Tamal Kundu
While people are busy discussing the rise and presumed fall of Netflix and Prime Video, Apple TV+ has quietly established an impressive library of remarkable TV shows and films. ‘The Big Door Prize’ is one of the latest additions. Developed by David West Read from the namesake book by M.O. Walsh, ‘The Big Door Prize’ tells the story of the residents of Deerfield, who one day discover the mysterious Morpho machine at the local grocery store. In exchange for two dollars, fingerprints, and social security numbers, the machine tells people their life potential.
In the season 1 finale, titled ‘Deerfest: Part Two,’ the 150th Deerfest celebration continues as a storm brews on the horizon. Jacob (Sammy Fourlas) and Trina (Djouliet Amara) realize that even though something is ending, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t worthwhile. Dusty (Chris O’Dowd) and Cass arrive at a critical juncture in their relationship. Reuben (Damon Gupton) learns the truth about Hana (Ally Maki), or at least a part of it. Here is everything you might want to know about the ending of ‘The Big Door Prize’ season 1. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Big Door Prize Season 1 Episode 10 Recap
The episode begins with the Deerfest in full swing. Festival goers take photos, ride the mechanical bull, and enjoy the assortment of food. Giorgio has set up a stall proclaiming he has the world’s biggest pasta. That celebratory atmosphere is juxtaposed with the somber mood at the grocery store, where Mr. Johnson just had a cardiac episode. But fortunately, the school doctor was there, and she was able to save the man. As Mr. Johnson is taken to the hospital, the sword is revealed to be still plunged into the back of the Morpho machine.
Dusty and Cass reminisce at the festival about how puffins became a thing between them. It turns out that the two of them have different memories of it. While Dusty remembers Cass telling him that she thought puffins were cute, Cass reveals that she remembers only agreeing with Dusty that the puffins were cute.
And that’s how often memories work. They get jumbled up because of the experience we had at the time. But neither seems too bothered about it, as Dusty focuses on the fact that Cass agreed that puffins were cute because she wanted him to like her. Meanwhile, as Jacob and Trina wander the festival grounds together, she says she doesn’t want them to end up like her parents. Although Jacob initially gets angry at this, he realizes that Trina is right. Not every relationship needs to have a happy ending. And the fact that it didn’t have a happy ending doesn’t mean it wasn’t wonderful.
Elsewhere in the town, Reuben learns that he had met Hana before. She was there the night he found the Morpho card with the word Priest written on it. That realization and Reuben’s vulnerability seem to scare Hana, who tries to leave the town. After standing up to a resident who accuses her of profiting from the Morpho cards, Cass confronts her mother and hugs her. Whatever Izzy had expected, it’s clear this wasn’t it. Cass takes the resentment of her mother and that of herself and turns them into something positive. Away from them, Giorgio and Nat start something new where they can both be themselves, and Beau, still grieving the loss of his eldest, finds a modicum of peace and pride by saving Izzy after she gets trapped in the maze.
The Big Door Prize Season 1 Episode 10 Ending: Who is Hana? Why Has She Come to Deerfield?
Hana is one of the most enigmatic characters in ‘The Big Door Prize. She consciously hasn’t revealed much about herself, even though the townspeople have begun to see her as one of them. In this episode, Reuben learns that Hana was a bartender in the town where he found the Morpho card that convinced him to become a priest. This means that there was a Morpho machine in that town as well.
Hana tries to leave Deerfield and nearly hits the deer from previous episodes. She soon realizes this is where Kolton had his accident, and it seems to convince her to return. Evidently, Hana’s past is tied to the mystery of the Morpho machine. Perhaps she is an employee of the company that has created the machine and now travels with it from one town to another.
What Happens to the Morpho Machine?
In the previous episode, Mr. Johnson takes a sword and tries to pry open the back of the Morpho machine and suffers a cardiac episode as a result. As he doesn’t have anyone, the hospital reaches out to Izzy, who is listed as his emergency contact. Meanwhile, the Morpho machine, in the proximity of the Theremin, begins to change. While returning from the festival amidst mild rain, the townspeople discover that the Morpho machine is glowing like never before. Cass and Dusty take a look at the screen and discover that it is asking the residents of Deerfield whether they are ready for the next stage.
This is when Hana appears. She has the same blue dots on her skin that Mr. Johnson does. She admits that the machine has never done this before. In many cultures, creatures like butterflies and moths represent metamorphosis or change. Perhaps what we witness here is the machine equivalent of the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
Will Dusty and Cass Remain Together?
Despite the fantasy and science fiction elements, ‘The Big Door Prize’ is strongly rooted in the relationships between characters, and arguably no relationship is more important in the narrative than the one between Dusty and Cass. They have been together since before they became fully aware of the implications of a long-term relationship. They are as healthy a couple as two people can be. And it is evident that they clearly love each other. But the arrival of the Morpho machine has made them realize that they need to experience their lives individually.
So, while they are stuck in the air after the power goes out and the Ferris wheel they are on stops moving, Dusty and Cass decide to take a break from each other for at least a few months and find happiness separately. Cass will probably return to Italy and retake the steps of her youth once more, while Dusty will go back to Whistler, Canada, and ski down the mountain from his past.
Read More: The Big Door Prize Episode 9 Recap and Ending, Explained
