On Friday, Apple TV released the final episode of its limited series Before, finally delivering answers to many of the questions that had kept viewers guessing since the very first episode. The show has received mixed reviews – a reaction that isn’t entirely surprising, considering it was never designed to appeal to a broad audience.
Before is a show with a specific appeal, unlikely to be everyone’s favorite. Its deliberate pacing and hesitation to provide clear answers early on keep viewers guessing about the show’s true focus longer than they might be used to. In today’s fast-paced world, where audiences often gravitate toward adrenaline-fueled, nonstop narratives, this approach can feel jarring. The show demands a certain degree of patience and a willingness to reflect – qualities that Western society increasingly struggles to embrace, making it harder for nuanced shows like Before to find a wider audience.
It’s only as the series unfolds that we begin to grasp its deeper premise: the concept of reincarnation – lives the characters lived before their current ones. Eli, the main character, is a successful psychiatrist and staunch believer that nothing exists beyond the realm of science. He clings to this conviction almost until the very end of the show, even as unexplainable evidence steadily mounts. At some point, he must have questioned his own sanity as he continued to reject the possibility of an afterlife – or, in this case, a “Before” – despite being bombarded with signs to the contrary.
Eli’s connection to his young patient, Noah, grows stronger and more mysterious with each episode. Eventually, we discover that Eli’s deceased wife, Lynn, is intricately tied to Noah as well. The connection between the three deepens as Lynn repeatedly appears to Eli from the afterlife, offering guidance. Yet, her true intentions remain unclear to Eli for much of the series.
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| BEFORE, Pictured: Judith Light. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. All Rights Reserved |
Lynn’s backstory, revealed in fragments, is heartbreaking. Exhausted from battling cancer and enduring endless experimental treatments, she attempted suicide before the events of the series. Eli was blinded by his relentless determination to save her at any cost, neglecting to listen to her or truly hear what she wanted. His focus remained solely on finding new trials that might save her or at least buy her more time. One day, he discovers her in the bathtub, wrists cut open, blood everywhere. Still conscious, she begs him not to call an ambulance and pleads for his help to end her suffering. Though initially resistant, Eli ultimately realizes he must honor her wish to find peace. In a gut-wrenching act of love, he pushes her under the water. Water, a recurring motif throughout the series, becomes a powerful symbol of both trauma and release.
Meanwhile, Noah’s mysterious condition has puzzled doctors all season. Delusional and plagued by hallucinations, freezing episodes, and near-drowning incidents despite no water being present, no one can identify the root cause of his illness. With no solutions in sight, the medical team recommends transferring him to a long-term care facility. However, Eli remains determined not to give up, especially as it becomes increasingly evident that Noah is inexplicably also connected to Lynn’s former boyfriend, Benjamin, who died long before Noah was born – before Eli and Lynn were even together.
By episode nine, Eli finally begins to accept that what’s happening to him and Noah defies scientific explanation. He comes to believe that he, Lynn, Benjamin, and Noah shared a connection in a previous life – one where something so traumatic happened to Noah that his soul still carries the pain, preventing him from fully living in this life.
At this point, Eli has been admitted to the psychiatric ward, with those around him attributing his changed behavior and his obsession to help Noah to unresolved grief over Lynn’s death. Stripped of his role as Noah’s doctor, Eli feels helpless as the boy’s transfer is arranged. Surprisingly, Noah’s foster mother, who often doubted Eli’s competence, turns to him for help, suspecting that he understands what’s happening to Noah better than anyone else. Eli is convinced he knows how to help the boy but there is little he can do as he is trapped in the psych ward.
A sketch Lynn drew for the children’s book she was working on prior to her death, gives Eli the inspiration he needs: It shows two children in the woods, one with blood on their hand – a wound – which sparks the idea in Eli to injure himself. This forces the hospital to transfer him to another department for treatment, creating an opportunity for him to escape. Taking advantage of the moment, he abducts Noah and brings him to the farmhouse, believing it to be the key to unlocking the boy’s trauma.
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| BEFORE, Pictured: Billy Crystal & Jacobi Jupe. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. All Rights Reserved |
At this point, the story begins to unravel, with events becoming increasingly surreal and difficult to interpret. The farmhouse exudes an unsettling presence, an unidentifiable energy. Is it a result of Eli and Noah’s arrival, or has it always been there? This mysterious force feels intrinsically tied to the eerie worms that have haunted both Noah and Eli throughout the series. Even as the show reaches its conclusion, the origins of the farmhouse’s presence and the cryptic worms remain shrouded in mystery. Whether these are unresolved loose ends or deliberate choices to highlight the limits of human comprehension is left open to interpretation.
