I Am the Night Episode 5 Recap

Following last week’s fourth episode of TNT’s I Am the Night, Jay and Fauna, now bonded through the death of Dr. Hodel’s right-hand man Sepp, search for a way to make it to Hawaii so Fauna can find her mother, Tamar. Meanwhile, Jay hopes that Tamar holds the answers to the Hodel case that destroyed his career.

The Search Continues

The beginning of the episode takes us back to 1949 where a young Tamar Hodel is sitting in a courtroom listening to an “expert” depict all of the reasons why she is not a credible witness in the case against her father. The doctor claims her alleged psychosexual delusions made her obsessed with her father, desiring to replace her step-mother as “the dominant female.” The jury laughs at Tamar’s accusations that Dr. Hodel is the Black Dahlia murderer.

Back in the present, Jay tells Peter that he found Tamar’s daughter. He explains that Fauna was given away after Tamar was sent to the convent. For the first time, Peter’s interest in Jay’s desire to re-investigate the Black Dahlia is piqued. Peter agrees to provide two tickets to Hawaii so Jay and Fauna can find Tamar, under the condition that Jay comes up with something big.

When Jay arrives at Fauna’s aunt’s house to pick her up, Jimmy Lee — who recently arrived in town to fetch Fauna — loses it, chasing him out of the house with a knife. Fauna sneaks out of the house to Jay’s car as the two quickly flee from Jimmy Lee.

Welcome to Hawaii

When Jay and Fauna arrive in Hawaii, Fauna is taken aback by how beautiful the ocean is. She’s nervous about meeting her mom, but Jay says that Tamar will be happy to see her. When the search starts out unsuccessful, Fauna begins to express doubts over whether Tamar actually does want to see her, not understanding why her mother gave her up. When Fauna demands to know what Hodel did, Jay only reveals that he ran an illegal abortion clinic.

Later, Jay reminisces about the last time he was Hawaii. He reveals he was a soldier in Korea, quietly contemplating why they don’t teach soldiers how to “come back” into society. Nearby a group of drunk Navy sailors spots Fauna, one of them aggressively trying to get her to dance with him. Jay separates the man from the 16-year-old girl and the two leave, but not before Jay gets in a solid hit to the man’s jaw.

Jay decides to sleep in the car as Fauna heads into their motel room. Struggling with his PTSD, Jay continues to dream about dead Korean soldiers as well as Sepp, who Jay killed in self-defense in the last episode. The man’s face now haunts him as the others do. Fauna comes out to the car and wakes up Jay, saying she could hear him screaming. She tells Jay killing Sepp wasn’t his fault because he had saved Fauna’s life. Jay talks about war, how he never expected that he would enjoy it, how all of the ghosts would follow him forever. Fauna says that she’s only alive and breathing because of what Jay did.

Tamar Hodel

The next day, Jay and Fauna finally find Tamar. As mother and daughter catch up, Tamar explains that after Fauna was born, she was never allowed to hold her. Fauna is then stunned when Tamar confirms that she’s not mixed race. Tamar explains that she put on Fauna’s birth certificate that her father was black because “every white person I know was a liar, and black people were nice to me.” As the strange conversation continues, Fauna’s world turning upside down, she finally learns about the trial from when Tamar was a teen.

Tamar tells Fauna that her dad, Hodel, raped her. Fauna runs from her mother after the horrifying revelation that her grandfather is also her dad. Fauna later yells at Jay for not telling her about the trial. Fauna wants to leave, but Jay says he needs to talk to Tamar first. After Jay tries to comfort Fauna over the truth about her past, Fauna tells Jay she hates him and storms off.

Jay calls Peter saying he wants to leave Fauna out of the story because he’s worried it will ruin her, but Peter says no, they need her. Jay goes to Tamar and tells her that he covered her trial in ’49. He says he needs her help to stop Hodel, but Tamar just laughs, saying it’s impossible. Tamar says that everyone knew that Hodel killed the Black Dahlia, a.k.a. Elizabeth Short, but the “universe protects George.”

Tamar shows Jay a few pieces of canvas art that Hodel made and sent to her, giving him permission to look through them. Jay starts sorting through the paintings, recognizing Elizabeth Short, Janice Brewster, and the portraits of four more women he likely killed.

Real Evil is Tricky

Back in Los Angeles, Jay contacts Peter who tells him to meet up with him and to bring Fauna. Pulling up outside of the building, Jay tells Fauna to wait for him in the car. He also admits that he believes Hodel is a killer and murdered the Black Dahlia before heading into the restaurant alone. Jay starts showing Peter evidence that Hodel killed Elizabeth Short and Janice Brewster, but Peter yells at him that they need Fauna.

Jay realizes that they’re being listened to when Peter continues acting strangely. Peter tells Jay that “real evil is tricky.” Jay grabs his hand, asking Peter what’s going on. Suddenly, Detective Billis and a few other cops walk into the room, holding Jay at gunpoint. Peter whispers to Jay that he’s sorry with tears in his eyes.

Fauna watches from down the street as Jay is taken away in handcuffs. Fauna heads back to her aunt’s place, finding the home empty. She calls Jimmy Lee, who has returned home to Nevada. Fauna cries, thanking her adopted mother for taking care of her and that she loves her. She also promises to never leave her again and that Jimmy Lee can call her Pat if she wants. Jimmy Lee tells Pat to get home, saying, “You’re always gonna be Jimmy Lee’s little girl.” But, when Fauna asks Jimmy Lee if she knew about the old Hodel trial, Jimmy gets angry and tells her to stay in Hawaii.

After she hangs up, it’s revealed that Hodel is in Jimmy Lee’s home and he was listening to the conversation. After the two, who clearly have history, tiptoe around each other, Jimmy Lee tries to escape. Hodel stabs her a few times in the back before fleeing as Jimmy’s friend breaks in and calls for help. Elsewhere, Jay is stuck in a jail cell as Hodel drives back to Los Angeles.

What did you think of Episode 4 of I Am the Night? Let us know in the comments below!