‘Shining Vale’ Recap – ‘Chapter Five: The Squirrel Knew’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Shining Vale’. To revisit the last episode, click here.
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It doesn’t matter how much good will we put into certain acts or how well we communicate with our partner or our closest friends. We are in fact, human, and when hurt or pushed in life… all of that goes out of the window and we will do some dumb and petty things to satiate what those little voices inside of our heads ask us to do, and that will lead to a little drama and strife and that’s really when we learn what our relationships are made of, and if they will survive. For it is only when the dumb stuff comes into play, do we decide as to whether or not we want to keep this relationship rolling and if we’re willing to put in the work to fix it… or if the time has to come to move on and well, that particular conundrum is top of mind today, because it was one of the central themes present in this week’s episode of Shining Vale on STARZ.
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For when we catch up with Terry and Pat in ‘The Squirrel Knew’, there was genuine tension hanging over the house and rightfully so. After all, regular employment was no longer a thing for Terry and Pat was struggling to get the book back on track and well, while she consulted with Rosemary about the book… her new spirit bestie offered up a fascinating revelation about Terry’s decision to buy this house. In that, his attention to detail would have resulted in him having full knowledge of the fact that Rosemary died in this house. Which meant he disregarded Pat’s feelings and concerns, especially regarding her mother’s past (more on that in a moment) to get the house under contract in a hyper fast attempt to repair his marriage and family life and that betrayal, led to a blowout. One that left the both of them unsure of what they wanted from this. 

In fact, Terry was so despondent over being called out and of well, everything, that happened to this point… that he actually took a day to hang out with Katherine to sort his mind out and sort out where his heart belonged. A move that allowed for him to realize that he genuinely did love Pat and belonged with her and that working it out with her… was the right thing to do. A sentiment that Pat shared, thankfully, largely because of the fact that she genuinely wants her family to be close and cohesive. Since she didn’t enjoy that growing up, and that allowed for us to watch these two lovebirds start to work toward a healthy tomorrow and what’s amazing… is that we learned all of that about Pat, in the most unique way imaginable.

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Because while mom and dad were working out their problems, Gaynor and Jake were spending the weekend at grandma’s house and well… that led to those aforementioned discoveries. Because Grandma Joan, revealed to Gaynor that she struggled mightily with mental health problems ages ago. In fact, they were so severe that Pat skipped a chance to go to college to oversee her mother’s recovery from a suicide attempt. Making it clear to Gaynor that her mother was not the uncaring, unfeeling person she thought she was. In fact, she was the opposite and wanted so much more and that changed her outlook on Pat completely and seemingly allowed for them to bond in a way that they’ve never bonded before. 
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But while all of those moments make it appear as though this was a feel-good episode through and through, one that was going to end on a happy note… that’s just not the case. Because in between all of this, Pat was doing her best to get rid of Rosemary. Even going so far as to ask a local medium as to how to chase Rosemary off and well… she absolutely did not listen to his advice. In fact, she did the exact opposite of his suggestions and made a deal with Rosemary to get her out of the house, one that involved a touch of possession so that Rosemary could live vibrantly on the pages of Pat’s new book. Which was a bad idea since Rosemary may have used that opening to join Pat and Terry in bed and she also has plans to use that window to flex a little more of her ethereal power, as evidenced by the surprise warning that Pat received at the end of this tale.

Which once again leads us to believe, that Rosemary might not be the patron saint of the Tiki Bar that she pretends to be, and she may have some ugly plans for Pat and the family. But while we wait to have those questions answered, we can relish in one delightfully intelligent tale. One that allowed for the characters to grow in a unique manner and also filled us in on their backstories in an equally as dynamic fashion. Which are some storytelling decisions, that just go to show how versatile and brilliant this show really is. Since it easily balances drama and horror, and of course... comedy... no problem, and that definitely leaves us eager to continue the journey. In part so we can see what other fascinating character growth awaits us, and to finally learn exactly what it is that Rosemary wants from Patricia Phelps. Until next time.

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