‘Emerald City’ Season 1 Episode 5 Recap: Everybody Lies

By
Rebecca Murray
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Emerald City episode 5
Adria Arjona as Dorothy and Ana Ularu as West in ‘Emerald City’ (Photo by David Lukacs/NBC)

NBC’s engrossing new fantasy series Emerald City ended season one episode four with Dorothy (Adria Arjona) and Lucas (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) captured and their fates unknown. Episode five titled ‘Everybody Lies’ airing on January 27, 2017 begins with Dorothy’s kidnapper taking her to see West. “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” asks West (Ana Ularu) of the woman she knows killed her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East.

Elsewhere, Jack (Gerran Howell) accompanies King Ev (David Calder) and Lady Ev (Stefanie Martini) on the road to visit the Wizard. The King has no idea who Jack is or why he’s along for the ride, and Lady Ev explains that he’s now her property.

After capturing Lucas and Sylvie (Rebeka Rea) in the forest, Eamonn (Mido Hamada) returns home to his wife with them in tow. Are we about to learn Lucas’ backstory? Yes, it appears Lucas’ real name is Roan and he was one of the best soldiers Eamonn has ever known. He was only left behind for dead because there was an insurgency, and Lucas asks if there’s any way he could have been a traitor. Eamonn quickly replies, saying absolutely not. Eamonn tells Lucas/Roan he’s going to try and clear his name.

West doesn’t believe Dorothy when she says she didn’t kill her sister, and asks what magic she used to kill East. Dorothy tells her to check out her bag and West finds the gun. She points it at Dorothy, putting the barrel to her forehead. West tells her she murdered the only person who loved her and when she pulls the trigger, nothing happens. Dorothy spots the clip on the floor and, furious, West hits her with the gun, believing she lied about how she was able to kill the Wicked Witch of the East.

The Wizard (Vincent D’Onofrio) welcomes Lady Ev and King Ev to the Festival of the Beast. His toast to his guests warns of dire events when the Beast returns, and he wants King Ev to build them weapons so they can fight it off. The Wizard wants them to work together to take down the threat. Lady Ev wonders about what expert knowledge the Wizard can contribute to this joint venture, and Anna (Isabel Lucas) says the Beast will have a heart and come from the sky. Lady Ev notices Elizabeth (Roxy Sternberg) doesn’t agree with Anna’s assessment of the danger and asks which of them is the “dumb one.” Elizabeth and Anna both claim to be correct and Lady Ev wonders why they don’t agree.

West performs a spell to speak with Glinda (Joely Richardson). Glinda, not physically present, warns her not to do anything to East’s killer until she arrives. West doesn’t take the threat well but seems to agree.

Tip (Jordan Loughran) and West bicker over hurt feelings while Tip mixes up a drink for West. They’re interrupted by Miranda who West orders to retrieve Dorothy. It appears Miranda used to hold West’s favor until Tip came along.

Dorothy, tied up, uses her foot to bring a piece of glass closer to her body. Miranda arrives in Dorothy’s cell, opens a door in the floor, and disposes of the chamber pot’s contents into a sewer. Miranda obviously knew Dorothy was up to something as she steps on her foot covering the piece of glass, making Dorothy scream in pain.

Sylvie wakes up Lucas and points out the window, saying Dorothy is “here.” She can feel her in her heart.

West forces Dorothy to her feet and hangs her in the air, telling her Glinda will be there tomorrow and will demand information. West wants the information first, asking why East was on her way to see her when Dorothy killed her. Dorothy continues to say she doesn’t know what East was doing and then she says she doesn’t know who K. Chapman is after West asks about the jacket from her backpack. West forces her to answer and Dorothy confesses K. Chapman is her mother but she didn’t really know her. West talks about her own mother and can’t believe Dorothy’s mother didn’t care for her. She thinks there must be something broken in Dorothy and slams her to the floor, causing East’s gauntlets to appear on Dorothy’s hands. West demands to know how she got them and when she grabs Dorothy’s hand, West looks like she’s burning up inside and is in agony.

The Wizard and King Ev go for a walk and the Wizard tells him he’ll pay whatever he asks for. King Ev wants his dead dog back, and the Wizard looks at him finally understanding he’s not all there mentally. The Wizard turns to Lady Ev for help, asking how long she’s been secretly ruling in place of her father. He asks for her help and she reminds him he did not save her kingdom from the Beast’s last attack. Her mother was killed and her people were drowned. The Wizard asks what she wants and she replies, “I want to see Emerald City laid to waste. And I want to see you drown in its suffering.” She will definitely not be helping the Wizard!

