As the sixth episode of The Rising begins, Alex Wyatt (Nenda Neururer) chases down Neve Kelly (Clara Rugaard) in hopes of finding out what just happened. Alex apologizes for not telling her about the GHB, but insists she didn’t want Neve to blame herself. She pleads with Neve not to push her away while claiming she is the only good thing in her life right now. Neve says she lied to her, but Alex insists she just didn’t know how to tell the truth. She wonders if the only ones who can see her are the ones who hurt her the most including her dad, her murderer, and Alex. Maria Kelly (Emily Taaffe) checks on Tom Rees (Matthew McNulty) after the assault. She asks if anything is broken. Tom says it is nothing that can’t be fixed.

It hurts when she touches it though. Tom kisses her until she stops him to answer her phone. She returns around and tells Tom that they’re releasing Neve’s body. After the intro, Maria argues that they cannot let this happen because it might change something and she isn’t ready. She needs to speak to Neve who she can’t lose again. When Neve arrives outside, Maria asks Tom not to tell her. They walk outside where Tom puts the palms of their hands together. Although Tom says they’re touching, Maria admits she can’t feel anything. They go inside and sit down before Maria confesses she hasn’t been able to stop talking about the argument after the race.

Neve says she doesn’t care about that right now although Maria argues that doesn’t sound like Neve. Marie mentions they used to go to the café together and they’d always get the same thing. It was apple juice and salt and vinegar crisps. Neve admits that was how Maria used to get her out of the house when Tom had too much to drink. She didn’t realize Neve knew that, but she had been thinking about it because it was their thing for years. At some point, they stopped doing that although Maria isn’t sure why. She can’t remember the last time because she didn’t know it would be the last time. Now, she is scared since she didn’t know it when she last held her.

She doesn’t want to lose any of the last times. Tom tells her she hasn’t lost Neve because she is still right here. Maria just wishes she could see something. Their conversation is interrupted when Daniel (Alex Lanipekun) knocks on the door. Daniel says he spoke to the coroner’s office and they can’t just refuse to accept the body. He made an appointment with a vicar although Maria still isn’t ready to bury her daughter. Neve storms out and Tom follows her as Maria demands Daniel cancel it. Neve tells him that she is changing like she is disappearing and worries about what will happen if she is buried. Tom says she isn’t going anywhere even though Neve isn’t sure he can promise that.

She leaves because she doesn’t want to be there for any of this. Tom goes back inside where Daniel tells Maria it isn’t just about her since he thinks Neve deserves a proper goodbye. Alex goes to Joseph (Solly McLeod) to see if he needs to talk. They talk about the police searching the house and hotel as Joe calls that an absolute joke. He doesn’t think they’ll find anything although Alex hopes they do. Joseph is surprised that she thinks her dad did it, but she says it is always someone’s dad or brother. Joe denies being in a fight. Alex tells him that he doesn’t have to be like them. She claims they turn every feeling into anger because they’re afraid of feeling anything else.

She also thinks they lash out to prove they’re not weak. Joe says he doesn’t want to be this angry, but it just takes over sometimes. Alex says it is contagious and it spread through this place like a disease. Joseph apologizes and admits the crash wasn’t her fault. It was easier to blame her instead of himself. He offers to tell everyone the truth, but Alex doesn’t see the point since everyone will just hate him too. Alex reveals she came back because of her dad who has controlled most of their lives. DS Diana Aird (Rebecca Root) tells Christine Wyatt (Ann Ogbomo) that she doesn’t have to be here.

Later, Alex catches up with Neve and tells her she has been looking for her everywhere. Neve suggests she might’ve been right about facing what happened, but the GHB messed up her memory. Alex isn’t sure it was the drugs because she remembers everything from that night. Instead, she suggests Neve might’ve blocked it out. Neve begins blaming herself since she took the drugs and couldn’t fight back. She believes she messed everyone’s life up and Maria is trapped now because of her, but Alex doesn’t think she is responsible. Alex also believes that Neve saved her life. Alex learns that Maria doesn’t want to bury Neve because it might cause her to pass on.

Neve worries that she is already fading. Alex says her body has been lying in a freezer and questions what difference it’ll make if she is under the ground. When Alex says she isn’t going to disappear, Neve suggests it might be best if she does. William Wyatt (Nicholas Gleaves) is told they’re going to hold him longer because they found the keys to the boat shed in his workshop. He is asked whether he took the boat to dispose of Neve’s body. William reveals he has had the keys since Alex was a kid and plenty of others use the boat shed. Diana tells him he hasn’t answered the question. William says he didn’t do that before Diana tells him they’ve found traces of blood in room seven of Keaton Hall.

He refuses to comment when asked about the blood and whether it was Neve’s. Meanwhile, Neve returns to Tom who complains about his head pounding nonstop. She tells her father that she is proud of him for stopping before he asks her not to get mushy. Things are a bit scary for Tom because he doesn’t know who he is without drinking. He knows it is the right thing for Maria and Neve. If only he had stopped a long time ago, things might’ve been different. When he promises they’ll shut down the funeral, Neve wonders if they should. She isn’t sure she has a reason to fight it. Daniel goes through some of the photos that Max threw away. Katie (Robyn Cara) claims the camera is broken and they need to go anyway.

