Cape Fear Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Where Do We Go From Here?

Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

4.5

There’s no time like the present.

At least, that’s what Anna and Tom must be thinking after Cape Fear Season 1 Episode 5.

For the first time in a long time — possibly ever — they both have time to spend together.

Who would have thought that after watching the Cape Fear series premiere, mere episodes later, the couple would both be suspended from their jobs?

The only real positive here is that they can work on their relationship, try to mend fences with their children, and figure out what Max’s game plan is.

Anna has been front and center over the last few episodes as she’s quite literally slipped between both sides of the law to keep her family safe.

In doing so, she’s had to make difficult decisions that haven’t won her much favor with her family.

When the camera pulled back to reveal Anna in the movie theater at the top of the hour, I was stunned.

Cape Fear keeps the intensity at 100 at the best of times, so enough was happening between Nevaeh and the lady she threw the sardines over.

How Far Will Anna Go on Cape Fear?

Adding Anna into the mix was always going to send the drama into overdrive. The issue with Anna is that she’s spent much of her career dominating the conversation.

You don’t get to where she is in the world of law by letting people steamroll you. The deal she got Max on Cape Fear Season 1 Episode 3 backs that up.

But with Nevaeh getting her claws into both Natalie and Zack, coupled with the bombshell that she’s Max’s daughter, what else would you expect Anna to do?

This is a rare occasion where she’s not in control of the narrative. Plus, Nevaeh’s remarks about both of Anna’s children were abhorrent.

Most other shows would have had a pivotal moment, like Nevaeh getting knocked down at the end of the episode, to keep people locked in for the next episode.

But Cape Fear doesn’t operate by that playbook, and it’s working. I’m going to be honest: I gasped when Nevaeh was run over, and I think her dying would have sent Max into a tailspin.

Nevaeh is terrifying because she’s so darn unpredictable. I get anxious whenever she appears on-screen because she could do anything.

I’m not 100 percent sure whether she’s as crazy as Max wants the world to believe, but Anna hearing from Faith that he made her certainly hit home.

Max has clearly been getting into Natalie and Zack’s minds, too, so it only gives Anna more ammunition to believe that Max is manipulating the teenagers to do his bidding.

Faith clearly suffered as a result of whatever happened to her daughter, but the last thing I expected was for her brains to be bashed in by that statue Zack had.

Like, where did that even come from? Zack looks like the killer to me. He was in yet another trance when Anna found him at the fridge.

Who’s to say whatever Max and Nevaeh, or whoever else is involved, are doing to him isn’t making him space out and forget his actions?

It’s a travesty that Faith died so soon because I was looking forward to having more Martha Millan on my screen. After all, she was such a powerhouse on The Cleaning Lady.

What I don’t get is how Anna checked the killer’s weapon of choice and left the house with blood all over.

For someone who’s so ingrained in the legal world, you’d think she would have thought about whether she would ever be in a situation like that.

What she fails to realize is that ANYONE could have seen her going in and out of that house. Heck, there’s probably footage of it, too.

Tom is Playing With Fire

Then there’s Tom. What did he think was going to happen when he pulled Lexi off the case? He’s allowed this dynamic between them to become unhealthy.

As a result, it was only a matter of time before it went sideways. In this day and age, it’s easy to rule anything you don’t remember doing as AI.

It’d be such a copout of an excuse, too, considering that look on Tom’s face indicated that he remembered ever so slightly that he sent the voice note.

Plus, that’s what made it clear to him that Max is playing nice, only to get the Bowdens right where he wants them.

I was gagged when Tom told Max to go home, and he just casually strolled across the road with his dog.

That came out of left field and upped the tension tenfold as we head into the second half of Cape Fear Season 1.

Now the Bowdens are going to feel surveilled by Max and possibly Nevaeh if she moves in with her father.

What are your thoughts on Cape Fear Season 1 Episode 5’s big death? Do you think the Apple TV series is doing a good job of bringing the twists and turns of the movies to life?

Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
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