This review may contain spoilers
It's the finale that makes it all work!
I've read several comments that tell you to just watch, and let it all unfold. But if you can't do that, then this spoiler is for you. (Rather than miss out on a terrific story.)
SPOILERS
this story starts out with a young man, Alan, (in his 20's) who thinks he is being haunted by this old man ghost. he sees the ghost in the reflections of glass, and in mirrors. He's terrified of it. and tries to communicate with it, but the only thing it ever says is "remember!" (sometimes angrily) and "Come back to me". This kid's fears are so great, he completely freaks out, and even faints sometimes. His father is so worried and stressed about it, and keeps telling him he's have hallucinations, that there is no ghost, and that he is suffering from memory issues, until he gets to the point of having him committed in an asylum. (a VERY high end, private one).
His doctor seems to know him pretty well, but throughout the first 6 episodes Alan thinks that the doctors are trying to 'trick' him, have some secret they are keeping from him, and maybe are 'out to get him'. We are also introduced to Win, another patient in the hospital. He likes to climb through Alan's window to visit him. The 2 grow very close to eo, and form a tight bond. Win often disappears at all the wrong times, leaving Alan to face a scolding from the doctor, when those two have been up to some kind of adventure. Much of the series is the two of them trying to figure out what is actually going on in the hospital, or what is being kept from Alan. Alan makes mention several times of not knowing who he even is. At one point, the 2 of them even managed to escape from the facility.
Another scene, they are standing in a cemetery (that is apparently on the grounds) and Win tells Alan they have a lot in common with the people in the cemetery, because they are the lost and forgotten people in the hospital, that no one comes to visit. Just like the lost and forgotten souls in their graves. (insert tears)
When you get to ep 7, a few things are starting to come together, but it's ep 8 that blew me away. Alan is at the end of his rope, he's 100% positive that his dad, and his doctor are tricking him, and trying to keep some big truth from him. He thinks the meds they are giving him are making him forget his past, and everything else.
Finally, they take him to a computer. They play a video of an old man, talking to Alan. Turns out, the old man talking on the video IS the old man that has been haunting Alan.
If you didn't guess it, Alan, in his prime, was a well known professor and doctor of psychiatry. He and Win grew up in an orphanage. When the Abbot died (who ran the orphanage) Alan and Win were older, and they turned the house (mansion) into this asylum to help people with mental issues. They loved eo, and even adopted a son, Alex, together. At some point, Win gets leukemia and dies. But before he did, Alan told him he would never forget him, and he would always be remembered in his heart.
Alan develops Alzheimer's. He sees himself as a young man, so the man in the mirror was actually himself, when he had peak moments and saw himself as he really was. But his brain didn't catch up to what he thought he was, and so those images freaked him out. Win was imaginary during all the episodes, not because he made him up, but because he had him so firmly embedded in his heart and mind, that he literally never forgot him. So a life lived without him, was not one his brain was willing to give up, even with his dementia. (grab your tissues)
His dad, Alex, was actually his son. (that really broke my heart). Imagine your parent having Alzheimer's and they believe they are young, so you must be THEIR parent!
After watching the video, he has a few hours/days of lucidity. There is no cure for Alzheimer's, only mild moments of memory recall, and they get further away as the disease progresses.
When he actually recognizes his son, and hugs him, I cried. What a spectacular moment, and one that many can only wish for with a parent/loved one who is traveling this road.
Then, the very last 5 ish mins of the finale, we see old Alan, sitting at a table in the common room, playing with the blocks of a Jenga game. He spells out WIN on the table with them. The next scene, he is in his bathroom, washing his face, when he hears a noise in the bedroom. He walks towards the window, when it suddenly opens, and Win is there. He exclaims "Win! What are you doing here?" Win responds "I've come to see you!" Alan says "Really? I haven't seen you in a while, where have you been?" Win responds "I know, but remember, I made a promise." Alan "What promise?" Win "I've come to pick you up, just like I promised you." But Alan is still this old man, and asks Win how he likes seeing him so old, and is surprised he recognized him. But Win tells him, he's not old at all, and he should go look in the mirror. When Alan bends down to look, he sees his young self again.
Then Win takes him by the hand and asks him if he's ready to go. Alan responds "Go where?" and Win says "Our journey is just beginning." Then the scene cuts back to old Alan, sitting at the table in the common room, his head nodded forward, resting gently on his chest. The nurse comes over, and says "Come on Alan, it's time to go to bed." and touches him on the shoulder. Alan falls sideways, dead. (have any tissues left? I needed another box)
Then we see Alan and Win smiling at eo, walking into a bright light, and then running with eo, on a path with sunshine, and trees and happiness. The end.
The rest of the side characters, relationships, etc. was not all that important to the story. There were some parts, like that guy in room 203 (I think) that I didn't get. but again, the main story is about this smart, incredible doctor and how Alzheimer's affected him, and his loved ones. That part was so well told, the fears, the loss of memory to not even KNOW your own reflection, the constant confusion was so well played.
If you just let the story unfold, it was tragically beautiful.
