The Real Killer?
Episode 7 of The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window begins at the police station. With a coffee in hand, Anna is questioned. Threatening Carol is not a good look, nor is talking to Chastity the day before her murder. However, they’re interrupted by a man arriving to take Anna’s fingerprints, resulting in one of the funnier moments from this series. When the interview reconvenes, Anna discusses her past and how she used to paint dogs in masterpieces. Until she fell pregnant with Elizabeth, that is. For three full months while bedbound, Anna had a custom easel set up and painted until Elizabeth came, complete with a spattering of paint over her. As we know, Anna stopped painting when Elizabeth passed away. The prints come back and they’re a match for the murder weapon. Unfortunately Anna is arrested for Chastity’s murder. In the morning she’s let out on bail, thanks to Sloane covering for her though. She took a loan out against the gallery but wants an explanation for exactly what’s going on. Anna however, doesn’t have one. When Anna heads home, she’s threatened by Neil to stay away from Emma before she hears creaking coming up upstairs. When she opens up the attic, a glop of red blood drops to the floor. Unsure where else to turn, Anna rings her therapist and admits that she thinks she’s murdered Chastity. The thing is, this therapist she’s talking to is actually Douglas! Douglas talks her through what to do, and calmly encourages her to head up to the attic while she’s on the phone to him. That blood she’s seen dripping from her attic happens to be red paint. It also turns out she did stab Chastity that night… but only her painting, which Anna created while drunk that night. This would also explain the “Perfect Family” portrait too, which looks to be another drunken night of painting she’s forgotten about. When Anna notices gloves over by the side of the attic, everything becomes clear. She suspects that Buell is the killer, He was the one who brought Anna in from the rain that night she collapsed and he’s been living up there all this time. This also helps to explain the creaking noises. When Douglas hired him to be their handyman, it turns out he was actually one of Doulgas’ old clients. He helped rehabilitate Buell, who was released early from state hospital. Originally he had been found criminally insane. His charges? Only murdering his entire family with a claw hammer. After learning the truth, Douglas tells Anna to leave the house, fearing for her safety. As Anna looks out the window, panic grips her as she notices Buell walking purposefully toward Neil’s house. He’s holding a hammer.
The Episode Review
So it would appear that Buell is the killer after all. But why? And how has he managed to do all of this without arousing the suspicions from the neighbours? What’s his motivation? I’m sure we’ll find out more in the final episode but he was definitely acting a bit suspicious and likely involved in some way, especially after the incident with him nailing his hand. It’s still a nice little twist though and this episode in particular is certainly funnier than some of the others. The first 10 minutes or so are brilliantly done, with the fingerprints guy and the custom easel standing out as comedic highlights. The series itself has felt a bit overlong though, which is a shame really because there’s some good material here. I can’t help but feel a 6 episode slate would have worked wonders just to tighten everything up and let the jokes really flow constantly. However, the episode leaves plenty of intriguing possibilities for the finale, which is left wide open for an explosive finish
