Summary
What a great opener! The first episode has a great mystery, and from the get-go, it has audiences questioning who to trust. Armed with brilliant writing and a glowing cast, Now and Then is, at least for now, another great watch from Apple TV+
This recap of the Apple TV+ series Now and Then season 1, episode 1, “20 Years,” contains spoilers.
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Now and Then season 1, episode 1 recap
Miami, 2000. And there’s a party on the beach for Marcos, Pedro, Ana, Sofia, Alejandro, and Daniela. Just as it seems that Now and Then might be moving just a little bit slow, there’s an accident on the beach. But as they’re driving away, to the hospital one would assume, they’re in a car accident. In the present day, Marcos wakes up from a nightmare of that fateful night. Working as a beauty surgeon, Marcos receives a text, “be there, or I’ll reveal all”.
Ana receives a similar text, or at least that’s what we are meant to assume as we never see the text. After almost burning a pancake, she visits her husband, Pedro, who is now a politician. And then, Pedro almost receives a threatening text. When it comes to the reunion, Sofia is missing, and the gang speculates whether she is the one sending the texts. However, Marcos doesn’t believe that she would do something like that. But, Sofia arrives shortly afterward, which may mean that she isn’t responsible for the texts.
With the reunion in full swing, Pedro makes a speech in memory of Alejandro (aka, the person who died the night of the crash). But the speech is too much for the others to handle, and just as Marcos is about to leave, they receive another text. Now, they must each pay $1,000,000. Going back to “then”, Flora assists at the crash scene. Alejandro is dead, whilst in the other car, the victim, Jessica Thompson, dies from metal going through her throat. Flora wonders why the back seat is open and whether someone else was in the car. With no cellphone on Alejandro, Flora and the lead detective, Sullivan, question his friends, aka Marcos, Pedro, Ana, Sofia, and Daniela. Whilst Flora believes that there is something suspect about the death, Sullivan stops her from prying.
And Flora’s suspicions are confirmed as Alejandro’s autopsy shows that not only did he have “molly” in his system, but he was already dead when the car crashed. Meanwhile, shortly after the crash, the friends throw a tape into a river, although one says that it will “haunt them forever”. Moving to “Now”, Marcos’s lawyer tells him he has two options, make a deal before his friends, or pay.
The ending
And, like Marcos, the gang all agree to pay. Although when it comes to the “meet”, Ana stays at home with her and Pedro’s children. Once the money is paid, Marcos and Sofia are last to leave the location. And it doesn’t take long before Marcos forgets he has a wife, and he and Sofia have sex. Meanwhile, someone calls Ana and tells her that they want their money back.
Marcos’ lawyer visits him during the night and tells him that she knows who is blackmailing him and the others. Marcos calls Ana and tells her that Daniela is the blackmailer, a fact that Ana is quick to tell to Pedro. Flora, who I assume is now the lead detective, heads to a new murder scene. And who is the victim? You guessed it, Daniela. And with Marcos on the scene, Flora informs him that they have unfinished business. The episode closes with a flashback that shows that Daniela had another copy of the tape that was thrown into the river.
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