‘A Murder at the End of the World’ Episode 4 Recap: “Family Secrets”

A Murder at the End of the World Episode 4
Emma Corrin as Darby and Jermaine Fowler as Martin in ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ episode 4 (Photo CR: Chris Saunders/FX)

We’re halfway through FX’s limited series A Murder at the End of the World and the death toll is now up to two. After Rohan’s death at the end of episode three, episode four opens with everyone being moved underground per Andy’s orders.

As the guests begin to speculate on what could have happened, Martin (Jermaine Fowler) wants to know what Darby (Emma Corrin) thinks. Darby believes Rohan had a heart attack but thinks that because he had a pacemaker, it’s possible the software to it could be hacked. Lee (Brit Marling) asks the head of security’s wife, Eva, if they have a home monitoring system there. Eva confirms they do indeed have one, but it was taken from the medical suite today. She discovered someone plugged it in and turned it on.

Todd (Louis Cancelmi) informs the group that there’s a storm coming in and there happens to be an avalanche blocking the passage, so no one can leave. David (Raul Esparza) demands to know where Andy is and is told he’s in a secure location. (No further details are disclosed.)

Darby request to examine Rohan’s body is denied.

Lu Mei (Joan Chen) thinks this would be a good idea: gather all your greatest competition and get rid of them one by one. As they all begin to argue, they’re told the security sweep is complete. They can all return to their rooms and are ordered to remain there.

After all the guests are walked to their rooms, they’re made to hand over all electronics to Todd. Darby gets a surprise visitor at her back door – Sian (Alice Braga – who came to apologize. Darby felt something was off with Bill’s death, and she didn’t believe her then but she does now.

Sian wants to go with Darby to examine Rohan’s body. She spent a lot of time with Andy when the place was being built and knows secret routes that can get them to Rohan without Todd being aware of what they’re doing.

As Darby examines Rohan’s body, she gives Sian the rundown on how a hacker could have caused his heart attack. Darby also finds the signaling device in his pocket and fills Sian in on the night she followed Rohan out and watched as he signaled someone.

They decide to try and find whoever Rohan was in communication with, donning high-tech gear to prevent hypothermia before heading out into the snow.

Sian asks if everyone is a suspect, and Darby confirms that anyone who’s a hacker definitely is. Bill was injected with morphine and whoever did it knew how to hack the security system to hide their presence. Sian thinks Bill uncovered a secret on his first night there. Even though she’s not sure what he discovered, she believes it’s connected to Rohan.

A Murder at the End of the World Episode 4 Recap
Emma Corrin as Darby Hart and Alice Braga as Sian in ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ episode 4 (Photo CR: Lilja Jons/FX)

Darby and Sian ride out on a snowmobile and find a pole with a rope attached to it that goes out into the water. When they pull on it, they discover a container with the words “Last Chance” written on it. (Last Chance is the name of Rohan’s boat.) Inside the container is an inflatable boat.

They need to head back before the storm hits, but the snowmobile suddenly stops working, forcing them to walk the rest of the way.

They come across a vehicle at the guard shack and Sian hacks into the system to get it started. Darby didn’t think Sian was capable of hacking into systems, and she’s immediately on alert at this new development.

Their drive back in extreme conditions makes Darby nervous. Darby wonders why, if Andy is worried about climate change coming so soon, he doesn’t release the helpful information that he has to the public. Sian thinks people won’t listen. She then lets Darby in on a secret: Ronson Industries’ coffers are dry, and the funding for his space program has been completely drained.

“I think he’s been draining the funds for something else – probably this place – but he won’t say why,” says Sian.

The vehicle hits a patch of black ice and Sian loses control. It rolls down an embankment.

A Murder at the End of the World Episode 4 Recap
Harris Dickinson as Bill and Emma Corrin as Darby Hart in ‘A Murder at the End of the World’ episode 4 (Photo CR: Chris Saunders/FX)

Darby has fallen out of the vehicle and there’s blood streaming down her face when we’re treated to a flashback of her time with Bill (Harris Dickinson). The flashback shows them questioning the medical examiner, showing him part of a jaw with the teeth still attached. The coroner reveals that this piece belongs to the skull he has.

Darby asks if they found any belongings with the body and learns they found a silver ring with “E. Bell” engraved into it. As they leave the medical examiner’s office, Bill begins to sneeze. He says it’s a condition called Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helioopthalmic Outburst Syndrome that causes him to sneeze in sudden light.

Bill figures out a way to get them a motel room without paying. As Darby begins to crack into the minibar, she tells Bill she thinks they’re close to finding the serial killer. However, Bill wants to talk about something else for the rest of the night. Darby decides to go for it with Bill and kisses him, but he stops her, stating it’s late and he wants to go to bed.

Darby’s hurt by the unexpected rejection.

The next morning, Bill asks Darby what she wants. She replies, “I want you to hold me.” This time he doesn’t pull away as they explore each other’s naked bodies.

Returning to current events, Sian struggles as she drags Darby back to the house. Darby wakes up to people standing over her, and Eva gives her something for the pain just as Andy (Clive Owen) walks in. He demands to know what Sian was doing. Sian discovers her helmet is stuck on her head and she only has two minutes until she runs out of oxygen. To save her they decide they need to perform a tracheotomy.

As Darby watches the procedure, she passes out.

Darby wakes up once again, but this time Lee is with her. She says Sian is fine and recovering in her room. Darby drifts off once more and awakens to Zoomer (Kellan Tetlow), Andy and Lee’s son, in her room. Episode four comes to a shocking end when Darby opens the curtains in the room. As bright light begins to pour into the room, Zoomer begins to sneeze uncontrollably.

Zoomer tells her he has the very same syndrome as Bill.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New episodes of FX’s A Murder at the End of the World air on Tuesdays on Hulu.

Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij (The OA) created the series and serve as writers, directors, and executive producers. Andrea Sperling, Melanie Marnich, and Nicki Paluga also executive produce.