Pratik Handore
Paramount+ ‘Fatal Attraction’ is an erotic thriller series that follows co-workers Dan Gallagher and Alex Forrest. After a brief affair with Dan, Alex becomes obsessed with him and tries to meddle with his personal life. However, the narrative takes another turn when Alex claims to be pregnant in the sixth episode of the series. Naturally, viewers must wonder if Alex is actually pregnant or faking her pregnancy in ‘Fatal Attraction.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Alex’s Pregnancy Is a Mystery
Alexandra “Alex” Forrest is the female protagonist of the ‘Fatal Attraction’ television series, with actress Lizzy Caplan (‘Party Down‘) playing the role. The character originates from the 1987 film of the same name, which itself was inspired by James Dearden’s 1980 short film ‘Diversion.’ In the film version, actress Glenn Close essays the role of Alex Forrest. The television series adaptation of the film reimagines the original film’s storyline while adding to its characters’ backstories. Both the 1987 film and the 2023 television series loosely follow the same premise and explore the brief and torrid affair between Dan Gallagher and Alex Forrest, which takes a dark turn after Alex becomes obsessed with Dan.
Dan and Alex are co-workers who work at the District Court. Alex is a newly hired member of the Victim Services Bureau. She meets Dan at a bar after the latter fails to become a judge. Eventually, Dan and Alex hook up a few times before Dan decides to end things between them and returns to his family. However, Alex has become obsessed with Dan and attempts to meddle in his personal life. Alex wants Dan to acknowledge her existence and tries various stunts to regain his attention or draw out a reaction from him. However, Alex saves Dan when an internal investigation for harassment is opened against him in the sixth episode.
In the fifth episode, we see Alex with a pregnancy test before she declares her pregnancy to the internal investigator. However, when Dan arrives at her apartment later in the episode, Alex does not tell him about her pregnancy. In the 1987 film, a similar plot thread unfolds where Alex uses her pregnancy to bend Dan to her will. However, the film provides a few hints that seemingly confirm Alex is indeed pregnant despite the debate amongst viewers. In contrast, the television adaption leaves the thread of Alex’s pregnancy ambiguous and does not confirm or deny whether she is carrying Dan’s child. Nonetheless, the original film seemingly confirms that the pregnancy will be another way for Alex to torment Dan and force him to acknowledge her existence.
The television adaption could divert itself from the original storyline by having Alex fake her pregnancy, forcing Dan to go over the edge when he learns the truth. In the series, we already know that Alex was killed, and Dan was imprisoned for murder. However, there is no mention of Alex being pregnant at the time of her death. Hence, Alex likely faked her pregnancy in an attempt to draw a reaction from Dan. However, it is also possible that Alex is indeed pregnant, which could explain the change in her motivations during the conversation with the internal investigator. Irrespective of whether Alex is actually pregnant or not, her claiming so poses a new problem for Dan, whose life is falling apart because of his affair. Therefore, by leaving ambiguity over Alex’s pregnancy, the series adds to the suspense and mystery of the events leading up to Alex’s eventual demise and Dan’s inevitable imprisonment.
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