‘The Changeling’ Recap: ‘Battle of the Island’

10/15/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

LaKeith Stanfield as Apollo in Episode 108 of ‘The Changeling’ – ‘Battle of the Island’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Finale of ‘The Changeling’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Whenever a creative mind sets out to tell a powerful story, in any particular medium, they always have a deeper meaning or message in mind that they wish to convey and explore through the story in question. Because that’s the point of storytelling, to explore the human condition, to ponder upon the nature of our world and maybe even explore the meaning of life. And that is why stories are important and why they resonate with us. For they open our eyes to so much and connect with us on a level we never thought possible. And it is important to remember that that is the point of a story, because sometimes how we get to the deeper stuff… can be a touch unique in nature. For no two stories are the same and no creative accomplishes that goal the same way.

Take for instance, The Changeling on Apple TV+. For this story has been unconventional from the get-go, by offering us a fairy tale for adults that is grounded in horror, specifically the horrors of life and the fears we face on our journey and how we use imagination and storytelling to cope with them. But also, by giving us a story that blurs lines and has left us wondering if by chance what Apollo and Emma have encountered is actually real, or the products of that coping mechanism. But what we’ve all wondered deep down about this series, is what it truly wants to accomplish from a messaging and exploration standpoint. Because it has at times, stepped away from those horrors to play deeper into the mystical narrative and its even pondered upon the remorse that parents feel for the actions they take part in, to parent.

But regardless of the unique manner of this story, and the stunning visuals it provides us with, it was always planning to give us something more to latch onto, to give us something to explore and chew upon. We simply had to wait to get to the ending of the tale. For ‘Battle of the Island’ was a fast-paced waking nightmare that saw William Wheeler and Kinder Garten be unleashed upon the island and attempt to kill every man, woman, and child on the island. Which brought forth a powerhouse final battle. Wherein Cal lost her life in saving Apollo and the children and where Apollo headed out to meet his wife in Central Park, where it seemed the spirit of Brian awaited. All of which appeared to be nothing more than a happy ending that brought forth a reminder that the dark times we fear don’t last. But when one takes a moment and lets that ending sit… does so much more come to light.

For in essence, this is a story that was in part about the horrors of life and what a pain they can be. But Lillian’s journey last week, and the fight to save children from an evil that wished to consume or corrupt them… speaks to a story that all-along, has been about the fears that parents harbor. How they are terrified of the health of their child when they arrive and want them to grow into a great person, and how the world around new parents concerns them and scares them. Since there are forces that corrupt and forces to move people down dark paths. And that… is all tough to navigate, and there is no proper path to do so. There’s only the drive, the effort, and the love, that a parent can give that accomplish those goals and that… made for a powerful story indeed.

Because we don’t talk about those fears when it comes to parenting. We simply believe that finding the one we love and becoming a parent is a magical process free from fear and free from worry. Where the one we love will anchor us, support us, and help us through the worst moments. And of course, where our child will give us strength we’ve never known. To the point where no bad will ever arrive again, and that’s just silly. But this series made sure to point out otherwise and really help us to understand what the process of becoming a parent will look like, and how it will be scary, and it will be a fight, and it will take sacrifice untold to assuage those fears and raise our little one right. Which means, our magical views of love, marriage, and the baby carriage, is the horrific fairy tale we need to forget as adults. So, we can be prepared for the work ahead that accompanies bringing life into this angry and chaotic world.

Watch ‘The Changeling’

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