‘Lisey’s Story’ Recap: ‘Under the Yum-Yum Tree’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Lisey’s Story’.
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It is definitely safe to say that the AppleTV+ series, Lisey's Story, has done an incredible job of presenting its audience with a in depth examination of the power and the lasting impact of loss and grief. It has held nothing back in showing the audience how grief can stick with us for quite some time and how it can feel as fresh and as raw as the day it came into our lives. Although a grand exploration of that grief could have carried this series from start to finish, Stephen King has been keen to dive into every aspect of this particularly difficult aspect of the human condition. This series has also taken the time to consider how it's the little things that keep our grief as fresh as can be; those little moments that made us enjoy having that person around, and the moments that help us grow as individuals and as couples often pop into our minds because of the joy that they're supposed to bring us. Knowing that these moments will never come again or that we won't see how they were going to help our partner grow will always bring fresh tears to our eyes.

But even going into that particularly personal realm of storytelling wasn't enough to satiate the maestro's curiosity regarding how grief stays with us, as evidenced by the next episode in this fascinating series. ‘Under the Yum-Yum Tree’ spends a great deal of time reflecting on how the connection we share with our partners is another reason why we cry ourselves to sleep at night when they've moved on from this plane. A connection that comes forth by way of that incredible moment where we open ourselves up completely to the person we love, flaws and wonders and all, and being accepted by them creates an internal peace and a joy that few can speak to properly along with that aforementioned bond. In that moment, we realize that we're finally understood and we've actually managed to sync with another human being on a fundamental level. Being robbed of that feeling can create all kinds of anger and pain and strife—to the point where we have to readjust and learn how to be an individual again, rather than a team, which is something that Lisey pointed out later in the episode.

However, while those are powerful and poignant observations to make about grief, they mean nothing without showing us the power of that connection to help us or remind us of what grief does to us and for us. This is why we were privy to the moment when that happened to this couple: Scott finally opened up about his abuse-filled past to Lisey while they were on their intimate and beautiful winter wonderland honeymoon. Watching Scott open up like that and seeing Lisey accept him for who he is, regardless of his past, helped us to understand the power of their connection, how much it meant to both of them, and how devastating it can be to have it severed. What was truly impressive about this particular part of the story, Dear Reader, is that King was able to use this moment to shift gears and answer a question that we've all been pondering: Whether or not Scott can indeed traverse the multiverse and swing by Boo'ya Moon when the conditions are right.

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As it turns out, he sure can. He even took Lisey to Boo'ya Moon while they were on their honeymoon. This was a moment that was so jarring, surreal, and unexpected for Lisey that she didn't know how to process this information or this reality and did her best to bury it down for the remainder of her time with Scott. However, it's clear that the time has come for Lisey to properly explore Boo'ya Moon and the path to get there because that's the only way to save Amanda from her catatonic state. Amanda is wedged tight into that strange universe—to the point where she is ready to harm herself further as a cry for help or as a means of escape—and it will be interesting to see what it will take for Lisey to accept the reality of the situation. Will Lisey be willing and brave enough to cross the threshold into Boo'ya Moon—because that does, in fact, take some serious guts.
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However, before we can see what will come from Lisey's slow rediscovery of a world she knows little of, there's one big problem that she will have to contend with: Good ol' Jimbo reared his ugly and shockingly hungry head once again in this tale. Jim finally decided that the time had come to quit playing around regarding the manuscripts, and in order to finally get his hands on them, he committed a little act of creative arson so that the local deputy on overwatch at the Landon estate would head off to a bigger problem. His plan worked, and he got inside of his hero's domain. After securing works that would satiate and titillate his imagination once again, he decided to see how his hero lived and what helped to inspire him by walking around the office to soak in the full Scott Landon experience. Unfortunately, in doing so, he more or less trapped himself in a bad situation. Lisey headed into the office at the end of this episode—making it apparent that a grand showdown between this twisted fan and the protector of Scott Landon's private works is about to get underway.

Overall, this really was an engrossing episode, and Mister King deserves a round of applause for masterfully tying together a grand exploration on the human condition while also advancing the plot. Every plot point and moment here was tied together in a beautiful manner—to the point where this story felt as though it was a series of fateful moments playing out instead of a carefully assembled screenplay— and that is a wonderful thing. It means that Mister King has completely and utterly sucked us into this story. A story that's going to take us on a powerful journey through the human soul, psyche, and a world unlike any other we've seen in the King Universe—and that's saying something. It will be fascinating to learn all there is to know about Boo'ya Moon now that we're closer than ever to stepping into its healing waters and dim skies. It will be equally as incredible to see how Lisey gets past the obstacle that's preventing her return to this mysterious world—Jim Dooley is indeed a force to be reckoned with and he seems ready to make Lisey pay for keeping him from a fresh sermon from the Church of Landon. Until next time, Dear Reader.

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