something up.
Denial
In the next scene, the CEO of the company named Stanley Price takes an interview with a congressman about an environmental disaster caused by his company — it’s a gulf oil spill. He denies any knowledge of knowing about the fault and walks off. After the interview, Mr Hammond reveals he managed to get the NDA from the woman who left the company.
Asking about Hell
Episode 4 shows how the wealthy tend to throw the dummy out of the cot when things don’t go their way after being involved in any wrongdoing and this chapter is a great example.
Stanley is fuming at the pressure on him about the disaster — he wants solutions quickly. He wants to meet lifelong friend and business partner Dorcey but his friend does not show up to the church. With the press outside, Stanley hides at the back and talks to an altar boy. He asks him about Hell and whether it exists — Stanley seems worried about the sins he has committed.
Sleepy
And then Monsterland season 1, episode 4 shows its true colors…
After having sex, Stanley watches his interview with congress — he asks Shannon if he looks guilty. He then takes sleeping pills — in the middle of the night, a voice whispers to him and asks for him to wake up. He sees a table with food — his colleagues surround it and the congressman starts asking questions again. The altar boy says he will go to Hell. They all start chanting “crucify” to him. Shannon tells him that he is the nest and starts talking in biblical terms. The room turns bright red.
The birthday party
Episode 4 continues to show Stanley’s sins starting to haunt him as he starts submerging into a different world.
The next day, Stanley believes it was all a bad dream. He’s wished a happy birthday. The party isn’t as busy as it used to be due to the controversy surrounding him. Stanley’s friend Fletcher turns up and they do cocaine in the bathroom — Fletcher tells Stanley not to sweat at the Congress hearing. Stanley gives a birthday speech to the small group of people who attended — during his speech he asks a waiter why he’s staring at him. The waiter tells him he was thinking Stanley will get away with it at Congress with his lies and live on an Island and eat canapés but then die guilty and rich, knowing he took money off those who needed it.
“The end” will come
Stanley fires the waiter and then heads into the bathroom; he starts throwing up black stuff. When he leaves the bathroom everyone asks him if he’s okay. Stanley’s voice suddenly booms and he talks about “the end”. He then urinates on himself and collapses. Afterward, the doctor says he has an abdominal mass and that it’s not looking good — the doctor also says he might have dementia syndrome caused by alcohol.
Stanley has drinks with Mr. Hammond. Mr. Hammond gives him ideas on reducing the carbon footprint of the company. Stanley admits he’s a drinker, not a drunk — he talks how his father was a drunk and how he nearly ruined the family but one day he was eaten in his car by coyotes. Stanley wanted to be as far away from his father as possible so worked as hard as he could. Mr. Hammond stays behind to look after him but then Stanley uses his bible boom voice again.
I want to speak to Stanley
Episode 4 becomes an exorcism and it’s remarkable how bonkers this chapter has gotten.
Miss Westhart comes over to help Mr. Hammond. He tells her about the Bible sermons and the heat in the room. She’s there to split the evil away from Stanley. Miss Westhart tries to speak to Stanley — she asks if he’s a devil or a demon. He says he is the alpha and the omega / the beginning and the end — he claims he is a God. Miss Westhart keeps asking for Stanley but the evil inside him keeps saying he’s gone. Suddenly, Stanley vomits loads of black liquid — it comes out of his eyes and ears.
It’s too late now
Miss Westhart does not think she can help him but Mr. Hammond suggests using his real name.– Stanley Ransom. She tries again, using his full real name and also sympathizing with him about his father — “You deserve love”. Stanley suddenly talks and admits he did it and that it was his mistake in relation to the environmental disaster. Miss Westhart tells him that she and Mr. Hammond loves him.
Miss Westhart tells Mr. Hammond to let him loose as she believes it has worked. When they untie him, Stanley says it’s “Too late” and cuts open his stomach. A bird-like creature leaves him and smashes through the window and into the city.
The ending
Mr. Hammond returns home to his partner and he hugs him. He admits he knew everything about the spill and he could have stopped the whole thing. His partner says he didn’t have that kind of power as an assistant. Mr. Hammond says he believes every tiny “yes” contributed to the spill — “That’s how it happens. That’s how good men, turn bad”.
Monsterland season 1, episode 4 shows how karma can catch up to you and how it’s easy to be reeled into corruption in a corporate setting — however, it doesn’t land well as much it should with its exorcism spin and biblical endings.
