Recap: Building a Mystery - Episode 6
Kat and Alice try to stop Jacob's disappearance; Del realizes the tragedy of Jacob was not hers alone.
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At the Herald, Kat is buried in research. She is flipping through old newspaper clippings about Jacob’s tragedy while having flashbacks of the day he went missing. Byron interrupts to remind her not to forget to lock up.
In 1999, Alice sits at the beach with Nick while teen Kat, Jacob and Danny play at the shore. Alice wonders how Nick feels about her. He tells her he’s into her but Alice doubts it. Nick is puzzled, not knowing she’s judging from the future where Nick moves on and gets married. Nick walks off. Teen Kat approaches Alice to ask her what’s up with her and Nick. Alice shares that Nick is not reliable.
Back in 2023, Del stands on the same beach listening to a voice message from Monica. She intends to bring the fall carnival back to Port Haven. It’s the same event where Jacob went missing. Monica is sensitive to Del’s feelings about it and wanted to let her know.
At home, Rita and Kat express their upset with Monica trying to bring the carnival back. Byron calls but Del says she will call him back. Rita, Kat and Elliot encourage Del to give Byron a chance but Del storms out over the discussion.
Outside, Kat talks to Elliot about her plans to go back in time to stop Jacob’s disappearance and asks for Elliot’s help.
At the café, Monica tells Del the carnival is good for the town’s economy despite her feelings about it. Monica shares that someone keeps tearing down the promotional posters of the carnival and wonders if it’s Del. Del says it is not. Danny, Jacob’s childhood best friend, walks in. Del greets him before walking out.
Back at home with Elliot, Kat has created a board of evidence with all the articles from the archives. She is trying to piece the puzzle together herself with expectations to go back to the carnival to stop Jacob’s disappearance. Elliot tells her it is not healthy to try to solve this and there’s no way she can go back at the same exact time as the carnival. Kat disagrees and is on a mission.
In the kitchen, Alice wonders if something is happening between Kat and Brady as they spent a lot of time together during Brady’s last visit. She also asks about Kat slow dancing with Elliot. Kat suggests nothing is going on as they are all just having fun. Del walks in and shares that Monica is accusing her of removing the carnival posters and that she has Danny putting them back up.
Knowing this, Kat decides to do research on Danny. She starts reading his old police report interviews and notices some inconsistencies.
Byron stops by and tells Del that he is worried about Kat as she’s been stopping by the office daily and taking things from the archives. Del grows suspicious of Kat and finds her board of evidence. Del is upset and tells Kat to tell it go. Kat tells Del she can’t, since she has unearthed new evidence about Danny changing his story. Del insists that Kat should leave Danny alone as he was only 8 years old at the time of Jacob’s disappearance. Kat insists she must interview Danny. Del says if Kat needs to talk to Danny, she will go with her.
It's 1999 and teen Kat is wondering why Alice hasn’t been back in over a month. Clearly Alice hasn’t figured out the timeline for time traveling. Teen Kat tells Alice that the carnival is this weekend. Alice realizes that it’s the same carnival when Jacob went missing. She takes off to make plans to return.
In 2023, when Kat and Del visit Danny, Kat questions Danny about the night Jacob went missing. She reminds him that he changed his story a lot during the time of the tragedy. Danny admits that he did lie to the police because he did not want his parents to know that he went to the carnival without their permission. He shares that he was with Jacob the day of the carnival, after he had just won a big stuffed dog. They were having fun as usual, chasing each other. They ended up at the edge of a cliff where Danny took his stuffed dog and threw it into the ocean. Danny dared him to go get it. When Danny saw his parents coming, he ran off, leaving Jacob at the edge of the cliff, to never be seen again. Danny cries while sharing his story. Del comforts him. She tells him not to let guilt dictate his life. It’s time to move on - together.
In the cellar, Kat makes plans to return back to 1999 to make it in time for the carnival. Elliot tells Kat that Alice is already there. Kat takes off and makes no hesitation at the pond to jump in.
An out of breath Alice meets teen Elliot, who says that Brady left without him to attend the carnival. Alice finally shares that this is the night that Jacob disappears, and they have to stop it. Teen Elliot moves with urgency, and they take his bike to the carnival.
The carnival is in full swing. Adult Kat watches her younger self, teen Brady and Jacob board a Ferris wheel. Jacob wants to sit in a car by himself with his stuffed dog, while teen Kat and teen Brady get in another car by themselves. Jacob’s stuffed dog falls beneath the ride. He calls out to teen Kat for help but she’s making out with teen Brady and doesn’t hear him. Jacob goes after his stuffed dog beneath the wheel. Adult Kat sees this and decides to step in and go after him.
Teen Kat and teen Brady exit the ride and notice that Jacob is missing. Alice and teen Elliot approach them and they decide to all search for Jacob together. Jacob eventually emerges with Danny, and they chase each other into the Haunted House. Adult Kat sees this and follows after them.
Alice urges teen Kat to tell her parents but she says it is too early to worry them. They split up to find him. Alice describes Jacob to a carnival employee, and he says he saw Jacob run into the Haunted House. She runs in to find him. Alice and adult Kat are pushing through the Haunted House separately, but they get a glimpse of each other.
Adult Kat ends up at the path of the cliff and sees Jacob. She stops him and asks him if he’s okay. He says he’s fine. She offers to walk him home and he agrees. They walk together and share stories, warming Kat’s heart. They arrive at the farm and adult Kat sees teen Brady’s car in the driveway. She takes this as a sign that they’ll be home with him and he’s safe after all. She saved the night - or at least she thinks she did.
In 2023, at the café, the Port Haven community meets to discuss the final vote on bringing back the carnival. Del votes to bring the carnival back as this is the bravest road forward to heal.
At home, Kat runs in and searches the house only to see that Jacob’s date of death in the Landry Almanac has not changed. She is crushed that she could not save him. She cries while Del comforts her.
Outside, a distraught Kat sits with Elliot, wondering why it didn’t work. Alice walks up to them, also upset, and Kat knows why. She tells Alice that Jacob is really gone. Alice realizes that it was her mom that she saw in the Haunted House in 1999. Alice feels betrayed that her mom has been time traveling too and did not tell her. Kat tries to explain but Alice storms off.