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.

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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