Can’t Miss Episode of the Week: ‘SurrealEstate’s Chilling Bottle Episode
Welcome to our weekly column Can’t Miss Episode of the Week! Every Saturday we’ll be spotlighting a different episode of television from that week that we thought was exceptional and a must-see. Check back to see if your favorite show got the nod — or to learn about a new one!
We love a good bottle episode. We’re used to following the ghostbusting real estate agents of SurrealEstate (read our review here) around to various haunted houses, but in the August 27 episode, “Quarantine,” the team accidentally brings a demon back to their office. The result? They’re stuck at work until they can kill the human-possessing demon, which they call a roadie. Anytime you get the core cast of a show trapped in one place, it’s a great opportunity to push the conflicts between the characters, and this episode takes full advantage.
One interesting side-effect of being possessed by a roadie is that you can’t lie, so some harsh truths come out. A nasty quip by a possessed-August (Maurice Dean Wint) about Zooey (Savannah Basley) acting “needy” leads to an honest but kind conversation about Zooey’s tendency to choose romantic partners who are works-in-progress. Susan (Sarah Levy) drops an even more chilling truth bomb on the group when she calls Luke (Tim Rozon) “damaged” in front of everyone. “Can we just acknowledge that some of us said some really hurtful sh** tonight, and meant it?” asks Zooey.
No one can stay mad at Susan for long. When they finally are all able to leave the office, they come through for her and show up at an awards dinner she’s being honored at, and Susan describes them as her “work family” in her acceptance speech. What started as a plot-device to push the co-workers apart, instead becomes proof of just how strong the bonds between them have become.
There are lasting consequences from the events of the night, though. A flashback in a previous episode showed a case, referred to as the Travis House, that went wrong when Luke misjudged a particular malicious spirit, and an entire family was murdered. That case is back to haunt the team now that this roadie they’re dealing with caused two children to do horrific things to their parents. The crime gets the attention of the local news, and a smart reporter makes the connection between the two events. The bad PR puts The Roman Agency itself in jeopardy as Luke and co. ponder just how many clients they’ll have in the morning. And Luke himself clearly feels the weight of what happened at the Travis House, which is something he’ll have to work through.
Far more ominous, however, is the cliffhanger reveal that Megan (Tennille Read) is still possessed by a roadie, and no one realizes it!
Other observations we thought made this episode stand out:
- Susan using her telekinetic powers to set her horrible former boss/ex-boyfriend’s table on fire at the awards dinner is oh so satisfying.
- The dramatic entrance Susan’s co-workers make when they finally arrive at the awards dinner to cheer her on.
- Father Phil (Adam Korson) and his husband Anthony (Paul Ewan Wilson) are adorable, and we can’t wait to follow them along on their adoption journey.
SurrealEstate, Fridays, 10/9c, SYFY
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R
Huge plot hole - before they leave the office, after the roadie is killed, the computer screen showed 5 green auras, signaling all clear, but there were 6 people in the room.
Even so, best episode of the series so far.
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R
I knew that the roadie was in Megan as soon as Father Phil said that there were 5 auras on the screen and there were 6 people in the room. I absolutely love this show, I've watched the aired episodes over twice and so hope that it gets renewed for a second season. Fingers crossed SyFy knows a good show when it sees one!!!
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O
There were a few things in this episode that made me think that Megan is actually dead and no one knows yet. One is what the other reviewer mentioned - there were only 5 green auras on the screen. There had been five before Megan got there, and it never changed. Luke took the time to explain that, when people are around him, they can often see and talk to the dead, too. Zoey never once reacted to Megan or seemed to know she was there at all. They made it a point to make her only answer Megan's initial question after it was repeated by Luke. The question pertained to the security guard having keys, but they had made a big deal out of going on lock down, so something seemed off about him simply allowing Megan in, especially when they called to let him know to lock the place down.
I think the demon took over her spirit to get into the house, because Susan kept yelling at her about the house while she was possessed. This episode seemed to be a set up for the finale. I think Megan died in that house, possibly by being choked by Luke's mother. No one would know, because Luke refuses to go inside, and if he can see and hear spirits, and she doesn't know she's dead, she could still be communicating with him regularly. The only thing I can't readily explain is how she showed up with the item they needed, though I think there's something to her going out of her way to mention it was the last one and repeatedly make sure it was what they wanted.
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