‘Based on a True Story’ Recap: ‘Ted Bundy Bottle Opener’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

BASED ON A TRUE STORY -- “Ted Bundy Bottle Opener“ Episode 105 -- Pictured: (l-r) Priscilla Quintana as Ruby, Chris Messina as Nathan -- (Photo by: PEACOCK)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Based on a True Story’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When comes to every single decision we make, that we reach a point of no return regarding them. Wherein we simply commit and never look back, consequences be damned, and that really does lead to some fascinating moments in our lives. Since it either brings us endless prosperity because we decided to commit to our dreams, or we find ourselves in a rough spot because we made a boneheaded decision and have to live with that call for years on end. But one way or another… there truly is a moment where make the call one way or the other and what’s funny… is that we don’t think much about that moment. We just hold to the outcome and reflect upon its impact upon our lives.
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But that moment has significance, for there is plenty to learn from it, since it can teach us how to embrace the positive or how to avoid the foolishness we come to lament and that is likely why… the next episode of Based on a True Story on Peacock, focused on that moment in its next episode. Because ‘Ted Bundy Bottle Opener’ brought Ava, Nathan, and Matt to a point of no return. Where their lives will be forever changed, and what we witnessed here… will provide us with incredible context and closure regarding this choice and its motivations and its real impact on lives when we reach the season finale of this saga. But before we get ahead of ourselves… the only reason a point of no return decision existed in this tale, was because of the fact that Ava and Nathan really did find themselves at quite the crossroads in this story. 

For they just watched a person die and that made this whole endeavor a little too real and a little too scary. Not to mention, there was little they could do to find peace with it. So, in the moment, they met with Ruby, got drunk and high and let loose to forget about the horrors of what they’d experienced recentered themselves as a couple and well… began to learn toward their next chapter being… a simpler life. One away from podcasting and one away from fame to just… be happy. To enjoy the moment and celebrate the connection they had and for a time, it really seemed as though they were going to go that route and make that their point of no return decision. Since that would rob Matt of any power and the failing podcast would offer up the death kneel so to speak.

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY -- “Ted Bundy Bottle Opener“ Episode 105 -- Pictured: Lizze Broadway as Dahlia -- (Photo by: PEACOCK)

Giving rise to the real possibility that the final episodes in season one would be about breaking free from our obsessions and healing from the damage they can cause when we indulge them in an unhealthy manner. But alas, Matt wasn’t going make that kind of call so simple and so easy. After all, he spent most of his night with a TV writer eager to tell his story and glamorize him without allowing for him to have the control he craves. And the frustration that came out of that, sent his imagination into some dark and twisted places, the kind that pushed him to take his bloodlust and perhaps use it in a manner that would give him the fame he wanted. So, he put together quite the plan in the middle of the night. One that would finally make the podcast a success and give him everything he wanted and craved as a killer, and that led… to the real point of no return decision for Ava and Nathan.
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Because as they were preparing to return to a more relaxed life, someone with access to the podcast’s social media account let CrimeCon know that the Westside Ripper would be speaking live in a Ballroom. Which gathered a crowd that only grew and grew, when the speakers in that room, aired another confession from the Ripper, one that spoke to his involvement in Dahlia’s death. Which stunned the Bartlett’s, since they had assurances from Matt that he influenced her to jump, not die at his hands. But alas, he did all this… to gain agency and control over his story. And if the Bartlett’s wanted in on this new chapter in the podcast, where fresh content and a giant audience were the norm… all they had to do… was say yes. Which they did, because that crowd and their excitement, and the call of fame was too great to resist, and just like that, they committed to a decision from which there is no return.

For now, the show is out there and there are people lining up to hear the Westside Ripper speak, and if the rest of this story has taught us anything, this deal with the devil cannot go well. Which means it will be interesting to see how it goes south, and of course… examine the fallout and its impact on everyone, and that all may come forth quite soon. Since Ruby did get her hands on the burner phone and read the message. Either way, this was another fascinating tale from this series. One that once again, took the time to examine important moments in people’s lives so that the audience can understand the importance of really thinking before we leap and the importance of really understanding what a commitment means. So, we don’t go down the hard road that this couple is about to. But the decision is made and now… all we can do is sit back and watch hard lessons come into play as Ava and Nathan pay the piper for their obsession with fame. Until next time.

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