Sadly, the likelihood of our lives being touched by someone with dementia of some kind is pretty high. Currently in the USA, 1 in 9 adults over 65 are living with this awful disease.
SPOILERS
this story starts out with a young man, Alan, (in his 20's) who thinks he is being haunted by this old man ghost. he sees the ghost in the reflections of glass, and in mirrors. He's terrified of it. and tries to communicate with it, but the only thing it ever says is "remember!" (sometimes angrily) and "Come back to me". This kid's fears are so great, he completely freaks out, and even faints sometimes. His father is so worried and stressed about it, and keeps telling him he's have hallucinations, that there is no ghost, and that he is suffering from memory issues, until he gets to the point of having him committed in an asylum. (a VERY high end, private one).
His doctor seems to know him pretty well, but throughout the first 6 episodes Alan thinks that the doctors are trying to 'trick' him, have some secret they are keeping from him, and maybe are 'out to get him'. We are also introduced to Win, another patient in the hospital. He likes to climb through Alan's window to visit him. The 2 grow very close to eo, and form a tight bond. Win often disappears at all the wrong times, leaving Alan to face a scolding from the doctor, when those two have been up to some kind of adventure. Much of the series is the two of them trying to figure out what is actually going on in the hospital, or what is being kept from Alan. Alan makes mention several times of not knowing who he even is. At one point, the 2 of them even managed to escape from the facility.
Another scene, they are standing in a cemetery (that is apparently on the grounds) and Win tells Alan they have a lot in common with the people in the cemetery, because they are the lost and forgotten people in the hospital, that no one comes to visit. Just like the lost and forgotten souls in their graves. (insert tears)
When you get to ep 7, a few things are starting to come together, but it's ep 8 that blew me away. Alan is at the end of his rope, he's 100% positive that his dad, and his doctor are tricking him, and trying to keep some big truth from him. He thinks the meds they are giving him are making him forget his past, and everything else.
Finally, they take him to a computer. They play a video of an old man, talking to Alan. Turns out, the old man talking on the video IS the old man that has been haunting Alan.
If you didn't guess it, Alan, in his prime, was a well known professor and doctor of psychiatry. He and Win grew up in an orphanage. When the Abbot died (who ran the orphanage) Alan and Win were older, and they turned the house (mansion) into this asylum to help people with mental issues. They loved eo, and even adopted a son, Alex, together. At some point, Win gets leukemia and dies. But before he did, Alan told him he would never forget him, and he would always be remembered in his heart.
Alan develops Alzheimer's. He sees himself as a young man, so the man in the mirror was actually himself, when he had peak moments and saw himself as he really was. But his brain didn't catch up to what he thought he was, and so those images freaked him out. Win was imaginary during all the episodes, not because he made him up, but because he had him so firmly embedded in his heart and mind, that he literally never forgot him. So a life lived without him, was not one his brain was willing to give up, even with his dementia. (grab your tissues)
His dad, Alex, was actually his son. (that really broke my heart). Imagine your parent having Alzheimer's and they believe they are young, so you must be THEIR parent!
After watching the video, he has a few hours/days of lucidity. There is no cure for Alzheimer's, only mild moments of memory recall, and they get further away as the disease progresses.
When he actually recognizes his son, and hugs him, I cried. What a spectacular moment, and one that many can only wish for with a parent/loved one who is traveling this road.
Then, the very last 5 ish mins of the finale, we see old Alan, sitting at a table in the common room, playing with the blocks of a Jenga game. He spells out WIN on the table with them. The next scene, he is in his bathroom, washing his face, when he hears a noise in the bedroom. He walks towards the window, when it suddenly opens, and Win is there. He exclaims "Win! What are you doing here?" Win responds "I've come to see you!" Alan says "Really? I haven't seen you in a while, where have you been?" Win responds "I know, but remember, I made a promise." Alan "What promise?" Win "I've come to pick you up, just like I promised you." But Alan is still this old man, and asks Win how he likes seeing him so old, and is surprised he recognized him. But Win tells him, he's not old at all, and he should go look in the mirror. When Alan bends down to look, he sees his young self again.
Then Win takes him by the hand and asks him if he's ready to go. Alan responds "Go where?" and Win says "Our journey is just beginning." Then the scene cuts back to old Alan, sitting at the table in the common room, his head nodded forward, resting gently on his chest. The nurse comes over, and says "Come on Alan, it's time to go to bed." and touches him on the shoulder. Alan falls sideways, dead. (have any tissues left? I needed another box)
Then we see Alan and Win smiling at eo, walking into a bright light, and then running with eo, on a path with sunshine, and trees and happiness. The end.
The rest of the side characters, relationships, etc. was not all that important to the story. There were some parts, like that guy in room 203 (I think) that I didn't get. but again, the main story is about this smart, incredible doctor and how Alzheimer's affected him, and his loved ones. That part was so well told, the fears, the loss of memory to not even KNOW your own reflection, the constant confusion was so well played.
If you just let the story unfold, it was tragically beautiful.
Sadly, the likelihood of our lives being touched by someone with dementia of some kind is pretty high. Currently in the USA, 1 in 9 adults over 65 are living with this awful disease.
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