Summary
It’s a strong start with a modern emphasis on technology. With episode 1 more focused on Nick’s disappearance, it plants a few seeds on who could be responsible.
This recap of the Netflix series Clickbait episode 1, “The Sister,” contains significant spoilers.
Read the review of the series.
Clickbait is the latest release from Netflix and set to become one of the summer’s most binge-worthy releases. The premise is that family man Nick gets abducted with sinister developments developed through a viral video. So who is behind it? And why have they targeted him?
Clickbait episode 1 recap
Clickbait episode 1 begins with a birthday party for Andrea Brewer (played by Elizabeth Alexander), with the family, and nearly all key players of the show, in attendance. But the atmosphere turns sour upon Pia Brewer (played by Zoe Kazan) learning that her brother Nick Brewer (played by Adrian Grenier) bought their mother the planter instead of a bread maker. A tense argument develops, and after some words with Nick, Pia goes clubbing. The night involves getting trashed, dropping her phone in the toilet, and waking up her flatmate before settling down to watch porn. Standard.
The next day whilst at work, her patient/buddy Vincent (Jack Walton) shows her the latest viral videos. Imagine Pia’s horror when the video is of Nick with the threat that when the video reaches 5 million views, he will die. Currently, the video has under 4,000 views. So he should be safe for now, right?
Pia goes to Nick’s workplace; he’s not there. Next, she goes to Sophie’s (Betty Gabriel) place to work. She asks the friendly receptionist Dawn (played by Becca Lish) before interrupting Sophie’s lesson. Both watch the video, which has 9,000 views, and go to the police. But as Nick has only been missing for 5½ hours, they’re fobbed off. Although, Detective Roshan Amiri (played by Phoenix Raei) agrees to listen to them.
Pia’s phone, which stopped working after she dropped it in the toilet, starts working, and she has a voicemail from Nick. It’s from the night before. He apologies for the argument and explains there is some stuff going on and that he and Pia should talk soon. In a quick flashback scene, Nick appears to be quiet and moody.
A new video gets posted online. This time Nick holds a card saying “I Killed A Woman”. This time, however, the card isn’t in Nick’s handwriting. Det Amiri asks Pia and Sophie if Nick had ever been violent, before remarking that the cards could be both a death threat and a confession.
After Pia plays Nick’s voicemail, Sophie is against taking it to the police. But the conversation is interrupted by a call from a journalist. With the video of Nick going viral, it’s naturally gained the interest of the public. Later that night, Sophie and Pia log into Nick’s laptop using the name of his dead hamster. Nick, it seems, wasn’t all that smart.
The ending
With the viral video regional news, Vincent visits Pia hoping to help. Through his software skills, Vince has learned that Nick is being held in a delivery van, MP55 Step Van. Seizing the moment, Vince goes in to kiss her. Mortified, Pia backs away.
The video of Nick as a hostage holding the threatening cards is now at 4,500,000 views and quickly rising. Pia has a traumatic flashback to Nik telling her to get out of his life as the video reaches 5,000,000 views. But there’s good news. Maybe. Det Amir tells her there’s a lead; the van that Nick is being held in has been found. Episode 1 of Clickbait concludes just as the police open the van doors. Although, we don’t see what’s inside (yet).
