The Woman in the Wall Season 1 Episode 6 Review: A Little Resurrection

Lorna’s story comes to a satisfying conclusion on The Woman in the Wall Season 1 Episode 6, “A Little Resurrection.”

After spending the entire season asking who Aoife Cassidy is, wondering if Agnes could still be alive, and who the cruelty man truly is, the series pulls back all the curtains for its final outing.

An Unfortunate Discovery

“A Little Resurrection” brings the much-needed closure we’ve hoped for. Right out of the gate, the episode takes us back to Father Percy’s home before his death, where Aoife visits him after thirty years.

Through a series of flashbacks, it’s revealed that Aoife suffers from a condition called catalepsy, a rare side effect of epilepsy, which she was unaware she had.

With her condition causing her to suffer from seizures and loss of consciousness due to increased stress, we now have an explanation as to why Aoife wasn’t in the wall when Lorna tried to admit to her murder.

As the episode progresses, we learn that Aoife never blatantly hid from Lorna. After telling Clemence the truth about her daughter, Aoife went to the bar to speak with Lorna, but Michael approached Lorna before she could. Ensuring she makes it safely, Aoife escorts her out of the bar and back home, tucks her in, and attempts to hold out until she wakes up.

However, while snooping, Aoife finds Lorna’s stack of evidence in her search for Agnes’ whereabouts, bringing on an attack of catalepsy. At the same time, Lorna watches from the side in her sleepwalking state, unaware of what’s happening before her.

Everything begins to tie together with this newfound knowledge. Lorna was unaware of Aoife’s presence in her home or how she “died” because she was unconscious at the time.

As we later learn, though, despite Aoife’s efforts, she only makes it as far as Lorna’s attic, where her decaying corpse is later found.

It’s truly an unfortunate conclusion because it only highlights how close Lorna was to learning the truth and how both Michael’s and her decisions kept her from the truth all season long.

At the end of the day, there’s a sense of self-preservation at play in her thought process, but had Lorna called the police when she discovered Aoife’s body, rather than stuffing her in the wall, none of this would’ve taken place. I find it to be a perfect example of how the choices we make on a day-to-day basis directly affect our future, no matter how small.

A Decades-Long Truth Revealed

After spending the majority of his life under the guise that Father Percy and the nuns were attempting to keep Colman safe from the “Cruelty Man” at Lazarus House, it’s revealed those roles were reversed.

Thanks to the admittance of guilt from Massey, Colman learns that the man haunting his nightmares was, in reality, someone sent to help children just like him.

This revelation is Colman’s last straw, sending him even deeper into his investigation and determination to catch Coyle. Unfortunately for him, Massey’s change of heart and his perseverance can only do so much, and Coyle has decades to craft the perfect getaway plan, allowing any loose ends to take the fall before ever admitting to what he’s done.

A Heartwarming Ending

While Lorna ending up in jail isn’t ideal, it’s always been the anticipated outcome as the season concludes, and it doesn’t take away from the fact that we finally see her reunited with her daughter, Agnes.

After enduring a rough life filled with the debilitating loss of her daughter, inability to have proper sleep due to nightmares, and constantly on the hunt for answers, the end to Lorna’s storyline is fitting and worthwhile.

The only thing we could wish more as an audience would be for Lorna and Agnes to have an in-person reunion versus virtually, but it doesn’t take away from that emotional factor.

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Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack have been delivering exceptional performances all season long, but the lengths the two go to in the season finale are unmatched.

Wilson takes charge, demanding viewers’ attention mid-way through the episode when Lorna confronts the officials at St. Alma’s. Her conveyance of a mother desperately hoping to reunite with her estranged daughter is taken to new levels, with the emotionality of the situation palpable.

It doesn’t end there, either. Wilson and McCormack’s chemistry towards the end, particularly when Lorna thinks of stopping her search for Agnes and seeking validation from Colman, is out of this world. 

Wilson and McCormack share the screen effortlessly, and I desperately need them to work on another project together in the future.

It’s a shame that the series likely won’t see a Season 2, considering Coyle and his loyal accomplices did not receive the swift hand of justice they deserved. However, with Massey’s newfound position on the matter and Colman’s determination, there’s still a sense of hope that the ending we so desire does take place off-screen as the series leaves it up to the viewers’ imagination.

What did you think of the season finale of The Woman in the Wall? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Woman in the Wall Season 1 is available to stream on Showtime. 

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