TV Recap: “Saint X” – Episode 8 “Faraway”

It’s the last episode of Saint X and it’s time to find out who killed Alison Thomas.

At a local bar on the island, Alison (West Duchovny) and Gogo and Edwin (Josh Bonzie and Jayden Elijah) are about to party it up. Surrounded by locals, Edwin asks Gogo not to bring up this ‘thing’ with Sara (Bre Francis). With a few drinks toasted, the trio is out for a fun night.

Back in New York, Gogo is telling Emily (Alycia Debnam-Carey) that they need to come clean with their secrets. Doubting her story, Gogo is asking for Emily’s last name. Though she lies, Gogo is questioning the validity of her statements. Gogo knows that she is Claire, and this sets off a chain of tears from Emily.

Parking at a garage, Gogo demands that Emily get out of the cab, and drags her off. Wondering if he is going to kill her, Gogo tells Emily that he is not going to kill her but show her what her family took from him.

Staring at a merry go round in the park, Gogo tells Emily how he wanted to bring his son here, but that he never came to visit. Gogo knew she was Claire when he saw her reverting back to her nervous tick at the club. Not sure of what to say, Gogo is upset by the duplicity of Emily. Wanting the truth about what happened, Gogo tells Emily that Alison ruined his life, and from what he can tell, she ruined Emily’s too.

Gogo relates what happened that night at the bar on the island. Edwin tells Gogo that he is not in love with Sara, but what he did to keep Sara away from him was for Gogo’s own good. Alison interrupts the two friends wanting Gogo to dance with her. After they dance, the three leave for a much more intimate spot, where after some kissing, Alison convinces Gogo and Edwin to kiss. Drunk and high on marijuana, Alison passes out leaving Edwin and Gogo to confront the kiss.

Edwin’s true feelings come out, and Gogo learns that he feels the same way. Edwin confesses to Gogo that he kept Sara away from him because he was in love with Gogo. They kiss and the story takes Gogo back to New York with Emily.

Telling her that the kiss unlocked something in him, Gogo admits that the relationship with Edwin is not something he wanted or knew he wanted, and that it changed everything in him. Alison awakens and stumbles off shocked by what she saw. Surprised by the truth in his words, Emily believes him.

Tyler (Caleb Lowell) and Olivia (Melissa Juliet Lawson) are kissing at the pool, but it doesn’t last long as he walks away. She seeks out Wes (Joshuah Melnick) and soon forgets about Tyler. Alison has made her way back to the hotel, and while upset and vulnerable, she meets Tyler and they have sex.

Confronting Tyler in the present, Emily seeks answers. It’s 6:30 in the morning, and she tells him that she knows that Tyler had sex with Alison the last night. Admitting to Emily that he lied, Tyler describes how he didn’t want to be named as a suspect. Questioning if he killed Alison, he reminds her that Emily was the last person to see Alison alive not him.

This comes as quite a revelation to Emily. Following Alison, Tyler found Alison in the room talking to Claire/Emily. The two sisters have an argument with Alison describing how phony she thinks she is. Alison is in a bad place mentally. Telling Claire that she must go, she asks Alison where, and her big sister says Faraway.

Walking across the resort, Alison comes to the beach where she strips to make the swim to Faraway Cay. On the island, Alison stands in front of the waterfall proud of her accomplishment. She has made it, for once she has done something real in her life. But it will not last. Filled with excitement, an illicit spirits Alison slips on the rock hitting her head and dying alone on Faraway Cay.

Arriving back at her apartment, Emily is met by Josh (Pico Alexander) and Sunita (Kosha Patel). Telling her that they were worried, Emily relates the story she gained from Gogo and how no one killed Alison, that her death was an accident. Blaming herself, Emily thinks she could have stopped her that night, but failed to do so.

Gogo meets with Bery (Terralon Walker) and tells her about his relationship with Edwin. Wondering why he is telling her, Gogo admits that because of Emily he realizes how lonely he has been. She tells him that after all those years of Edwin keeping Sara away from him it was because Edwin was in love with Gogo.

Betsy and Bill Thomas (Betsy Brandt and Michael Park) are searching for Alison. They are getting ready for their flight and Alison is nowhere to be seen. Edwin learns that Alison is missing, and his plans to take Gogo to New York are dashed. Trying to collaborate with Gogo, Edwin is rejected and sent away.

Gogo explains that when he heard about Alison, he thought it was god’s punishment for his relationship with Edwin. Bery suggests that Edwin marrying Sara was an act of devotion to Gogo.

Three months later, Emily and Josh are ending their relationship. (This makes sense, Josh needs some stability, and Emily needs to work some things out.) Saying goodbye to Josh and Sunita, Emily gets in a cab. Stopping at the restaurant hoping to find Gogo, Emily learns that Gogo is gone and has been gone for weeks.

In California, Emily has gone home to her parents. While her mom welcomes her back openly, her dad is less than enthusiastic. Telling his daughter that she was rude and awful on their last visit, Bill is very honest with his daughter. Not willing to share what she knows Bill is less than pleased and leaves the room.

Later, Betsy talks to Emily in her room, and she brings up the trip to Paris with her aunt. Admitting to her mom that she was looking for answers, Emily talks about how some answers are never enough and some holes will never be filled. Telling her mom that she is here to live and move on, Emily wants to figure out who she is and what she wants and asks to be called Claire again.  

Gogo is on a journey back to the island. Met at the airport by Sara, Gogo learns that the island has more hotels than before. Telling Gogo that there is little time for Edwin, they leave the airport.

Finding the dying Edwin lying in bed, Gogo is shocked to see his friend in such terrible shape. Sitting and telling his friend about life in New York, Gogo regales Edwin about the past twenty years in America with the two friends reconciling.

Episode Verdict: A

The story ends well. We see what killed Alison and realize that her death had many victims. One single action led to a cataclysm of effect for Gogo, Edwin, and Emily. Alison was the victim, but she wasn’t the only victim from the island.

A brilliant cast with a mystery that keeps you guessing to the end, Saint X was fantastic.  

Bill Gowsell
Bill Gowsell has loved all things Disney since his first family trip to Walt Disney World in 1984. Since he began writing for Laughing Place in 2014, Bill has specialized in covering the Rick Riordan literary universe, a retrospective of the Touchstone Pictures movie library, and a variety of other Disney related topics. When he is not spending time with his family, Bill can be found at the bottom of a lake . . . scuba diving