Episode 3 · Owen, Nora, Adrian Hawthorne
Inside the pitch-black apartment, Owen phones Nora to say he is terrified of the power loss. Adrian Hawthorne sits beside Nora in the car with baby Milo and claims Owen is only making excuses. Nora threatens to lock Owen in a care home if he phones again, then disconnects. Owen kneels alone on the floor. At noon, he places refrigerated pasta inside the microwave, but the appliance stays dead.
Owen calls Nora in panic about the outage. In the car, Adrian Hawthorne holds Milo and tells Nora that Owen is faking to make her turn back. Nora sharply warns Owen to stop calling or face a facility, then cuts the call.
Owen sinks onto his knees in the dark living room after Nora hangs up. He speaks quietly to himself, repeating that he must remain well-behaved. The room stays silent as hours pass and morning turns into midday.
Hunger drives Owen into the kitchen. He pulls pasta from the refrigerator and slides it into the microwave just like Nora taught him. Owen presses the start button, but nothing lights up and the plate remains motionless.
“Nora, no power at home. I'm scared.”
“Nora, he just wants you to go back.”
“If you call me again over something like this, I'll send you back to the care facility.”
“Be good, Owen.”
Owen stands frozen before the cold microwave, unable to understand why it will not turn on. His stomach remains empty, and the apartment is still completely dark. Nora has forbidden him from calling again or asking for help. Will Owen try to eat the cold pasta, or will he risk Nora's anger by reaching out once more?