Summary
Devil in Ohio gives off Apple TV+’s Servant vibes. This series could go either way.
This recap of the Netflix limited series Devil in Ohio episode 1, “Broken Fall,” contains spoilers.
Devil in Ohio, based on the bestselling book, has such an intriguing premise. So fascinating that it is surprising that Netflix did not market this more. It’s possible that the launch of the LOTR series spooked them off a little. Anyway, let’s recap episode 1.
Devil in Ohio episode 1 recap
Episode 1 opens up with spooky music and sounds of a struggle as a young girl runs away from a house in the middle of the night. She sprints through crop fields, seemingly terrified of what she is running away from. She throws away a blade before forcing a car to stop to pick her up.
The following day, Dr. Suzanne Mathis is alerted about the same girl, who is now residing at her hospital. Suzanne has a typical family life, with a small foster family and a loving husband.
Suzanne gets a rundown on the young girl at the hospital; she has a strange wound. Eventually, the young girl wakes up, and she’s escorted around the hospital, looking dazed. A nurse tries to take a blood draw, but the young girl kicks off, forcing Suzanne to step in.
Suzanne introduces herself as the psychiatrist on the ward and instantly attempts to connect with the young girl. She doesn’t talk, but she does rest her head on Suzanne’s shoulder. This impacts Suzanne; she heads to the bathroom and takes deep breaths. In the evening, Suzanne looks at pictures of the girl’s strange wounds. She’s emotionally invested already.
Meanwhile, the young girl wakes up in the middle of the night, repeating the word “no” and slapping herself. It became apparent early on that she was part of a religious cult.
The next day, Suzanne sees a strange man looking for the young girl at the hospital. He’s the Sheriff of Amon County. Suzanne tells him he needs a court order, so he leaves.
Social services arrive at the hospital, but Suzanne is concerned about where the young girl will be transferred to. She’s made aware the only foster family available that is suitable in their county is her family.
Suzanne asks the young girl more questions; where she’s from, who she is, and her parents. No answers are returned, but the young girl looks frightened when she hears about the sheriff. As Suzanne walks away, the young girl reveals her name — Mae.
The ending
And then the first twist we all saw coming, Suzanne brings Mae home, and she will stay with Jules in her room. Suzanne’s husband, Peter, is concerned that she brought Mae home, but Suzanne does not want her transferred to another county and wants to ensure she gets a good family.
Jules is quickly spooked by Mae in the bathroom when she suddenly appears behind her. Mae struggles with the usual social niceties. And then, at dinner time, Mae does a strange blessing before they eat.
Before Mae goes to sleep, she thanks Suzanne for her kindness. As the episode ends, Mae looks at her back in the mirror to reveal a Satanic symbol etched into her back — this is the strange wound. She smiles in the mirror and says, “you deserve it.”
Devil in Ohio gives off Apple TV+’s Servant vibes. This series could go either way.
Additional points
- Suzanne’s daughter Jules is struggling at school. It’s made worse that her sister will not let her sit with her at dinner.
- Suzanne’s husband Peter has a property deal that falls through that he was sure was going to sell. He’s launching his business on land development. This is a big blow.
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