Summary
The premiere of A Murder at the End of the World starts a little slow but ends on a high note leaving you wanting more.
Emma Corrin is trying to solve a murder at a retreat on the latest FX series streaming on Hulu, A Murder at the End of the World. Darby is a hacker, a best-selling author, trying to figure out her life simultaneously. An offer Darby can’t refuse leads to her heading to a retreat where things quickly go awry when someone is murdered. Episode 1 might not be the most pacey opener in the world, but it sets the stage well enough.
What’s the meaning behind The Silver Doe? Who dies at the end of the premiere? We address these matters and more below but beware of spoilers from this point on.
A Murder at the End of the World Season 1 Episode 1 Recap
We kick off with Darby in a hoodie and headphones on, walking down the street on the way to a book event. She heads to the front of the book event, where she is set to read an excerpt from her book, The Silver Doe. After breaking down her book, Darby explains that regardless of what the people say, she will start reading from the end of the book.
Why is Darby’s book titled “The Silver Doe?”
As Darby begins to read from her book, we meet Bill, who is joining Darby on the hunt for information regarding the Jane Does who keep popping up murdered. Each woman is found wearing silvery jewelry, which sparked the title “The Silver Doe.”
The duo head to a house where we watch Darby hack into a garage door, which is a trick she learned from her friend and famous coder Lee Anderson. After a minor mishap where Darby opens everyone’s garage door in the neighborhood, she and Bill can get into the house. After trying to dig up a specific basement area, the two realize that they might’ve had the wrong house.
However, after a wooden staircase catches Darby’s eye, she and Bill start digging up in that area, where they find a body. Bill reveals about the killer that “it started with his wife” based on the silver ring on her finger.
After her reading, Andy Ronson, known as the king of tech, invites her to a retreat where she will be among nine elites. She speaks with the AI assistant, Ray, about the offer and agrees to head on the trip.
Who are the other guests on the retreat?
Darby boards the plane, where she meets some of the crew joining her on the retreat. She meets a filmmaker named Marin, who happens to be reading her book on the plane. Next, a smart city builder, Lui Mei, followed by astronaut, Sian Cruz.
Everyone gets settled into the house, and we have a welcoming dinner where we meet the rest of the crew at the retreat. Moments later, Andy walks into the room with his wife Lee and son Zoomer to introduce himself, breaks down how much these retreats have helped in the past, and looks forward to seeing what this one has in store.
Shortly after the introductions, we see Bill sit at the table, which throws Darby for a complete loop. The two run into each other in the lobby, where Darby punches him in the stomach but invites him to get a drink. Bill declines but asks her to go for a walk, which they do. Darby asked why he left her, and he said he was scared he couldn’t live up to the person she needed him to be.
Who dies in A Murder at the End of the World Episode 1?
Feeling nostalgic, Darby heads to Bill’s room to talk to him. She knocked on his door, but he didn’t answer. She went outside to see inside his room, and she saw Bill gasping for his life. We see Bill, covered in blood, pleading with her to stay with him as we watch him take his last breath.
How does A Murder at the End of the World Episode 1 end?
The episode ends on this impactful cliffhanger after a slow-ish episode comprising mostly of setup. How will Darby respond to this sudden, bloody discovery? Luckily, FX released the first two episodes at once in an obviously smart move, so we won’t have to wait too long to find out.
What did you think of A Murder at the End of the World Season 1 Episode 1? Comment below.
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