Summary
Episode 4 takes a worthwhile break from a new challenge and instead explores relationships and the weak spots of some of the characters. It was needed as it helps with character development outside of the games.
This recap of Amazon original Panic season 1, episode 4, “Escape,” contains major spoilers.
The challenges get more and more dangerous with each chapter progressing, but our teens are at a tight stop in episode 4, so the story relaxes a little to explore relationships.
Continuing from the last episode, the owner of the wealthy farm estate starts shooting. Heather (played by Olivia Welch) is still trapped in the hatch. Dodge (played by Mike Faist) makes it into the house, Natalie (played by Jessica Sula) watches him as he sneaks in. She sends Dodge a text warning him that the owner has headed back inside — Ray is also inside the house, hiding under a bed. Heather gives up trying to get out of the hatch and makes her way through the tunnels under the crop field.
Stealing items
These challenges require luck, as our characters manage to sneak and steal anyway.
Dodge finds Ray in the house, but Ray decides not to cause any trouble and steals what he needs to gain points in the challenge. Heather has luckily found an area of the house where she can steal something for herself. She finds a notebook with points against each participant’s name, so she takes a photo of it and steals something for herself. Natalie and Dodge flee the estate, and they take photos of their items. Heather joins them both in the car. It’s a lucky escape.
Tyler wants back in
Tyler confronts Ray about being left behind the night before. He tells Ray he’s in trouble with a drug dealer after stealing from him; he asks if he can be back in the game. Ray was already predicting this would happen and tells him he got him a relic from the wealthy farm.
Heather’s mother believes she can go and do better than her
Episode 4 provides Heather with a lightbulb moment; she comes to terms with who she loves.
At home, Heather is given money by her mother — it isn’t much, but she’s trying to pay her back. Heather’s eyes well up, and she thanks her. The mother tells her she wishes she could go back to when she was young, finished school, and saved money. She doesn’t want Heather to end up like she did because she believes she is too smart.
Friend zoning each other
But like any other teen drama, young love is never simple.
Heather heads to Bishop’s house after a small heart-to-heart with her mother; it seems she has an epiphany. Bishop believes she is being weird, and then it’s revealed that she’s chilling with Leela; Heather looks heartbroken and quickly departs — she tells Bishop that she should have told her but that she is not upset. Heather claims she’s happy for him, but she feels betrayed that Bishop never told her. Bishop chases after and says he is scared of losing her as a friend due to his feelings that have changed — he doesn’t want to lose her as a best friend. Heather puts on a good act and states she’s never thought of him as more as a friend, and the thought of kissing him is traumatizing. Bishop acts cool.
Players Ball commences
Heather wallows and tells Natalie she isn’t going to the Players Ball — Natalie tells her she’s going, and she’s going to look hot. Luke Hall (Ray’s brother) attends the Ball, and there are many rumours about him, including how he was the only player in previous years to pull the gun in Russian Roulette; there’s also a rumour that he paralyzed a girl.
Ray and Heather trade more words
With Bishop out of the picture, Panic season 1, episode 4 brings an unlikely romance between Ray and Heather — it’s clear Heather is attracted to the bad boy because she’s beaten up about Bishop.
The party goes into full swing with plenty of booze and shenanigans. Ray tries to use a chat-up line on Heather, and she mocks him for it. Ray is then “real” with her, and he describes the things he likes about her. Heather is swayed by his words as he continues with his sexual descriptions. However, he tells her the lines were all bullshit. Heather calls him an arsehole, but Ray reminds him what she said at the last challenge, that she’d rather die than hook up with him. You can cut the tension between them with a knife. Heather looks around the Ball, and she is bugged that Ray is kissing another woman, and then she imagines Bishop kissing Leela.
Ray’s words sway Heather
Heather chills outside the party on a car bonnet on her own. Ray joins her, and he offers another cheesy chat-up line. She asks Ray if he has any feelings outside of his p***s. Ray plays with her and says he gets hungry sometimes. He clearly cares and takes the alcohol off her as she’s too drunk. Ray tells her the story of his grandfather, who is an alcoholic. He’s opening up, and he describes the trauma of dealing with him. Heather listens intently to Ray as he says that most of the time, he feels nothing at all.
The ending
Heather asks if he ever wants anything good to happen — Ray states he does not think good things will happen to him anymore. Heather cries and calls it sad. Ray believes they are both alike, and he gets closer to her — he says they are trash people, throwaways, cast-offs in a nowhere town. Ray tells her that it doesn’t matter that she’s pretty because he saw her fly — the pair kiss as the tension reaches boiling point.
Heather suddenly wants to stop kissing as she hears something; they both head to the party and split up — there’s a new challenge that has been announced inside. A judge must be at the party. As the episode ends, it’s revealed that Bishop is one of the judges as he drives away.
Panic season 1, episode 4 takes a worthwhile break from a new challenge and instead explores relationships and the weak spots of some of the characters. It was needed as it helps with character development outside of the games.
Additional points
- The next day, Natalie tells Dodge about the Players Ball that they do every year for all the game participants.
- At the farm she works at, Heather is introduced to Little Billy Kelly, who tells her how to tend to a horse.
- Natalie bumps into Max Slinger, a photographer, while at work.
- Natalie and Heather discuss who the wealthy farm estate is linked to after Heather found a list of players and points; they think it is Ray’s grandfather’s estate.