Dorothy is alone again and then she spots Tip outside her door. She pleads with Tip for the key and Tip asks if she recognizes her. Dorothy saved the “boy” that is now Tip the girl and Tip blames her for her current predicament, which is unfair. Dorothy reminds Tip she helped her just because she asked for it and had nothing to gain by doing so. Tip says Dorothy helping her was the worst thing that could have happened, and she refuses to help Dorothy. Miranda is shown eavesdropping on their conversation.

Meanwhile, Sylvie and Lucas walk through the streets, with Lucas slipping on a mask to disguise himself.

Dorothy’s time in solitaire comes to an end when her mom is thrown into her cell. They hug and Dorothy’s mom tells her to tell West what she wants to know and then they can go home. She tells Dorothy to remember when she killed East and Dorothy has visions of East’s death. She remembers East asking if her sister with the secrets sent Dorothy to kill her. Of course, it’s not really Dorothy’s mom in the cell but instead West who now knows East was trying to warn her about Glinda.

Jack calls Lady Ev the worst human he’s ever met and wants to know why he should do anything she says. Jack tells her he knows she hates him, demanding to know what she really wants. Very quietly, Lady Ev answers, “You’re my friend.” Jack doesn’t believe it and Lady Ev admits she’s always wanted a friend but never had one before. He explains how you earn a friend, and it’s evident she’s very lonely. She asks rather than demands he go with her to Emerald City’s festival.

Eamonn tells the Wizard a girl attacked him and describes being hit by something hard when he chased her. The doctor shows the Wizard the bullet and it’s obvious the Wizard has seen one before.

Tip brings Dorothy her backpack, telling Dorothy she doesn’t want to be responsible for her death. As they’re about to open the door to the sewers, Miranda walks in with a huge knife.

Glinda arrives at West’s brothel and West tells her she believes the girl has more secrets to spill. Glinda claims not to have any secrets and denies having seen East for years prior to her death. When they open the cell, Miranda is the only one in the room. Glinda’s angry and calls West incompetent, and when Tip enters Miranda says she’s the one who helped Dorothy escape. Tip acts like she has no idea what went on, blaming Miranda for Dorothy’s escape. West asks if Miranda helped Dorothy out of spite and she denies it, continuing to blame Tip. West stares down Tip but believes her, tossing Miranda into the sewer and calling her a liar.

Dorothy emerges from the sewer system followed by Miranda’s dead body.

Jack’s now feeling much more friendly toward Lady Ev and says he’s sorry about her dad. She describes her father’s condition as “leaving us without leaving us.” She’s happy to have Jack by her side and tells him she’ll explain why she wears a mask when they’re friends.

Anna’s watching over Emerald City when the Wizard arrives with the bullet, telling her it’s powerful enough to kill the Beast Forever.

On the streets of the city, Dorothy tries to blend in by donning a mask.

Emerald City episode 5 Oliver Jackson Cohen
Oliver Jackson Cohen in ‘Emerald City’ (Photo by David Lukacs/NBC)

Lucas and Sylvie continue to look for Dorothy when they’re surrounded by guards. Lucas tells Sylvie to run and then takes out the guards, easily besting them in battle. He leaves one alive and asks why they’re after him. The guard explains Lucas was driving a wagon and pulled his sword when they pulled him over. Lucas took out 10 men like they were nothing. Lucas doesn’t recall any of this, and the guard tells him to look at a scar on his left side. He stabbed Lucas before Lucas went down. Lucas sinks to his knees and Sylvie rushes up and hugs him. He makes her promise she won’t use her magic, telling her he needs to pay for his bad deeds. The guard takes him away while Sylvie silently cries.

Lady Ev and Jack hold hands as they walk through the streets of Emerald City. They’re accosted by drunkards and Jack stands up for his new friend. The men hold Lady Ev back as they beat up Jack, but then Jack realizes he’s strong and made of armor. Nothing hurts him, no matter how hard they punch. He knocks them all down and then checks on Lady Ev. She’s proud of him and they kiss! He tells her friends don’t do that and she replies, “Then let’s be something else.”

Elizabeth shows West drone footage from the day East died.

The guards bring Lucas to Eamonn and he admits he killed all those men.

West’s in a horrible mood and breaks her deal with the man who brought her Dorothy. She was supposed to release his wife but now she’s not going to.

Toto finds Sylvie and comforts her, as elsewhere in Emerald City Dorothy continues walking through the streets. The sun has set as she enters the Wizard’s palace. She looks around, mask still in place, as “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd plays. She sees a tape recorder that’s clearly out of place on a table, turns it off, and confronts the Wizard. She asks if they both come from the same place and he responds by asking if she’s there to kill him. She wants to know if he knows her mother Karen Chapman and he answers, clearly shocked, “What? Dorothy? Oh my god… Dorothy, you have come home!”




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