Archive 81 Finale What Lies Beneath – The show begins with Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi) and Jessica “Jess” Lewis (Ariana Neal) swinging. Jess wants to be a bird when she grows.
Melody frantically bangs on a door, pleading with someone to let her out. Dr. Steven Turner (Charlie Hudson III) enters the room, apologizing for bringing her to the facility. She accuses of being part of Samuel’s cult. He admits to receiving her tapes. Samuel (Evan Jonigkeit) is not who he says he is, but Alexander Davenport. The Baldung researcher he met online was Samuel, posing as Alexander Davenport. Melody says he knew everything about her. Dr. Turner denies giving him, her personal information.
Samuel lured Melody to the Visser building by sending a letter to the convent. Dr. Turner calls Samuel “delusional,” which is why he had Melody brought there, where she would be safe. She refuses to be locked away in a psych ward. He promises to hook her up with friends at Washington University. She can stay with them until everything blows over. She tells him about Samuel taking Jess after grooming her for a ritual that will take place in the basement of the Visser. He suggests contacting Child Protection Services to send someone over to check on her. She refuses to be a social worker will do anything to help Jess. He promises to take care of it, but she isn’t having it.
He assures her he never meant to put her in a dangerous situation. She aggressively demands to be released. He agrees but wants her to see someone first. He unlocks the door and Melody walks in to find Anabelle Cho (Julia Chan) painting pictures of a woman. Anabelle gives her a hug, asking what took her so long to come. While the two talks, Dr. Turner leaves the room, locking the door behind him. Melody bangs on the door, cursing Dr. Turner in the process. Anabelle admits to doing the same thing, saying it doesn’t work. Melody asks her about the painting. Anabelle doesn’t have paper, so she paints on the walls. Melody recognizes a woman in the painting. Anabelle begins covering up the woman’s face when Melody tells her she killed someone a long time ago. She says we can’t let her out and covers her face with paint. Melody brushes it off, saying she is dead. Anabelle believes the woman is in another world and wants to come out. Samuel and Cassandra Wall (Kristin Griffith) will open the door to the other world to release the woman. Melody apologizes for messing things up before making her exit out the window.
Jessica eases Dan’s mind by saying Dr. Turner wasn’t involved in the cult. She has been creating paintings of Melody forever. Mark says Melody died in the Visser fire. She refutes his statement, saying she is in the other world and needs Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie) to find her. Dan immediately questions how he can find Melody. They refuse her offer of sandwiches. Jess left a box of tapes for Dan. She changed her name to Sister Mary Cecilia.
The tapes do not work until Dan transitions to a Fisher-Price PXL2000 Camera like Jess’s. Melody pops up on the screen, saying she just wants to be happy before the screen goes snowy. In another tape, Melody is inside the Visser. She says her name and apartment number, claiming to be of sound mind. She explains why she is at the Visser, searching for 14-year-old Jess. Samuel Spare is holding Jess against her will. Dan says she returned to the Visser. She wants viewers to know Samuel will be responsible for anything that happens to her. A key to the elevator is lying inside of a metal cabinet She anxiously puts the key in the elevator panel, selecting the 6th floor.
Jess is locked inside one of the rooms. Melody accesses the room through the window that leads to the fire escape. She denies being part of Samuel’s cult before propping a chair up against the doorknob. Jess refuses to leave because the cult needs her, it is her destiny. Samuel warned Jess that Melody would try to stop it. She tells her they are going to sacrifice her. Jess still doesn’t believe her. As they prepare to access the fire escape, John Smith (Eden Marryshow) pounds on the door, demanding Jess to unlock it. He breaks through the door as Jess is going down the fire escape. He gradually approaches Melody while asking where Jess is. He looks out the window to see Jess running away. He punches Melody and her body falls to the ground.
When Melody wakes up, she is tied to a chair in the underground chamber. Samuel approaches, saying you found your way home. She reminds Samuel his vessel is gone. He shrugs it off, admitting she is the one he always wanted. Cassandra walks up to Melody, rubbing her head. Samuel holds the Kharonite necklace in one hand, utilizing the other to motion Tamara Stefano (Kate Eastman) forward. She thought the plan was to give Jess the kharonite. Samuel admits she is right while Tamara slowly approaches. Melody pleads with her to refuse the necklace. She ignores her, removing her necklace to make way for the Kharonite. Samuel puts the necklace on Tamara while she peers at Melody.
Samuel calls Kaelego before removing the cover from the cult book. He chants in a foreign language as the other members don their masks. Melody pleads for help as John forces her to stand in front of Samuel. Continuing to chant, he pulls up Melody’s sleeve to expose her hand. When he slashes her palm, John forcibly places it on the idol. The blood begins to flow down the idol. Samuel chants, calling Tamara to join him. Iris Vos (Georgina Haig), surrounded by an orb appears in the room. Samuel is stunned by Iris’s presence. Melody spots Jess on the staircase, watching the event transpire. As she yells for her run, Iris turns around in her direction.
Dan and Mark are stunned by what they just saw. Mark breaks everything down, suggesting if they believe it, they get a glimpse into the other world of Kaelego. He refers to it as a mirror world that opens the door for two dimensions to come together. Dan’s visions could be from Melody in Kaelego’s world, where she is trapped. When Dan suggests getting Virgil involved, Mark describes him as a “stone-cold motherfu****.” He believes Dan is lucky to not be dead. Dan says Virgil Davenport (Martin Donovan) knows how to reach the other world to Melody.
