The Lost Symbol Review: The Araf (Season 1 Episode 2)
On Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol Season 1 Episode 2, “The Araf,” Katherine and Langdon find a new ally in Warren, one of Peter’s masonic friends, who assists them with the next part of their investigation — the mysterious page from Peter’s safe.
One of the concerns going into this series is that it might be hard for us to follow along with Langdon’s investigation, as most of us are probably not versed in symbology or religious texts. However, “The Araf” dissuades that fear.
It does this by not moving too quickly.
The letter isn’t an easy puzzle to solve — Langdon and company figure out one thing and two more puzzles arise — and so we’re not being rushed into a new mystery before wrapping our heads around the prior one. The Lost Symbol knows how to take its time without making it feel as if things are moving too slowly.
The page is also not the only mystery of the hour. We’re also following along Agent Sato’s investigation (and all the secrecy that comes with it) and Peter’s time in captivity. There’s a lot to focus on, and everything is connected.
The Lost Symbol uses all these storylines to weave together an intriguing hour of television. There’s never a lull when it comes to the intrigue that is constantly looming over the show, even when we switch from Langdon and Katherine examining the coded text to Agent Sato’s attempts to track them down.
However, this doesn’t mean that the hour is inundated with mystery. “The Araf” still finds time for the more human elements, specifically exploring Katherine’s fear and grief, that ground the show.
It’s important not to get too wrapped up in the mystery that we forget there are real people involved. Langdon and Katherine aren’t hardened detectives, oblivious to the severity of the issue.
Katherine’s grief also segues us back to her last conversation with her brother. This is the only time a flashback has worked so far in the series. It shows us how badly their talk went, and it helps us to see how much she doesn’t want to repeat something similar with her father.
Katherine proves to be a good companion for Langdon. She balances him out and is able to do things that he cannot, like convince Warren to help. She also helps pull him out of the puzzle, allowing us to see more of who Langdon is when he isn’t deciphering clues.
This is why the threat to Langdon to cut Katherine loose at the end of the episode is a bit concerning. It’s much more compelling to see Langdon working alongside people, and the thought of him out there alone isn’t as appealing.
Sure, he could find another person to help him for a bit, as Warren does in this episode, but we’re likely to be more invested if we know whoever is helping him, and they aren’t someone who simply appears for one episode and then vanishes.
What did you think of this episode of The Lost Symbol? Was anyone else thrilled to see Nunez again? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New episodes of The Lost Symbol premiere Thursdays on Peacock.
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Allison Nichols
Allison is in a love affair with television that doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Slightly damaged fictional characters are her weakness. She loves to spend her free time curled up with a cat and a show to binge-watch. Allison is a Tomatometer-approved critic (Rotten Tomatoes).