The Changeling Episode 5: Unraveling the Enigma of Apollo's Father's Book

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Apple TV+'s The Changeling.

Summary

"The Changeling" episode 5 delves into the meaning behind Apollo's father's book and how it relates to his present reality and past wounds.

In episode 5, subtle hints are given that anticipate possible twists in the storyline and suggest enigmatic secrets concerning Emma's location and what fate awaits Apollo's son.

In The Changeling's episode 5, a shocking revelation about William's true nature comes to light as he confesses to the murder of his own daughter. This revelation poses a significant threat to both Apollo and baby Brian's lives. Time is running out for Apollo and Emma as they strive to rescue their son. The episode delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding Apollo's father's book, drawing parallels to Apollo's own reality. However, many mysteries still remain unexplained. Like episode 4, episode 5 primarily takes place on the Wise Ones' island, but it also references Emma's experiences in Brazil, suggesting that her misadventures were set in motion after encountering the enigmatic lady beneath the waterfall.

Other than providing a more comprehensive account of the events that transpired following Emma's acquisition of three wishes, The Changeling episode 5 also highlights the significance of Apollo's father's book, "To The Waters & The Wild", in relation to the enigmas surrounding Apollo. As the episode approaches its final climax, Apollo discovers that William is not the person he believed him to be, propelling him towards joining forces with the Wise Ones. Many aspects pertaining to Emma's location and the fate of Apollo's son remain veiled in mystery. However, The Changeling's fifth episode offers various hints that foreshadow potential plot developments in upcoming installments. Here is a detailed breakdown of these clues.

Is The Changeling's "To The Waters & The Wild" A Real Book?

In The Changeling, Apollo frequently reads and quotes from the book "To The Waters & The Wild." Through a flashback, we learn that this book was a meaningful gift from Apollo's father, tucked away in a cardboard box. While the book appears to exist only within the show's universe, its title, "To The Waters & The Wild," directly references the W.B. Yeats poem "The Stolen Child." This poem narrates the tale of fairies attempting to entice a child away from the security and comfort of their home and into the enchanting realms of "the waters and the wild." The parallels between this poem and the unfolding events of the show are striking.

Celtic literature is used by Yeats as a narrative device in his poem, expressing his longing to return to an innocent world. The poem cleverly portrays how a baby is enticed into the enchanting realm of the fairies, reflecting Yeats' yearning to escape the harsh realities of the real world and discover solace in the mesmerizing supernatural realm. The Changeling adds a sinister twist to Yeats' fairy tale by depicting Apollo's attempts to relive the childhood he never had through his role as a father. Unfortunately, just like Yeats, no matter how diligently he endeavors to shield his child from the dark and unforgiving world, the haunting echoes of his own childhood traumas emerge, repeating themselves in a heart-wrenching cycle.

Why Did Apollo's Father Read Him The Book

In episode 5 of The Changeling, Cal reveals to Apollo that she cannot comprehend the reason behind Apollo's father's choice to consistently read him "To the Water & The Wild". Nonetheless, Cal assures him that every event depicted in the book holds true in the real world. As a result, Apollo recollects a specific passage from the book: "Babies are a dream made real, and dreams are fairies' favorite meal..." While the fifth episode of The Changeling does not explicitly elucidate the purpose of Apollo's father reading him the book, it subtly suggests that his father shared similarities with William. In the earlier episodes of the show, Apollo experiences peculiar dreams featuring his father, who unexpectedly appears at the entrance of Apollo's childhood home and releases billows of purple smoke from his mouth.

How The Book Explains What Happened To Baby Brian In The Changeling

These glimpses of his father strongly imply that he belonged to the ethereal beings mentioned in "To the Waters & The Wild" and desired to whisk Apollo away to an obscure realm of fairies, far removed from the tender embrace of their safeguarded abode. Similar to William, Apollo's father was also affiliated with a clandestine society of legendary creatures, who spirited their infants away from their mothers and substituted them with a changeling. Although the motive behind this substitution remains enigmatic, subsequent installments of The Changeling are expected to delve deeper into the intricacies of this sinister ceremonial practice, as Apollo embarks on a quest to locate his spouse and unravel the enigmas of his past and present.

The line from the book conveys a haunting image of a child being watched as it sleeps by someone who covets it. William's actions mirror this, as he obsessively spied on baby Brian and threatened Emma with the prospect of taking the baby away. The final verse of the book, where the fairies claim the child as their own because they love it the most, parallels William's abduction of baby Brian and his previous act of taking his own daughter from his wife. It appears that William is part of a group of individuals who, like the fairies in the book, separate their children from their spouses.

The Changeling Episode 5 Hints Where Emma Went

The allusions to the book do not provide definitive evidence of what happened to baby Brian, but they strongly suggest that he may still be alive. Emma, being a determined mother, would not simply abandon her child, so it is likely that she left the Wise Ones' island in order to search for and rescue baby Brian before it is too late. The Changeling has not yet explained the motives behind the abduction of babies by "fairies" like William and Apollo's father, or where they are taken, but it is anticipated that Apollo will uncover some answers as he tracks down his wife.

In Celtic folklore, fairies were known to either raise human children as their own or impose difficult tasks upon them, such as playing music or dancing at gatherings. While the show may not directly draw from Celtic literature, it is clear that William and Apollo's father were aligned in accomplishing a common objective. Considering the show's fantastical nature, it is possible that The Changeling will introduce another powerful mythical creature who serves as the leader and driving force behind malicious "fairies" like Apollo's father and William.

Why Did William Kill His Daughter

In The Changeling episode 5, it becomes evident that William had been dishonest with Apollo about his family situation. Contrary to what he had claimed, his wife and daughter did not abandon him, and he purchased the book To Kill A Mockingbird not as a gift for his wife, but rather as a means to deplete her financial resources and torment her over the loss of their daughter, Agnes. The unsettling truth is unveiled by Greta, his wife, who discloses that William withdrew $70,000 from her bank account and sent her the book, each page inscribed with the name "Agnes" in red ink. This revelation heightens the urgency for Apollo and Emma, as it suggests that if baby Brian still exists, his life is in peril. They must now race against time to rescue him in The Changeling.