Home Before Dark series premiere recap: What happened in Erie Harbor?
By Mads Lennon
Hilde’s speech has an impact, at least it appears that way until some kid starts a massive food fight. Hilde winds up escorted to Principal Kim Collin’s (Joelle Carter) office.
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Hilde happened to notice the footprint left behind by Kim’s high heels and recognizes it as the same pattern she saw in Penny’s yard. I guess she has a photographic memory. After noticing that clue, Hilde investigates Kim’s office when she gets a moment alone and stumbles upon Penny’s missing VCR!
Back at home, Penny and Izzy watch the tape inside and witness disturbing footage showing Richie’s abduction into the back of a van. In the end, one kid is left standing in the street, yelling for help, and Hilde wonders aloud if that kid is their father.
Izzy recommends that Hilde keep the tape a secret for now, and Hilde winds up agreeing. It seems like Izzy thinks their father might have done something that could get him into trouble.
The episode ends with Hilde confronting her dad and telling him that she’s going to find out the truth about Penny, no matter what. There is an obvious implication that Hilde thinks she’s going to help her dad, too, by potentially learning what happened to Richie in the past.
Instead of discouraging her, Matthew gives Hilde a camera and sends her on her journey. “Be smart.” He tells her. “I’d rather be brave,” Hilde responds. “Well then, be both.” Matthew shoots back — and these two are officially my favorite new father/daughter duo on television right now.
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Odds & Ends
- Hilde tells her dad that Penny had “something else to give” Matthew. What was it?
- I appreciated that the show doesn’t forget Hilde’s age. She’s smart, but she’s also still a kid. She has moments of weakness, and vulnerability that make her feel like a realistic character, especially helped along by Prince’s performance.
- I was a little fuzzy on this part, but it looked like Matt discovered a sealed-off room inside the house. He cut open the covering and went upstairs to the attic. Inside the room, there was a safe and he tried to open and didn’t seem to be able to. Then after we see him with a box of his old reporter stuff, including a camera, which was the same one he gives Hilde at the end of the episode.
What did you think about the first episode of Home Before Dark? Are you looking forward to the rest of the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.