Abhiroop Das
Created by Rowan Joffé, Apple TV+’s ‘Nocturne’ begins with its grand antagonist already behind bars, while the mighty police officer who beat him is now reduced to a shell of his former self. From this post-climactic setting, however, new revelations emerge, suggesting that the original case may never have been solved to begin with. Though Jonah Lynn retired shortly after putting the infamous Jurek Walter behind bars, he finds himself drawn back to the town where it all started. The first two episodes of the show, titled ‘Lazarus, Come Forth!,’ and ‘For Such a Time as This,’ set the stage for this grand mystery, introducing us to the many generations of officers who have a stake in the investigation, alongside Jonah. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Retired Officer Jonah Lynn and Serial Killer Jurek Walter Seem Tethered by Fate
‘Nocturne’ episode 1 begins in the basement of Riverside Psychiatric Hospital, built akin to the proverbial pits of hell to contain a single man, the notorious Jurek Walter. Among the most feared serial killers in the entire world, Jurek lies in captivity for now, but that can hardly stop him from being a force of evil. As he speaks menacingly into the toilet bowl, his voice is carried over to the cell next door, where a man clearly in psychological distress can do nothing but break down. In a matter of mere moments, Jurek, with his words alone, is able to make the man sputter blood and fall unconscious, showcasing to the doctors and the viewers alike what he is capable of. Our story, however, is set beyond the bounds of this prison-like facility, and in the grim but quaint town of Fairhaven, Pennsylvania.
When FBI agent Saga Bauer isn’t busy going undercover in cartel hotspots and taking out the criminals hiding in plain sight, she finds respite in returning to her hometown, Fairhaven, where her godfather resides in a tiny cabin. Jonah Lynn, the protagonist of this story, is known for bringing down Jurek, who kidnapped, tortured, and buried several people alive over the course of several years. Jonah didn’t achieve this alone, though, and the real tragedy is that his partner, Samuel—Saga’s father—took his own life, not long after his wife went missing. In the present, Jonah seeks to isolate himself from most social affairs, but is brought back into the fold upon learning that one of the cold cases he couldn’t solve has been revived by an inexplicable discovery.
The Rescue of One of Two Missing Siblings Sparks New Possibilities About an Old Case
Siblings Michael and Felicia Frost disappeared a few years ago and were initially suspected to be among Jurek Walter’s final victims, though that was never proven. However, when Michael is discovered wandering on the highway, barely alive and showing clear signs of abuse, the entire mystery is reignited. Jonah reaches the hospital where Michael is admitted the second he hears of this development, and very quickly spots some clues that can help. Given the scope of the investigation, FBI Special Agent Alexandra Quinn has been tasked with leading the case, but Jonah figures out much faster than she does that Michael was most likely kept at an abandoned construction site that is known only to the locals. Sure enough, the site shows signs of recent inhabitance, but neither Felicia nor her kidnapper is anywhere to be found.
While Quinn initially hesitates to make a retired police officer a part of the investigation, everything she hears about Jonah from the station only makes her more curious. In the meantime, Jonah gets some help from his allies to canvas the areas surrounding the construction site, and ultimately discovers a footprint. Beyond that, though, all the evidence surrounding the case renews his belief that Jurek is somehow behind the kidnappings, and might be passing off messages to an accomplice. At the same time, we are introduced to this supposed messenger, a meek man named Karl who begins working as a night shift nurse for Walter, only to soon get caught up in his web of lies and manipulations.
Saga Begins the Most Challenging Undercover Operation of Her Life
As Jonah becomes increasingly convinced that Jurek Walter is pulling the strings from the shadows, it becomes necessary to pay a visit to Riverside Psychiatric with Alexandra. However, it doesn’t take long for Jurek to flip the script on Jonah either, as he accuses the man of being a liar and someone who specializes in ruining lives. These words cut quite deep for Jonah, who has lost most, if not all, of the people he cares for ever since Jurek’s capture, but that still doesn’t mean that he is open to telling Alexandra everything. On the other hand, we learn the truth through a small flashback, which shows that Jurek was able to get in Samuel’s head during their early interrogations, which very likely contributed to his death, alongside some other details that Jonah is still keeping under wraps.
Saga, who has so far been kept in the dark about Jonah’s return to police work, eagerly wishes to join the FBI task force. While Jonah is hesitant to let her be part of the team given their complicated past, he is eventually forced to relent. Meanwhile, the hospital tightens up its search for the messenger, prompting Karl to back out of his arrangement out of fear. Jurek, however, simply frames another nurse using an elaborate plan, practically forcing Karl to stay loyal. Elsewhere, Michael Frost, the missing boy who was rescued, begins to regain consciousness and reveals a rather cryptic detail to Jonah: that there was a woman named Becca who seemingly protected him and his sister.
Becca, as Jonah suggests, might be referring to Rebecca, Saga’s mother who disappeared years ago. Given the timeline of Jurek’s arrest, practically no one considered the possibility that she might have been one of his victims, but this fuels that idea more and more. With no way to get to him by conventional means, Jonah and Alexandra give in to a plan with a much greater risk, but also a proportionate reward. Overnight, Saga is transformed into a psychiatric patient, getting transferred to Riverside Psychiatric, right next to Jurek’s cell. The team’s greatest strength lies in him not knowing anything about this plan, but as Jonah increasingly feels as though there are eyes on him, the plan begins to look more like a Hail Mary.
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