Tamal Kundu
It’s hard to pin Peacock’s ‘The Resort’ to any particular genre. The more it progresses and expands its narrative, the more complex the show becomes. Although it originally began as a garden-variety murder mystery, it has firmly embraced elements of magic realism by episode 5. ‘The Resort’ primarily has two timelines. In 2022, Noah (William Jackson Harper) and Emma (Cristin Milioti) arrive in Yucatán, Mexico, to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. It soon becomes apparent that they are carrying barely-restrained grief within themselves. While riding on an ATV, Emma has an accident one day and finds a 15-year-old flip phone in the jungle. She and Noah soon discover that the phone belonged to Sam Knowlston (Skyler Gisondo), who had been missing since December 2007, along with another tourist, Violet Thompson (Nina Bloomgarden). The narrative shifts back and forth between 2022 and 2007 as Emma and Noah try to find what happened to the two teenagers 15 years earlier.
In episode 5, titled ‘El Espejo,’ Violet and Sam have the most bizarre conversation with Alex in 2007 before reluctantly tagging along as he goes to search for the truth. In 2022, prompted by Baltasar, Noah and Emma confront their past. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘The Resort’ episode 5. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Resort Episode 5 Recap
The episode begins with Alex making a video of what seems like his own ramblings. The video is for Baltasar. Alex claims that he doesn’t know when he is, nor does he know when Baltasar is. It seems that time travel is indeed part of the narrative in ‘The Resort.’ We are then shown glimpses of a large red flower and a body of water. The story travels a bit into the past, though it’s still late December 2007. Alex has a nightmare and wakes up in his room, nude, and finds Sam’s trousers on the floor. He opens the closet and seemingly sees Sam and Violet but doesn’t immediately ask any questions. When the teenagers try to leave, they find the door to be locked.
Alex sits them down and begins questioning them. When he finds Illán Iberra’s ‘La Desilusión Del Tiempo’ (‘The Disappointment of Time’) in Violet’s bag, something triggers in his presumably amnesiac mind. He claims that the book is about him and that he is Alejandro, the protagonist of the book. He thinks that the book is speaking about his final days. The Pasaje, the location where Violet’s mother instructed her to come and see her, is a room outside of time, according to Alex. He takes the book and goes to find Iberra with the help of Violet’s book, and Violet and Sam reluctantly come along as he has not only the book but also their cell phones.
The Resort Ending: Why Does Alex Leave the Phones behind?
After learning about the existence of the book, Alex begins claiming that it is about him, which only confirms for Sam and Violet their suspicion that Alex is not mentally stable. They contemplate going back to their families, but as Alex still has their phones and Iberra’s book, they decide that it’s not yet the time. However, at the middle of their journey, Alex stops his car at a fruit shop and lets Sam and Violet out. He returns her mother’s book to Violet and warns them not to seek out the Pasaje mentioned in the book before leaving, likely for an encounter with Iberra.
Alex leaves the phones behind for Baltasar, his only friend in the world, likely to let his friend know the reason behind some of his actions. Unfortunately, the phones aren’t found until 2022, until Noah and Emma stumble upon them..
What Happened to Emma and Noah’s Daughter?
In 2022, Baltasar grills Emma and Noah about their past, much to the discomfort of the couple and Luna, who is also there. He asks extremely intrusive questions, believing that’s where the link between Noah and Emma, and Violet is their shared sense of grief. It turns out that he is right. As Noah later reveals to Luna, he and Emma lost a girl child. She was alive for 63 minutes, and Emma didn’t even get to meet her. The grief and trauma of it have haunted them since then. Baltasar thinks it links them to Violet, who lost her mother and came to Yucatán hoping that she would be reunited with her mother somehow.
