Based on the 1987 film, the 2023 Paramount series, “Fatal Attraction” is directed by Silver Tree and Pete Chatmon. The first two episodes introduce us to the various characters, the world they reside in, and how they are all struggling with some aspects of their life. The series talks about toxic love and how the actions of your close ones have the potential to scar you for life. Dan Gallagher was a celebrated lawyer, and probably he didn’t know that he was treading on a path of self-destruction. Or maybe he always knew that the end result of what he was doing was going to be bad, but his addiction and obsessive attraction overpowered his rational side, and he willingly walked toward his own doom. From a third person’s perspective, Dan Gallagher had the perfect life any man could ask for. He was doing well in his career, and he had a family that loved him and had his back at all times. He had a beautiful wife who tried her best to understand his sensibilities, and she put up with his work culture, which at times came into conflict with her expectations. There were times when Beth wanted her husband to accompany her to some social event, but even if he canceled at the last moment, she didn’t lose her temper and understood his obligations with an open mind. Beth not only managed the house but also made sure that she was always there for her daughter.
In “Fatal Attraction” Episode 1, we saw that after serving a sentence of 15 years, Dan Gallagher was finally up for parole. He confessed to killing a woman named Alex Forrest in front of the judges and told them how, for each and every day for the past 15 years, he thought about why he killed her, and how his life would have been different if he hadn’t committed the crime. It felt like Dan wanted to repent his actions, and he felt extremely guilty for turning the lives of his loved ones upside down. But his true feelings were in stark contrast to what he said in front of the judges. So, let’s find out what happened in the first two episodes of “Fatal Attraction” and how Dan’s one wrong step changed his and his family’s fate forever.
How Does Dan Fall For Alex Forrest?
Dan was doing quite well in the field of law, and he had a very strong hold over the entire system. He had a good track record, and people were sure that he was going to become the youngest judge at the age of 40. Since “Fatal Attraction” Episode 1, everybody had already started congratulating him, and even Beth mentally started preparing herself for the change that was going to happen in their lives after her husband became the judge. There was a new employee in the victims services department named Alex Forrest who had a conversation with Dan about some cases while her boss, Conchita Lewis, was busy with some other urgent matter. There was something about the way Alex Forrest looked at Dan Gallagher that made her intentions look very suspicious. At times, she ogled at him, and even Dan got a bit confused about what she wanted from him. Dan had started to feel that maybe, if he tried making a move on her, she wouldn’t say no, but then he was married, and to even entertain that thought felt like violating the sanctity of marriage. In an unfortunate turn of events, Dan was told that he was not being made the judge and that the governing body thought that his competitor was better suited for the job because he had a bit more experience compared to Dan. That night, Dan met with an accident, but fortunately, nothing happened to him, and he reached home and told everything to his wife. People were sympathetic to him and told him how he was the more deserving candidate, but Dan knew that there was no point crying over spilled milk.
Meanwhile, Alex kept making passes at Dan, and one day, he gave into his impulses and made the reckless decision to have an extramarital affair with her. They had met at a bar, where Alex had left a note for him mentioning the details of the other cafe she was going to go to. Dan followed her there, and later that night, they ended up at Alex’s apartment. Beth was not there at home that night as she had accompanied her daughter to a camp organized by her school, and so she had no clue what had happened behind her back.
Why Doesn’t Ellen Want To Meet Her Father?
It had been 15 years since Dan was in prison, and for that time period, Ellen had not been in touch with him. She didn’t know how to react in front of him, how to greet him, or how to talk to him. She constantly talked about these issues with her therapist, who told her that it was perfectly fine if she didn’t want to meet him and that she shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Ellen didn’t feel safe meeting her own father, and she had this strange fear that something would happen to her. Ellen found herself in a weird space where she didn’t know what she should do. For the longest time, she had told people, including her therapist, that her father had died when she was small, but now that he had come out, she didn’t know how to tackle her emotions.
In court, Dan confessed to his crime and said that he had killed Alex Forrest, but later in “Fatal Attraction” episode 2, we realize that he had only done that to get parole. He told his daughter and even his friend Mike Gerard, from the investigation bureau, that he hadn’t killed Alex and that he was unfortunate enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Though Ellen didn’t have any trust in him, Mike told him that he would help him go over the evidence once again and make use of the latest technology that wasn’t available back in the day. Beth, on the other hand, didn’t understand why, after all those years, Dan once again wanted to relive the trauma when the damage had already been done, and nobody would be able to give him back the 15 precious years of his life.
‘Fatal Attraction’ Episode 2 Ending Explained: Why Did Alex Try To Commit Suicide?
Alex and Dan had started meeting quite often, and they had a toxic attraction toward each other. They knew what they were doing was wrong, but they were still not able to stop themselves. Dan had started lying to his wife in order to spend some time with Alex. Dan was treating it purely as a physical relationship, and he didn’t intend to get emotionally attached to Alex, but his assumptions and expectations took a hit when he came to know in “Fatal Attraction” Episode 2 that Alex wanted something quite the opposite. Just minutes after Dan had shared an intimate moment with Alex, he got dressed and started packing his things as he wanted to leave. Alex had thought that he would stay for some time and spend some quality time with her. She was pouring wine when she noticed him getting dressed, and that bruised her ego.
Alex aspired to be like Dan one day. She was attracted to how he excelled in his profession; she was infatuated by the way he spoke in an authoritative manner when arguing for a case; she liked how he had created a name for himself in the legal field. Alex was also jealous of what he had in his personal life. He had a wife who loved him unconditionally, he had a loving daughter, and he was doing great in his career. There was no flaw that Alex could find in his life, and it made her realize what she lacked in her life.
Towards the end of episode 2, just as Dan was about to leave, Alex went to the restroom and took all the pills she had, or at least pretended to have eaten them. Dan rushed to the hospital with her, but before entering, he told her that her entire career would be at stake if the news of her trying to commit suicide got out. Alex decided not to go to the doctor, and Dan dropped her back at home. Alex craved attention, and she wanted the same importance in Dan’s life as he gave to his wife, but her disappointment stemmed from the fact that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn’t be able to replace Beth. It felt like Alex was emotionally wrecked from the inside, and she had these unrealistic expectations, because of which she dug her own grave. In the upcoming episodes, we will get to know how Dan Gallagher deals with Alex and whether they are able to keep their relationship under the rug or not.
