Archive 81 season 1, episode 7 recap – “The Ferryman”

This recap of Netflix’s Archive 81 season 1, episode 7, “The Ferryman,” contains spoilers.

Read the review of season 1. 

Archive 81 season 1, episode 7 recap

It shows the opening of what appears to be a documentary because of the FBI warning. A comet called Kharon shoots across the star. It is named after The Ferryman of Hades, who carries the souls of the dead across the river Styx. The comet was discovered in 1774. It was half of one pair, as it hit the earth years prior. It left a rare mineral called Kharonite.

Dan wakes up in a room. The back of his head hurts, and he finds his teeth are covered in black mold. Dan begins to vomit in the bathroom, but then he wakes up. He doesn’t know where he is. He manages to make it to Virgil’s office, who graciously meets him via video conference. Virgil tells Dan that they brought him back after he collapsed from exhaustion. When Dan accuses him of being drugged and assaulted in that snuff film underground chamber, he tells him he was hallucinating. Virgil tells him to take the money, walk away, or they will pursue charges that he destroyed valuable equipment at the compound. When Dan leaves, he begins to curse outside the building. From the aerial view, you can see where he is standing and on the ground.

There is an outline of that infamous symbol we saw all around the Visser.

The Vos Society was a cult that William Crest was obsessed with. They even wrote a manual of the Baldung witches. They attempted to raise the supreme being from an alternate dimension called Kaelego. Mark also shows them all the spirit photographs of the Vos family (if you notice, they all strangely look like Anabelle’s paintings).

Archive 81 uses a storytelling device from the tapes that Dan has found and is repairing. However, the show now transports back to 1924, where Iris Vos hires a maid for her home. The servant’s name? “Rose,” she replies. 

These flashbacks have all sorts of easter eggs that pop up throughout these scenes. For instance:

• Rose appears to be that woman who was sacrificed in the snuff film. Remember, she wished she died so she could rejoin her family.
• From the Kharon comet, Cassandra’s pendant is being worn by Iris.
• The Kaelelog is delivered to the Vos residents. However, it’s covered in what we can only presume is that black mold popping up throughout the series. 
• The tuning forks appear to call upon that devotion Samual was talking about.
• When they take pictures of Iris during the seance, they are developed, and we see faces in the black background. 
  • This is the devotion to bringing both worlds together. (For instance, what is happening with Dan and Melody).
• The mold patterns appear everywhere in the Visser and the compound. 
  • This is the other world trying to come into ours.
• Rockland is a mental hospital, and that is where Melody was taken.

So, Rose is awakened by a woman who was the new party guest from the previous party. She is stealing the Baldung manual. She is like Melody, doing the right thing, and tries to take Rose. That’s when Iris walks in. She is a Baldung and is trying to protect the world from Iris, opening up a portal between both worlds.

The thing is, it was a trap. When she threatened to burn the book, one of the Vos brothers kills her with a gunshot. They knew who she was. They needed one to open both worlds. I can only assume that Samual thought Melody was one and used her to do just that.

Emily and Melody both saw the good in people and tried to help them.

The ending

Iris performs her “ferryman” prayer as they tape the snuff film. They pour the blood of poor Emma Trillay over the Kaelego statue. Iris offers up Rose by slitting her throat. Then, the video ends because it appears an electrical force appears. We can only assume that Netflix’s burned down the mansion and the party members inside.

Dan and Mark locate Anabelle, who has been in Rockland mental hospital for decades. She welcomes Dan by telling him it’s about time. He walks in and sees dozens of drawings of Melody on Anabelle’s wall. “She’s been waiting for you,” she says.

Anabelle ends the episode by saying, “You need to get her out.”

What did you think about Netflix’s Archive 81 season 1, episode 7? Let us know in the comments below!

You can watch Archive 81 with a subscription to the streaming service.