Dan meets Virgil at the research facility to convince him to help reach Melody. Virgil reminds Dan that LMG no longer needs his help. As he turns around to leave, Dan tells him about Jess’ tape. Virgil unlocks the gate, telling him to leave his vehicle in the driveway. They watch Samuel sacrifice Tamara and call Kaelego. Dan stops the tape, suggesting Virgil knew what was in the Visser archive before he started the restoration. He denies the allegations, suggesting they both knew Melody was researching the Visser. Samuel told him about the other world in front of the Visser building, but he didn’t believe him. Dr. Turner placed the tapes in a New Jersey storage facility, where he bought them in an auction. They burnt down Dan’s house to destroy the tapes. Some people will sacrifice everything to raise demons while others will do anything to destroy them.
Dan informs Virgil that he needs his help to get Melody out of the other world. Virgil refuses to believe she is still alive after 20 years. He says Samuel is in the other world too, the tape begins to play just in time for the occult to disappear. Virgil describes Samuel as an “irrational maniac.” Dan charges Virgil who pushes him up against a wall. The struggle ensues until Virgil pulls out his gun. Mark approaches from behind, knocking Virgil out cold. They climb through the wall to access the underground chamber in the Visser tapes. First, Dan stops to get a bottle of blood. He refuses to listen to Mark’s warnings, accrediting himself for consecrating the ground through the archive restoration. Mark reminds him what happened the last two times they tried to reach the other world. 
Dan suggests he leave to avoid getting hurt. He says it will make a great story for your podcast. Mark is shocked by Dan’s statement, admitting he cares about him. He doesn’t want him to die, agreeing to stay with him. They hug and head to the underground chamber, where Melody’s tapes are playing. Mark is amazed by what he sees, calling it weird. Dan hopes Melody is in the other world as he turns the pages of the occult book. He looks up to find Bobbi (Jacqueline Antaramian) holding a gun to Mark’s head. He raises his hands. She says Virgil may not survive the blow to the head, saying he wanted to hijack it. With the gun against Mark’s neck, she asks why Dan would sacrifice everything to save someone he doesn’t know. She says you know a shadow when he admits to knowing Melody.
She reminds him, the other attempts failed, shoving Mark away. She accuses the Vos family of stealing the book, but they forgot something. Mark tells Dan she is a Baldung. To open the door, you need to be a Baldung to open the door with the spell and a key. Dan accuses of working with Virgil. She denies the allegations, saying Virgil wanted it to go away. Bobbi is Julia Bennet, Melody’s mother. She thought giving her up would protect her from the Baldung bloodline. For the last 25 years, Julia has searched for a way to save Melody who visits her dreams. With her magic gone, she needed Virgil to play the footage to make it possible.
Dan agrees to help her free Melody. They must find the right frequency for the other world. Dan tells her what Virgil said about no one surviving in the other world. She refutes the belief, saying Kaelego will try to keep you in the other world by delaying your return to the real world. She can keep the door open for five minutes. She taps the tuning fork, telling him to follow the sound back. Chanting, she slits the palm of her hand and places it on top of the idol. The lights begin to flicker as the orb appears.
Dan steps into the org, landing inside the research facility at 7pm. Emily Turner (Jaxon Rose Moore) acknowledges him while playing the piano. When he sits down beside her, he tells her to stop. Dr. Turner approaches to see what they are playing, saying he likes it. He asks Dan about his day and if they are going to play “Clash of the Titans” later. He agrees before they sit down for dinner. A flashback of the first prompts him to ask who was responsible. Dr. Turner denies there was a fire while promising he is safe, and they can start again. Images of Melody pleading for help pop up on the screen. He abruptly leaves the table, entering a hallway. He calls for Melody before entering the church, where he finds her sitting on the floor. She recognizes him. He asks her to go with him, but she refuses to leave. She is surprised he came for her, placing her hand in his.
A bell chimes and the church begins to shake. They run back down the hallway and into a room, with a TV. He is confused because they are supposed to be in the compound. As he turns the channel, Melody follows a chanting noise to the radiator. The chanting stops when she opens the radiator door. She screams when Kaelego appears. Dan rushes to her and grabs her hand, pulling her back down the hallway. When they reach the bottom of the steps, Samuel grabs Melody from behind and into the real world, leaving Dan behind. She calls for Dan as Julia walks over and reaches out her hand. She asks, “Do I know you.” Mark asks about Dan. She doesn’t know, but Samuel was there. He begins to call for Dan.
Dan wakes up in a hospital bed. He says hello several times before a nurse (Teri Clark) enters the room. He has been in there for 10 days, with no visitors. She says you were luckier than your neighbors at the Visser. He demands to know the year, but she refuses to answer. A news segment on the television shows a man and 1967-1994. He gets up to look out the window as the episode comes to an end.
Archive 81 Finale Review
The disappointing finale is proof they cared more about getting a second season than impressing the audience. Just a note, Netflix has not announced a second season for Archive 81, but this didn’t stop them from trying.
The finale was not even close to being flawless. Several scenes were predictable while others were stunningly cringeworthy and too easy. Melody nonchalantly finds the elevator key to access the 6th-floor.
What was Melody’s main purpose for returning to the Visser? It was to rescue Jess. Why wouldn’t she leave when Jess left? After all, she achieved what she set out to do. So, why hang around with Jess gone?
Why did the writer decide for Dr. Turner to lock Melody and Anabelle in a room, with an unlocked window? If you wanted to retain someone, wouldn’t you put them in a windowless room or at least, a room with secure windows?
Jess’s tapes are not compatible with a conventional cassette player. Dan just happens to have a replica of Jess’s Fisher-Price PXL2000 on-hand. I don’t know if it was a mishap, intentional, or poor editing. If you pay close attention, you will find other questionable details.
Throughout the show, foul language was always part of the dialogue. The only difference in the finale, the foul language was embedded into every line.
The finale felt rushed in my own opinion. I rate it a 6. Get more Archive 81 recaps here. Support the ReelMockery team by clicking here.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