He tells her that she doesn’t have to come, but she wants to for Neve. Before they can leave, Diana arrives to ask Daniel a few questions about Victoria. He thought things have gotten too much for Victoria so she walked out on them, but that she’d return for the kids. Diana asks what he believes now. Daniel says she took her life. He is asked about Victoria being one of the architects of Keaton Hall. It was her last project and William ended up buying it. Diana admits they’ve found blood there so she asks whether William and Victoria spent a lot of time there together. Forensics prove that the blood is around seven or eight years old.

It’ll take longer to extract DNA from blood that old. When Daniel gets in the car, he doesn’t tell Katie what their conversation was about. Tom tells Maria what Neve said about being buried and how it might be better for everyone. Maria isn’t eager to go ahead since she might lose her. Once Daniel and Katie arrive, Neve listens as her mother tells them that the vicar knows they don’t want to move forward. Maria wants the coroner to hold onto the body a bit longer because she is not ready. Katie is sick of her being so selfish and reveals that Max is barely getting out of bed now. She thinks Max needs to say goodbye and Maria is holding everyone hostage.

Katie and Maria walk in opposite directions after the brief blow-up. Once Alex returns home, Christine admits they wouldn’t tell her if they had found anything. Alex offers to help, but her mother doesn’t want her to lift a finger. She apologizes for letting Alex down and admits she should’ve seen what he was like. Joseph sits with Nicky (Oliver Huntingdon) and asks whether he gets tired of pretending since they act like sheep. He knows what Nicky thought of him when he assaulted Tom and he doesn’t want to be that person. Joseph tells him what Neve said on the night she died about not wanting to be stuck in the same place with the same people forever.

She wanted to get out and see the world to figure things out. Joseph believes he might need that too. Joe isn’t sure where he’d go, but he doesn’t see any point in delaying it. Nicky asks what about him, but Joe reminds him that they’re not married. He invites Nicky to come with him. He turns down the offer because Joseph would do his head in. Joe doesn’t know if it’ll be better anywhere else, but he’d at least be trying. They agree they’ll miss each other. Neve follows her mother to the church. Maria tells her daughter that she is scared that she is trapped. She admits she isn’t strong enough to let her go. Neve tells her it is okay and uses the candle to message her.

Maria asks her to blow out the candle. Once she does, Maria says she needs her to tell her what she wants and promises to listen this time. She blows it out again to confirm she wants to say goodbye. Maria tells her she doesn’t have to hold on anymore so she can be free. Later that night, Alex and Neve cuddle in bed. Neve believes she still needed to work some things out and that is why she ended up trapped here. It is done now and she deserves to be free as well. Neve wants Alex to promise that she is going to live no matter what happens. Alex puts a stop to her goodbye speech because she doesn’t think Neve is going anywhere.

She believes they’re going to live a mediocre life together. In the morning, Maria and the family gather for Neve’s funeral. Neve wakes up and finds that she is still here. Michael (William Ash) tells Joseph that he is going down to the station because they’ll have to let William go soon. Joseph tells him that he doesn’t want to be here anymore. Michael tries to convince him that his uncle never touched Neve. Joseph complains about the way that William treats them, but Michael claims he bought the Hall so they could fix it together. Michael says he did it so they could work on something as a family. Joseph argues that William uses him and barks orders. Joe says they were brought up by a granddad who was kicking the crap out of them.

He calls it history repeating itself. When Michael asks if he is going to leave him on his own, Joseph reminds him that he can visit whenever he wants. Regardless, he has to do it and hopes Michael will understand. Tom talks to Maria about getting sober and how it is different this time while he frames one of Neve’s drawings. He is sorry it took leaving Neve, but insists he isn’t going to waste any more of his life. Tom asks her not to go back to Daniel even though he knows he doesn’t deserve her and never did. Maria admits she always loved him although they cannot undo what happened. He promises to be better for her, but Maria apologizes and takes her hand away from his.

Maria gets a call from the police station. They go down to the station where they complain about Diana letting William go. Tom asks if they found anything at his home or the hotel. He messes up when he mentions the belt since the police never said anything about a belt. William tries to convince Christine that he is innocent and that is why he was released. She thinks they just don’t have enough evidence yet though. She also complains about William making Alex tell a lie that put her in a juvenile detention center. William argues that she still killed someone. Christine believes she is getting her sight back after 20 years. She asks whether he killed Neve. Although he says no, Christine doesn’t believe him.

She is going to pack him a bag because she wants him out of her house. Alex and Neve go downstairs where William tells them the police let him go due to a lack of evidence. He tells Neve that she was wrong. As Neve rushes outside, she tells Alex that the police will never give her justice so she will have to get it herself. She stops when she begins hearing the odd sound again. Neve begins screaming come on before she levitates above the ground. Neve enters a dark place and asks them to show her what it is.

Joseph goes to Neve’s grave to say goodbye. He ignores a call from William. Neve is shocked when she sees a skeleton next to her.

 

The Rising Review

We’re getting much closer to the finale of The Rising while the story has slowed. I sincerely doubt William is the actual killer because that would be too easy. I do think the series would’ve been better had it only been four or six episodes because it is running out of steam. Some aspects of the episode were good though, especially the relationship drama between Tom and Maria.

It was also fun and emotional to see Maria try to interact with her daughter even though she couldn’t see her. The problem is the episode count though. The content is too little to fully entertain and cover eight episodes. We might be satisfied after the finale, but I think we can agree that certain episodes were just slow and dull. This one scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of The Rising are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support us here. We appreciate it!