Summary
At long last, The Staircase finally starts to move closer to the quality of the earlier episodes.
This recap of the HBO Max series The Staircase (2022) season 1, episode 7, “Seek and Ye Shall,” contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
The Staircase (2022) season 1, episode 7 recap
Michael insists that he will not say that he killed Katherine. And despite David’s pleas, Michael remains firm that he will not take the Alford plea. The legal team uncovers that test results are missing, and therefore, there could easily be a vote of misconduct. Due to the murder that occurred in the episode’s opening scene, Sophie learns that Kathleen’s murder and the lack of skull fractures are no longer an anomaly.
And this new murder victim adds further doubt that Michael is innocent of murder. But to add a further twist to the case, the murder victim is Dennis Rowe, a male from Michael’s past. Sophie questions those who found Michael guilty of murder. And she even speculates whether there’s a connection between Kathleen’s and Dennis’ deaths. Martha learns that she didn’t have the rosiest of childhoods, with at one point, Michael and Patricia even considering giving her up. The shocking fact for Martha makes her question who she would have become had she had a different life.
Despite Sophie’s earlier theory that the deaths of Kathleen and Dennis could be connected, she is proven wrong as Dennis’ murderer, Tyrone Lacour, has an alibi for the night that Kathleen died. Even so, Sophie goes to see Michael in prison and tells him about Dennis’ death. But then Sophie also reveals that not only did Michael sleep with Dennis, but he likely slept with Tyrone. Although Michael can’t recall sleeping with Tyrone, he says it could be possible.
Evelyn learns that the North Carolina State Burea of Investigation failed to do its duty and often withheld evidence. With clear evidence that the North Carolina State Bureau has purposely kept evidence that could have, otherwise, proven an individual’s innocence, everyone suggests that the same happened to Michael. And some of the “experts” from Michael’s trial were even lying about their experience. David adds that if everything works out the way he hopes, Michael will be out of prison. Although, Michael’s brother refuses to pay David for his efforts.
The ending
Michael and Sophie discuss the plea. If Michael accepts the plea, he will get everything he wants. And as Sophie puts it, the DA doesn’t care about what really happened, nor will they ever admit to being wrong. Moving back to before Kathleen’s death, she learns that she will not be getting an end-of-year bonus. But as she has seen shares/stocks drop and has likely lost her retirement fund, she’s too delirious to care about the bonus.
After she tells Michael about the loss of money, Kathleen and Michael have a huge argument. When they return home, Kathleen decides to clear out the attic whilst Michael sits in his car and decides to listen to the song. But whilst he is in the car and gestures a gun towards Kathleen, is this when he came up with the idea to kill Kathleen? At the end of the seventh episode, it moves to the night before the retrial hearing. Clayton, Margaret, and Martha all gather together as they wait to find out what happens next.
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