Before moving onto the next suspect, The Afterparty, episode 6, takes a detour. We found out in episode 2 that Danner is no longer a detective and has chosen to explore her creative flair instead, but was it truly a choice or a decision she was forced to make? Danner could relate to Aniq’s hesitation in some way. She knew what it meant to be too close to a case and how it negatively impacts one’s sense of judgment. Danner realized that Aniq would only understand the weight of the situation if she narrated her story. And we were introduced to Danner’s detective fiction—a story of passion and crime.
Spoilers Alert
Who Was Leonard Varr?
Danner wanted the world to believe that she had made it as a writer, but in reality, she had no idea what she was doing. She barely contributed to completing her book because she never truly cared about writing it. She chose an alternate career because, after an incident, she realized that she was no longer fit to be a detective. Solving the Xavier murder case (in The Afterparty season 1) made her feel invincible, but the next case left her completely rattled. A suspect, Leonard Varr, was brought into the police station for arson. This was not the first time Leonard was accused of arson; he had already served a six-month prison sentence for the same. Not only did he have a record of burning down places, but he was in some way connected to the locations that were burned down.
Varr admitted he was a pyromaniac, but he did not admit to the charges. He was no longer interested in burning down places, or at least he was trying not to do so. After leaving the interrogation room, Danner stated with confidence that Leonard Varr was not guilty. While Culp believed Danner was complicating a rather simple case, Danner was certain that there was more to the mystery. To understand Leonard Varr, Danner decided to meet his psychiatrist, Quentin Devereaux. She did not believe that a person who was actively trying to become better would go back to making the same mistake. Danner was sure that there was more to the story.
Did Danner Solve The Arson Case?
There was an immediate spark between Danner and psychiatrist Quentin Devereaux. He had already done his research on Danner and admired the way she solved the Xavier case. From the minute Danner met Quentin, she could sense the tension between them. She tried to keep it strictly professional by asking him about Leonard Varr. Quentin stated with confidence that Varr had learned to control his desire and was not possibly the suspect. When Danner accepted Quentin’s dinner invitation, she knew that she was crossing a line, but she was intrigued to understand the psyche of a pyromaniac. Danner learned that Quentin had helped redirect Leonard’s passion for fire—instead of burning down buildings, Varr quenched his passion by performing at any karaoke. The dinner turned into a hot mess, with Danner and Quentin admitting that they were physically attracted to each other. Danner enjoyed the many kinks in Quentin. The intense love-making session was almost life-altering for Danner, and she no longer doubted her decision to come over for dinner.
The next morning, Danner decided to let Leonard leave. Culp was not happy with her decision, but the lack of evidence made it impossible for them to keep Varr locked in. Moreover, Danner was sort of convinced that Leonard Varr was not their guy. She had started to trust Quentin and made the decision based on his judgment. Danner continued to take lessons from Quentin to understand the mind of a pyromaniac, and often their sessions would be interrupted by passionate love-making. One day while leaving his chamber, Quentin showed doubt in Varr when Danner revealed the name of one of the locations.
Apparently, after being released, Varr stated that he would celebrate at a karaoke bar since the bar owners had been mean to him, much like the people who ran the Dairy Farm. Considering that Dairy Farm was one of three locations that were burned down, Varr’s idea of celebration could mean that he intended to torch the karaoke bar. Danner was disappointed in herself for not seeing the truth. She drove to the karaoke bar and found Leonard there. She checked the trunk of his car and found cans of turpentine oil, rope, and cloth, clearly suggesting his intention of burning down the karaoke place. Even though Leonard continued to deny it, Danner handcuffed him, knowing that he was indeed the suspect.
Who Was The Arsonist? Why Did Zoe Hide The Teapot?
After Leonard’s arrest, Danner went to meet Quentin at his place. She believed she owed it to him; after all, they had both been so wrong about Leonard. While he was in the washroom, Danner walked around the house and started to notice things that she had previously ignored. She suspiciously took note of the can of turpentine; she found the same soft cloth she had seen in Leonard’s trunk; and she remembered Quentin using the same rope while making love. Upon unveiling the painting that he had been apparently working on, Danner realized that Quentin had been playing her all along. He was not a painter; the paintings were simply a front to cover the smell of turpentine.
By the time Danner connected the dots, Quentin had entered the room and escorted her to his bedroom. He tied her up and confessed to being a pyromaniac. When he met Leonard, he knew he could pin the blame on him. Quentin burned down the places that could be connected to Leonard, and the plan did work before Danner stepped in. He covered the entire bedroom in turpentine and lit a fire. He packed his bags and left Danner in a helpless situation. Thankfully, Danner called Culp the moment she realized Quentin was the culprit. Even though Culp did not receive her call, she did not disconnect, and her conversation with Quentin was left on voice mail.
Culp heard her interaction with Quentin, and at the end of episode 6 of The Afterparty Season 2, he came to Danner’s rescue. Both Danner and Culp survived the fire. Since they had Quentin’s confession on record, they allowed Leonard to leave. But there was no trace of Quentin; he simply disappeared. Danner could not get over her disappointment and resigned. She blamed herself for getting too involved in the case and losing objectivity. Danner believed Aniq was making the same mistake. He had already made up his mind that Zoe’s family was innocent without conducting a proper investigation. Aniq decided to carry on with the investigation even if the murderer happened to be someone from Zoe’s family.
In the meantime, Zoe was hiding evidence that could incriminate her sister. To understand how the poison could have impacted Edgar, Travis drank tea made out of the devil’s trumpet. While the quantity he took did not turn out to be fatal, Zoe could not get over the fact that all the murderer needed to poison Edgar was a teapot and hot water. She had already started to doubt Grace after noticing her relationship with Hannah. She had the motive and the means, but did she have a teapot in her room? Well, at the end of The Afterparty episode 6, it turned out that there was a teapot in Edgar and Grace’s room. Zoe entered the crime scene and spotted a teapot kept on the side table. She did not know whether or not the tea was poisoned, but she decided to hide it anyway. The teapot could have been key evidence, but all Zoe cared about was protecting her sister, even if it meant hiding the truth.
