Dhruv Trivedi
First, the dead birds, then the dead fish, and now, with a fence in the middle of the town park hiding the pond that seems to be the source of all the dead animals, the mystery in Erie Harbor continues to deepen. Hilde finds help from an unlikely source at the police department, but is it going to be enough to help her uncover the shadowy powers that are present? It all looks quite daunting by the end of the episode, but Hilde is not one to give up easily. Let’s take a look at where ‘Home Before Dark’ season 2 episode 3 leaves the young investigative reporter. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Home Before Dark Season 2 Episode 3 Recap
The episode opens with Hilde telling her father about the dead fish she saw in the pond at Pinewood Park. Together, the two figure out that the pond is poisoned, leading Hilde to publish a story in the Magic Hour Chronicle asking why the town authorities aren’t doing anything about the polluted pond. Her article soon gets attention, and when Hilde sneaks into the park that night, she notices a lot of industrial activity occurring at the pond. She also notices the man, who was following her the previous day, working with the clandestine operation.
Meanwhile, Izzy deals with the repercussions of having been caught drunk by her parents after a sleepover at her friend Jessica’s house. Things are made worse when footage showing Izzy and Jessica drunk and egging the school surfaces. As a result, Jessica’s parents decide to send her to boarding school, leaving Izzy heartbroken at having lost her only friend in town. Frank Briggs Sr. also attempts to reconnect with his son Frankie after the latter broke ties with him. In his desperation, he even agrees to let Hilde help him. In the end, by doing the new Sheriff Trip Johnson a much-needed favor, he is able to earn back some of his son’s respect.
Home Before Dark Season 2 Episode 3 Ending: Who Built the Community Garden?
Hilde, during a visit to the doctor who is treating her grandfather for Alzheimer’s disease, asks whether her grandfather could be suffering from a disease other than Alzheimer’s and hints that his condition could be connected to him fishing regularly at the poisoned pond. The doctor doesn’t seem to think her theory holds much water, but the young investigator decides to try and test a sample of the pond’s water anyway.
However, when she gets to the pond, an inauguration for the new community garden is underway. To Hilde’s horror, the new garden is built squarely on top of where the pond used to be. She gets home and bursts into tears in front of her father, saying that now she will never be able to get to the bottom of what is ailing her grandfather.
It looks like Hilde’s search for answers has once again been thwarted, but the young investigator knows that she is close to finding some answers and refuses to give up. From the speech given by the town representative at the opening ceremony, we know that the construction of the garden was brought about in large part by Hilde’s article about the toxic pond. The representative clarifies that the pond was host to poisonous algae, which have now, with the construction of the garden, been cleared.
Of course, this explanation does not sit well with the skeptical reporter who keeps wondering aloud how a garden could be built without any debate about it in the town hall. However, the bigger question here is who is the shadowy and “generous” corporate sponsor(s) that seemingly, and overnight, built the community garden. Our only clues to the construction are from the scenes of industrial activity at night that Hilde catches at the pond. The barrels and heavy equipment seen hints at possibly some toxic chemicals being stored.
Considering the as-yet faceless Wott Management has been sniffing around the town for land and has even threatened Sheriff Trip Johnson’s father for his, it is most likely this shadowy corporation that is behind the construction of the community garden. The man following her, who she also sees at the worksite at night sporting a restricted access key card, seems to be involved in the construction of the garden and is therefore connected to Wott Management as well.
What is Ailing Hilde’s Grandfather?
Hilde’s grandfather so far is seen suffering from symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and associated dementia. He remembers disconnected details about the town’s history, but also some very specific things like the hiding spot for his old diary that we see in season 2 episode 1. According to the doctor, his condition is a clear-cut case of Alzheimer’s. However, his granddaughter thinks that her grandfather is suffering from the toxic effects of the pond.
Hilde initially gets the idea from the sick bird she has been taking care of when she realizes that the cause of the bird’s ailment could be the pond. Soon after, at the doctor’s, she makes a similar connection to her grandfather, who spent a lot of time in the vicinity of the pond in Pinewood Park. Hence, if Hilde’s theories are anything to go by, and she has been right in the past, then her grandfather is ailing from being poisoned.
Poisonous substances — like lead and mercury, which can cause cognitive harm when ingested in significant quantities — were most likely secretly disposed of in the pond, eventually resulting in Hilde’s grandfather getting poisoned. It remains to be seen how many other people in Erie Harbor might end up suffering from similar symptoms due to the toxicity of the pond, which has now been hidden by the new community garden.
Read More: Is Home Before Dark Based on a True Story?
