Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV+’s crime thriller series, ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ offers several twists and turns with each episode. One of the major twists arrives at the end of the second episode, where it is revealed that Sarah’s neighbor, Rufus, is not who he claims to be. The story started with an explosion in Sarah’s neighbourhood, following which she becomes invested in finding the only survivor of the blast: a young girl named Dinah. However, she is warned by several people to stay away from the case, and eventually, her relentlessness leads an assassin to her door. For a minute, it looks like Sarah is done for, but a deus ex machina arrives to completely flip the situation. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Rufus, aka Axel Crane, Meets a Shocking End
When we meet Rufus, he is introduced as a calm and friendly guy who cares about his neighbors. He is so trustworthy that Sarah feels safe enough to let him in her house and ensure that no intruder is waiting to jump on her. However, she doesn’t realise that he is actually an assassin named Axel Crane, who has been responsible for all the deaths that have been happening around her. He was responsible for the blast, as well as the death of Joe Silverman. His job is to tie up loose ends, and it seems that not only is he very good at his job, but he also loves it. When Sarah continues to dig into the case, Rufus, who has easy access to her, is sent to finish the job. And he most likely would have killed her if it weren’t for another mysterious man following her around.
At the end of Episode 2, while Rufus has Sarah in a chokehold that would be impossible for her to get out of, a man suddenly enters the scene with a gun. His name is Downey, and he has been lingering around since the blast. At one point, Sarah thought he was there to kill her, but it turns out that he wants the same thing as Sarah. He wants to know where Dinah is. He is also aware of the danger that comes with pursuing this investigation, which is why he perhaps tries to stop Sarah from falling further into this rabbit hole. Because he has been keeping an eye on her, it is possible that he saw her in Rufus’ company and realised what was about to happen. He knew that Sarah would never be able to fight off the assassin, which is why he had to enter the scene.
Downey’s timely arrival saves Sarah’s life. He shoots and kills Rufus and takes Sarah away to a safer place. Meanwhile, Rufus’ dead body is left behind in the house. However, because the assassin’s employers don’t want anyone else to get involved, they send Amos, Axel’s brother, to clean up the mess. He is shocked to discover that his brother is gone, but he does his part by cleaning up the house to make it appear as if nothing untoward happened in the hallway. He also bids a proper goodbye to Rufus, aka Axel, by burying him in an isolated place and planting flowers on his grave. This shows that Sarah has at least one less assassin to worry about.
Rufus’ Death Marks Actor Ken Nwosu’s Exit from Down Cemetery Road
Considering that we see a dead body as well as the funeral of the character, it is confirmed that Rufus, aka Axel Crane, is dead. He won’t be returning to the chaos that Sarah has landed herself in the middle of, but we might see him again if the show indulges in flashbacks to explain the mystery that has been growing deeper with each episode. This means that actor Ken Nwosu will most likely not return to the show again. Apart from ‘Down Cemetery Road,’ Nwosu has appeared in TV shows like ‘Black Doves,’ ‘Shardlake,’ ‘Rain Dogs,’ ‘The Letter to the King,’ and ‘Killing Eve,’ to name a few.
He has also been a notable presence in theatre, having appeared in Shakespearean plays like ‘As You Like It,’ ‘Othello,’ and ‘The Merchant of Venice.’ Though Nwosu appears in the Apple TV+ series for only two episodes, he has an impactful role that steers the story in a completely different direction. He brings a warmth to Rufus that makes him a welcoming person whom the audience trusts just as much as Sarah. This is what makes his sudden turn as Axel so much more shocking, and Nwosu turns the knife by adopting a strikingly intimidating persona that makes the audience worried for the people around him, especially Sarah.
Read More: Down Cemetery Road Episode 1 and 2 Recap: Does Sarah Die?
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