Paranormal season 1, episode 2 recap – “The Myth of the Curse of the Pharaoh”

By Jonathon Wilson
Published: November 5, 2020 (Last updated: last month)
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Paranormal season 1, episode 2 recap - "The Myth of the Curse of the Pharaoh"
3.5

Summary

“The Myth of the Curse of the Pharaoh” links a black cloud above Cairo with a plague and a curse, but how this all links to the haunting of Refaat and his loved ones remains to be seen.

This recap of Paranormal season 1, episode 2, “The Myth of the Curse of the Pharaoh”, contains spoilers. You can check out our thoughts on the previous episode by clicking these words.

You can check out our spoiler-free season review by clicking these words, and check out all of our Paranormal coverage by clicking these ones.


A black cloud looms over Cairo in “The Myth of the Curse of the Pharaoh”, an annoyingly wordy but at least fitting title for the second episode of Netflix’s Paranormal. Nobody knows why the cloud is there or how to get rid of it or what it all might mean, but it might, in some way, be connected to the recently discovered mummy that Refaat has been instructed by the authorities to perform an autopsy on, despite warnings that everyone who has touched it thus far has died.

The autopsy doesn’t go well — slicing open the body reveals a cloud of scarab beetles, one of which nestles inside a packet of open cigarettes. Meanwhile, the knock-on effects of the premiere are still being felt, with Howaida having visions at work — she’s a teacher — and Raeefa burning incense for Taha. Even though the show seems to have a kind of “monster of the week” format, this is still very much a direct continuation of the story and characters established in the previous episode.

One of the dynamics carried forward is the one between Refaat and Huwaida. He knows he doesn’t want to be with her, of course, but not how to tell her — men leaving their brides-to-be is not exactly the done thing in ’60s Egypt. Huwaida is smart, though, and charming, and she obviously knows what’s up, even if she’s putting a brave face on the matter and asking politely about Maggie’s wellbeing. Besides, she has more to worry about, since her otherworldly visions begin to ramp up a notch.

Speaking of having more things to worry about, Refaat is told that everyone who was present for the autopsy is dead. He’s also told by Ramzi that the “Mut”, the vengeful spirit of the Black Pharaoh, is out for blood and must be laid to rest before it causes any more carnage, which Refaat is obviously skeptical about. But gradually escalating weirdness, not to mention an ominous message left on his wall, convince Refaat that something’s up, and he calls Ramzi back for more backstory on the Black Pharaoh’s curse. Now that the darkness is here — the black cloud — then the next thing will be disease. After that, it’s the end. Ramzi tells Refaat that they have to bury the mummy.

Huwaida, meanwhile, is being pursued all over the place in Paranormal season 1, episode 2, seemingly by the Black Pharaoh but also by visions of Shiraz. When she’s eventually cornered, she’s infected by the mummy’s bad breath, which causes disseminated intravascular coagulation. Refaat and Ramzi find her on his building staircase, so naturally, Refaat is blamed by the family. He turns to — who else? — Maggie for help, who determines that Huwaida’s case is strange but unrelated to the current plague. Ramzi reiterates that this is how all those present for the autopsy died and that she was saved by his magical sistrum.

Ramzi has all the bright ideas, and one of them is to return to the morgue with Refaat and Maggie’s help. At this point, Refaat’s insistence that otherworldly goings-on are impossible isn’t really fooling anyone; the evidence is piling too high to ignore. He and Ramzi steal the Black Pharaoh’s corpse, but once they get it in the car, Refaat figures out that they’ve got the wrong body for Ramzi’s proposed solution — they’ve got the Pharaoh’s vengeful brother, which alters their plan somewhat. Together, they head to the temple, where Refaat is able to reunite the king and his queen, which, unknown to him, vaporizes the ghost that was staggering up behind him. It also brings Huwaida back to life and shifts the black cloud that was looming over Cairo, thus ending the plague, too.

Huwaida might be alive, but she’s also still showing no signs of waking up, and Refaat is annoyed at having resorted to spells and scrolls and such in order to save her. His frustration prompts him to open up to Maggie a bit, telling her how he gave up pursuing her when she married someone else rather than him, and how he can’t bring himself to give up again. He sits on Huwaida’s bed and tells her if she wakes up, he’ll marry her, while we see Shiraz watching through the window.


What did you think of Paranormal season 1, episode 2, “The Myth of the Curse of the Pharaoh”? Comment below.

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