Summary
It’s hard to look past the two-dimensional characters and the clichéd dialogue, but there is still some intrigue in this narrative, and that vital question remains unanswered. Did she jump, or was she pushed?
This recap of the Apple TV+ series Surface season 1, episode 6, “The Myth of California,” contains spoilers.
Read the season 1 review of Surface.
Apple’s psychological thriller Surface finally maps out all of James and Sophie’s relationship history, but still leaves its major mystery unsolved. In this instalment, fans of the show are treated to many reveals, but you won’t find out if Sophie was pushed or jumped just yet. With Sophie demanding answers, James confesses, laying out their past, starting with their very first meeting.
Surface season 1, episode 6 recap
James is pitching to a perspective client at a swanky bar and Sophie is the waitress serving him the expensive wine. The investor leaves, but James sparks up a conversation with the chatty waitress instead. She talks about risk-taking and the two head back to his to get more intimate. James is housesitting for his boss and tries to impress Sophie with the wealthy bachelor pad. Sophie sees straight through all his lies though and gets to know the real person underneath.
Sophie reveals snippets of her past to James over the subsequent weeks. Mentioning life in London and other European cities. Her mother died when she was young and she never really knew her father. Sophie is an independent woman, who has learnt to fend for herself. When the couple start to become more of an item, Sophie is introduced to James’ friends Caroline and Harrison. She begins to spread lies about James, hoping to improve his status within the firm. A wealthy investor buys her lies and James quickly ascends the ranks.
James lands a huge promotion, but Sophie can’t help herself. She continues to compliment her boyfriend, always putting on this fake façade. Harrison sees through her lies and calls her out as a con artist to no avail. Sophie took the spotlight and made James successful, but when he asks her to stop with all the lies, she storms off, infuriated. This is where she met Baden that fateful night and began her lustful affair. In retaliation, James starts his own affair, cheating on Sophie with Caroline.
Both Sophie and James own up to their affairs and try to move forwards with a fresh start. Sophie says it is over with Baden and James agrees to see Caroline a lot less often. Although Sophie was still up to something. She casually mentions a new possible client for James to network with. James jumps at this potentially huge opportunity. However, something goes wrong with the deal. The client never receives the 11.2 million dollar transaction. James has been played.
Sophie carries on the act, but James does his own sleuthing and realizes she’s conned him all along. He follows her to the bank, where she hid the money and then confronts her the day of her accident. Sophie admits to planning a getaway, she was orchestrating a long con after all. James is heartbroken, having genuinely loved her. He walks away and then finds her letter at home. James is then informed that Sophie is in the hospital and has tried to commit suicide. He is told about her long term memory loss and the doctor’s advise him to take it as a fresh start.
The ending
The episode ends with James telling Sophie, in the present, that he still loves her and wants to make things work. Sophie is reeling from the story and acknowledges that she was a horrible person, there is no other way around it. But the mystery still remains, was she pushed or did she jump?
What do you think of the Apple TV+ series Surface season 1, episode 6? Comment below.
