We're now halfway into Yaga, and after weeks of fans anticipating Henry Park's arrival, Hudson Williams finally made his debut as the character in last week's highly talked about threesome scene. Henry plays a much larger role in this week's episode, which follows after Rapp questioned Olena Yaha in the hospital and seemingly pushed the older woman toward her death.
Yaga episode 5 opens from the point of view of the video of Logan's death that was posted from Henry's account, but there's no new information revealed about who took the video. Suddenly, we're back in real time as Eckert reprimands Rapp for nearly causing Olena to die, but she didn't. He's also mad that Rapp and Carson broke into her house without a warrant. Now they can't charge her for selling drugs (with human bones in them!) to kids. But they turn their focus to the video.
Carson continues her theory that Henry killed Logan, since the video was taken on Henry's phone. However, Rapp shows a drawing of the mask in the video from Olena's journal. He continues to explain his theory about Baba Yaga, but Carson and Eckert look at him like he's crazy. Rapp wants to look for the cult's cabin the woods in case that's where Henry's being held captive.
Despite beggin Carson to see his side, Rapp's on his own after being sidelined while Eckert and Carson head to Sandeson's when they learn that's where the video was posted from. Unfortunately, they don't learn new information from Geena. A child distracts Rapp as he waits for his rental car. She mentions seeing the bad dog, meaning Henry, in the chicken house. But there's no little girl.
Henry interviews Katherine about Baba Yaga
When Rapp gets inside his rental car, he finds a mysterious package on the passenger seat. While looking around Sandeson's, Carson spots a photo of Geena and Katherine. Eckert also found Katherine's helmet in Geena's office. She was at Sandeson's the night before since she's friends with Geena. Eckert and Carson pay Katherine a visit. She recognizes the mask as Abigail Williams' art.
Rapp unwraps the package and finds a wooden box filled with feathers and an iPhone containing Henry's podcast episode recording with Katherine. As Rapp listens, we flash back to the recording session. Henry sits in front of Katherine, and Logan stands behind them working the audio. Henry's naturally flirting, and per Logan's suggestion, he fixes Katherine's microphone near her chest.
He's a bit too touchy, and it sets an odd tone for a conversation about people eating bones and witches. Henry's transfixed as she explains what she knows about the mythology. He tells her that it's "hot," but she simply thanks him and continues. When Henry asks about Baba Yaga, Katherine gladly shares the different versions of the folklore and shares a story about Ivan the Brave.
Katherine stands up and circles Henry, touching his shoulders. As Rapp listens to the episode, he enters the woods and follows trees marked with the triskele. Katherine tells Henry the story, which includes a pivotal moment of Ivan asking to blow on the witch's horns, and she has to give the horns to him. She also explains a phoenix arriving, and that clearly mirrors the giant bird Rapp saw.
After finishing their conversation, Henry stands to compliment the Aztec bone on her desk. She tells him to keep it since she has two. His eyes follow her like prey as she suggests "doing it on the desk." Henry slowly initiates physical intimacy, and when he asks about Logan, Katherine simply says, "Let him listen." Logan leaves the room as Henry and Katherine start kissing.
Rapp has arrived at a large circular clearing with the triskele in its center on the ground. Meanwhile, Carson and Eckert talk to Abigail Williams about the mask, which is called The Witch. The piece was commissioned a few months ago by Henry, and he ordered three masks to be delivered to a pick-up point. That's suspicious! Rapp's also suspicious of Henry's watch Katherine mentioned in the podcast, which takes him to Katherine's house.
Rapp gets closer to Katherine and hallucinates a Henry kiss
As Rapp looks around while Katherine cooks their dinner, he learns that she has a daughter named Anna, who lives in Prague. They don't have a strong relationship. Katherine says that some people aren't made to be mothers. While Rapp has a flirty dinner with Katherine, Carson joins Eckert at his house to keep listening to Logan's tapes of Henry having sex.
Rapp doesn't waste time when they sit down to eat to ask Katherine about Baba Yaga. She shares some of the history behind the folklore, which includes men going missing, leading to speculation that the woman believed to be Baba Yag was behind it. She was tortured, but before she could be "burned at the stake," her hut was gone as if it had never existed. Katherine feel's empathy for the witch.
In the background of a video, Eckert spots what looks like someone dragging a body. Carson realizes that the suspect could have known which angles to avoid from being caught on the house's security cameras. She texts Rapp about the killer knowing how to work the Park's security. The situation gets weird when Eckert kisses Carson, misreading signals she wasn't sending him at all.
Carson immediately leaves and drafts multiple texts to Rapp about the incident before simply asking him where he is, but he only replies that he's busy. Rapp and Katherine share a drink and he shares some of his theories about her relationship with Henry. He continues to ignore Carson's messages and calls. Katherine pokes holes in Rapp's theory, including the Aztec artifact she gave Henry.
Rapp and Katherine get caught up in the heat of the moment and kiss. She tells him what to do—take of his clothes, get on the floor—and he listens. Back at home, Carson sniffs Rapp's undershirt from the party and touches herself. Rapp and Katherine have sex, and later that night in her bathroom, he sees scratches all over his chest and skin he's been itching all season is inflamed.
He hallucinates a naked Henry grabbing his neck and kissing him. A feather falls out of Henry's mouth before blood pours out. When Rapp comes to on the stairs of Katherine's home, he finds Lily banging on Katherine's door and calling out for help. She coughs up blood on the glass door and then on Rapp's shirt. Katherine ushers the young girl inside as Rapp finds a tooth on the ground.
Yaga episode 5 review
For half of the season, Yaga has kept the mystery of Henry Park's disappearance alive, but not even just his disappearance has been a mystery. His appearance has been hanging over our heads, making his eventual arrival the most highly anticipated part of the show. We got a taste of him in episode 4 with the shocking threesome scene, but we didn't hear him talk.
In "The Horns," Hudson Williams officially debuts his second Yaga character, the one the entire plot revolves around, and as expected, he's absolutely sensational. Henry's hungry eyes did the heavy lifting in episode 4 (Williams is so good at having eyes, as we say), but we experience the full spectrum of his essence in the flashback to Henry's podcast recording with Katherine.
He's simultaneously charming and unsettling, a combination that Williams relishes in and completely crushes. You can't help but understand Henry's devilish allure while also feeling creeped out by him. Williams again pulls double duty in episode 5, also appearing as the awkward and meek Logan in the same scene where Henry detonates his sex appeal like an atom bomb.
Beyond the excitement that Williams' performance will surely and deservedly ignite online, Yaga episode 5 pushed the narrative closer to the endgame. Rapp's subtle unraveling continues with more seduction and hallucinations that are playing a tennis match in the middle of his wild theories. He and Carson are no closer to untangling the mystery, but the harrowing clues are effectively piling up.
Yaga releases new episodes Fridays on AMC+ and Crave.
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