Inside the farmhouse, reality seems to warp. Rooms shift and morph, leaving Eli disoriented. He loses track of Noah and panics, frantically searching for him. Then, inexplicably, the house appears to eject him. Stumbling outside, he is flooded with memories. Eli sees himself as a young boy in a past life, alongside Noah – who was a girl in that lifetime – and another girl, whom he recognizes as Lynn in her previous incarnation.
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| BEFORE, Pictured: Walter Mulroony and Delaney Bike. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. All Rights Reserved |
As these vivid recollections unfold, Eli finds himself at a frozen lake. In his memories, the three children stumble upon what appears to be a bee nest (in winter?!?) and are chased by a furious swarm. Terrified, they run for their lives until the boy – Eli in his former life – accidentally pushes the girl (Noah in her past life) onto the ice. She strikes her head and lies motionless before the ice beneath her gives way, plunging her into the freezing cold and dark water. The other girl, a past-life Lynn, begs the boy (Eli) to jump in and save their friend, but paralyzed by fear, he runs away instead.
Caught between his memories and the present, Eli becomes desperate to find Noah. When he finally locates him, he heeds the advice given by the girl who was Lynn in a former life: “Jump!” Clutching Noah tightly, Eli leaps into the lake. Submerged for what feels like an eternity, it’s uncertain whether either of them will survive his desperate bid to heal the boy. While underwater, Eli confronts his own lingering trauma – the pain of losing Lynn and the burden of helping her die. What unfolds in Noah’s mind remains a mystery. When Eli finally pulls them from the water, Noah isn’t breathing. Panicked yet resolute, Eli starts CPR, echoing the moment he once performed the same act on Benjamin, Lynn’s former boyfriend and Noah’s past incarnation.
For a tense, harrowing moment, Eli considers giving up as Noah shows no signs of life. But after everything he has endured, he refuses to let the boy slip away. With unwavering determination, he continues chest compressions until Noah finally gasps for air. Overwhelmed with relief, Eli collapses beside the boy on the ground. In a poignant flashback, Eli is shown lying in the exact same position next to Lynn’s lifeless body on the bathroom floor. The visual parallel is striking, highlighting the profound and intricate connection between their three souls.
Noah is now wide awake and alert, with no memory of what transpired. He suddenly speaks and behaves like any typical boy his age. Meanwhile, the sound of police sirens signals Eli’s impending arrest for abducting the boy.
Eli is readmitted to the hospital, where he completes five months of residential psychiatric treatment, while Noah moves on to live a normal life, displaying age-appropriate behavior. Though a court-ordered restriction prevents Eli from seeing Noah again, it no longer matters – he accomplished what truly mattered: saving him. Eli couldn’t save the young girl from his past life, nor Benjamin, and he was powerless to prevent Lynn’s death – but this time, with Noah, he succeeded.
The last scene of the series finale underscores how profoundly Eli has changed through everything he’s experienced. In a touching moment, his granddaughter Sophie hands him a rose, claiming that Grandma Lynn wanted her to give it to him. While Eli might have reacted angrily in the past, dismissing her claims of communicating with Lynn, this time he simply smiles and gently asks Sophie to thank Lynn for him. When he asks the girl what else grandma is saying she answers with: she says “listen”.
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| BEFORE, Pictured: Rebecca Ruanel. AppleTV+ ©2024 AppleTV+. All Rights Reserved |
Though the series ends on a hopeful note, one detail leaves room for ambiguity: Eli still has the worm hallucinations – a haunting reminder of the lives he has lived before and the high possibility that his journey isn’t over.
Before explored themes rarely tackled on television, making it a unique and thought-provoking show. However, it wasn’t without its flaws. The underutilization of its female cast – particularly the brilliant Judith Light – felt like a missed opportunity, and the enigmatic subplot involving Sophie’s apparent ability to communicate with Lynn was left unresolved. The significance of the worm hallucination also remains unclear, raising more questions than answers.
Despite its imperfections, Before delivers a bold narrative that challenges viewers to reflect on trauma, connection, and the mysterious forces that shape our lives. While it may not appeal to everyone, the seamless chemistry of the cast and their outstanding performances across all ten episodes are undeniable. Billy Crystal is fully committed to the role of Eli Adler, offering a consistently compelling portrayal.
For fans of slow-burn mysteries with a touch of the metaphysical, Before is a journey well worth taking. Personally, I found it thoroughly enjoyable and deeply engaging – a series that lingers long after the final credits roll. With most episodes earning a spot in Apple TV's top 10, it’s clear that many viewers share the sentiment.
What are your thoughts on the show and its conclusion? Join the conversation in the comments below!
