Pratik Handore
The penultimate episode of Paramount+’s ‘Rabbit Hole‘ explores the complex psyche of its main character, John Weir, as he is about to hit rock bottom. John’s quest to clear his name from a murder case leads him into a fight against the omnipresent Crowley, who is within a touching distance of achieving his goal in the seventh episode. Moreover, John loses sight of reality as he becomes more paranoid and turns on his father. Episode 7’s ending forces Ben, Hailey, and Homm to bring John back to the light side as John nearly gives in to his disillusions. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Rabbit Hole Episode 7 Recap
The seventh episode, titled ‘Gilgamesh,’ opens in the aftermath of Senator Nora Evers’ assassination under the orders of Crowley. Consequently, the “Saved Data Act” has gained momentum, and the President is expected to sign it in the next two days. Hence, John and his group have very little time to stop Crowley and expose his involvement in Evers’ death. A flashback to John’s childhood showcases his and Miles Valence’s friendship. The two were obsessed with the story of Gilgamesh and used it to refocus themselves. In the present day, John and his group discover the briefcase Evers wanted, which contains a series of numbers.
Meanwhile, John starts becoming paranoid as he runs several scenarios through his head. John suspects Ben of being involved in Crowley’s scheme. On the other hand, John insists they must find what the numbers mean and believes they could be corporate ID numbers. However, John loses touch with reality and accuses Ben of wanting to pass the Saved Data Act. Moreover, John is clearly disturbed by his friends’ deaths and locks himself in a room. Hailey tries to check on John, but Ben insists they should leave him alone. Haily does not find John in his room and fears for his safety.
John receives a message in the same text code he used to converse with Valence. As a result, John starts doubting whether Valence is alive. Later, we see Valence approaching a mysterious man in an apartment. On the other hand, the Old Man, presumably working for Crowley, is using Valence’s data to send John misleading texts. John reads and responds to the mysterious messages from a laptop at an electronics store. Hailey tracks him down outside the store, but John gets rid of her, insisting he needs to move alone. Meanwhile, Edward Homm deduces that the numbers in the briefcase are corporate ID numbers connected to Crowley, revealing every politician, government official, and judge he has bribed.
Hailey meets FBI Agent Jo Madi and gives her evidence of his innocence. However, Madi uses the evidence to get her old job back and is appointed as the head of the Task Force hunting down John Weir. John visits a church after he can no longer tell the difference between reality and his imagination. Meanwhile, John receives a parcel from Valence and finds a Gilgamesh tablet inside. The Intern, aka Kyle, tracks down John and takes him to meet the Old Man, who reveals himself as Crowley.
The Old Man accuses Ben of hiding the truth about his involvement in terrorist activities and accuses him of being the actual mastermind. Crowley’s words seemingly fuel his distrust of Ben, but he resists the urge to believe him. John attacks the Old Man only to learn that he is only an associate working for Crowley, as the real Crowley talks to him from the shadows. Crowley reveals that Ben had been living next to John for nearly a decade while pretending to be dead. Crowley asks for John’s help in stopping Ben from destroying them both. As a result, John turns against his father and heads home to confront Ben.
Rabbit Hole Episode 7 Ending: Is Miles Valence Dead or Alive?
The episode showcases the height of Crowley’s machinations as he not only hides his true identity but also convinces John that Valence is alive. In the episode’s final act, John starts losing touch with reality and confronts Ben. John accuses Ben of misleading him and causing Miles’ death. Ben cannot calm down John, who appears too far gone to trust his father again. However, Homm plays a video of Valence that distracts John and calms him down. In the video, Valence reveals that Crowley learned he is working with John and Ben. As a result, Crowley instructed Valence to kill John. Instead, Valence gave up his own life to give his friend a fighting chance against their enemy.
The video reveals that the scenes of Miles visiting a man and securing a package were set in the past. Valence recorded the video before his death. He hid the flash drive containing the video inside a Gilgamesh tablet. After Valence’s death, the package was delivered to John as the story of Gilgamesh held a deep significance for the friends. Thus, Valence’s video serves as a reminder for John to continue their fight and pulls him out of the paranoia-filled rabbit hole created by his own thoughts. Ultimately, Valence is dead, and it is now up to John to ensure his friend’s sacrifice is not in vain. However, John and his group only have a little under two days to stop the Saved Data Act from passing, as it would make Crowley nearly unstoppable.
Read More: Rabbit Hole Episode 6 Recap and Ending, Explained
